Thousands of people in the United States have used oxycodone, Percocet, and opioid drugs for pain management at one point. Statistics from the United States Department of Health indicate that the number of opioid drug users have significantly increased over the last few decades. The increase in prescriptions of oxycodone can be attributed to vigorous campaigns by pharmaceutical companies as well as changes in government recommendations in the past 25 years. Although these drugs play a vital role in relieving pain, they have a considerable number of side effects, some of which have been discussed below.
1. Chronic Constipation
Constipation is highly associated with dehydration, lack of dietary fiber, and physical inactivity. However, excessive use of oxycodone has been associated with chronic constipation. There a lots of people treated for bowel problems only for diagnosis to prove later than they had excessive use of opioids. If you have been diagnosed with chronic constipation, it is time to stop using opioids before the situation gets out of control.
2. General Body Weakness
General body weakness is a common experience in people who use opioids and other pills for pain treatment. Opioid independence leads to a situation where the body cannot function without this drug— which is sometimes interpreted as addiction. General body weakness may lead to a lack of interest in physical activities. The situation gets worse when opioid dependence causes the body not to feel pain or respond to stimuli.
3. Weight Loss
Thousands of people have currently enrolled in weight loss and physical exercise programs in various sports houses. Therefore, weight loss seems to be a positive impact on the excessive use of oxycodone. However, uncontrolled weight loss has considerable negative impacts on the mind and body of an individual. Skin sagging and low self-esteem are some of the negative effects that many people using opioids experience. Drastic weight loss may sometimes lead to stigma and stereotypical abuse.
4. Overdose Associated Deaths
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, more than 130 people die every day due to opioid overdose. It has reached a point where the use of oxycodone and fentanyl pills is not only having a negative impact on the economics of the country but also having major social impacts. Death of young kids and parents due to extreme use of opioids is something that many people never anticipated and which has led to the opioid crisis in America.
5. Opioid Addiction
A good percentage of people who have been diagnosed with opioid addiction did not originally use the drug for fun but pain treatment. However, thousands of users have all over suddenly become opioid addicts which has caused significant problems at family levels. People who are supposed to be contributing to the growth of the family are suddenly wasting precious time in rehabs. The Federal Government is also using considerable amounts of money in treating the addition and development of rehab facilities.
6. Stomach Pain
If you have persistent stomach pain, your doctor may prescribe oxycodoneand other opioids for treatment purposes. However, excessive use of opioids causes other stomach related problems such as nausea and vomiting, which could even be worse than the original pain you’re experiencing. If you have persistent stomach problems, it would be necessary to seek other treatment alternatives in place of opioids.
7. Withdrawal Symptoms
Opioid withdrawal symptoms are the most known side effects of using opioids for pain management purposes. Just like heroin withdrawal, opioid withdrawal has devastating mental impacts. Oxycodone users who have reached the withdrawal stage demonstrate anxiety and depression tendencies. At extreme cases, individuals demonstrating withdrawal symptoms have been diagnosed with suicidal thoughts and other mental problems. Studies show that more than 50% of people attempting suicide have used opioid in their lifetime.
Oxycodone, heroin, and fentanyl pills have consistently proved to be sources of reprieve to thousands of individuals who have been diagnosed with chronic pain problems. However, their usage is not sustainable and has negative effects that outweigh the merits. Opioid treatment is not the way to go. You need to find a reliable and sustainable treatment that will not have adverse effects on your health.
