1. Oxycodone and the Effects of Opioids LAUREN FRAILEY HEALTH 1050

2. What are opioids?  Opioids are natural, semisynthetic. Entirely manmade drugs.  Opioids diminish the perception of and reaction to pain.  They also produce feelings of euphoria.

3. What are opioids?  Examples of opioids are : Painkillers such as morphine, methadone, Buprenorphine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone.  Heroin is also an opioid and is illegal. Some opioids, such as morphine and codeine, occur naturally in opium, a gummy substance collected from the seed pod of the opium poppy, which grows in southern Asia.

4. The Chemical Makeup of Oxycodone  The chemical name is 4, 5α-epoxy-14-hydroxy-3- methoxy-17-methylmorphinan-6-one hydrochloride

5. Brief History of Opium  Opioids have been the main stay of pain treatment for the thousands of years, and they remain so today.  Its use in the medicine is quoted in a 12 th century prescription, “Take opium and henbane in equal parts and mix with water. When you want to cut or saw a man, dip a rag in this and put it to his nose. He will sleep so deep that you may do what you wish.”

6. Brief History of Opium  Oxycodone has been in clinical use since 1917, and it is used for managing moderate to moderately severe acute or chronic pain.  It has been found to improve quality of life for those with many types of pain.

7. How do opioids work in the brain?  Opioids bind to and activate receptors in the brain, triggering the release of dopamine—a neurotransmitter linked with learning, pleasure, and reward.  Over time, opioid use charges both the amount and sensitivity of dopamine receptors in the brain.

8. Long term effects of Oxycodone use Oxycodone is only meant to be used for a few weeks at a time; using it for longer periods of time can cause serious health problems such as:  High levels of drug tolerance.  Respiratory distress. Symptoms of respiratory distress include difficulty breathing, lightheadedness and dizziness from lack of oxygen.  Physical dependence.

9. Short term effects of Oxycodone use  Drowsiness, sometimes to the point of nodding off  Sedation  Euphoria  Lightheadedness  Itching  Nausea and vomiting  Constipation  Low blood pressure  Headache  Dry mouth  Sweating OxyContin, widely known as “hillbilly heroin” because of its abuse in Appalachian communities, has emerged as a major crime problem in the US. In one county, it was estimated that addiction to this drug was behind 80% of the crime.

10. Ways Oxycodone can be abused  By mouth  Snorted  Injection

11. Symptoms of Oxycodone Overdose Symptoms include:  Extreme sleepiness  Breathing problems  Small pupils -- the black circle in the colored part of your eye

12. Withdrawals  The risk of experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms is high if a patient has become physically dependent or addicted and discontinues oxycodone abruptly.  Therefore, particularly in cases where the drug has been taken regularly over an extended period of time, use should be discontinued gradually rather than abruptly.

13. Similarities between Oxycodone and Illicit drugs The molecular structures of heroin and oxycodone are almost identical. Prescription opioid narcotics come from the same place heroin does the opium poppy. Oxycodone and other legally prescribed opioids mimic the effects of heroin on the body and mind and in fact are used interchangeably by many who are addicted.

14. The molecular structures of heroin and oxycodone are almost identical. There are many prescription opioid narcotics which are similar to heroin. Brand names of opioids continue to change but the highly addictive active ingredients do not. Prescription opioid narcotics come from the same place heroin does – the opium poppy. Oxycodone and other legally prescribed opioids mimic the effects of heroin on the body and mind and in fact are used interchangeably by many who are addicted. This is the primary reason we are seeing an epidemic of death and addiction caused by prescription opioids, far surpassing those of illicit drugs.

15. Abuse in the United States  In the United States, more than 12 million people abuse opioid drugs. In 2010, 16,652 deaths were related to opioid overdose.  In September 2013, the FDA released new labeling guidelines for long acting and extended release opioids requiring manufacturers to remove moderate pain as indication for usage, instead stating the drug is for "pain severe enough to require daily, around-the- clock, long term opioid treatment.“  The updated labeling will not restrict physicians from prescribing opioids for moderate, as needed usage.

16. Legal  Oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance whether by itself or part of a multi-ingredient medication.  The DEA lists oxycodone both for sale and for use in manufacturing other opioids as ACSCN 9143 and in 2013 approved a following annual aggregate manufacturing quota.

17. Targiniq ER  Targiniq ER is an extended-release tablet. It blends the active narcotic ingredient oxycodone hydrochloride with the ingredient naloxone hydrochloride.  When crushed and snorted, or crushed, dissolved and injected, the naloxone in Targiniq ER blocks the euphoric effects of oxycodone, making it less liked by abusers than oxycodone alone.

18. Sources Cited  “Drug Facts: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). USA.gov, Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.  “Prescription Drug Abuse.” How do opioids affect the brain and body? USA.gov, Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Sept 2014.  “Prescription Drug Abuse.” What are opioids? USA.gov, Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.  “Prescription Drug Abuse.” What are the possible consequences of opioid use and abuse? USA.gov, Oct 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.  “Prescription Drug Abuse.” Chronic Pain Treatment and Addiction. USA.gov, Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.  "The Effects of Oxycodone Use." The Effects of Oxycodone Use. Coalition against Drug Abuse, 2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2014..