Acetaminophen – A medication effective for relieving mild pains and fever. It is also used as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.

Addiction – A physiological and psychological compulsion for a habit-forming substance.

Agonist - A drug that combines with receptors to initiate drug actions.

Agonist opioid – A powerful type of narcotic that works by blocking signals to pain receptors in the brain. This process also raises the level of dopamine in the brain, creating a feeling of euphoria.

Analgesic - A compound that relieves pain by altering perception of pain-related stimuli without producing anesthesia or loss of consciousness.

Constipation – Infrequent stools, hard stools, difficulty passing stools (straining), or a sense of incomplete emptying after a bowel movement.

Depression - A syndrome (group of symptoms) that reflects a sad mood that exceeds normal sadness or grief. More specifically, the sadness of depression is characterized by a greater intensity and duration and by more severe symptoms and functional disabilities than is normal.

Hillbilly Heroin – Street name for OxyContin.

Hydrocodone — A chemical cousin of oxycodone, the active ingredient in OxyContin.

Narcotic - Any drug, synthetic or naturally occurring, with effects similar to those of opium and opium derivatives.

Opiate — A sedative narcotic containing opium or an opium derivative.

Opioid - Any derivative of opium or any narcotic with effects similar to those of an opiate.

Oxycodone - A narcotic analgesic used to treat or prevent moderate to severe pain.

Oxycodone hydrochloride – A synthetic narcotic derived from opium-producing poppy plants, oxycodone HCL has properties similar to morphine and is classified as a Schedule II drug, which means that it can be legally prescribed but has a high potential for abuse.

OxyContin – The trade name of a powerful semisynthetic opioid medication that is used therapeutically for the management of chronic and long lasting pain.

Percocet – A prescription pain reliever containing oxycodone and acetaminophen. Classified in the same category as OxyContin.

Percodan – A prescription pain reliever containing oxycodone and aspirin. Classified in the same category as OxyContin.

Physical dependence – A physiological need for a substance, the absence of which leads to withdrawal. Physical dependence is different from addiction in that addiction also involves mental fixation.

Tort - Any action or inaction that wrongs, damages, or injures another, and thus forms the basis of a civil lawsuit.

Withdrawal – Discontinuation of the use of an addictive substance, such as OxyContin, which may be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, bone pain, hot or cold flashes, shaking, irritability, etc.