What Are the Symptoms of an OxyContin® Addiction?
OxyContin® is a potent prescription medication intended for use by people with chronic or acute pain. The time-release drug is very effective at soothing symptoms related to serious injuries, as it numbs pain while stimulating pleasurable sensations in a manner similar to morphine and heroin. Like those drugs, OxyContin® can quickly become addictive, especially if it is taken without a prescription or in doses larger than recommended by a doctor. Symptoms of an OxyContin® addiction may include unusual changes in behavior, obsessing about the drug, and taking larger and more frequent doses over time. The keystones of any drug addiction are tolerance and dependence. One of the first noticeable symptoms of an OxyContin® addiction is the development of a physical tolerance for the drug; a person must increase the dosage amount to achieve the same affect as smaller doses used to provide. Dependence refers to a progressively worsening physical, mental, and emotional reliance on OxyContin®. A
