ABOUT OXYCONTIN  |  OXYCONTIN FAQs
Welcome to the Brown & Crouppen Oxycontin page. Brown & Crouppen has been building a reputation for success with personal injury clients for almost 25 years. Today, we are one of mid-America’s largest personal injury law firms with over 70 legal professionals and five offices throughout Missouri and Illinois. Brown & Crouppen has thrived because of our shared commitment to deliver the best possible service to clients throughout Missouri and the United States. A large area of our concentration is dangerous drug litigation involving manufacturers and suppliers of unsafe drugs and products.

We believe that drug companies who place profit above people must be held accountable for their negligence and the damage they cause to innocent victim’s lives.

Brown & Crouppen’s skills, credentials and resources have helped thousands of clients win millions of dollars from the manufacturers and suppliers of unsafe drugs and products.

The prescription drug OxyContin is a morphine derivative used to treat moderate to severe pain. The medication works by attaching to certain opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord to effectively block the transmission of pain messages to the brain. First introduced in 1995, the drug has received a lot of press in recent years due to a significant number of cases of illegal diversion and abuse. Taken on a daily basis, OxyContin can result in physical dependency and if stopped suddenly, the user experiences severe withdrawal symptoms. Serious injury and death have been attributed to the drug.

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened its precautions in the labeling of OxyContin Tablets, including issuing their strongest warning – a Black Box Warning. At least 1,000 deaths per year are due to OxyContin abuse. Currently, the DEA is requesting that family physicians and non-specialists be banned from prescribing the drug.

Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, has been criticized for failing to provide adequate warning of the risk of addiction associated with the drug and have been involved in numerous lawsuits nationwide alleging aggressive marketing and minimization of OxyContin’s highly addictive nature.

As recently as January 2004, congressional investigators said that Purdue Pharma sent promotional videos to physicians making unsubstantiated assertions that minimized the dangers of the pain-relief drug. In January of 2003, Purdue Pharma agreed to suspend medical journal advertisements for the medication due to the FDA’s allegation that the advertising is misleading. The FDA also warned Purdue Pharma about advertisements that do not include adequate notification regarding the “potentially fatal risks associated with OxyContin”.

If you have been injured by a dangerous drug, the manufacturer may have failed in its duty to design, make, inspect and label the product appropriately.

At Brown & Crouppen our experienced team of Oxycontin and defective drug lawyers provide tough, aggressive representation for Oxycontin victims and their families. When you choose us to handle your Oxycontin lawsuit, our entire team becomes fully committed to your cause. We’ll find answers, hold negligent companies responsible and get you the compensation you deserve.

Brown & Crouppen can help you make informed decisions about your legal rights, so please call Brown & Crouppen at 1-800-536-HELP for your free legal consultation or save time with our online Contact Form.

>> Visit our Oxycontin / Oxycodone Lawyers Website, focused on providing information about Oxycontin, Dangerous Drugs, and your legal options.

>> Oxycontin Information by the Oxycontin Lawyers of Brown & Crouppen

What is OxyContin?

What type of pain would require me to use OxyContin?

Are there activities that I am limited to performing while taking OxyContin?

What should I do if I still have pain while taking OxyContin? Can I take other medications?

Can I drink alcohol while taking OxyContin?

Is OxyContin addictive?

How do I determine if my pain is severe enough to require OxyContin?

What are the side effects of OxyContin?

What are the symptoms of an OxyContin overdose?

What is OxyContin?
OxyContin is the trade name for the drug oxycodone hydrochloride. It is an opiate agonist, a substance that acts by attaching to specific proteins called opioid receptors, which are found in the brain, spinal cord, and gastrointestinal tract. When these drugs attach to certain opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, they can effectively block the transmission of pain messages to the brain. OxyContin is intended for use by terminal cancer patients and chronic pain sufferers as a pain reliever. It is an opium derivative, which is the same active ingredient in Percodan and Percocet.

What type of pain would require me to use OxyContin?
OxyContin is prescribed for pain relief associated with injuries, bursitis, dislocations, fractures, cancer, arthritis, migraines, and back pain. It is used to relieve severe to moderate levels of pain. OxyContin tablets are a controlled-release oral formulation of oxycodone hydrochloride indicated for the management of moderate to severe pain when a continuous analgesic is needed for an extended period of time.

Are there activities that I am limited to performing while taking OxyContin?
You should not drive a car, operate heavy machinery, or do other possibly dangerous activities while taking OxyContin. OxyContin may interfere with your ability to do certain things that require your full attention. If, for instance, you are driving a car while taking OxyContin you may become disoriented or sleepy and lose control of your vehicle – in turn endangering your life and the lives of those around you.

What should I do if I still have pain while taking OxyContin? Can I take other medications?
Because OxyContin is a very strong medication, you should not adjust the dose without first speaking with your physician. Combining OxyContin with some other types of medication such as sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and other pain medications may be dangerous due to the risk of interactions of these medications that can result in injury or death. You should speak with your physician before taking any other medicines with OxyContin.

Can I drink alcohol while taking OxyContin?
You should not drink any beverage that contains alcohol while you are taking OxyContin. OxyContin, when combined with alcoholic beverages, may have dangerous interactions that can result in serious injury or death. Mixing OxyContin with alcohol or another legal or illegal drug can lead to life-threatening respiratory failure, seizures, vomiting, loss of consciousness, or other serious threats to your health.

Is OxyContin addictive?
Taking OxyContin daily can result in physical dependence, a condition in which the body shows signs of narcotic withdrawal if the medication is abruptly discontinued. This is not the same thing as addiction, which represents a situation in which people obtain and take narcotics because of a psychological need. Physical dependence can be treated by slowly decreasing the OxyContin dose when it is no longer needed for the treatment of pain. However, do not change your medication dosage without direction from a doctor.

How do I determine if my pain is severe enough to require OxyContin?
If you have pain every day that lasts for a large part of the day, and the pain is moderate to severe in intensity, OxyContin may be a good choice for you. Only a physician can determine if OxyContin is right to manage your pain. If you only need a pain reliever occasionally and this adequately treats your pain, OxyContin is NOT the right drug for you. If a pain reliever is only needed for a few days, for example following a dental or surgical procedure, OxyContin is not the right drug for you.

What are the side effects of OxyContin?
The most common side effects include:
• Constipation
• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Itching
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Dry mouth
• Sweating


What are the symptoms of an OxyContin overdose?
Slowing of breathing, seizures, dizziness, weakness, loss of consciousness, coma, confusion, tiredness, cold, clammy skin, and small pupils. Frequently, the OxyContin user goes to sleep; breathing will decrease until stopping completely. If you believe you or someone you know is in danger of an OxyContin overdose or has become addicted to the substance, please contact your physician immediately for treatment. In addition, contact an experienced Brown & Crouppen OxyContin attorney, as you may be entitled to recover damages due to your addiction.

My name is Ron Brown, along with my partner Terry Crouppen we founded Brown and Crouppen almost 20 years ago. Today, we are proud to say that we are one of mid-America’s largest personal injury law firms. For some time now we have concentrated a lot of our time and resources in the area of dangerous drug litigation. We have partnered with some of the country’s best drug litigation specialists to create a legal team we feel is second to none. Our team has successfully handled cases involving the prescription drugs Rezulin™, Fen-Phen™ and Lotronex™.    CONTINUE

It’s really terrible to read about a prescription drug being recalled because of dangerous side effects, when you’re one of the people taking it. That’s what happened to me a few years ago. I suffer from a chronic disease and my doctor prescribed a drug to help me manage it better. After being on the drug for a while I began to feel weak and reported it to my doctor. I can’t say enough good things about him, he saved my life. He realized that my problems were being caused not by my disease but by the prescription drug that was supposed to be helping me.   CONTINUE

A lot of people believe that the giant corporations of the world are impossible beat. Let me assure you this is not true. Everyday, Brown and Crouppen as well as other prominent law firms across America take on these giants and win. The real wonder of the American legal system is that it allows individuals to litigate important matters against giant corporations as equals. If a case has merit our system enables you to win compensation for the harm done. It happens everyday.   CONTINUE

Call Brown & Crouppen at 1-800-536-HELP for your free legal consultation or save time with our online Contact Form.

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