You're quite right about not disturbing the outer coating of the Oxycontin Kate. Once that coating is gone the full amount of the drug can be released over an extremely short time period. It's something drug addicts do to get a kick, but in doing so it's often the last thing they ever do.

If the tablet is slow release like Oxycontin is, no matter what the dose.... that amount is meant to be released over 12 hours. Without the protective coating the whole amount would be released into the blood stream immediately, often causing death. Well .... "often" is an understatement really. I should have said frequently causing death because opiate overdose it's one of our big killers.

I'm not talking through my hat. I've taken Oxycontin and Endone for many years in an effort to control my own chronic pain. I'm also a registered nurse who spent a large number of my 40 years as an RN years rescusiitating and caring for, people who do dumb things like remove the slow release coating from their pain killers. A large number of them die.

Sending you some hugs and wishing you the best of luck when you see your doctor. Sometimes the itch means that your body has had enough of this drug and you need a change. Sometimes it means you need a lower dose. Sometimes it means little at all except you need to take an antihistamine. It always means you need to speak with your pain doctor, as they're the ones who know all the options available to you.