Oxymorphone is an opiate painkiller and therefore is in the same class as hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab and Lorcet), oxycodone (OxyContin), morphine (MS Contin) or methadone (Methadose). Oxymorphone is thought to have less abuse potential than the widely-abused OxyContin. The irony is that when the liver breaks down oxymorphone so it can be eliminated from the body, one of the products of this metabolism is oxycodone.
Therefore it is no surprise that as OxyContin was reformulated to make it harder to abuse, Opana became a better known and more sought-after drug of abuse. During pharmacy thefts, it became common for thieves to specifically ask for Opana.
While the drug has been around for several decades, it was only in 2006 that an oral form of this drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. At this point, oxymorphone began to be more popular among addicts. Prescribing information states that this drug is less prone to abuse because the drug itself does not create as much euphoria as some other forms of opiates. But most opiate addicts experience little euphoria anyway, They are just trying to feel normal and functional in their daily lives.
As oxymorphone is an opiate, it has the same signs and symptoms of abuse or overdose as other opiates like oxycodone, hydrocodone or even heroin.
If a person uses too much oxymorphone, the signs of overdose include:
While it may be hard to detect opiate abuse, when a person becomes addicted to an opiate like oxymorphone, things usually begin to change in his (or her) life. These resulting signs may be more detectable by a family.
Addiction means that acquiring and abusing drugs becomes a compulsion. The addicted person feels that he must do whatever it takes to prevent withdrawal sickness. As his awareness reduces as a result of his drug use, he may not notice that he has lost his personal values and integrity. He may not be concerned that he is pawning or selling items of value, some of which may not even belong to him. He may not be concerned about losing jobs or friends. The drugs make all those problems go away - which is one way that he becomes trapped in his addiction. As the problems mount, he is driven to reduce his pain and guilt by more use of opiates.
A family may not see the drugs being abused but the phenomenon of addiction may be more obvious.
In many cases, the addicted person is also driven to conceal the habit to keep people from interfering in his ability to acquire drugs. It is not an innate dishonesty that makes him do so. It is just the nature of addiction that he feels that in order to feel normal and to function normally, he must get his next dose of drugs. Otherwise, he will be incapacitated by the dope sickness that will result.
There is a way out of this trap. It takes time and lots of support, but through the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, tens of thousands of people have recovered their sobriety.
Substance abuse treatment for drug abuse must work holistically for it to have a lasting effect. In other words, it must treat the damaging effects of substance abuse on the body but then it must also help the addict learn how to build a new drug-free life, sometimes from the ground up, when addiction has destroyed everything.
A thorough detoxification followed by counseling and life skills training enable a person in a drug program to see things in a whole new light so they can live an enjoyable, productive life again. This is the way the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program works.
If there is someone you care about who is struggling with addiction, contact Narconon today to find your nearest Narconon facility and learn about this innovative, drugless program.
Also see Effects of Oxymorphone
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