Oxycodone Addiction ??

[Gilbert P]

Hi

I have been taking Oxycodone for pain mostly one or two sometimes at night for lingering leg pain, I find out If I do not take one I will toss and turn all night?

Could this be addiction?

I have only three left and trying not to take any more.

Also become very itchy

Can you become addicted to these pain pills

Help

Gil

[Justin]

Hi Gil,

One or two pills of oxycodone to cover your pain and to help you sleep is not considered addiction. To answer your other question if patients can become addicted to narcotics: Yes.

Here's a link to another thread in the Pain Management Forum that should be helpful--> Chronic Pain Management: An Appropriate Use of Opioid Analgesics, which explains Addiction, Physical Dependence and Tolerance:

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When is it addiction?

How can you tell if your patient is truly addicted to opioids? The following definitions are jointly from The American Academy of Pain Medicine, the American Pain Society, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine:

Addiction: Addiction is a primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving.

Physical Dependence: Physical dependence is a state of adaptation that is manifested by a drug-class-specific withdrawal syndrome that can be produced by abrupt cessation, rapid dose reduction, decreasing blood level of the drug, and/or adminis- tration of an antagonist.

Tolerance: Tolerance is a state of adaptation in which exposure to a drug induces changes that result in a diminution of one or more of the drug’s effects over time.

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You also mentioned being itchy. There is a reason for this: narcotics (opioids) upregulate histamine receptors. Histamine is one of the proteins present during allergic reactions (it also works as a neurotransmitter and has other effects within the body). Thus, an increase in histamine can cause itching. It's actually more complicated than this, but I hope this answers your question.

[Gilbert P]

Hi Justin

Thank you so much, I am going through a tough time with pain and no sleep

Thank You

Gil

[Justin]

Hi Justin

Thank you so much, I am going through a tough time with pain and no sleep

Thank You

Gil

Hang in there, Gil. Have you informed your treating physicians about your current symptoms? There are very effective medications to help you sleep. If you are experiencing increased pain, make sure to discuss this as well.

Good luck. I hope you feel better soon.

[KBear]

Gil, I take the muscle relaxer, Zanaflex for sleep. One an hour before bedtime does the trick.

I always joke with my hubby that I need him to "scratch me like a dog" when I get to itching from meds. I usually only get this way at the end of a bad pain day, where I have taken more than my normal dose of meds.

[Cindylou]

And I am finding that the Zanaflex is NOT helping me sleep. I have slept terribly the past 3 nights. I have been up this morning again at 4:30 a.m. Night before I woke up every hour, and the night before that, when I started on it, I got up at 3 a.m. So it just goes to show you how everyone's body reacts differently to medication. I was hoping to at least change to Flexeril and see if that relaxed my muscles better. I am going to call this morning on that, since they won't give me any more Oxycodone till I have the procedure next Wednesday. Gil, I hope you have some relief in sight, along with some much needed sleep.

[Gilbert P]

Hi Guys and Gals

I had a good night and the pain levels are down, I think my walk may have been to long, I am taking shorter walks a couple times a day

I will see my Doc next thur 22ed with all my questions It will be six weeks since my surgery hoping to get the ok to go to P.T.

Thank You All

Gil

[Greg]

And I am finding that the Zanaflex is NOT helping me sleep. I have slept terribly the past 3 nights. I have been up this morning again at 4:30 a.m. Night before I woke up every hour, and the night before that, when I started on it, I got up at 3 a.m. So it just goes to show you how everyone's body reacts differently to medication. I was hoping to at least change to Flexeril and see if that relaxed my muscles better. I am going to call this morning on that, since they won't give me any more Oxycodone till I have the procedure next Wednesday. Gil, I hope you have some relief in sight, along with some much needed sleep.

I have been taking Flexeril 10mg at bedtime to help with sleep. For the first week, worked fantastic After that though, it didnt really help much and to be honest, a lot of times I forget to take it as it doesnt really help much. This could just be my perception of it though. I have always have a tough time with ANY medication. After a short time on any meds I have had (not just nacortics) my body builds an incredible tolerance in such a short period....maybe thats why the docs dont believe me when I say it doesnt work anymore. Hopefully it will work for you! Good Luck