MADISON, Wis. -- The Dane County Drug Task Force reported at least two deaths from OxyContin overdoses in the last couple of years.

One of the victims was 17-year-old Julie Zdeblick, a Middleton High School student. (See related story, Middleton Family Turns Daughter's Death Into Positive Message.)

Those deaths haven't stopped the growing demand for OxyContin on the streets of Madison, News 3 reported.

While the prescription drug can kill when abused, it also helps hundreds of people in our area live without chronic pain.

Taking three 30-milligram OxyContin pills a day helps Lynn Sanders live with a brutally painful genetic disease called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Lynn has had 40 surgeries because her ligaments easily tear.

"Your brain is 46, but your body's 80 years old," said Lynn. "It’s a wonder drug for people with a chronic illness, basically."

OxyContin gives Lynn the ability to work on a local charity she's spearheading to help research her rare disease. Her wall shows celebrities and others who have tried to help keep people like her alive.

Dr. Nate Rudin has been helping Lynn live more normally. His two goals are making the pain go down, and function go up.

"She's got a better quality life using these pills," said Rudin.

In the mid-1990s, Purdue, the makers of OxyContin, put out the unique time release drug.

"Wouldn't it be nice if they had a medicine they could take a couple of times a day and have their pain level be controlled across the course of a day, instead of having it roller coaster up and down all day," said Rudin.

The opiate drug attaches to sensors in the brain and spinal cord, turning off the sensation of pain. But tampering with the time release factor by crushing the drug gives the body a high, suppresses respiratory functions and then stops the flow of oxygen. It can mean death.

"No one anticipated that the street market for the drug and the abuse would become so prevalent," said Rudin.

The pills are making their way onto the streets mostly from pharmacies, News 3 reported. Recently, Verona, Fitchburg and Madison have had a rash of OxyContin robberies, including one at Bergmann's. Pharmacist Suzanne Filkins recalls having a gun pointed at her, and knowing exactly what to do to stay alive.

"I kept my cool in the moment, and was able to be very concious of what he was wearing," said Filkins.

Those robbers were caught. But Filkins sees a different type of crime more often -- people walking in and handing over fraudulent prescriptions.

“If you notice any unusual patterns, you make sure to report those, and often time they'll void the script and then we call the police," said Filkins.

Bill Hendrickson, with Dane County's Drug Task Force, has seen the OxyContin cases dramatically increase in the last three years. If he has 100 cases a year, roughly 25 involve Oxycontin, but heroin and cocaine are still the top drugs of choice. OxyContin can give the same high as heroin -- but cheaper -- at about $1 per milligram.

"OxyContin on the street was refered to as poor man's heroin," said Hendrickson. “It's kind of falling into the realm now at the street level –- it’s just like combating cocaine, crack, heroin and everything else."

In the future, it could be easier. The manufacturer of OxyContin has tracking devices in some pill bottles, so when police confiscate them, they can be traced.

Hendrickson hasn't seen the technology in our area, so for now fighting the abuse is a joint effort between police and the pharmacies.

Lynn is thankful for their efforts. Talks by lawmakers of banning the drug scare her, especially since her oldest son also has the disease.

"No body can understand unless you live with this everyday," said Lynn. “We truly do need that drug out there. Unfortunately we have the problem with drug abuse, but when it’s taken right it really is a very helpful medicine for us."

She realizes OxyContin abuse can kill, but her pills help her live.

Purdue makes OxyContin in doses from 5 to 80 milligrams. Jim Heins, with the company's public affairs division, told News 3 Purdue pulled the 160-milligram pills off the market in 2001 because of abuse and recorded deaths.

By 2002, OxyContin had contributed to the deaths of nearly 500 people nationwide.

Heins said Purdue is working with law enforcement on a nationwide Crimestoppers program to try and catch robbers who are targeting pharmacies to get OxyContin.

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