Roxy, Oxy, and Opana
Roxy, oxy and opana are pretty much the crème de la crème for opiate addicts. First it was oxy, then it was roxy, and more recently it has become opana. Opana abuse has increased recently because of the new formulation of roxy, oxy that keep users from being able to break down the pills and shoot them up. Roxy, oxy and opana are all very similar in their effects but roxy, oxy are essentially the same drug: oxycodone. Opana is oxymorphone.
Roxy, oxy and opana: Roxy, oxy
The active ingredient in roxy is oxycodone, so essentially roxy, oxy are one and the same. Oxycodone is also found in Percocet, OxyContin, OxyFast, etc. Some of these meds, such as roxy and oxy, are short acting, while OxyContin is a sustained release medication.
Oxy is an opiate medication prescribed for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. It bears much similarity to hydrocodone, which is most commonly known under the brand name Vicodin. However, oxycodone is believed to be more potent than hydrocodone, making it the drug of choice for many opiate abusers who take the drug for its euphoric effects. In high doses, it can cause shallow breathing, hypotension, circulatory collapse, respiratory arrest and death. Roxy is just one of the name brands of oxy.
Roxy, oxy and opana: Opana
The drug Opana, also known as Oxymorphone, is an opioid pain reliever which is similar to morphine. Reformulated OxyContin (oxy) pills make getting high harder, so opioid abusers are turning to Opana (oxymorphone) instead, according to a July 12, 2012, report in USA Today. As a result, the report added, Opana-related crime, including pharmacy robberies and overdose deaths, as well as treatment for oxymorphone addiction have been rising in several states.
Prior to August 2010, when Purdue Pharma reformulated OxyContin, opioid abusers could crush, break, or dissolve the pills in order to snort or inject the drug, which produces a more rapid high. The new formulation cannot be broken, crushed, or dissolved, so addicts must either take larger quantities of the drug or find another option. In Kentucky, according to USA Today, oxymorphone appeared as a factor in 23% of overdoses in 2011, up from just 2% in 2010. In nearby Ohio, the Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network reported in January 2012 that many opioid abusers said they were using oxymorphone as a replacement for oxy. This is not the first time oxymorphone abuse has been in the spotlight. According to a May 2011 intelligence brief from the Drug Enforcement Administration, oxymorphone abuse was popular during the early 1970s, when many who injected it considered it superior to heroin or morphine. The brief singled out New Castle, Delaware, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as present-day hot spots of oxymorphone abuse.
Other than a drug test, one can use the following symptoms to detect or roxy, oxy and opana abuse:
•Drowsiness, sometimes to the point of nodding off
•Sedation
•Euphoria
•Lightheadedness
•Itching
•Nausea and vomiting
•Constipation
•Low blood pressure
•Respiratory suppression
•Headache
•Dry mouth
•Sweating
Constricted pupils, although overdose may bring about dilated pupils.
Overdose deaths can occur due to respiratory suppression, especially when oxy, roxy, and opana or any opiate is combined with another drug that suppresses respiration, like another opiate, benzodiazepines or alcohol.
http://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/Reformulated-OxyContin-Leads-to-Increased-Opana-Abuse