Oxycontin Overdose

Oxycontin is a strong prescription pain medication used for severe ongoing pain, such as the pain from cancer, severe injuries, and arthritis.  It is the brand name for a timed-release form of oxycodone, a narcotic (opiate) analgesic (pain reliever).  Oxycodone is also found in Percocet and other pain medications, but what makes Oxycontin distinctive is its long-lasting formula, which can work for up to 12 hours.  Experts consider oxycodone to have a high risk for abuse.  If someone you know is addicted to Oxycontin, you should familiarize yourself with the signs of an overdose.

Why do people overdose on Oxycontin?

Up until recently, it was easy to take an extremely large dose of Oxycontin by breaking, crushing, or dissolving the tablet.  This could destroy the time-release mechanism and deliver the full dose of oxycodone that had been intended to be slowly released over a 12 hour period.  When the broken tablet is chewed, snorted, or injected, this powerful narcotic can create an intense, instant high.  In 2011, Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of Oxycontin, redesigned the tablet so that it turns into a gummy material when crushed.  The manufacturer hopes that this will discourage drug abusers from taking the drug to get high.  Although many opioids are abused, Oxycontin has recently been implicated in the tragic deaths of many drug abusers, in part because Oxycontin is available in doses of up to 80 milligrams of oxycodone.

An overdose takes place when someone either accidentally or purposefully takes too much of a drug.  Drug abusers may accidentally overdose on Oxycontin if they start to take larger and larger doses to achieve a better high, especially once they have developed a tolerance for the drug.  Ironically, recovering addicts are also at risk for accidental overdose, if they relapse.  Because their drug-free body is now less tolerant of Oxycontin, they may overdose by taking the same amount of the drug that they used to take before detox.  Patients who are taking many different medications may mix up their medications or their dosing schedules and inadvertently overdose.  Finally, patients who take Oxycontin for breakthrough pain, rather than following a strict dosing regimen, may accidentally overdose.  Sadly, people may also purposefully overdose on Oxycontin with the intention of committing suicide.

Signs of an Oxycontin Overdose

• Intense sleepiness, fatigue, or loss of consciousness.
• Difficulty breathing (especially slow or shallow breathing).
• Slow heartbeat.
• Tiny, “pinpoint” pupils.

It may be difficult and even impossible to wake someone who has overdosed, even when they are vigorously shaken.  The most serious of all these symptoms is slowed breathing, as an Oxycontin overdose can cause a person’s breathing to stop completely.

How can someone who has overdosed on Oxycontin be helped?

• Remaining as calm as you can, call the poison control center or emergency services.   Even if the person is abusing Oxycontin without a prescription, you should not be afraid about possible legal ramifications for them.  These will be much less serious than losing a life.
• Be prepared with the following information: the person’s age, weight, and condition (conscious, unconscious, etc.); the time at which Oxycontin was taken; how many pills were taken and the strength of the pills; any prescription information; any information about any other substances that the patient may have swallowed or taken.
• You may call the National Poison Control Center at any time of day at 1-800-222-1222.  Experts in poisoning can answer your questions and give you detailed instructions about what to do next.  It is free and confidential to call, and you may call even if it is not an emergency.
• If the person is nearly unresponsive or having difficulty breathing, you should call emergency services immediately.  Stay with them and keep them safe and warm until the emergency personnel come.

How is an Oxycontin overdose treated?

Emergency medical personnel will give the patient oxygen to help him breathe.  Doctors will monitor the patient’s breathing, and if it is so poor that long-term damage may take place, they may administer naloxone (Narcan).  The antidote for oxycodone, naloxene quickly reverses its effects, but it has its own severe side effects and is only used under dire emergencies.  Doctors may also administer activated charcoal in combination with a laxative to help remove any remaining drugs in the patient’s body.  When individuals who have overdosed on Oxycontin are treated before their breathing deteriorates too greatly, they are likely to fully recover in a day or two.  If an extremely large dose is taken, or if an individual experiences severe breathing problems, irreversible brain damage or death may occur.