“I genuinely didn’t realise there were so many people suffering with this.”
Irish people have described serious side effects and withdrawal symptoms following their experience with oxycontin.
The painkiller drug is the focus of the new series Dopesick, with Michael Keaton winning a Golden Globe at the weekend for his star turn in the Disney+ show.
Based on the book of the same name, Dopesick describes the impact of oxycontin and the companies that made a profit from the opioid crisis in the United States.
RTÉ Radio 1’s Liveline spoke to both patients and doctors about the drug on Tuesday (11 January).
Dr Brian Creedon, a palliative medicine consultant in the south-east of the country, encouraged patients who were prescribed the medication to continue taking it unless they experienced severe side effects.
“They can be addictive, like many substances we use in medicine,” Dr Creedon said.
“I’ve thankfully rarely come across it (patients with severe side effects) in practice, but I’ve heard your listeners and heard stories.
“Oxycontin was more accessible in the States… in Ireland it’s a controlled drug.
“The US would have prescribed it for minor conditions, when they should have prescribed something else.”
Creedom suggested that people should have their medications reviewed every few weeks, and that patients should be educated about the potential risks.
Liveline listener Darren Jackson was prescribed oxycontin following an accident, and was told “there would be very little to no pain with this medication”.
“This medication, within a matter of hours, I started seeing and hallucinating things that were mind-numbingly horrible.
“The nurses had to come in with all the screaming, I thought I saw my son on fire at the end of the bed.
“I’ve no recollection of certain conversations, I’ve no recollection of certain days.
“I’m quite lucky insofar that I didn’t get addicted to it, but I did suffer massive withdrawals.”
Jackson described being unable to watch Dopesick due to its depiction of the drug.
“I genuinely didn’t realise there were so many people suffering with this,” he said.
Another listener, Paul, was on several oxycodones for a number of years due to a chronic illness, developing a drug dependency in the process.
“Oxycontin is a nightmare. They call it hillbilly heroin, and that’s exactly what it is,” Paul said.
“It took me two years, and it nearly broke my marriage. I was suicidal, I couldn’t sleep, I was maxed out on sleepers, I was maxed out on everything.
“Depression, antidepressants, I had all sorts of problems, I couldn’t withdraw from it.
“I’ll never touch the stuff again.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact the HSE’s Drug and Alcohol Helpline at 1850 459 459, or visit their website at drugs.ie.
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