The role of prescription opioid medications in the ongoing Opioid Epidemic is often times understated. Of the over 47,000 opioid overdose deaths, 17,029 were the result of prescription opioid medications. This astonishing statistic means that prescription opioids, rather than illicit drugs, caused over 35% of opioid overdoses. (1)

Here we take a look at one of the most common drugs of abuse in the current Opioid Epidemic: Roxicodone.

What is Roxicodone?

Roxicodone is a prescription painkiller that is used to treat moderate to severe pain.  Pills lay across a map of the united statesThe medication contains 5mg, 15mg, or 30mg of the opioid medication oxycodone. Roxicodone is avalible in tablet form, which releases oxycodone immediately. (2)

Roxicodone does not contain any abuse deterrents like other forms of oxycodone (such as OxyContin), which has made it popular amongst illicit drug users. (3)

Roxicodone and counterfeit pills

While illicit Roxicodone abuse is dangerous no matter what, counterfeit pills can often times be readily lethal. Prescription pill abusers typically fall into a false sense of security that the pill in which they are using has a specific amount/strength of narcotic.

In reality, counterfeit prescription pills almost never contain the drug or relative strength of the pill they seek to mimic. To make matters even worse, the DEA reports that the most common drug used in fake pills is fentanyl. (4)

The effects of Roxicodone

Roxicodone produces similar effects to other classic opioids. Roxicodone produces effects rapidly after ingestion, and includes the following signs and symptoms:

  • Euphoria
  • Sense of well-being
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Itching
  • Constipation
  • Pinned pupils (5)

Roxicodone abuse

Roxicodone has an extremely high potential to cause addiction and dependence. Roxicodone is both physically and physiologically addictive. Tolerance to the drug occurs rapidly, which means the user must take ever-increasing amounts of the drug to achieve the same effects.

True Recovery

Roxicodone withdrawals

If the user suddenly stops taking the drug, they will experience a severe withdrawal syndrome, which typically includes the following symptoms:

  • Severe anxiety
  • Restlessness
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Insomnia
  • Diarrhea
  • Flu-like symptoms
  • Teary eyes and frequent yawning
  • Agitation
  • Cold and hot flashes (6)

Final Note
