Treatment for an overdose is similar for the various opioids, and depending on time since ingestion, may include a combination of the following:
- Medicines to treat symptoms, such as depressed respiration
- Treatments to remove the pain killer from the system, such as
- Activated charcoal
- Laxatives
- Gastric lavage (washing out the stomach)
- Intravenous fluids
In the case of overdose, a different narcotic (called an antagonist) may be administered to reverse effects of the overdosed substance. Treatment for addiction includes pharmacological substitutes that relieve symptoms and reduce cravings, such as methadone, buprenorphine, and levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol (LAAM), which may be given to assist in treatment. Daily doses of methadone both eliminate withdrawal symptoms as well as relieving drug cravings. LAAM alters the effects of opiates for up to three days. These measures counter the euphoria of the addictive drug if the patient tries taking it.
Treatment may be specially tailored if the oxycodone was taken in combination with another substance, such as benzodiazepines, alcohol, cocaine, other narcotics, marijuana, or antidepressants.
During withdrawal, there can be several symptom peaks during withdrawal, at 48 hours and 72 hours, but symptoms generally subside in about 1 week, with heavily dependent users sometimes experiencing milder symptoms for up to 6 months.