In the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration's 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 22.5% of Americans ages 12 and over who started using drugs abused pain relievers. Prescription pain relievers, or opioids, act on the opioid receptors in the brain. Once the drug binds to the receptors, the brain releases certain hormones, like endorphins, that reduce pain. Since opioid drugs can also cause euphoric feelings, some people abuse them. Examples of abused opioids include oxycodone, morphine and hydrocodone.
Oxycodone Abuse
A Schedule II controlled substance, oxycodone is available as the prescription drugs OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet and Tylox. Patients with moderate to severe pain take oxycodone. People who abuse oxycodone can take the drug orally or via an injection. Besides causing euphoric effects, oxycodone can cause physical changes. For example, abusers can have breathing irregularities, headaches, nausea and low blood pressure. Some people may suffer from seizures or heart failure as a result of the abuse.
As people continue to use oxycodone, they develop a physical dependence on the drug. As a result, abusers' bodies have trouble functioning without the drug, which results in withdrawal symptoms. The Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland points out that during withdrawal, users can have flu-like symptoms, such as a fever and nausea. Other withdrawal symptoms include muscle pain, anxiety and insomnia.
Morphine Abuse
Also a Schedule II controlled substance, morphine relieves pain and acts as an anesthetic for surgery. People can abuse morphine either through taking too much of the prescription, using someone else's medication or buying morphine off the street. People who abuse morphine can have euphoric effects, though some people may have dysphoria, or an unpleasant mood. Abusers may experience nausea and sweating. Other effects include dizziness and drowsiness.
Like oxycodone users, morphine users can also develop a physical tolerance. When they stop taking the drug or having a drop in the amount used, they can experience withdrawal symptoms. Kristi Monson, PharmD, and Arthur Schoenstadt, MD, authors of the eMedTV article “Morphine Withdrawal Symptoms,” note that users can have a rapid heart rate, insomnia, vomiting and diarrhea. Users can also have sweating and chills during withdrawal. Other withdrawal symptoms of morphine include a loss of appetite, abdominal cramps and muscle pain.
Hydrocodone Abuse
Another opioid drug, hydrocodone is a Schedule III controlled substance, meaning its potential for abuse is lower than oxycodone and morphine. People cannot get hydrocodone alone—it is combined with another drug, such as acetaminophen. Hydrocodone can cause users to feel sick. For example, they can have constipation, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Lightheadedness and drowsiness can also occur.
When people who develop a physical dependence to hydrocodone and stop using it, they have withdrawal symptoms. In “Hydrocodone Withdrawal Symptoms,” Monson and Schoenstadt point out that users can have cravings for the drug during withdrawal. Hydrocodone abusers can have anxiety, sweating, shivering and goosebumps. Other withdrawal symptoms include pain, insomnia, diarrhea, nausea and a runny nose.
Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch - Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch is a recent graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, CT with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in ...
