Symptoms

Oxycodone is a very powerful painkiller that gained increasing popularity in the 1990s and early in the 2000s when it was actually named the most widely abused prescription medication on the streets. The powerful opiate analgesic properties paired with the habit forming nature of Oxycodone make this drug a very dangerous substance. Oxycodone addiction may not be easy to spot right away but many of the symptoms will begin to become more prevalent with continued use.

Many users become addicted to Oxycodone as a result of being legitimately prescribed the drug for the treatment of pain. The relief that the user feels is so pleasurable and comforting that he or she may take more of the drug or use the drug more often in an effort to continue to feel the same relief. This is the first symptom of Oxycodone addiction, a sign that tolerance has developed and that there may be more problems to come.

Addiction Symptoms

Long before you realize that addiction to Oxycodone is a problem, many of the symptoms may begin to present. The user may take more Oxycodone than he or she is prescribed or they might take a dose more often than prescribed. This abusive use of the drug is the first of many Oxycodone addiction symptoms that may be easily overlooked.

Other symptoms include:

• Thinking about Oxycodone constantly
• Doctor shopping or otherwise getting multiple prescriptions for Oxycodone
• Feeling pain when there is not pain, just so you can use more Oxycodone
• Restlessness or agitation when not under the influence of Oxycodone
• Erratic behavior to find, get or use more Oxycodone
• Lying about oxycodone use
• Stealing to fuel an oxycodone habit
• Using oxycodone without others knowing
• Hiding oxycodone in various places around the house
• Not taking care of yourself or your own personal hygiene
• Not spending time with friends or family because you are busy getting high
• Spending money on drugs when you don’t have money to spend

Sustained Oxycodone use is likely to lead to a number of harsh consequences associated with Oxycodone addiction. The user may feel like he or she can’t stop taking the drug because of the pain or there may be phantom pain that makes the user actually think that he or she needs Oxycodone for a legitimate purpose.

One of the worst symptoms of Oxycodone addiction is the withdrawals that occur when the user stops taking the drug. These symptoms may be moderate to severe and include vomiting, diarrhea, bone and muscle pain and a wealth of other discomforts that make it difficult to continue to abstain from using the drug. Even when a user wants to quit, he or she may be faced with so many difficult withdrawal symptoms that it feels impossible to stay away from the drug.