Signs of OxyContin Misuse: Physical and Behavioral Changes to Look For

Is someone you know and love misusing OxyContin? There’s one sure-fire way to assess the situation: Ask them. Tell the person you care about them and offer to work together to find the right treatment program. 

But if you’re not ready to hold that conversation, or you want more evidence that someone is using the drug before you start talking, this may help. Keep reading to learn how to spot the top 10 signs of OxyContin misuse, and learn more about how treatment could help the person you love to get better.

10 Signs of OxyContin Misuse

OxyContin is powerful, and it can change almost every part of a person’s life, health and habits. These are a few typical signs and symptoms shared by people who misuse this opioid painkiller:

1. Intoxication

Oxycodone pills are made to move slowly through the digestive tract, dispensing changes in a controlled manner. People who misuse this drug take many pills at once, or they crush pills to snort or inject them, so that they can get more of the drug into their system all at once.

OxyContin intoxication lasts between 3 and 12 hours, depending on the method of administration and the person’s biology.[1] Most people seem slow, sedated and sleepy while the drug is active. They may nod off in the middle of conversations or have slurred speech.

2. Mood Swings

When OxyContin doses wear off, people may develop anxiety. They wonder where the next dose will come from, how much it might cost and what they did while intoxicated. Alternating between sedation and anxiety is very common in people with a long-standing OxyContin habit.

3. Overdose

The United States is experiencing an opioid overdose epidemic. Every day, people die from taking too much OxyContin or other related drugs. Those deaths fill the headlines, but they don’t tell the whole story.

People with an OxyContin misuse problem can overdose and recover multiple times. Researchers say they face life-threatening problems even after surviving an overdose.[2] Suicide is one such risk. 

People who overdose at least once are likely misusing OxyContin and need help from a treatment program.

4. Withdrawal

As OxyContin misuse continues, the body becomes accustomed to the drug and people feel sick without it. Flu-like symptoms such as sweating, nausea and headaches are common. They can be life-threatening in some cases if left untreated.[3] 

Repeated episodes of extreme sickness with no other clear cause could be an indication of OxyContin misuse.

5. Doctor Shopping

Dealers often sell pills that are contaminated with other substances, including stronger drugs. Some people visit multiple doctors with pain complaints, hoping to get prescriptions for OxyContin they can fill in a pharmacy. 

People using this method may have chronic pain. But their discomfort doesn’t get better with new pills, and they remain uninterested in options that don’t involve drugs. Their priority becomes getting more OxyContin rather than finding the best way to manage their pain.

6. Loss of Interest in Things Once Enjoyed

OxyContin misuse is time-consuming. People must find their drugs, use them and recover from their doses. People with a longstanding pattern of use often withdraw from other activities, including spending time with their families, to make more time for drug use.

7. Poor Grooming

Dressing up, getting haircuts, using makeup and other routine tasks can seem unimportant to people who misuse OxyContin. It’s common for people to neglect their appearance as their drug use deepens and grows stronger.

8. Performance Difficulties

Intoxicated people can’t focus on tasks at work, and researchers say unemployment is common in people who enter drug treatment programs.[4] People who keep their jobs may face repeated reprimands from their bosses, and they may be sent home due to their intoxication.

Young people may not have paying jobs, but they may have very low grades because they can’t focus in the classroom or complete homework.

9. Law Enforcement Action

Most states make holding OxyContin pills without a prescription illegal. Oregon changed laws in 2021 and made holding less than 40 pills not a criminal offense.[5] Other states may follow suit, but for now, the pills could put people in jail.

Arrests for drug possession are a clear sign of oxycodone use and misuse.

10. Hazardous Use

People with an OxyContin misuse issue may take their pills in dangerous situations. They may drive while high or operate machinery (like power tools). Arrests for these actions, or injuries because of them, could indicate drug misuse.

Treatment for OxyContin Addiction

People who misuse OxyContin may not understand that treatment options exist. Telling them about Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) programs could be very helpful.

MAT program administrators use medications like Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) to correct chemical imbalances caused by OxyContin, allowing for sobriety without severe withdrawal symptoms or deep-set cravings. This means people can focus on other aspects of their recovery, such as building a new life in sobriety, without debilitating cravings and withdrawal symptoms. This can help to finally make recovery possible.

In the past, enrolling in MAT programs meant going to a clinic every day to get prescription medication. Telemedicine has changed that. Now, you can visit with a doctor via your computer or phone and pick up your prescription at a local pharmacy. You can then take your medication at home, increasing the accessibility and convenience of MAT for those who need it.

Bicycle Health, a leading telemedicine MAT provider, is accepting new patients now. Contact us to find out how it works and enroll in care.