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Does Oxycodone Cause Mood Swings And Behavioural Changes?

Posted on Thu, 5 Jun 2014

Question: Hi my daughter has had cancer for five and half years. Breast, bones and now abdomen for which she recently had a colostomy. Understandably she has become stroppy and rude and uncaring which she was never before. I am finding this hard to deal with and am very anxious because one of the signs is that she tries to stand up and the carers in her care home have told her many times she must not do this because she is not safe alone. Could this be a side effect of all the morphine that she takes. 5mg Oxycodone every two hours. I am not coping very well now.

Answered by Dr. T Shobha Deepak (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Drug effect!!

Detailed Answer:
Greetings
Welcome to Health Care Magic

Hi,

Thanks for writing to us. I completely understand your concern and I am impressed about your care and concern towards your daughter.

Please note oxycodone is a semi-synthetic form of morphine and certainly has lots of effects on mood and behavioural effects which are prominent. In patients with pain (usually cancer pain) and anxiety it has calming effect, there is loss of dethachment, lack of initiative, limbs feel heavy and body warm, mental clouding and inability to concentrate occurs. So the symptoms you have mentioned above almost matches the drug effect (please note it is not a side effect) which is inevitable in order to relieve the pain.

Here are few important advise which needs to be kept in mind:
1. Since your daughter would be in pain, it would be advisable to continue with opioids. This comes with a baggage of narcotic effects and side effects as well. Lots of patience, sympathy and empathy by the treating physicians, nurses, family and friends would be required
2. Mood changes are bound to happen. What's required is understanding of these signs and symptoms & managing them accordingly
3. If the narcotic effects/ side effects are severe with current drugs, milder drugs or narcotics with different mechanism of action like Fentanyl, Tramadol etc. must be the next alternative
4. Dose of the current drug can be titrated depending on the effects/ side effects

Feel free to get back to me any time if additional is required. I would be glad to assist you.

Take care and wish your daughter speedy recovery.

Best regards,
Dr. T. Shobha Deepak
MBBS, MD

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar