Oxycodone is a strong opioid present in prescription pain pills such as Percocet and OxyContin. It’s a synthetic drug because labs make it mimic natural opiates. Because of that, however, oxycodone is also addictive like its natural counterpart. People who develop an oxycodone addiction need a medical detox to stop using the drug.
How Does Oxycodone Addiction Develop?
Like other opioids and opiates, oxycodone works by binding to opioid receptors in the central nervous system. These receptors are present mainly in the brain, spinal cord, and gut. The binding reduces how you feel and react to pain.
Taking oxycodone for a prolonged period increases tolerance to the drug. The tolerance requires higher doses to block pain signals to the brain. Even people who initially follow a prescription can start abusing oxycodone because of tolerance. Their natural instinct is to take more of the drug to get the same pain relief.
However, oxycodone addiction can develop quickly. Sometimes it happens before people even realize it. The next thing they know, they have a mental disease and uncontrolled urges for which they need help managing.
Why Is a Detox Program Necessary?
Physical dependence is likely with oxycodone addiction, which occurs when the body needs the drug to function. When people with dependence don’t take the drug, withdrawal symptoms develop. Sometimes the symptoms are so intense that people relapse or keep taking oxycodone to feel normal.
Although the symptoms of withdrawal themselves aren’t dangerous during detox, they can cause other complications. People can breathe in the material from vomiting, which may cause pneumonia. Untreated diarrhea could lead to abnormal heartbeat, circulatory problems, dehydration, and heart attack.
These are all reasons why people with oxycodone addiction need a medical detox. Inpatient detox or outpatient programs can help them recover in a safe way. For example, the staff may provide medicines that alleviate withdrawal symptoms.
What Are the Symptoms? How Long Do They Last?
The symptoms that people experience during detox and how long the process takes is different for every person. The frequency of use and dose of oxycodone are two major factors. Others include the length of abuse or addiction, family drug history, and medical history. However, oxycodone detox follows a general timeline.
Detox starts with either tapering off oxycodone or quitting cold turkey. The taper approach is the safest because the symptoms are typically less intense. However, cold turkey is a common detox method as well.
Within a few hours of taking the last dose of oxycodone, the withdrawal symptoms start. Over the first two days, most people experience joint and muscle aches, extreme sweating and nausea. This window has the highest risk for relapse because people start taking the drug again to get symptom relief.
More intense symptoms arise during the next three days. Along with more painful body aches and nausea, people have cramps and may shake and vomit. The physical symptoms start to fade on the sixth and seventh days. However, the mental symptoms become stronger, such as anxiety, depression, and cravings.
Most of the symptoms pass by day eight. Some people feel the lingering effects of addiction and withdrawal for months afterward. It’s common to regret their behavior while they were high. This remorse puts them at risk for relapse or drastic actions, so they need careful monitoring.
Get Oxycodone Detox Treatment at Serenity House
If you suffer from an oxycodone addiction, rely on the safe and quality services at Serenity House Detox & Recovery. Our team wants to teach you how to rebuild your life. We use a combination of 12-step principles and holistic approaches to provide comprehensive care, including:
- One-on-one therapy
- Chiropractic care
- Meditation groups
- Personalized treatment plans
Before we create your custom treatment plan, we’ll perform a full medical assessment. We’ll use the information from this exam to determine your unique needs. Our staff will help you engage in treatment so that you learn strategies to overcome challenges rather than use drugs.
Don’t let oxycodone control you and ruin your life. Get quality treatment at Serenity House Detox & Recovery in Fort Lauderdale and Jupiter, Florida. Call us now at 866-294-5306 to begin your recovery process.