Absent Qadgop, WebMD works well, and tells us, here that it is oxycodone hcl controlled release. Vicodin is hydrocodone and acetominophen. Now even in WebMD I can’t find a spectrum of addictiveness, so I don’t know for sure that hydrocodone is milder/less addictive than oxycodone, but I do know that part of the danger with Oxycontin is that, unlike other narcotics that usually need to be taken every four hours, the time release feature of Oxy allows you to go much longer between doses, but apparently also encourages abuse.
IANAMD, but I am a psychologist who just heard a lecture on the biological underpinnings of addiction. Timed release meds are actually less likely to promote addiction, because things that hit the brain faster are more addictive. It is the sudden high that gets you, apparently. Smoking a substance, for example, gets it in the brain quickly which is one reason crack is so addictive.
Oxycontin is slow-release oxycodone. Oxycodone is a Schedule II narcotic, like morphine and demerol. It is commonly used in Percodan. Oxycodone itself is generally as abusable as any other schedule II opiate narcotic. They have greater abuse potentials than Schedule III’s and IV’s, etc.
The popularity of oxycontin seems to derive from the large amount of oxycodone in the tablet. The larger amount is necessary for its slow-release capabilities. Abusers of the drug tend to crush the tablet and thus get the entire large dose in a very short time, making an oxycontin 40mg tablet deliver the same jolt as 8 tablets of more traditional short-acting oxycodone.
Hydrocodone is a Schedule III opiate narcotic, felt to be less abusable than the schedule IIs. Most opiate addicts agree with this. Oxycodone activates the brain’s opiate receptors far more strongly than hydrocodone.
Oxycontin is a very good drug for the correct patient. It’s a drug with many powerful side-effects for the incorrect patient. But it’s also a magnet which attracts that small subset of patients with chemical dependency. Its use for chronic non-malignant pain remains controversial.
Hope that helps.
Lets all sing:
“I’ve got a tendency
for drug dependency”
Unless you crush them and snort them, which is what a lot of OxyContin abusers do.
QtM, that is exactly what I had in mind! Thanks for the info!
I had that same problem with a muscle relaxant (Soma) my doctor prescribed me for back pain. It was supposed to even have a side effect of drowsiness, and I only felt that once. I took the medicine on an empty stomach along with the Anaprox they also said to take. BAM! Within an hour, I was so sleepy and dizzy I literally could not walk a straight line (I was home, btw). Vicodin hits me like a ton of bricks, however. I can take half a dose and have the room spinning. Fortunately, she prefers not prescribing opiate pain medicines whenever the pain isn’t that bad. My dentist obviously isn’t as cautious. I guess I should be glad he didn’t prescribe Oxycontin.
No kidding, I can’t wait for the “smart pill”, they’'ve been talking about. It loses his effects if the pills are crushed… Please bring it on!
Google “smart pill crush” to get a couple of info if you’d like. Sounds good to me.
Oxy’s are best if you snort them. Not a good idea to start, but a fucking fabulous buzz for a treat.
I think Perdue is just bullshitting on this. Any chemistry experts on the board have an opinion?
Why would say announce this KeithBerry if it isn’t true? So they pretend to take care of the problem??
Moderator’s note:
IMHO this thread has veered far enough off-track into actively promoting illegal activities. We want no part of it.
For those who want really “good” info on how to get an illegal buzz, there’s a whole big internet out there. Go huntin’. But leave us out of it.
Lockdown.
TVeblen,
for the SDMB