A comprehensive dictionary of over 200,000 medical and healthcare abbreviations.
Similar to heroin, oxycodone produces â along with pain management â a euphoric high caused by stimulation of the reward center of the brain. Oxycodone elevates levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is considered the pleasure chemical of the brain. On the street, OxyContin is known as âOxy,â âOC,â âOxyCotton,â âHillbilly Heroin,â and âKickers,â and is often used if heroin or morphine is not available.
Alcohol directly affects brain chemistry by altering levels of neurotransmitters â the chemical messengers that transmit the signals throughout the body that control thought processes, behavior and emotion. Alcohol affects both âexcitatoryâ neurotransmitters and âinhibitoryâ neurotransmitters. An example of an excitatory neurotransmitter is glutamate, which would normally increase brain activity and energy levels. Alcohol suppresses the release of glutamate, resulting in a slowdown along your brainâs highways.