Long-term effects

The most common long-term effect of abusing OxyContin®, and perhaps the worst effect, is the addiction itself. Addiction ruins a person’s life bit by bit, becoming worse over time. In this way, OxyContin® abuse is no different from heroin, cocaine, or alcohol abuse. The addict changes his or her entire lifestyle to allow for more and more drug use.

Some OxyContin® abusers begin their abuse with a prescription written for them, either for real pain or faked pain. Some of these people have access to insurance benefits that will pay all or most of the cost of their prescriptions. During this period, an OxyContin® abuser can go downhill quickly because there is no financial barrier to increased consumption. Sooner or later, however, the person’s doctor determines that there is an abuse problem going on, and won’t prescribe more. The addict then begins buying the drugs on the black market. The street price of OxyContin® is very high. Addicts begin stealing, robbing, and even going into prostitution to raise the money they need to service their addiction.

Health Damage from Long-Term OxyContin® Abuse

OxyContin® was marketed for the first time beginning in 1996. Therefore, it has not been many years that people have been abusing it. However, much is known about the opioid drugs in general, as they have been in use for hundreds of years in one form or another.

Long-term physical effects of OxyContin® abuse, or any opioid drug abuse, include:

Painful Withdrawal that Maintains Addiction

        Restlessness

        Muscle and bone pain

        Muscle spasms

        Insomnia

        Diarrhea and vomiting

        Chills and goose bumps

        Intense anxiety

Cardiovascular Damage (Primarily due to injecting the drugs)

        Endocarditis -- Heart infection

        Scarred and/or collapsed veins

        Blood vessels clogged by foreign particles, causing cell death

Infections  (Primarily due to injecting the drugs)

        Boils and abscesses

        Soft-tissue infections

        Systemic infections (bacteremia or sepsis)

Viruses

(These may be due to unsafe sex brought on by being under the influence or while seeking money for drugs or may be caused by injecting the drugs.)

        HIV/AIDS

        Hepatitis B and C

Other Organ Damage and Disease

        Liver disease

        Kidney disease

        Arthritis (Primarily due to injecting the drugs)

Danger During Pregnancy

        Miscarriage, premature delivery, or stillbirth of pregnancies.

        Addicted newborns

        Greater risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (“crib death”)