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.
A neuron affects other neurons by releasing a neurotransmitter that binds to chemical receptors. The effect upon the postsynaptic neuron is determined not by the presynaptic neuron or by the neurotransmitter, but by the type of receptor that is activated.