"Tolerance to opiates is essentially unlimited, if the dosage is increased slowly."
That is NOT true - at least not for Oxycontin.
There IS a limit to the number you can take no matter how gradually you take them!
http://www.oxycontinaddiction.info/overdose.htm OxyContin Overdose such as other opiates and opioids, can be dangerous. Internet Health Caregivers Edward Barbien, a toxologist at National Medical Services in Willow Grave said, ".anyone can die from it (OxyContin) if they chew or crush it as they take it." Frequent and repeated use of the drug can cause the user to develop a tolerance to its effects, so larger doses are required to elicit the desired sensation and the abuser gets increasingly addicted to the drug. Eventually an overdose does occur when too much OxyContin enters the system. Symptoms of an overdose from OxyContin are:
slow breathing
seizures
dizziness
weakness
loss of consciousness
coma
confusion
tiredness
cold and clammy skin
small pupils.
18 year old Eddie Bisch died on February 19th 2001 after chewing the Central Nervous System depressant and powerful painkiller OxyContin. His death was a result of mixing the prescription medication OxyContin and other substances, including alcohol. He made a mistake and paid for it with his life. OxyContin is a powerful painkiller which has the ability to destroy and end lives.
OxyContin is very dangerous when taken with other drugs, especially depressants. In Philadelphia, 22 deaths have been linked to OxyContin in a 3 month period. An increase in the abuse of OxyContin has lead to the increase of overdoses. OxyContin related deaths are on the rise across the nation and the deaths in Philadelphia have skyrocketed from 17 in 1999 to 41 in 2000 and an estimated 80 in 2001.