Ass Oxycontin For Treatment Of Chronic Pain example essay topic

The Controversy over OxyContin By: Scott Geb ke Health and Human Wellness Jeremy Brown November 4, 2003 Outline Thesis: OxyContin does a remarkable job relieving patient's chronic pain; however, it can cause abuse and misery for some. I. What is OxyContin? A. What does OxyContin contain? B. What does OxyContin do to relieve pain? II. The pros of using OxyContin. A. The overall pain free feeling that the drug supplies to a patient. B. Doctors view of why OxyContin is a miraculous drug.. The cons of using OxyContin. A. An addiction may occur. B. Side effects that OxyContin has on the patient's body.

IV. Position that I choose to defend about OxyContin. A. It helps patients suffer through chronic pain. B. Abuse of medicine occurs in all types of prescriptions. V. Explanation of why I choose OxyContin as my topic. A. Media is focusing in on the dangers of OxyContin. B. Controversial topic that offers a lot of conflicting views. VI. OxyContin is a drug that helps patients who suffer from chronic pain. A. Overview of what OxyContin is. B. Why OxyContin is a drug that succeeds in relieving the patient of their pain. The drug OxyContin has been in the national spotlight lately because many celebrities are coming forward with the fact that they have used and abused these powerful pills. OxyContin abuse has been an ongoing problem in the United States since the 1960's, although the controversial OxyContin has been described as a "new" drug.

More and more information is coming out about the harmfulness and addictive ness that pain killers possess. OxyContin is a very strong pain killer that allows patients to be free of chronic pain. The reason that OxyContin has such a powerful affect on the body is because OxyContin contains OxyCodone. OxyCodone, a drug that is similar to morphine, contains potent amounts of narcotic painkillers that can be used for control over reasonable pain, extensive pain, and sometimes may be used for the healing of terminal cancer pain. OxyContin is a drug that attaches to brain and spinal cord receptors that are used to block pain transmitters that are headed to the brain. The effects of these pills do not seem detrimental to a person, however, these pills do have an underlying risk involved.

The problem with OxyContin is that the pills also start to work on the internal parts of the mind, as well as easing the physical pain. OxyContin does a remarkable job relieving patient's chronic pain; however, it can cause abuse and misery for some. OxyContin, however, does contain positive attributes that may assist a person who is dealing with chronic pain. OxyContin discharges some amounts of OxyCodone that keeps the drug levels of healing in the bloodstream for a lengthy remainder of time. Patients felt that the constant release of OxyContin could aid in sufficient pain control. The adequate pain reliefs caused by the steady levels of OxyContin in the system helps patients feel free of pain for the first time in ages.

Sometimes, patients feel that OxyContin gives them a helping hand in battle that they will never end. People that suffer from chronic pain try various assortments of medications that can aid in the treatment of their pain, but many settle on OxyContin because it is efficient and effective. OxyContin is so efficient that it can help a patient be pain free for about twelve hours. Another pro of OxyContin is that it is inexpensive for the user to obtain.

Pills can run around $1,400 a month, however, most patients have insurance companies that contribute half of the expense or sometimes all of it. Most doctors also feel OxyContin is getting a bad reputation. Cancer specialists feel that OxyContin provides cancer patients with a life that is free of pain, not addiction. "Only about 1% of people who take drugs such ass OxyContin for treatment of chronic pain will become addicted" (Peck). Also, doctors are trying to get out the message that low doses of OxyContin does not make a patient have a need for higher doses of the medication to conquer the pain. "If the patient is started on an opioid and the dose is adjusted to a level where pain is adequately treated, the patient can be maintained on that same dose for the long-term...

When a patient complains that pain has returned 'it usually means that either the disease has progressed or there is something else, another condition' " (Peck). Although many doctors and specialists feel that OxyContin provides patients with a feeling of painlessness, it does, however, have damaging effects on patients. The problem with the drug OxyContin is that it is a medication that is easily abused and taken advantage of. The main disadvantage of OxyContin seems to be the fact that after using OxyContin, the patient develops a sort of natural tolerance of the medicine.

This is where the difference between tolerance and addiction become introduced. For the patient to achieve the same painlessness affect dose after dose, the patient will continually have to increase the dose in order to attain the full effect. Even the company that produces OxyContin admits that "people who take a powerful drug like OxyContin long enough will become physically dependant on it and suffer withdrawal symptoms if it's taken away; doctors deal with this by tapering down the dosage to zero and then, if all goes well, it's over" (Adler). A problem that occurs with the tolerance of OxyContin is the side effects that are present in the medication. There are many side effects that occur with OxyContin when the medicine is first taken and afterwards when withdrawal symptoms are present. These side effects that occur during the administration of the drug includes: dizziness, headaches, nausea, sweating, changes in blood pressure, and many more.

The withdrawal symptoms that can occur include pain, agitation, and sickness. When addiction does occur to a certain pain medication, the addiction is very hard to beat. Many patients who are addicted to pain medications have tried to kick their habit numerous times before. The usual treatment that is included when trying to kick an addiction consists of staying in a facility that offers supervised psychological and physical counseling. This, however, is very expensive and time-consuming. The clinics average around $19,000 for a four-week stay.

Even though OxyContin is intended for good use, many people find ways to abuse the drug, therefore giving the drug a damaging name. The position that I chose to defend about OxyContin is that even though OxyContin has received negative feedback, the medicine seems to be miraculous to many patients that suffer from chronic pain. For millions of people that suffer from devastating amounts of pain, pain killing drugs like OxyContin provide patients with lives they never thought they could have. "This medication has given them their life back, and many have been able to return to the workplace after being out of mainstream society due to the massive toll that chronic, intractable pain has caused" (Abusing OxyContin). It is horrible that some people abuse this drug by crushing the pill up and snorting the pill through their nose to achieve a heaven-like high.

This has resulted in numerous deaths over the past year-and-a-half. Since the media thrives on topics that include elements such as death, the drug OxyContin has received a bad name. The fact that it is a time-controlled drug that offers quick resolution to the pain is a positive characteristic of OxyContin. All of these aspects help contribute to the fact that OxyContin is not a bad as the media makes it out to be. My point of view on OxyContin is that it is a prescription pain killer that succeeds in its efforts to numb unrelieved pain. It seems as if there is no right or wrong answer about OxyContin.

I, however, feel that OxyContin is a powerful drug that is to be used under medical supervision when a patient has severe chronic pain. As with all drugs though, people will find ways to abuse the medication in order to create an ecstasy-like high. The rapid increase of OxyContin that is sold illegally on the streets seems to be responsible for all the bad press about the substance. Patients that have chronic pain throughout their body feel that OxyContin is a wonder drug that supplies them with feelings of painlessness. These patients with chronic pain are the types of people that are supposed to be taking OxyContin in order to live a normal life again. However, when powerful medications like OxyContin are placed in irresponsible hands, such as people who fake moderate pain, the drug is abused and mistreated.

Although people will always find a way to mistreat something, it is sad that it is prescription drugs that are meant for good, are sometimes used for evil. I feel that OxyContin, even though people sometimes due abuse it, is in fact a powerful drug that when taken for the right reason is a gift from God. I chose the topic of OxyContin because it has been in the media quite a lot lately. I was not quite sure what OxyContin was at first, but after doing research I discovered that OxyContin is part of a pain killing family that helps patients who suffer from chronic pain.

This tiny little pill can perform miracles to the many millions of people that take it everyday in order to function in a normal state. OxyContin has proved to be an interesting and controversial topic. I am glad that I chose this topic because it gave me an insight into what this powerful drug can do. It also opened my eyes to the wide world of abused prescription drugs and how they can change a person's life forever. The drug OxyContin is a pain killing medication that allows patients with chronic pain to feel pain free.

The receptors that are given off during an OxyContin dosage are used to block pain transmitters and therefore allowing a patient to feel no pain. Many people that use OxyContin feel that they are given another chance at a normal life. These are the patients that OxyContin is meant to help out. Although many people feel that OxyContin is an addictive drug, many researchers feel that it is only addictive when abused. Abuse occurs when a person that is not in dire pain uses the medication to achieve a high. Abuse of this medication ultimately leads to death.

OxyContin has received a bad reputation due to numerous reports of people who are constantly abusing this drug. OxyContin is a drug that is only supposed to be taken by patients who suffer from chronic pain, not for people who are looking for a quick high. OxyContin is a good pain killing drug that accomplishes its tasks in making a pain free environment. It is really sad that people have to abuse this drug in order to attain a small moment of invulnerability. Even though OxyContin has had its share of bad press, the drug is a phenomenon to those who suffer constant pain confirming the positive quality of this wonder drug.

Bibliography

Abusing OxyContin" WebMd 31 June 2001.
2 Nov. 2003.
Adler, Jerry. "In the Grip of A Deeper Pain". Newsweek 20 Oct. 2003: 48-49.
Peck, Peggy. "Nothing to Fear but Pain Itself". WebMD 13 Aug 2001.