Oxycodone Intoxication: 5 Facts About What Killed Adrienne Martin

Adrienne Martin, the 27-year-old girlfriend of beer magnate August Busch IV, died from accidental oxycodone intoxication.

That's the conclusion of the St. Louis County Chief Medical Examiner, which released its report on Martin's December 2010 death today.

What is oxycodone, and when is it lethal? Surge Desk found out.

1. Oxycodone is a legal pain reliever, but doses must be controlled
Oxycodone (also known by its brand name, OxyContin) is a powerful narcotic that's prescribed for pain relief, and like other narcotics it can be addictive. It comes in immediate and controlled-release forms; if controlled-release tablets are crushed or chewed, they can release dangerously high levels of the drug into a patient's system. Doses larger than 40mg are not recommended for people who have not been treated with opioids before.

2. Too much oxycodone can cause respiratory distress
Because oxycodone can depress breathing, patients with lung problems must use it with caution. The drug can also impair users' thinking and motor skills. Other side effects may include dizziness, sedation, vomiting and lightheadedness. Opioid intoxication depends on how much of the drug is taken, but ultimately causes severe sleepiness and the inability to breathe.

3. Danger increases with drug combinations
The St. Louis medical examiner reported finding cocaine and Oxycodone in Martin's system. While Oxycodone is an opioid, cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant. Combining these types of drugs is particularly dangerous because one depresses the nervous system while the other attempts to rev it up, and can lead to heart attack. (A similar combination of heroin and cocaine is known as a speedball.)

4. Oxycodone use is on the rise
The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that 6 million oxycodone prescriptions were written between 1996 and 2000. Reports from 20 major metropolitan areas showed a 400 percent increase in deaths from the drug during the same period, and there is growing concern about use and abuse in rural areas.

5. The DEA is investigating oxycodone and OxyContin-related deaths
The DEA is working with state medical examiners to measure and investigate deaths linked to oxycodone and OxyContin. Preliminary statistics show that the majority of these deaths involve ingestion of multiple drugs, as in Martin's case.


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