When drugs such as Roxicet were developed, scientists were hoping to create a pain relieving opioid in the style of morphine without the problems of dependence and abuse in a drug such as heroin. Roxicet is certainly effective for relieving pain, but while it does not have the exact same effect as a drug such as heroin, it does foster a similar type of dependence. In some cases, this dependence can balloon to full scale Roxicet addiction for which drug rehab is necessary.
Roxicet is a combination of oxycodone, a semi-synthetic opioid pain reliever, and acetaminophen, a pain reliever and fever reducer that is typically available over the counter on its own. Oxycodone, derived from essentially the same substance as heroin, is a power analgesic that carries an extreme risk of dependence. Varieties of this drug such as Roxicet are among the most commonly abused prescription drugs in the world, despite the efforts of world wide law makers to curb its illicit usage.
Recreational use of the drug is fairly common, especially in combination with alcohol and especially among high school and college age young adults, who have easier access to their parents’ medicine cabinets than they do to street drugs. Recreational abuse of Roxicet can lead to liver damage (especially if taken with alcohol), and carries the risk of overdose and death for those uninformed of proper dosage.
Though recreational use is dangerous, and repeated recreational abuse definitely will lead to addiction, the most common Roxicet addicts are those who were at one point prescribed the drug legally. Therapeutic dosages of oxycodone based drugs are meant to be short term pain solutions, but in many cases patients develop a physical and psychological dependence on the drug even in this short period. Upon being taken off the drugs, many patients are so used to the complete dulling of sensation caused by Roxicet and perceive themselves to be in extreme pain. This, in combination with the other effects of opioid withdrawal, can send patients into a downward spiral of acquiring their fix illicitly, either through buying from a street dealer or through faking injury and “doctor-shopping” – attempting to go to a rotation of doctors in order to hide a pattern of drug-seeking behavior.
Due to the strength of dependence Roxicet can foster, as well as the medical problems that come with oxycodone withdrawal, inpatient care at a treatment center is the preferred method of dealing with addiction. Long term users of the drug are more susceptible to catastrophic withdrawal symptoms, due in part to an increased tolerance for the drug that is usually accompanied by increased dosage. According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, the most common side effects for oxycodone withdrawal most commonly include insomnia, muscle pain and weakness, fevers, and other flu like symptoms. These symptoms are made more acute with a sudden stoppage of drug use, and as such treatment centers generally take the approach of gradually reducing dosages over a period of time. Roxicet addiction is a painful struggle for both the addict and their family, but with the medical and psychological help of a treatment center these patients can once more live a normal, Roxicet free life.
