Factors That Affect Oxycontin Dosage
Oxycontin is a prescription narcotic analgesic that is administered for the purpose of treating moderate to severe pain. Oxycontin is categorized under schedule II controlled substances by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Schedule II controlled substances are drugs which have a high potential for abuse. Having said that, it means that Oxycontin dosage must be carefully computed and evaluated before giving it to the patient. Some of the things that need to be considered in the computation of Oxycontin dosage include history of analgesic use, characteristics of pain, response to Oxycontin treatment, and concurrent medications.
• History of analgesic use - Individuals who have taken Oxycontin in the past, or other medications similar to it, may require a higher Oxycontin dosage. Doctors might give a higher Oxycontin dosage to patients with history of taking the drug because these individuals are more likely to have developed a bit of tolerance to such medication.
• Characteristics of pain – Evaluation of the characteristics of pain is very important before starting a patient on Oxycontin. Knowing the history, intensity, duration, and aggravating conditions will help the doctor determine the right Oxycontin dosage for a particular patient. Please note that pain is a subjective experience, and is therefore unique to the individual who goes through it. A severe kind of pain for one person may not necessarily mean severe pain for another. This is the reason why Oxycontin dosage is not the same for all patients and why individualized treatment is a common practice.
• Response to Oxycontin treatment – Pain management with Oxycontin usually starts at very low doses. Periodic assessment and adjustment of Oxycontin dosage must be performed accordingly, depending on the person’s response to treatment. It may be necessary to titrate the dose upward if the starting dose does not effectively cause pain relief.
• Concurrent medications – Doctors usually adjust Oxycontin dosage with caution especially when other CNS medications such as sedatives and muscle relaxants are taken concurrently. Remember, Oxycontin can depress the central nervous system (CNS) and therefore must be carefully evaluated when taken concurrently with other CNS depressants.
Because of its high potential for abuse, Oxycontin dosage must be seriously reviewed and evaluated on a daily basis.
