Consumption and Standard Dose

Doses come in milligrams and vary, and often increase as tolerance builds quickly with oxy. Your tolerance when first using oxy will be less, than if you’ve been using oxy for a longer period of time.

The Buzz

Oxy relieves pain in the body. If taken in greater quantities, or if you take it when you are not in pain, it causes feelings of euphoria, relaxation, emotional well-being and initially decrease anxiety.

Overdose and other negative effects

• Oxy, like all opiods, is extremely addictive. Tolerance, cravings and dependency build quickly
• Withdrawal symptoms can occur if you stop taking it, including: cravings for more, feeling of aches and pain throughout your body, anxiety and itchiness
• Oxy can cause side effects including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, constipation, skin itchiness, and fatigue.
• It’s easy to overdose on oxy, especially if taken with other opiods like heroin.
• When taken with alcohol, the effects of oxy are more potent, however this mix also dramatically increases the risk of overodose.
• Signs of overdose include extreme drowsiness, slowed/suppressed breathing, pin-point pupils, and a decreased level of awareness.

Risk Reduction with Oxy

• Get Naloxone trained, and have kits on hand if you use oxy. Naloxone reverses the effects of
  opioid overdose. To get trained and to receive free kits, check out The Works.
• Test for Fentanyl: You can order testing strips online from Dancesafe.org. A must for any opiate user! Tiny amounts of Fentanyl can be fatal for even long-time opiate users who have a tolerance.
• Mixing with Alcohol: Many people like to take oxy with alcohol, as it exacerbates the effects of oxy. Consider avoiding alcohol, or limiting yourself to just 1-2 drinks until the oxy is metabolised.
• Kidney and Liver Damage can occur with long-term, ongoing use of alcohol with oxy
• Addiction: Monitor the signs of dependence. If you find yourself seeking out and more oxy, and thinking more about when you’ll next use, you may be developing a serious problem. Reach out and get help.
• Research approved dosage levels to form a baseline of use that is safe. They are different for the different variations of Oxy. OxyContin is stronger than OxyCocet for example.
• Take pills whole, without crushing, breaking, halving, chewing, or dissolving. Breaking down the pills remove the time-release factor and the drug hits you all at once. Many overdoses happen this way.
• Withdrawal: If you are having trouble managing your oxy use, you can get medical help to decrease symptoms of withdrawal such as buprenorphine, or methadone. To find a program, check out The Works.
• Inject Safer: If you inject oxy, use sterile, unused injection drug gear every time you inject. You can get injection drug gear at many locations throughout Toronto. Check out The Works for a location near you.

Oxy and HIV Medication

Oxy taken with indinavir (Crixivan) nelfinavir (Viracept),and ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra) can exacerbate shortness of breath. You need less oxy to feel it’s effects.

Sex on Oxy

• Sedation: causes drowsiness or passing out altogether.
• Oxy may increase your feelings of love towards a partner. It can create a more sensual experience, or feelings of appreciation and affection towards a partner.
• Oxy can decreases libido and makes it hard to cum. It is not thought of as a sex or party drug.