Oxy, which stands for oxycodone, is a type of opioid analgesic that is often used to manage moderate to severe pain. The dosage is determined by a person’s medical condition and the body’s response to the treatment.
However, oxy is habit-forming and is not usually recommended in high doses or for use in the long term. If you have used the drug in high amounts or for a long time, suddenly cutting off consumption can cause you to experience withdrawal, which can sometimes be severe. So, your doctor may try to wean you off by lowering your dose over time.
That said, oxy is also one of the most abused and overdosed drugs in the US, contributing greatly to the opioid crisis the nation currently faces.
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How Long Does Oxy Stay in Your System?
If you are preparing for a drug test, need to take other medicines that may interact with oxy, or are trying to stop your oxy dependency, you may want to know, how long does oxy stay in your system?
For most people, oxycodone is fully removed from the blood within 24 hours after the last dose. That means a blood test would likely turn out negative. However, it may still be detectable in other parts of the body. That is:
- 1-4 days in saliva
- 3-4 days in urine
- 90 days in hair follicles
Half-Life of Immediate-Release Oxycodone
The half-life of immediate-release oxycodone, the most commonly prescribed form, is approximately 3.2 hours. This means that after 3.2 hours, half of the ingested oxycodone will be eliminated from the body. After several half-lives, the drug is considered to be effectively cleared from the system.
How Long Does Oxycodone Take to Kick in?
The onset of oxycodone depends on the type of formulation you take. For the immediate release dose, you can start feeling the effects in as little as 10-30 minutes. On the other hand, the controlled-release formulation takes, on average, an hour to feel some noticeable effect.
The same case goes for how long the effects last. For the immediate release, you will feel the effects for about 3-6 hours. As for the controlled release, the effects can last up to 12 hours.
However, the time it takes oxycodone to work ranges from person to person depending on factors such as
- Body weight
- Metabolism
- Tolerance
- Health status
- Age
Risk of Continued Oxy Abuse
Abusing oxy, which is basically using more than the recommended amount, buying without a prescription, or consuming for recreational use, can adversely affect your health and life.
Some side effects include:
- Migraines
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Poor coordination
In severe cases, such as an overdose, it can cause breathing difficulties, convulsions, and even death.
To Sum It Up
Oxycodone addiction has become a major concern in today’s society, silently creeping its way into the lives of the unsuspecting, leaving a wake of destruction. It’s a silent predator, a wolf in sheep’s clothing – initially prescribed as a means of relief, but often leading to an insidious dependency that can tear lives apart. Yet, there is hope.
With the right approach, tools, and support, dealing with oxycodone addiction can transform from an insurmountable mountain into a conquerable hill.
