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OxyContin may cause lymphoma and lung ailments in humans

by Chris Strosser
11/28/06

Discussion: http://www.thatspoppycock.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17

Oxycodone may act as a genotoxin in humans. A genotoxin is defined as, "a chemical or other agent that damages cellular DNA, resulting in mutations or cancer." On Purdue Pharma's "Material Safety Data Sheet," oxycodone is listed as being "weakly positive" for human lymphocyte chromosome aberration. Lymphoma, many times a fatal condition, is described as "any of various usually malignant tumors that arise in the lymph nodes or in other lymphoid tissue." It was given a "positive" rating for lymphoma in mice.

OxyContin tablets, as well as many other forms of medication, contain talc, which can cause many problems when crushed. Considering many people abuse OxyContin intranasally, this is something everyone should be informed about. The excerpt below is taken from Purdue's safety sheet:

[Crushed talc] can cause eye, skin, nose, throat, and lung irritation resulting in coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Long term overexposure to talc is associated with talc pnumoconiosis. Symptoms include shortness of breath, clubbing of fingers, coughing with sputum, changes in lung x-ray, chronic lung disease with impaired lung function and can cause right-sided heart failure.

Conditions that may be aggravated by exposure to broken or crushed OxyContin tablets include significant chronic obstructive lung disease, asthma, and hypotension.

This should concern everyone abusing OxyContin. Many people who abuse the drug are also smokers. Smoking can also cause lung disease and asthma, among many other ailments, so abusers should be wary of the possible consequences.