I was recently prescribed oxycodone. I was wondering how much you have to take to get addicted.?

Question

I was in a pretty bad car wreck and messed up my back. I'm supposed to have surgery on it soon and they prescribed these oxycodones.. My friends tell me it's very addictive. I just don't want to get hooked on them. It says to take 1 or 2 in a every 12 hours. If i did this for awhile would i get addicted?

Answer 1

Addiction (as opposed to physiologic dependence) is a psychological issue. If you have pain and take a pain med as precribed for a short duration, you will have no problem. The medication has less of the side effects when taken in a case of moderate pain. Just don't take the med more than precribed. If you have too much pain for the med, talk to your doctor. You will continue to need these meds after the surgery for a while. When the pain decreases, have your doctor switch you to a less powerful medication.

The real problems with this med occur when it is taken, above the prescribed amount, when the pain no longer requires this type med, or if it is taken because the patient likes the way they feel due to the side effects.

You have pain...Take the med and don't worry

Answer 2

If the medication is prescribed every 12 hours, it is likely Oxycontin. DO NOT cut these into halfs or quarters or ortherwise crush them!!! It is extremely dangerous to cut these pills in ANY way, shape, form or fashion as they are time released medication and cutting defeats this mechanism, causing the body to get the entire dose intended for 12 hours at once, which can be fatal, espescially in opiate naive individuals.

The individual who answered above me is a bit misinformed about Oxycodone. I'm treated with it for Chronic Pain and have done a lot of research on it. People who are in severe pain and take Oxycodone are no more likely to become addicted than anyone else treated with narcotics. I'd like to see the study that proved this, as well as the one that shows that people who don't eat while taking narcotics are more likely to become addicted to them. I've never seen any studies to support either claim. This sounds like scare tacticts from people who would rather the world outlaw narcotics altogether, even though they are the oldest and safest form of pain medication.

Don't let your friends or anyone else scare you. The answerers who have said you cannot get addicted if you take them properly are correct. Listen espescialy to US_DR_JD, as he IS a doctor. Also, take the medication BEFORE the pain gets severe or you will wind up needing to take the higher dose to get relief. The key is to stay on top of the pain because if you let it get out of hand, you wind up needing more medication because you didn't take it when the least effective dose would help. Your doctor has given you this medication because the benefits to you outweigh the risks. Narcotics are never given lightly so you clearly need the medication. If you feel you are becoming addicted, talk it over with your doctor; in the meantime take the meds exactly as prescribed and there will be no problem. I have been on the same medication for over a year now and I am not an addict yet!

Answer 3

Oxycodone is VERY VERY ADDICTIVE. It is one of hte few narcotics that when used even by people in intense pain, they can still end up addicted. Other narcotics they have found that people in intense pain, are usually not going to end up addicted, as long as they only take it when it pain.

Just because a medication says you can take it every 12 hours, doesn't mean you have to. You can even break the dosage up into smaller amounts. Such as breaking it in half, taking the other half in six hours, instead of twelve. Do not take more though or you most certainly will be addicted.

There are so many other drugs to deal with pain, you might want to ask your doctor for a drug for pain that is less likely to tend towards addiction. Also, some doctors have patients take a drug for two days, then use another for two days, then back and forth, so the body doesn't get use to any one drug.

If you do end up addicted, for Heaven's sake tell your doctor and get treatment. So many end up addicted that have been in your same situation. Then they can't get the drug, so they steal. I am talking about people who never would have stolen before.

Also, many doctors do surgery on backs when it's not needed, often this includes fussion after an injury. Do yourself a big favor; go to a really good Chiropractor, take your x-rays and see what they say. I told a woman I knew personally to do this before agreeing to surgery. She did and he said there was no brakes, just a lot of inflamation and her back was out of alignment. He worked with her to reduce the inflamation, get her back re-aligned and she never did need surgery and needed minimal drugs after the first three sessions with the chiropactor. Now some chiropractors are poor, so be really really careful whom you see. Ask around.

A good alternative is to also make sure you are evaluated by a physical therapist. Too many doctors just do surgery when other less invase things could resolve the problem.

If you do not need another pain med in 12 hours, don't take it. What often leads to addictions is people who stupidly say. It says to take it every twelve hours, every four hours so I did. I've said to such people. Were you in pain when you took the next dosage? They said no. Don't use it if you do not really need it. If 12 hours pass and the pain isn't too bad, try taking only a half or fourth if you need a little, but it's not bad. Pain medication isin't like Antibiotics where you have to take the full dosage at Certain times of day to get the full benefit. Pain meds are AS NEEDED; don't need them, don't take them and never take extra without your doctors permission.

I wish you the best; whatever you decide to do be very careful. Make sure you eat well while taking the drug. Some people loss their desire for food while on pain meds adn this actuallly adds to the possibility that you'll become addicted. Long story as to how this happens. Just eat.

Best wishes that you are feeling better soon.

Answer 4

There is a difference between addiction and your body being chemically dependent on something. If you are only taking the pain meds for pain then you don't have an addiction. If you start taking the pain meds so you can feel high or something then there could be a problem. However, after taking pain meds for awhile, your body could get use to having them in your body. Therefore, when you no longer need them for the pain it would be best to slowly taper off of the drug so your body doesn't go through the withdrawal symptoms. But this doesn't mean you are addicted to them. Addiction only happens when you use them for other reason's then they are intended for.
Your friend is right though, they are addictive, but if you only use them for your pain you have nothing to worry about.

Answer 5

As a recovering alcoholic and addict, I would say take them as prescribed. I do not know if you have ever taken similar drugs for the "high", abused alcohol, or do you have an addictive personality. After I had been sober for four months I had my first surgery in my life. I was terrified because I knew I would have to take narcotic pain meds. My AA sponser told me to take the meds as prescribed and everything was fine. You dont have to go down that road alone, seek comfort and support from loved ones and you will be OK. Hope this helps!

Answer 6

Not if you are taking it to relieve pain. You do NOT get addicted to opioids like oxycodone (which is a powerful drug) if you are taking it when you hurt. People do get addicted (and fairly quickly) if they take it when they are not in pain, to get high. This is because the body reacts to it differently depending on your pain state. If your back hurts, don't worry about taking it in the prescribed amount. But do not take it after you stop hurting.