Experts have uncovered the devastating toll of opioid addiction after murder suspect Alex Murdaugh claimed to be a 60-pill-a-day addict.
Murdaugh, who is currently on trial for the 2021 murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul, said he first became addicted to oxycodone after receiving the painkiller following surgery for a college football injury.
The 54-year-old abused the drugs for decades, and he claims he was spending $60,000 a week on the opioid at the height of his addiction.
Many social media users expressed doubts as to whether someone could actually take 60 pills a day and still serve as a high-profile advocate.
But dr Tildabeth Doscher, an addiction medicine specialist at the University of Buffalo, told , “Tolerance is more important than quantity” when it comes to opioids. You or I would die if I took ten of these because my opioid receptors are inexperienced.’
Research shows that severe opioid addiction causes emotional swings, unprovoked outbursts, paranoia and depression, and debilitating withdrawal symptoms.
Paul, Alex, Maggie and Buster at a Gamecocks basketball game in January 2019. Murdaugh is accused of shooting Paul and Maggie on the night of June 7, 2021
“It takes more and more and more to counteract withdrawal, because once these opioid receptors are full, they start to empty and cause withdrawal symptoms,” said Dr. doscher.
“People use and use and keep using because they’re trying to avoid the pain of withdrawal.”
Opioid drugs work by binding to opioid receptors located in the brain, spinal cord, and other parts of the body.
The drugs induce a feeling of euphoria and pleasure and can eliminate feelings of pain in a user.
These drugs are known to be addictive as the body craves the euphoria they bring.
However, over time, the receptors lose their sensitivity to the drug. This means that a person needs more opiates to achieve the same feeling.
A person will slowly need more and more to achieve this feeling and the body may experience withdrawal symptoms if this craving is not satisfied.
Many people turn to more dangerous street versions of the drug to get their dose once their addiction reaches a sufficient point.
For Mr. Murdaugh, a wealthy man who can reportedly afford to spend $60,000 a day on the pills, he has been able to sustain this dangerous addiction for over a decade.
“It escalates and escalates,” he said in court today. He said he has visited rehab three times, the first time in December 2017.
“Opiate withdrawal is, phew, it’s tough,” Murdaugh said. He described how to throw up. You have terrible diarrhea. You sweat like you’re running a marathon. You can’t keep your legs still.”
Addiction of any kind is also associated with mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. This is because addiction can trigger feelings of sadness and hopelessness when a person doesn’t get their fix.
An addict is prone to losing control of their emotions and sometimes doing what others would consider out of character.
Spending large sums of money on the pills can also be stressful as it drains resources from the rest of a person’s livelihood. This increases the feeling of hopelessness.
Paranoia is another common side effect of addiction. Mr Murdaugh blamed the paranoia caused by his drug use for his inconsistent behavior after the murder of his wife and son.
dr However, he does not believe that Mr Murdaugh’s alleged violent crimes were caused by the opioids themselves.
She says they’re not the kind of drugs that lead to these violent outbursts.
“As for violence, no. People will do things they never would have done otherwise, except murder someone? No. It’s not like PCP or other drugs that make people more vulnerable to violence,” she explained.
“I’m never surprised to hear that they’ve taken that and felt normal. I imagine if you’re taking that much you’re still trying to get the euphoria, the dissociative effect,” said Dr. doscher.
“So if he keeps taking 50 pills and then one day 70, he’s going to feel different. There is a stabilizing dose versus an excessive dose.”
Oxycodone is a highly addictive opioid used for long-term pain management. It was first launched in 2000
dr University of Buffalo’s Tildabeth Doscher said it’s certainly possible for a person to develop a tolerance to oxycodone where they can take more than 60 pills in a day
Mr. Murdaugh’s opioid use dates back to the early 2000s when he was a member of the South Carolina Gamecocks college football team.
He was prescribed the drug by a doctor to treat a knee injury.
Oxycodone is an opioid pain reliever sold under several brand names. While it has clinical uses, it is also known to be widely misused.
The drug is most often prescribed by doctors to relieve long-term pain in patients.
It is usually taken as a capsule or tablet and comes in regular and extended-release varieties. It can also be given to patients in hospitals as an IV solution.
The drug is detectable in a person’s system for up to three days and has a half-life of three to six hours — that’s the time it takes for the body to get rid of half of its prevalence in a person’s system.
However, it is easy to quickly become addicted to the drug. Doctors say those who have prescribed it should use it despite these risks, as the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
It was developed in 1996 by Purdue Pharma of Stamford, Connecticut and launched in the United States in 2000.
Purdue is founded and owned by the Sackler family, controversially linked to America’s opioid crisis.
The family has been described as one of the most vicious in America for their role in the crisis, as they faced dozens of lawsuits from individuals and local governments across the country.
What is oxycodone?
Oxycodone is an opioid pain reliever sold under several brand names. While it has clinical uses, it is also known to be widely misused.
The drug is most often prescribed by doctors to relieve long-term pain in patients. However, it is easy to quickly become addicted to the drug. Doctors say those who have prescribed it should use it despite these risks, as the benefits outweigh the cons.
It was developed in 1996 by Purdue Pharma of Stamford, Connecticut and launched in the United States in 2000.
It is usually taken as a capsule or tablet and comes in regular and extended-release varieties. It can also be given to patients in hospitals as an IV solution.
Like other opiates, the drug works by attaching to opioid receptors in the brain and other areas of the body. This reduces pain and can create a euphoric, pleasurable feeling for users.
However, these receptors can quickly lose sensitivity. This means that a person will build up a tolerance to the drug and slowly need more and more to achieve that euphoric feeling.
It is also highly addictive and the body will often crave the feeling.