Description

Oxycontin

Oxycontin is a pain reliever, It is used to treat constant pain that lasts for more than a few days.

It is sometimes called a narcotic.

OxyContin is a strong prescription medicine used when an opioid medicine is needed to manage severe pain enough to require daily around-the-clock, long-term treatment with an opioid,

when other pain treatments such as non-opioid pain medicines or immediate-release opioid medicines do not treat your pain well enough or you cannot tolerate them.

OxyContin is not to be use as a standard pill for painkiller, it is not advisable to use every time as its very addictive.

Warnings

You should not use OxyContin if you have severe asthma or breathing problems, or a blockage in your stomach or intestines.

MISUSE OF OXYCONTIN CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH.

Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.

During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. It may harm an unborn baby.

Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.

This drug passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant.

Tell the doctor right away if your baby develops unusual sleepiness, difficulty feeding, or trouble breathing.

Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Fatal side effects can occur if you use OxyContin with alcohol, or with other drugs that cause drowsiness or slow your breathing.

USES OF OXYCONTIN

This medication is used to help relieve severe ongoing pain (such as due to cancer).

Oxycodone belongs to a class of drugs known as opioid analgesics.

It works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain.

The higher strengths of this drug (more than 40 milligrams per tablet) should be used only if you have been regularly taking moderate to large amounts of an opioid pain medication.

These strengths may cause overdose (even death) if taken by a person who has not been regularly taking opioids.

Do not use the extended-release form of oxycontin to relieve pain that is mild or that will go away in a few days.

This medication is not for occasional (“as needed”) use.

Take this medication on a regular schedule as directed by your doctor, not as you need it for pain.

Take this drug with or without food, usually every 12 hours. If you have nausea, it may help to take this drug with food.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to decrease nausea (such as lying down for 1 to 2 hours with as little head movement as possible). If nausea persists, see your doctor.

Swallow the tablets whole. Do not break, crush, chew, or dissolve the tablets.

Doing so can release all of the drug at once, increasing the risk of oxycontin overdose.

Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while using this medication unless your doctor or pharmacist says you may do so safely.

Grapefruit can increase the chance of side effects with this medicine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

SIDE EFFECTS OF OXYCONTIN USAGE

Nausea, vomiting, constipation, dry mouth, weakness, sweating, lightheadedness, dizziness, or drowsiness may occur.

Some of these side effects may decrease after you have been using this medication for a while.

If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

To prevent constipation, eat dietary fiber, drink enough water, and exercise.

You may also need to take a laxative. Ask your pharmacist which type of laxative is right for you.

To reduce the risk of dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position.

You may notice an empty tablet shell in your stool. This is harmless because your body has already absorbed the medicine.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare.

However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction,

including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

An oxycodone overdose can be fatal, especially in a child or other person using the medicine without a prescription.

Overdose symptoms may include severe drowsiness, pinpoint pupils, slow breathing, or no breathing.

Your doctor may recommend you get naloxone (a medicine to reverse an opioid overdose) and keep it with you at all times.

A person caring for you can give the naloxone if you stop breathing or don’t wake up.

Your caregiver must still get emergency medical help and may need to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on you while waiting for help to arrive.

Anyone can buy naloxone from a pharmacy or local health department. Make sure any person caring for you knows where you keep naloxone and how to use it.

PRECAUTIONS

Before taking oxycontin, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it or to other opioid pain relievers (such as oxymorphone);or if you have any other allergies.

This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.