Insufflation is the process of introducing a substance into the bloodstream through the nasal passages--often referred to as "sniffing" or "snorting." Oxycodone, a powerful narcotic painkiller, is a medication often abused. When pills containing oxycodone are crushed and insufflated, the drug crosses the blood-brain barrier much more quickly than its indicated method of administration intends, and produces a variety of pronounced effects.
Effects
The intensity of insufflated oxycodone's effects depend on various factors, especially the abuser's tolerance to the drug and the amount of oxycodone. People who abuse oxycodone through snorting the powdered pill do so in order to experience a near-immediate, euphoric "rush" or "high" as the drug rapidly enters the bloodstream through the mucous membranes within the nasal passages. At high doses, especially in abusers with no tolerance to the drug, oxycodone can also produce near-immediate stupor and unconsciousness--often with dire consequences.
Side Effects
Oxycodone's side effect profile is greatly enhanced by the insufflation method of delivery into the body. According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, these amplified side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, seizures, irregular breathing and increased pressure of spinal and cerebral fluids. People who abuse oxycodone by insufflating the drug may also experience itchy skin, constipation and difficulty urinating.
Overdose Risk
Since many formulations of oxycodone are designed to be released slowly into the body through time-release coatings on the pill, snorting oxycodone poses a tremendously escalated risk for overdose over taking the drug orally. As reported by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fatal overdoses from oxycodone abuse have reached epidemic proportions in some areas of the United States. Symptoms of an overdose from insufflated oxycodone include unconsciousness, pinpoint pupils, pale skin, blue-tinged lips, and mental confusion. Effects from an oxycodone overdose include coma, seizures and death due to respiratory failure. If you suspect someone has overdosed after insufflating oxycodone, contact the emergency services immediately and try to keep the person alert until medical help arrives.
Tolerance and Dependence
A serious long-term effect of chronic oxycodone insufflation is twofold--tolerance and dependence. Since oxycodone is habit-forming even when taken as indicated, snorting large amounts of the drug regularly causes the body to become tolerant upon the medication. With tolerance, the need for larger doses to achieve the desired euphoric effect sets in, and a user's body becomes dependent on oxycodone. Once someone has become dependent on oxycodone, he will experience withdrawal effects similar to those of the street drug heroin, which is a potent opiate drug. Often, people who abuse oxycodone through insufflation will require medical help to get through withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, intense cravings for the drug, and cold sweats. Detoxification from oxycodone may lead an abuser to methadone maintenance treatment, or require an inpatient stay at a hospital or detox facility.
