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Oxycodone addiction treatment that actually works

For over 10 years, Enterhealth’s goal has been to help people with substance abuse and addiction though a comprehensive continuum of care that addresses the whole person for a lifetime. That’s why we offer inpatient, outpatient, and even virtual addiction treatment programs.

Our scientific, evidence-based approach includes therapies and techniques designed and administered by board-certified addiction psychiatrists and physicians. As a result, our program has proven effective in 84% of patients, as opposed to 12-step programs that work for 50% at best.

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Three column stats: 8% Recovery Rate, 5000 patients treated, and 1:5 Clinical staff to patient ratio.

Call today and get help. Our oxycodone addiction treatment experts are here for you.

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Treatment options for oxycodone addiction

Oxycodone addiction is difficult to overcome, which is why those addicted to oxycodone need to go through a comprehensive inpatient rehab program in order to get clean.

This usually starts with supervised medical detox (or withdrawal stabilization) overseen by board-certified medical professionals who can monitor their health and prescribe anti-addiction medications such as Suboxone. These medications are critical, as they reduce the unpleasant and dangerous oxycodone withdrawal symptoms and reduce the intense cravings for the drug.

It is important to note that drug detox alone is not a cure for opioid addiction. Rather, it’s a first step that allows patients to fully participate in a long-term program that combines behavioral therapy and psychological treatment.

Research shows that integrating these kinds of treatment to is the most effective approach, as it helps restore a degree of normal function to the brain and allows patients to address underlying issues that create the desire to use so they can regain a stable and productive life.

Effective therapies and treatments for opioid addiction can be administered in a residential or outpatient setting after withdrawal stabilization.

Treatment plans may include:

  • Medication Management using anti-addiction medications
  • Individual counseling
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy sessions
  • Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
  • Supportive Outpatient Programs (SOP)
  • Maintenance Outpatient Programs (MOP)
  • Holistic treatment services

A range of treatment options based on you

Each person’s path to addiction is unique with different neurological, emotional, social and environmental contributing factors. That’s why the Enterhealth journey to recovery is personalized to meet individuals and families where they are. Whether you need immersive inpatient care or outpatient treatment, we offer a range of evidence-based treatment options and innovative therapies.

Enterhealth is the only facility with highly trained on-site addiction specialists, including PhDs, MDs and Master’s Level Therapists, who coordinate care at every stage. Because we understand the science behind addiction, we are best equipped to assess and treat individuals and families. Contact us to see why we’re the only facility with an 84% success rate.

RESIDENTIAL

PROVIDING A HEALING PLACE FOR NEW BEGINNINGS

Enterhealth Ranch offers inpatient care that’s on your side, not on the clock. It’s a nurturing environment where treatment is highly personalized and intensified. Every patient has a private room and 24/7 access to addiction trained specialists who use evidence-based treatments and comprehensive care, including medical detox, in-depth medical and psychological assessments, individual and group therapies, life skills and more.

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OUTPATIENT

PROVIDING EXCELLENCE IN YOUR CONTINUUM OF CARE

Enterhealth’s Outpatient Center of Excellence, conveniently located in the Park Cities, is expertly staffed with board-certified addiction specialists. Our comprehensive program is designed for continued recovery care and provides individuals and families the support they need to reconnect with each other and thrive in recovery.

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ALUMNI

FINDING CONNECTIONS TO STRENGTHEN RECOVERY

The Enterhealth Alumni Association offers a unique opportunity for our patients to continue and thrive in their recovery by building relationships through shared experiences. This one-of-a-kind support environment provides a nurturing space where participants can gain understanding, learn from others and continue to rebuild their lives.

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CORPORATE SERVICES

SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES IN THEIR RECOVERY

Recovery is one of the most important benefits you can give your employees. Enterhealth provides comprehensive, evidence-based residential and outpatient programs and continued 24/7 technological support with Enterhealth Connect. It’s a tool employees can use to access expert care that fits their schedule for online consultations with highly trained addiction specialists, dynamic content including blogs, podcasts, videos, and continuously updated tools and resources that will aid in their recovery journey.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Oxycodone Addiction

What is Oxycodone?

Oxycodone is a painkiller typically prescribed for moderate to severe pain. Oxycodone by itself is often sold under the brand name OxyContin, while other common formulations combine it with medications like acetaminophen or aspirin (brand names for these include Percodan, Oxycet, Percocet).

Oxycodone is a semi-synthetic opioid compound derived from the opium poppy flower. These kinds of compounds bring relief by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, which changes the user’s perception of pain and triggers a release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter that produces euphoria.

Due to its role in the recent and ongoing opioid epidemic, oxycodone is more tightly regulated now than it was in the past. However, is still widely prescribed, and it also finds its way onto the street where it can be purchased illegally.

What are the side effects of oxycodone?

Even when taken correctly, oxycodone can lead to a number of side effects, including:

  • Lightheadedness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Constipation
  • Skin rash
  • Itching
  • Sweating
  • Loss of appetite
  • Constipation
  • Dry mouth
  • Headache
  • Mood changes such as anxiety and fear

Note that these side effects, as listed, don’t necessarily reflect the reality of addiction. People with an opioid use disorder often use such high amounts that the side effects become extreme.

For example, fatigue is a common side effect, but someone addicted to oxycodone may take so much that they drift in and out of consciousness.

How do you know if you or someone you know is addicted to oxycodone?

Oxycodone use crosses the line into abuse and addiction (referred to clinically as opioid use disorder) when it is misused for the high produced by the drug instead of pain relief. As a person consumes more of the drug over time, the body becomes physically dependent on the medication.

Physical dependence means users must consume more of the drug to get the desired effects, as well as to prevent the intense, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms which occur when the drug is not present in their system.

Oxycodone addiction often leads to psychological addiction as well, causing anxiety, cravings, and other effects when they aren’t taking the medication.

Oxycodone addiction behaviors include:

  • Taking more than the prescribed dosage
  • “Doctor shopping” for multiple prescriptions
  • Tampering with oxycodone before taking it
  • Taking oxycodone in any way other than orally

When a person’s craving for oxycodone is dire enough, they may find relief in a cheaper, more plentiful alternative – heroin. This is a very common scenario in today’s opioid epidemic.

What are the symptoms of oxycodone withdrawal?

Even when taken properly under the direction of a physician, it is possible to develop a physical dependence on oxycodone. Oxycodone prescriptions may include dosing instructions from your doctor that allow you to slowly taper off of the medication to reduce and eliminate physical dependency.

This kind of medication management is important – those who are physically dependent will experience opioid withdrawal symptoms if they stop their prescription too suddenly. If the opioid withdrawal symptoms are extreme, they can drive the person to continue using the substance despite significant harm—the definition of addiction.

Opioid withdrawal symptoms can include:

  • Restlessness
  • Yawning
  • Sweating
  • Tearing eyes
  • Runny nose
  • Chills
  • Muscle and back aches
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Irritability, anxiety
  • Dilated pupils
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Increased heartbeat or breathing

These problems vary in severity and duration depending on the specific oxycodone dose taken and duration of use.

How do you treat oxycodone withdrawal?

In general, oxycodone detox involves substituting longer-acting opioids such as Suboxone for the shorter-acting drug of abuse, and the patient is stabilized and slowly tapered off the long-acting substitute.

The patient will be most uncomfortable during the first one to three days of the opioid withdrawal phase, so a combination of a mild sedative and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Motrin (generic name ibuprofen) is frequently prescribed along with the long-acting opioid to help make the patient more comfortable.

How do medications like suboxone help with opioid withdrawal?

Medications to treat opioid addiction such as Suboxone (buprenorphine with naloxone) work through the same opioid receptors in the brain that oxycodone affects without producing the same euphoric high, making them safer and less likely to result in addiction.

As a result, these medications help reduce cravings and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, allowing patients to actively participate in treatment while the dose of Suboxone is slowly tapered down.

How long does it take to detox from oxycodone?

Usually, after day three, oxycodone will be fully eliminated from the system, and with the correct dose of Suboxone, withdrawal symptoms and opioid cravings will have almost completely subsided.

Can you overdose on oxycodone?

Absolutely, which is why prescriptions are filled for specific doses tailored to specific people, and the effects can have adverse reactions in others. Taking an excessive oxycodone dose can result in a life-threatening overdose.

Oxycodone overdose symptoms include:

  • Slowed or shallow breathing
  • Extreme drowsiness leading to coma
  • Cold and clammy skin
  • Pinpoint pupils
  • Slowed heart rate
  • Low blood pressure
  • Death

These symptoms can be deadly if not treated immediately.

How do people misuse oxycodone?

Users typically abuse oxycodone by cutting, crushing, chewing, or dissolving oxycodone tablets to bypass the time-release coating and get an entire 12-hour dose at one time.

People seeking an oxycodone high may also snort or inject the tablet’s contents for more immediate effects. Any of these methods greatly increase the chances of an oxycodone overdose.

Is oxycodone a controlled substance?

Yes. Oxycodone is classified by the DEA as a Schedule II controlled substance for its highly addictive properties, so possessing and taking oxycodone without a prescription is against the law, as is sharing, giving away or selling it.

What are some other risks of abusing oxycodone?

Besides the risk of overdose, using oxycodone in ways it’s not designed can also have negative effects. Injecting oxycodone is particularly harmful and can lead to serious complications like infections and cardiovascular disease.

In addition, many formulations contain both oxycodone and acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol. This adds an additional danger because acetaminophen has its own set of overdose dangers.

Excessive acetaminophen can seriously harm the liver, especially when crushed, snorted, or injected.

Acetaminophen overdose symptoms include:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Excessive sweating
*State standard is 1:10 clinical staff to patient ratio