How much OxyContin is too much?

How much OxyContin is too much depends on your exposure to opiates. In general, opioid naive people should not take more than 30 mg of OxyContin per day. But OxyContin is easy to overdose on, especially if it’s not taken as directed. More on OxyContin overdose and safe dosing here.

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OxyContin is a pain medication that contains oxycodone, a narcotic painkilling medication. OxyContin is a controlled-release version of oxycodone which does not contain the non-narcotic pain medications that can be found in some other brands of oxycodone.

In general, 30 mg OxyContin in one day is the safe limit for people who have not been exposed to opiates. But people who have developed opiate/opioid tolerance can sometimes take up to 120 mg within 12 hours.  Still, you can die from OxyContin overdose.  In this article, we’ll look at the safe and dangerous amounts of OxyContin and invite your questions about OxyContin at the end.

OxyContin strengths

OxyContin comes in multiple strengths. This is because the body gradually adapts to OxyContin in your system as you become opiate tolerant. So doctors start you on a small dose of OxyContin to begin because it’s much easier to overdose on higher doses of OxyContin if you do not have a tolerance to the medication. If you have taken OxyContin for long periods of time, your dose will gradually be increased so that it continues to control symptoms of pain.

For opioid naive patients, OxyContin comes in doses of 10mg oxycodone, released over an extended period of time. OxyContin also comes in doses of 15mg, 20mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60mg, and 80 mg. At one point, 120 mg controlled release OxyContin tablets were available, but they have been pulled off the market due to the high risk of overdose when used recreationally.

How much OxyContin is safe?

How much OxyContin you can take really depends on your tolerance to the medication. Opioid naive individuals should not take more than 30 mg in one day. Those with a tolerance to the medication can sometimes take up to 120 mg within 12 hours. Consult your doctor to determine the maximum safe dosage of OxyContin for you.

How much OxyContin can you take at once?

Only one OxyContin tablet of the strength prescribed by your doctor should be taken every 12 hours. OxyContin provides continuous relief over this period, so it shouldn’t be necessary to take more. If your OxyContin tablet is crushed or cut in half, it will actually be more dangerous because the controlled-release function of the tablet has been damaged. For example, if you break an 80 mg tablet in half, you would get 40 mg oxycodone all at once, instead of 80 mg over 12 hours, which would greatly increase your risk of overdose even if you had a moderate tolerance to the medication.

How much OxyContin to overdose?

The amount of OxyContin is takes to overdose varies based on your previous exposure to OxyContin and other narcotics. If you’ve never taken OxyContin before, as little as 30 mg could spell trouble. On the other hand, there are people who are able to take far more than that without any problems. Ask your doctor what he or she recommends as a safe dose, and if you suspect overdose, call your local poison control center or go to the emergency room.

Toxic levels of OxyContin in the system

You can overdose on OxyContin by taking it orally.But it’s much easier to overdose, even if you’re tolerant to the drug, by taking OxyContin in ways other than prescribed.. Because all OxyContin strengths are controlled-release medications, crushing the OxyContin and snorting it or dissolving OxyContin powder in water and injecting it increases your risk of overdose. In recent years, a new version of OxyContin has been developed which makes OxyContin harder to abuse and harder to accidentally cause overdose – this formula makes it more difficult to crush the medication.

How much OxyContin is fatal?

Since it’s so hard to know how much OxyContin is fatal, it’s better to simply avoid taking high doses of the medication, particularly if you have never taken it before. If you take OxyContin as prescribed, you can avoid this risk altogether.  And keep in mind that OxyContin snorting effects include overdose and death, so you risk fatality if you are taking OxyContin to get high.

How much OxyContin should I take?

You should take the amount of OxyContin prescribed to you by your doctor. Never take more OxyContin than recommended by a medical professional, and only take this oral medication as directed.

Too much Oxycontin questions

Do you still have questions about OxyContin? Please leave your questions here. We try our best to answer you quickly. And if we don’t know the answer to your question(s), we will refer you to someone who does.

Reference sources:Toxnet: Oxycodone
PubMed Health: Oxycodone
DailyMed: OxyContin
FDA: FDA Approves New Formulation for OxyContin
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
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