Prescription Addiction: Oxymorphone Becoming More Popular Among Addicts

Oxymorphone is a prescription medication used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is prescribed for patients who require continuous relief on an around-the-clock basis over a long period of time. This medication, which brand names are Opana and Numorphan, is in the same opiate painkiller class as oxycodone (Oxycontin), morphine (MS Contin), hydrocodone (Vicodin) and methadone (Methadose).

Prescription addiction rates are on the rise, as dependency on pain medication for purposes for which it was not prescribed has increased over the past decade.

How Prescription Addiction Occurs

A patient may be prescribed a prescription pain medication following an injury or surgery, or to treat a chronic condition. He or she starts off taking the medication as directed but may have a different expectation than the doctor about the level of pain relief to expect.

Since these drugs are often referred to as pain “killers,” the expectation may be that complete pain relief is reasonable and achievable when using the medication, but this may not be the case. The patient may end up taking more of the medication than what was originally prescribed to achieve what he or she feels is adequate pain relief.

Over time, patients do build up a tolerance to these types of pain medications and require more of them to achieve the same level of relief they were able to achieve from lower doses in the past. The patient may start to take higher doses, without discussing the situation with their doctor to see whether there is another medication that might help to treat their pain more appropriately.

Some people start taking that was not prescribed for them at all. When OxyContin was reformulated to make it more difficult to abuse, oxymorphone became a more popular choice among addicts.

Oxymorphone is not generally used by addicts to get a sense of euphoria; in most cases, they turn to this drug to feel, “normal” and in order to be able to function in their everyday lives.

Signs of Oxymorphone Abuse

The signs of oxymorphone abuse are as follows:

  • Drowsiness
  • Constipation
  • Vomiting
  • Euphoria
  • Constricted Pupils
  • Feelings of Relaxation
  • Nausea

Prescription Addiction Treatment

In order for prescription addiction treatment to be successful, the program should be flexible enough to address each patient’s individual needs and treatment goals. Many treatment programs however offer a generic or standard level of treatment.

At Summit Behavioral Health however, we understand that each person we help needs to be treated as an individual. Our outpatient program is customized and can be adapted to each person’s specific needs and goals.

Our clients receive individual and group therapy and partake in a variety of holistic therapies and programs as part of their prescription addiction and rehab program. We also provide relapse prevention and ongoing support for long-term sobriety.

Do You Need Help For Prescription Addiction? Call Us Now To Discover How Our Program Can Help Set You Free!

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