For over 25 years Pat Moore Foundation has specialized in oxycodone and other opiate addiction treatment programs. We know first-hand the powerful addictive and destructive qualities of oxycodone and prescription drug abuse. Following is a short information guide on oxycodone abuse, addiction, symptoms, risks, hydrocodone, suboxone detox and treatment. We provide this as a service to Pat Moore Foundation family and friends, as well as for anyone seeking helpful and insightful information on oxycodone, including its addiction and abuse.
Methadone and OxyContin
Methadone and OxyContin (oxycodone) have a lot in common. Both are long-lasting synthetic opiates that produce a heroin-like euphoric sensation. Both are used for pain management, and both are highly addictive. Methadone and OxyContin abuse have enjoyed a somewhat inverse relationship in recent years.
When OxyContin was first released into the market, it was immediately popular both with patients and doctors. It wasn’t long before it was also popular as a recreational drug. The abundance of prescriptions written flooded the market with OxyContin pills and many were diverted to illegal enterprises. Whether it was theft of large drug shipments or individuals selling pills prescribed to them, OxyContin quickly became one of the most commonly abused prescription drugs.
The backlash against OxyContin has caused methadone to become more popular as a recreational drug. Many doctors are wary of prescribing OxyContin for chronic pain because of its reputation for addictiveness and illicit use. Some of these doctors have switched to prescribing methadone, which had been almost exclusively used in methadone treatment centers for drug rehabilitation. Between 1998 and 2006 prescriptions for methadone for pain management have increased by 700 percent according the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). With more supply in the market, illicit methadone abuse has also increased.
Methadone addiction and OxyContin addiction also share the same treatment protocol. Using Suboxone (buprenorphine) to treat OxyContin and methadone withdrawal symptoms has been largely successful. Along with counseling and other supportive services, Suboxone helps users kick an addiction to methadone, OxyContin and other opiods without creating another addiction in its place.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/us/17methadone.html
Click here for the next part in the series, “Rise in Methadone Deaths” Click here to return to the first part in the series, “Introduction to Methadone.”
Pat Moore Foundation’s drug & alcohol detox and alcohol & drug addiction treatment programs are licensed and certified by The State of California. We provide non-medical and medically managed detoxification (using Suboxone, Subutex, and Buprenorphine when appropriate) and primary residential treatment. Our individual homes are on a unique co-ed campus where we offer gender specific treatment. We are located in Costa Mesa, in Orange County, Southern California, close to Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, and only an hour’s drive from Los Angeles and San Diego. To speak with a counselor, please call us 24-hours at (888) 426-6086 or if you’d like us to contact you, send a confidential message online by filling out our online form.
Note: All medical services are administered by medical professionals, which are facilitated and operated solely under the jurisdiction of a separate medical corporation.