DRUG'S BAD EFFECTS CAN'T BE IGNORED

IN RESPONSE to Betty Hogan's Feb. 20 letter to the editor, "Drug is a
blessing to many":

I'm sure her husband did receive relief from OxyContin. However, there's a
side of the drug that he apparently has not experienced yet.

I was treated by my physician for chronic pain and was prescribed a low
dose (20 milligrams) of OxyContin twice a day. At first, I felt great.
After a few months, the dose wasn't enough. I requested to be taken off the
drug. I couldn't stop using it without professional help.

The withdrawal I went through caused me more pain than I had ever
experienced. My behavioral changes caused me severe domestic problems.
After receiving in-patient help, I'm now OxyContin-free, and I have no
desire to return to the drug. OxyContin should be used only for terminal
patients.

I hope Hogan's husband doesn't experience the withdrawal that I did. There
is an alternative to such a powerful drug.

Small rural communities in Southwest Virginia have a crime spree linked
directly to the illegal use of OxyContin. The Food and Drug Administration
needs to review the benefits vs. the disadvantages of this narcotic.

ROY HOLT, CHRISTIANSBURG