Can You Shoot Oxycodone?

Euphoria and feelings of relaxation are the most common effects of oxycodone on the brain, which explains its high potential for abuse. Individuals who abuse these drugs crush them up into powder form and snort through the nose. This mode of administration is also referred to as nasal insufflation. Snorting oxycodone fast tracks the effects of the narcotic on the central nervous system (CNS), which results in the strong effect that users seek. Moreover, people can mix alcohol and Oxycodone to intensify the effects of the drug. 

Signs of Oxycodone Use, Abuse, & Addiction

People use oxycodone to manage pain, but the prescription drug can also cause feelings of a “high” or euphoria that can possibly lead to repeated nonmedical abuse of oxycodone. Tolerance may also build with repeated use of opioid drugs like oxycodone, which itself can lead to escalating patterns of use. Tolerance means that the body adapts to the presence of the drug, with the result being they need increasing amounts of oxycodone to feel the desired or pleasurable effects.

Roughly a quarter of people who are prescribed oxycodone or other opioids for pain management are estimated to abuse these medications. Abuse of prescription drugs like oxycodone can increase the risk of addiction and life-threatening overdose symptoms. While many individuals take oxycodone as prescribed, widespread misuse and diversion of these prescription drugs have made oxycodone addiction more prevalent.

Long Term Use of Oxycodone

Oxycodone is a prescription painkiller in the opioid family. While it can be effective at addressing and reducing pain, this medication has been shown to have a high risk of abuse due to the euphoric feeling it produces. Therefore, it should be used only as directed by a physician.

Oxycodone works by interacting with opioid receptors in the brain to suppress the transmission of nerve signals, such as those that cause pain. It also stimulates the release of endorphins, which are brain chemicals that cause pleasurable sensations. Some users begin to crave that high, in addition to receiving pain relief, which is one of the ways oxycodone can easily lead to dependence.

Prescription opioids such as oxycodone are associated with certain harmful health effects, including:

Oxycodone addiction can increase the risk of these and other adverse effects. As misuse persists, more chronic issues may arise including:

Can You Shoot Oxycodone?

Can you inject oxycodone? Yes, you can. Generally, when people want to shoot up oxycodone, they will crush and dissolve the tablets in water, creating a solution that can be intravenously injected. Some people learn how to shoot oxycodone because it provides them with a faster effect. When any drug is injected, and this includes shooing up oxycodone, it reaches the brain more quickly and the high people feel may also be more powerful.

However, oxycodone doesn’t necessarily provide the strong rush that other drugs do when it’s injected. Moreover, the extended-release version of oxycodone is prescribed now in a tamper-proof form. It means it turns into a gel when they try to crush it. That makes extended-release oxycodone impossible to snort, but it doesn’t always derail people who want to inject it.

What Are the Risks of Shooting Oxycodone?

If someone is injecting oxycodone, there are many risks that wouldn’t be present even when just taking the drug orally. If you’re injecting oxycodone in an extended-release form, the effects of all of the drugs are hitting your body at once, leaving you at a much greater risk of an overdose. It’s very possible if you’re injecting extended-release oxycodone that you will suffer from respiratory depression and possible overdose or die. Other health risks include:

Skin Infections

Using non-sterilized needles or neglecting to sterilize the skin before shooting Oxycodone can expose the body to dangerous bacterial infections, leading to serious skin infections, cellulitis, abscesses, and other skin conditions.

Cardiovascular Infections

Drug use using non-sterile needles or skin can also introduce bacteria to the bloodstream. This can lead to infections of several organs including the endocardium (the interior lining of your heart), heart valves, and lungs. 

Infectious Disease Transmission

Sharing needles is a common vector for certain serious infections including HIV and Hepatitis C.HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is a virus that attacks immune cells, and cells that help the body fight off other infections. Hepatitis C is a virus that causes damage to the liver, damage that can become serious over time. Chronic Hepatitis C infection can be cured with specialty medications taken daily for two to six months. 

How Fast Can You Get Addicted to Oxycodone?

People who develop an addiction to prescription painkillers increase their risk of becoming heroin addicts. More than 80% of persons who have been addicted to heroin report misusing opiate prescriptions earlier in life. Some people can use Oxycodone as prescribed for weeks and not develop a physical dependence or an addiction.

Other people report feeling symptoms of withdrawal and addiction after only a week. There is no definitive answer. It could take weeks, months, or years to develop an addiction. However, developing tolerance and physical dependence on oxycodone is a different matter.

Oxycodone Addiction Treatment 

Medically-Assisted Detox

Medical detox is often considered the first stage of treatment. It will help you navigate the complicated process of withdrawal, but it doesn’t address patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to drug use. Various treatment approaches and settings can help provide the ongoing support necessary to maintain long-term sobriety after you complete detox.

Cravings are very common during detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient drug rehab helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can provide necessary medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and the effects of withdrawals.

Psychotherapy 

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of mental health disorders along with addiction, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves making changes in both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy – is a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 
• Person-Centered Therapy – is a strategy that allows and encourages clients to understand and resolve their concerns in a safe, supportive environment.
• Solution Focused Therapy – is an approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Drug abuse and mental health disorders often co-occur. In many cases, traumatic experiences can result in a mental health disorder and substance abuse. Dual diagnosis rehabilitation treats both of these issues together. The best approach for the treatment of dual diagnosis is an integrated system. In this strategy, both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder are treated simultaneously. Regardless of which diagnosis (mental health or substance abuse problem) came first, long-term recovery will depend largely on the treatment for both disorders done by the same team or provider.

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