Oxycodone/Opana

Q&A: What is the bottom line on taking acetaminophen?

From: USA Today

Last week, a Food and Drug Administration joint advisory committee gathered for two days to discuss safety questions surrounding acetaminophen. They made several recommendations, such as lowering the maximum daily dosage, strengthening the labeling and removing the ingredient from some prescription drugs. The agency has not yet acted on the recommendations. USA TODAY asked a number of medical experts to weigh in on the news:

Q: What prompted the meeting?

A: Cases of acute liver failure and deaths related to acetaminophen have been increasing, says internist and pharmacist Judith Kramer, associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center and committee member.

FDA Hearings on Opioid Addictions

BY: Emily Walker, MedPage

After covering a number of long, clinical and, ahem, often boring, FDA meetings, it’s easy to get bogged down in statistical minutiae and forget about the intense emotions surrounding medication, and how a decision by a regulatory agency effects real, human lives.

This week I covered an intense two-day FDA hearing on how to reduce misuse and abuse of opioids such as oxycodone and methadone. (You can read those stories here and here).

It was the largest turnout ever for an FDA public hearing, with more thanr 80 speakers and 500 attendees, and by far the most emotional I’ve witnessed.

There were basically two camps at the hearing: pain patients who rely on the class II opioids to live normal lives, and family members of people who died from taking opioids, most of whom were taking the drugs illegally.

About OxyCodone/Opana

OxyContin is a semisynthetic opioid analgesic prescribed for chronic or long-lasting pain. OxyContin’s active ingredient is oxycodone and can also be found in drugs like Percodan and Tylox. OxyContin, unlike these other drugs contains between 10-160 mg of oxycodone in a timed-release tablet. Tylox and other similar painkillers contain just 5 mg of oxycodone and require multiple doses to be taken because it does not have the timed-release formulation.

It is very important for oxycontin dosage instructions to be followed exactly as directed by a medical professional in order to avoid serious injury and even death. Oxycontin dosage is time released. This means that the oxycontin dosage is slowly released in the body over a period of time to provide an extended period of pain relief. When a person consumes too great an oxycontin dosage, they run the risk of overdosing on this prescription drug, which can be fatal.

Serious Side Effects of OxyContin/Oxycodone

Constipation
Confusion
Dry mouth
Altered mental state
Light headed
Physical addiction
Dependency
Death

OxyContin and High Risk of Addiction

OxyContin contains a much larger amount of oxycodone compared with other prescription pain relievers that have been abused in the past. OxyContin abusers crush the pill and snort or inject it in order to instantaneously feel the effects the drug can have.

Healthline reported on the controversy of OxyContin that has relieved thousands of people from pain but have resulted in OxyContin addiction despite the patients following the prescription directions. OxyContin is abused for its “heroin like highs”, making getting off of OxyContin also like getting off heroin.

Prescription drug linked to 5 deaths

By News Sentinel staff

NEWPORT, Tenn. — A recently introduced prescription painkiller is being blamed for the deaths of five people in Newport so far this year and the town’s police chief is hoping that public awareness might avert more tragedies.

“We want the public to be aware of the dangers associated with the illegal misuse of this drug,” Newport Police Chief Maurice Shults said.

The drug in question is Opana, a time-released formulation of the narcotic oxymorphone. The medication is similar to better-known long-acting analgesics like Oxycontin and MSContin.

Quick Facts

Manufacturer
Purdue Pharma
Status
On the market
Intended Uses
Pain management
Complications
Highly addictive, altered mental state, withdrawal related side effects

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