OxyContin
OxyContin is the trade name of the potent drug, oxycodone, manufactured by Purdue Pharma. This drug is an opiod analgesic and is known to be highly addictive. It is also available with other drug combinations, like paracetamol and aspirin. This type of drug is commonly used to relieve pain. Aside from being taken orally, OxyContin can also be administered through intramuscular or intravenous injection, through the rectum, and can also be administered through the nasal cavity. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug in 1995 including a label with several warnings. However, by the year 2001, the FDA required Purdue Pharma to add a black box warning about the dangers of taking OxyContin, which is the highest level of warning required. The side effects, and the potential to become highly addicted to this medication, can lead to overdose and death.
Used to treat moderate to intense chronic pain, OxyContin's effectiveness is guaranteed when administered at doses that have been recommended by a specialist. Typically, it is taken every twelve hours, because it contains a time-release formula. OxyContin abusers, however, have been known to remove the time-release outer coating, in order to speed up the release of the medication, thus causing a rush of euphoria.
OxyContin is also known to have side effects. The most frequently reported side effects of the drug are constipation, itchiness or rashes, nausea, dizziness, or a feeling of being lightheaded, but can also cause emotional disorders, dry mouth, and a mild decrease of the testosterone levels in men. It has also been discovered that the long-term use or abuse of the drug can result in temporary impotence or prostate enlargement in men. When the patient taking OxyContin has an impairment problem with his or her liver, the drug may accumulate, and the dosage may have to be reduced. OxyContin should be used with extreme caution, in order to avoid adverse side effects.
It has been suggested that OxyContin has been marketed excessively without pointing out its addictive nature. Since its approval by the FDA, OxyContin has been linked to a number of overdose deaths. In the year 2005, the last time concrete data was collected, drug overdose was the second leading cause of accidental deaths. Furthermore, Purdue falsely told health care providers that patients could stop taking OxyCotin at any time, without any withdrawal symptoms.
Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical company which manufactures OxyContin, has failed to warn people about the possible dangers of the drug. As a result, people have been dying or suffering from health problems because of the medication. The risks of OxyContin, which should have been put on its labels, have been simplified or omitted completely on some boxes. Several people have already died or developed health problems because they were not aware of the possible side effects of the drug. Some even say that a drug that dangerous should have never been place in the market. Like other opioid narcotics, it can be deadly when combined with depressants, such as alcohol.
If you or a loved one have suffered because of the drug OxyContin, consider contacting an attorney. Not only does the drug boast a long list of potential side effects, and deadly consequences, but when taken recreationally, it can be deadly. Your lawyer has expertise in handling litigation and will tackle all the legal issues involved in an OxyContin case. OxyContin is a highly addictive drug that can be difficult to stop taking, whether for medical reasons, or because of abuse. If you believe that your life or the life of a loved one has been at risk due to OxyContin, contact an experienced lawyer in order to find out whether you may be entitled to compensation.
