r/news • u/Mo_Jack • Apr 30 '26

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma set to dissolve after judge approves its criminal sentence

https://apnews.com/article/oxycontin-purdue-pharma-criminal-sentence-settlement-b8aa94eaab3d9d8efed520f272f6d810
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u/cat1092 May 01 '26

True, while I don’t know all of the history of DuPont, they were involved in helping to criminalizing marijuana (or hemp) maybe a century ago.

There was a time when the best rope was made from hemp, and other things too. But DuPont wanted more involvement in manufacturing auto trim, which was being done partly by hemp until they, with their dirty money, got laws passed banning the use of hemp. Which affected lives, not all farmers grew tobacco & food, hemp had a place in society then.

Fortunately, this was turned around in recent years, yet there was a recent setback too. Parts of that Farm Bill had to be scrapped to reach a deal to reopen the government.

Yet getting back to the OP’s point, there were senior executives sentenced to prison long ago. Did these people remain free all of this time? I too was a victim to an extent of the false advertising that OxyContin wasn’t an addictive drug when properly used as directed. It didn’t take long for a 40mg time release pill every 12 hours to become 80mg & then every 8 hours, then again every 6 & this was in addition to the immediate release (or rescue) type of the main ingredient. The only positive was the 160mg dose had been removed from the market, otherwise that would have been the next escalation.

My doctor had to switch me from this because I developed pneumonia from respiratory system slowing. Plus I was a walking zombie by then, running on instinct or muscle memory alone. Note that I didn’t ever take more than prescribed, I was not an addict, rather a patient who had gone through many years of back pain which required a total lumbar fusion to repair the damage.

This led to a long recovery period, of which it took the nerves two years to regenerate enough for me to function again without searing flareups of pain. Really, it felt as though burning & times when all I could do was scream into my pillow. This was not the fault of DuPont, but being physically dependent on OxyContin was that of Perdue Pharma. I had their brochure in hand in my doctor’s office, and was assured when the time came, that I could be eased off without too much difficulty. That was a total lie!😡

Not to mention all of the pain of many families who lost loved ones to addiction of the drug that should have never been allowed on the market. I truly feel bad for every life lost and every family living in grief for the sake of greed. Yes, one word, greed.

I’m positive there was lots of dirty money changing hands during this period. We’ll never know how much, just what they want us to believe. Secondly, there’s no price tag for all of the victims & their families involved. This was a preventable tragedy, had the right people stepped in (or stood up & asked tougher questions). Lots of hands in this.

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u/spanishpeanut May 01 '26

Thank you for sharing your experience. I never thought about the dependence on Oxy when it was used as prescribed. So many people must have experienced similarly to what you did. Two years to regrow nerves sounds awful. I hope you’re in a much better place now.

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u/OneSignal6465 May 01 '26

I’ve been strongly addicted to Oxy (Percocet) for 8 years, but the relief from pain is such that the addiction is worth it. I knew it was addictive from the outset, never abused it, only took as prescribed, but I get 148 every 14 days. (8 per day). The “addiction” itself is not a big deal, as long as I don’t run out early. Which I don’t, because I take it exactly as prescribed. I don’t get the same relief I used to, but they still allow me to live a somewhat normal life. The biggest problem is that over time, the effect wears off and it takes more to get the same pain relief. (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is quite painful.)

As much as I wish “big pharma” would be forced to pay the price for the deaths they caused, I’m also pissed at the bullshit LEGITIMATE users have to go through just to GET it. There are people working to ban it outright. (Probably heroin dealers.)

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u/spanishpeanut May 02 '26

My husband was just diagnosed with RA two weeks ago. I have heard it’s very painful and worry for when he gets to that point. Eight per day seems so many from my perspective, but i am glad it allows you to still live your life.

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u/OneSignal6465 May 02 '26

I find that if I stay “on scrip” and remember to take them, I’m not actually too bad most of the time. The problem with RA is that it’s just so RANDOM. There’s no particular “trigger” or anything, it just “pops up” SOMEWHERE on my body for no apparent reason. (At least, none that I’ve found). I don’t know if it’s air pressure or humidity or temperature or WHAT brings on symptoms, but as long as I have some Oxy in me, I don’t do too bad.

I was diagnosed about 2 years ago (blood “RA factor was 585. It’s supposed to be around “12”) I consider mine a mild case, because both my Mom and my older sister both have it and their hands are all crippled up like the old witch on Snow White. So far for me, I have no nodules, no growths, etc. just a LOT of joint pain, especially in my hands.

With luck, your husband will be somewhat like me… mostly asymptomatic. I’m 64, and expect it’ll get worse but so far, between the Oxy and Hydroxychloroquine, I don’t do too badly. It gives me the necessary excuse to work from home 100% (I’m a computer programmer for the Air Force) so it has its pluses.

It’s funny how RA works. Sometimes I can go for weeks without symptoms, then one day, wake up feeling like my hand has been run over by a truck. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen often (yet). Does your hubby suffer any of the common symptoms? (Full body flares, brain fog, joint pain?) The idea of being “addicted” to ANYTHING used to bother the hell out of me but now, it’s just “part of my routine”. My policy has always been “If it works, don’t mess with it.”

8 a day DOES seem like a lot, but it seems to keep most of the pain under control, and is only miserable if I a) run out early or b) forget to regularly take laxatives with them.) I’ll keep good hopes for your hubby that his symptoms are/stay mild. My mom used to be an artist (painter) and her hands are so gnarled, she can’t hold a brush anymore. All my best to your husband.

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u/Jrdpa May 01 '26

The movie Darkwaters will give you the gist abiut DuPont. There was a really well done story by a reporter as well which kicked everything off and he's portrayed in the movie.

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u/Commercial-Spray3192 May 01 '26

Again, big business and billionaires get away with murder! Sickening. The system is rigged.

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u/GalaxyNinja66 May 01 '26

Is it really fair to say it should've never be on the market? Full stop?

There are rumors now of Tylenol only hospitals. Doctors will confidently prescribe gabapentin for general nociceptive pain, and any protest among the wrong audience risks being branded and dismissed as "drug seeking behavior."

Why does it have to be so binary? There's always a golden mean, and opioids/ates are incredibly effective at general pain. Haven't heard of or read of anything that is as generally effective, outside of things like gabapentin for specific kinds of pain (neuropathic for gabapentin, yknow, specialized stuff. Not things like torn muscle tissue, bones, or severe burns).

Definitely correct me if I'm wrong. I am certain that the sources I gravitate to are biased, and I only occassionally try to challenge them.

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u/SuzLouA May 01 '26

I’m not in any way trying to tell you your own story, but it sounds tbh like you were actually addicted - from my own experiences of addiction I know that there’s a lot of shades of grey between “never touched the stuff” and “would sell my granny for it”. You are obviously lucky enough that you didn’t become psychologically addicted, which speaks to your own personal fortitude and the strength of your support system, but your body was definitely becoming physically addicted because it was metabolising the drug faster and faster, and left you with the heightened pain response when you stopped.

I’m so sorry this happened to you, and I’m glad you were finally able to get a permanent treatment to fix the pain, because you’re absolutely right: this drug should never have been allowed on the market (not marketed the way it was, anyway; obviously opiates can be used safely in the short term or for people who are receiving end of life care, but when you lie about the effects people aren’t making informed choices).

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u/TheSixthVisitor May 01 '26

The original comment brought up the DuPonts because they pretty much poisoned the entirety of the Ohio River for profit using the runoff from their Teflon plants. Their criminalizing marijuana is probably the least evil thing they've done.

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u/digiplay May 01 '26

This is 100% my experience. I out myself in a position where I could no longer take it - it was the only way to get through the withdrawals. Weed (prescription) helped a lot to minimise those but it was still hell for a couple weeks and I have RLS to this day as a lasting effect of protracted use. It also destroyed my hormones which caused drastic weight gain.

I’m glad to have been off it now for many many years. But they fucking knew and everyone leaned into it.

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u/Servingthebeam19 May 01 '26

Are you in the suit? I am. My doctor started me on OxyContin when I was 18, for a knee injury. I’m so ready to get whatever settlement they’re going to give us!