Cannabis and Oxycodone Treatment

Oxycodone is one of the most frequent drugs prescribed for a variety of cases to help reduce each moderate and severe pain. As a end result of its wide use in the U.S and Canada the drug has become regularly abused in the two countries. Most of the research has pointed towards the hashish as the most likely solution to counter the dependancy. About oxycodone It is one of the opioid painkillers derived from the poppy plant. The situations upon which one might be subjected to this drug are, after the surgery, persistent pain treatment ensuing from an accident, management of pain for the cancer patients and even the chronic ache as a result of the herniated disks at the back. The use of the drug, however, restricts the individuals with severe asthma or difficulties in breathing or the ones with the blockage in the stomach or the intestines from using it.

How the oxycodone should be used

The oxycodone should be taken exactly following all the directions as prescribed. The dug can stop or slow the breathing on starting or in case the dosage is changed. The medication should never be taken in larger dosage or for a longer period than as directed by the physician. The drug in most cases is a habit-forming and therefore, should never be shared with other individuals more so the ones with addiction and drug abuse history (Cooney et al. 2434). Once the patient starts the extended-release oxycodone, all other narcotic medicines should be stopped. The oxycodone should be taken with the food. The extended-release tablets should not be crushed or broken while taking rather it is advisable for it to be swallowed as a whole. The liquid is measured with a syringe provided. In case of a miss of a dosage, the patient is advised not to use the extra medicine to compensate the missed dose.

Oxycodone side effects

The drug may cause serious breathing problems any time there is an increase in its intake and especially the first day to three days of its intake. The doctor should keenly monitor the patient during this period. The patients should disclose to the doctor if they have asthma or slow breathing or any lung disease and any other conditions that may increase the pressure in the patient brain (Werner et al. 9). Taking off the oxycodone which has been chewed, broken, dissolved or crushed extended-release tablets, the patient will end up receiving too much of the drug at the same time rather than slowly over 12 hours. This, in turn, may bring about serious problems, which include overdose and even death. The patients are likely to experience life-threatening side effects if the oxycodone solution is taken in different amounts than prescribed. The drug is also popular to be habit forming especially with patients who are addicted to alcohol and other street drugs. Long-term use of the drug affects the fertility of both men and women. The babies are likely to become drug dependents if used by the pregnant patient. This is likely to cause major life-threatening withdrawal symptoms once the baby is born.

About cannabis

Medical marijuana is becoming popular in the United States as more states pass laws that allow people to use it for medication. Pain is the main reason individuals ask for its prescription. Those people who live in the states which have legalized medical marijuana and the doctors feel it will help, they are provided with ‘marijuana card’ upon which the individual will be put in a list allowing them to buy it from an authorized seller, referred to as a dispensary. Doctors may also prescribe the drug for the treatment of muscle spasms resulting from multiple sclerosis, nausea due to the chemotherapy of the cancer patients and the patients with poor appetite and weight loss resulting from chronic illness, seizure disorders and Crohn's disease (Hill 2475).

How the cannabis works and how it is used

The mechanisms for pain blocking regarding the marijuana are less understood. The recent studies, however, shows that taking marijuana the endocannabinoid system is appropriately engaged. The compounds in marijuana are able to reduce the inflammation causing the pain all over the body, trigger the release of feel-good endorphins, reducing the buildup of fluids at the injury spots, blocking of the pain signals in the brain, opening up of tense blood vessels hence act as a muscle relaxer and inhibiting neuropathic pain. Marijuana can be taken in the form of smoke, vaporized vapor, in the form of cookies or candy or even taken as a liquid extract.

The side effects of the cannabis.

The side effects of the marijuana usually do not last long. It can include, dizziness, short-term memory, drowsiness and euphoria. The side effects which are more severe are anxiety and psychosis. The use of the drug is not monitored by the FDA- approved medicine (Hill 2477).

Summary

Cannabis and the oxycodone perform similar functions of blocking pain signals and making the patients feel good. However, cannabinoids can also systematically lower the inflammation and help to relax the tissues damaged all over the body. As a result of the painful withdrawal effects of the oxycodone, there is strong evidence that marijuana can help fight this (Powell et al.). Most of the oxycodone patients have opted for heroin once the dosage is stopped. This has claimed many lives in the process due to overdose (Warner et al. 11).The observational studies done in the states with legalized medical marijuana indicates a drop in the intake of the painkillers and deaths from the overdose of the opioid (Powell et al.). Given that no deaths have been reported due to use of marijuana, it is clear that it is the safer alternative.

Works Cited

Cooney, Gary, Kerry Dwan, and Gillian Mead. "Exercise for depression." Jama 311.23 (2014): 2432-2433.

Hill, Kevin P. "Medical marijuana for treatment of chronic pain and other medical and psychiatric problems: a clinical review." Jama 313.24 (2015): 2474-2483.

Powell, David, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, and Mireille Jacobson. Do medical marijuana laws reduce addictions and deaths related to pain killers?. No. w21345. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2015.

Warner, Margaret, et al. "Drugs Most Frequently Involved in Drug Overdose Deaths: United States, 2010-2014." National vital statistics reports: from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System 65.10 (2016): 1-15.

Appendix 1

Oxycodone structure

Figure 1: The chemical structure of oxycodone as adopted from pubchem

Cannabis structure

Figure 2: The structure of cannabis (pubchem)