OxyContin® is a prescription painkiller used for moderate to high pain relief associated with injuries, bursitis, dislocations, fractures, neuralgia, arthritis, lower back pain, and pain associated with cancer.(1) OxyContin® contains oxycodone, the medication's active ingredient, in a timed-release tablet. Oxycodone products have been illicitly abused for the past 30 years.(2) Oxycodone is a Schedule II narcotic analgesic and is widely used in clinical medicine. It is marketed either alone as controlled release (OxyContin®) and immediate release formulations (OxyIR®, OxyFast®), or in combination with other nonnarcotic analgesics such as aspirin (Percodan®) or acetaminophen (Percocet®). The introduction in 1996 of OxyContin®, commonly known on the street as OC, OX, Oxy, Oxycotton, Hillbilly heroin, and kicker, led to a marked escalation of its abuse as reported by drug abuse treatment centers, law enforcement personnel, and health care professionals. Although the diversion and abuse of OxyContin® appeared initially in the eastern US, it has now spread to the western US including Alaska and Hawaii. Oxycodone-related adverse health effects increased markedly in recent years. In 2004, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for marketing generic forms of controlled release oxycodone products.(3) Oxycodone is a potentially addictive opioid analgesic medication synthesized from thebaine. It is a commonly used medication for treatment of pain in cancer patients.[1] It was developed in 1916 in Germany and introduced to the pharmaceutical market as Eukodal® (also spelled Eucodal) and Dinarkon®. Its chemical name is derived from codeine - the chemical structures are very similar, differing only in that the hydroxyl group of codeine has been oxidized (hence the "oxy" prefix) to a carbonyl group (as in ketones), hence the "-one" suffix, the 7,8-dihydro-feature (Codeine has a double-bond between those two carbons), and the hydroxyl group at carbon 9 (codeine has just a hydrogen there), hence "oxy"codone.In the United States, oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance both as a single agent and in combination with products containing paracetamol (aka acetaminophen), ibuprofen or aspirin. It was first introduced to the US market in May 1939.

Symptoms of abuse
Oxycontin side effects can include physical dependence when oxycontin is used for a long period of time. Physical dependence is the condition in which an oxycontin user's body will show negative effects when the oxycontin use is suddenly stopped. Another common oxycontin side effect is addiction, which can commonly occur to users of mind-altering drugs. A serious oxycontin side effect that can occur when the drug is used is death. Other, less dangerous oxycontin side effects are dizziness and confusion, shortness of breath, constipation, sweating, dry mouth, headache, and sedation.

Common symptoms of oxycodone withdrawal:
Withdrawal symptoms of methadone include:
• intense cravings for the drug
• irritability
• nausea or vomiting
• muscle aches
• runny nose or eyes
• dilated pupils
• sweating
• diarrhea
• yawning
• fevers
• chills
• inability to sleep
• depression

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