New FDA-Approved Opioid Med May Not Help Addiction

An opioid pain medication that is a less potent version of OxyCotin just approved by the Food and Drug Administration  may not do what many anticipate it will – curb addictions to the pill, says a New York substance abuse counselor.

The new OxyCotin pill -- Targiniq ER -- includes both the pain medication oxycodone and naloxone, which is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Naloxone blocks some of the pleasure receptors in a person’s brain to potentially prevent them from enjoying the feeling of taking the pills. 
People who are addicted to pain medications may crush up the pills and snort them rather than swallowing them. The naloxone in Targiniq ER will not to work if the pill is swallowed whole and will only be effective when it is crushed up and snorted. So taking the pill orally will not provide a benefit to those who may be more susceptible to getting addicted to pain medications.

“Of course the dilemma is that there are people with legitimate pain who really need these medications and then there are people who are prone and vulnerable to very serious addiction, which there’s not only a psychosocial devastation that it leads to but also, unfortunately, a lot of untimely deaths,” says Bruce Goldman, LCSW, director of substance abuse services at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks. 

Some signs that a person may be addicted to their pain medication include:
• Preoccupation with the use of it
• Feeling that you need to be sure you have a steady supply of it
• Running out too quickly
• Taking more than prescribed
• Taking it more frequently than prescribed

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