Percocet Treatment, Withdrawal Timeline and Abuse
Nobody starts using Percocet with the goal of becoming addicted. Most users begin taking this prescription analgesic to manage the pain of a chronic illness or injury. But even when it’s used as directed, this opioid pain medication has a high potential for tolerance, dependence and abuse. Percocet is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning that although it has a valid medical purpose, it is also highly addictive.
The active ingredients in Percocet are oxycodone, an opioid pain reliever that brings effects to the brain that are similar to morphine or heroin, and acetaminophen, a popular over-the-counter analgesic. When taken as directed, Percocet provides safe relief of moderate to severe pain. Percocet can legally be taken only with a doctor’s prescription, yet thousands of users take this potent narcotic without medical supervision every day, with grave consequences.
The Washington Post reports that with sales of opioid painkillers like Percocet on the rise, overdose fatalities have increased throughout the country. As of 2013, the number of deaths related to drug overdoses exceeded the number of deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents in 29 states and Washington, D.C. If you have a problem with Percocet abuse, or you’re close to someone who’s misusing this powerfully addictive drug, getting help through a drug rehab program could literally mean the difference between life and death.
How Is Percocet Abused?
Recreational users may enjoy the sustained, euphoric high that Percocet can deliver. The oxycodone in Percocet activates chemical receptors in the brain and other organs that respond to opioids. When you take the medication in prescribed doses, this response creates effective pain relief, usually without serious side effects.
But when patients do not take the drug exactly as prescribed, the chemical response in the brain is more intense, creating feelings of relaxation, drowsiness or euphoria.
Known on the streets as “percs” or “percodoms,” Percocet tablets can be taken by mouth or crushed into a powder, which is snorted or dissolved into a powder and injected. Chewing or snorting the drug releases the narcotic effects of the oxycodone more quickly, intensifying the high. But these methods of abuse also increase the narcotic side effects of sedation, respiratory depression, overdose and death.
Most non-medical Percocet users get the drug from one or more key sources, according to the University of Maryland:
- By seeking Percocet prescriptions from multiple doctors (known as doctor shopping)
- By forging prescriptions for the medication
- By taking a friend or family member’s Percocet
- By purchasing Percocet on the streets
The underground black market supplies recreational users with oxycodone products obtained through pharmacy thefts, foreign markets and smuggling rings. But the most common source of Percocet may be the household medicine cabinet; many recreational users get the drug from friends, family members, classmates or casual acquaintances.
How Does Percocet Affect My Health?
Most of the dangers of Percocet abuse, including dependence and addiction, are associated with the oxycodone it contains. Oxycodone abuse has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Between 2002 and 2003 alone, the number of Americans who reported using prescription narcotics for non-medical reasons rose by nearly two million (from 11.8 to 13.7 million), according to the Journal of Clinical Therapeutics and Risk Management. Percocet is one of the most commonly prescribed oxycodone products, and also one of the most commonly abused for recreational reasons.
Percocet abuse can take a severe toll on your physical and mental health. Oxycodone is a central nervous system depressant, which causes your heartbeat, blood circulation, breathing and digestion to slow down.
The higher the dose you take, the more likely you are to experience the negative side effects of Percocet:
- Drowsiness and sedation
- Slow breathing
- Interruptions in breathing
- Low blood pressure
- Itching or rash
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Depression
- Dizziness
- Fainting
An overdose of Percocet can cause unconsciousness, respiratory arrest, shock and death. Mixing Percocet with alcohol, sedatives or sleeping pills magnifies the drug’s negative side effects and increases the risk of an overdose exponentially. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that the number of overdose deaths involving opioid painkillers rose from approximately 4,000 in 1999 to over 16,000 in 2010. Many of these overdoses involved additional drugs or alcohol.
Addiction is one of the most serious risks of Percocet abuse. With repeated use, oxycodone changes the central nervous system in such a way that the brain and body begin to rely on the drug to function normally. The chemical receptors in the brain easily adjust to higher levels of opioids, so you need to take more Percocet to relieve pain or get high. This condition, called tolerance, can rapidly lead to dependence and addiction.
In the addiction stage, your Percocet use becomes compulsive. You no longer have control over when, where or how much of the drug you use. You may go to extreme lengths to get and use Percocet, like faking symptoms, forging prescriptions, stealing money from others, or selling drugs to obtain your drug of choice.
Even if your habit is clearly affecting your physical health, your relationships, your career or your finances, you can’t stop using Percocet, no matter how much you want to. If you’ve tried multiple times to stop using this prescription drug without success, it’s time to seek help from a professional treatment center.
Can I Make It Through Withdrawal?
Withdrawal is one of the biggest hurdles you face when you make a commitment to recovery. Withdrawing from opioid analgesics is rarely fatal, but the side effects can be extremely uncomfortable. Within 12 to 24 hours after you stop using Percocet, you might feel like you have a severe cold or flu, complete with chills, cold sweats, muscle aches, nausea, a runny nose and diarrhea. The physical symptoms of opioid withdrawal may last only a matter of days. However, the mental side effects — anxiety, panic attacks, restlessness, cravings and depression — can continue for weeks, even months.
As your brain and body respond to the absence of Percocet, you’ll need professional support to minimize the symptoms of withdrawal.
The time it takes to withdraw from Percocet varies from one person to another. Your personal timeline will depend on how much you’ve been taking, how long you’ve been using the medication, and whether you’ve been using other drugs. A comprehensive rehab program may last from 30 to 120 days or more, depending on your individual needs. The National Institutes of Health advises that for drug rehab to be effective, most individuals require treatment of at least 90 days.
Breaking Free From Percocet Addiction
To make a full recovery from Percocet addiction, you need a holistic treatment program that provides healing for your mind and spirit as well as your body. Opioid detox is only the first step in the rehab process.
Once the drugs have cleared your system, you’ll draw from the following resources to continue your recovery:
- Intensive individual counseling from addiction treatment professionals
- Behavioral modification strategies to help you modify your thought processes and apply new coping strategies
- Peer group meetings with others who share your commitment to recovery
- Family counseling and addiction education for your loved ones
- 12-Step facilitation groups and meetings
- Holistic therapies, such as meditation, yoga, experiential therapy or creative therapy
- Physical exercise programs and nutritional counseling
- Aftercare services, including relapse prevention groups, referral services and alumni programs
Your treatment team will support you throughout the recovery process, from the early stages of Percocet detox through rehab and aftercare. With help from experienced addiction specialists, you won’t have to face your doubts or fears alone.
At Black Bear Lodge, we offer intensive, personalized recovery services in a tranquil forest setting. Situated in the foothills of northern Georgia, our Percocet treatment center offers a haven from the stresses of everyday life. We encourage you to call our admissions coordinators today at 706-909-9811 to find out how you and your loved ones can benefit from our comprehensive Percocet recovery programs.
How Much Percocet Causes Overdose?
Percocet contains oxycodone and acetaminophen. Oxycodone is an opiate painkiller. Acetaminophen reduces pain and fever. Both of these drugs can play important medical roles. Both of these drugs can be dangerous in large quantities. Percocet can cause overdose. Managing health involves finding a balance and avoiding too much of any drug. If you abuse or are addicted to Percocet, any amount may be too much to take safely.
Percocet Overdose Risk Factors
The amount of Percocet that causes overdose varies from person to person. It depends on your individual body chemistry. It depends on how and why you use the drug.
If you do the following, you are more likely to overdose on Percocet:
- Crush, chew, snort or inject the drug
- Use Percocet with alcohol or other medications
- Take Percocet more frequently than prescribed
- Take Percocet in larger quantities than prescribe
- Take Percocet without a prescription
Any and all of these actions are drug abuse. They put you at greater risk for dependence. As the World Health Organization (WHO)1 shares, “People dependent on opioids are the group most likely to suffer an overdose.” When you are dependent on a drug, you typically take more of it than others. You are at greater risk for serious health consequences.
What Happens When You Overdose?
When you take too much Percocet, you slow your body’s essential functions. The World Health Organization explains: “Due to their effect on the part of the brain which regulates breathing, opioids in high doses can cause respiratory depression and death.” If you mix opioids with other drugs that have similar effects, overdose becomes even more likely. “Combining opioids with alcohol and sedative medication increases the risk of respiratory depression and death, and combinations of opioids, alcohol and sedatives are often present in fatal drug overdoses.”1
You don’t have to take much of any one substance if you are taking multiple drugs. Drugs interact and cause unexpected, immediate, and serious health issues. Percocet already contains more than one substance, oxycodone and acetaminophen, so adding alcohol or other drugs risks your health and life. Oxycodone interacts with these to slow health functions.
Acetaminophen targets your liver and can cause serious damage. According to MedlinePlus, “Without rapid treatment, a very large overdose of acetaminophen can lead to liver failure and death in a few days.”2 You don’t have to take illicit drugs to put yourself at risk for acetaminophen overdose. Over-the-counter pain medications may combine with the acetaminophen in Percocet and put you in danger.
Signs of Percocet Overdose
If you are concerned about overdose, look for symptoms. Don’t worry about specific amounts or substances used, although having this information will be helpful to emergency medical personnel.
Percocet overdose involves the following primary signs:
- Pinpoint pupils
- Unconsciousness
- Respiratory depression1
If you are having trouble breathing or a loved one has lost consciousness, call for immediate help. After an overdose, or ideally before one occurs, take steps to end further risk. Surviving an overdose is a gift. It is a second chance. Reach out for dependence and addiction treatment.
Call Black Bear Lodge at 706-909-9811 and learn more about our up-to-date, holistic care. We address all aspects of health. We help your body repair after the damage of overdose and drug abuse. We help your mind create new ways of thinking and coping. We help your emotions and spirit heal by building connections to self and others. Find health. Find life. Reach out today.
Side Effects of Percocet Abuse
Percocet is a brand name prescription pain reliever composed of oxycodone and acetaminophen. Oxycodone is an opioid pain reliever (a narcotic) with a high risk of abuse due to its euphoric effects.
Percocet is one of the many painkillers fueling the prescription drug abuse epidemic that is sweeping across America.
The problem does not stem from abusers alone, but also from medical providers who dispense high volumes of these drugs. According to the advocacy group Oxy Watchdog, a study revealed that compared to other prescription medications, from 2005 to 2010, the painkillers oxycodone and hydrocodone had the biggest increase in hospital discharge prescriptions.
Percocet was designed to be used in patients with moderate to severe pain under a structured pain management plan supervised by a qualified doctor. Percocet is dependence-forming but not all persons who consume this medication, whether lawfully or unlawfully, will become psychologically addicted.
Percocet Health Effects
As with most all drugs, Percocet is associated with several side effects. In general, Percocet abusers and prescribed Percocet users alike may experience the following common side effects:
- Low blood pressure
- Mood swings
- Coordination problems
- Sweating
- Sleep problems (too much or too little)
Further, as The Fix discusses, Percocet abuse exposes users to a host of additional health problems:
- Consumption of crushed Percocet heightens the risk of overdose, which can be fatal.
- Discontinuing the familiar dosage of Percocet use will trigger withdrawal symptoms.
- Some mental side effects of abuse include confusion, slow lightheadedness, headaches and/or depression.
- Psychological addiction frequently occurs, characterized by a focus on drug use to the exclusion of meeting work, family and personal obligations.
Percocet has different long-term and short-term health effects. In the short-term, depressed respiratory function poses a severe threat. In fact, in most deaths due to narcotic overdose, the immediate cause of death is respiratory depression; however, Percocet abuse is not associated with long-term respiratory problems.
In the long-term, Percocet abuse can cause chronic constipation and damage to digestive organs. These ailments can worsen if not properly treated, but the single greatest threat associated with Percocet abuse is liver damage. It is important to note that the damage does not arise from the oxycodone component but rather the acetaminophen, which helps to potentiate the oxycodone effects. Relatively low amounts of regular long-term use of acetaminophen (more than four grams each day) can cause chronic liver diseases, including cirrhosis. Adding alcohol to the equation only worsens the danger. Long-term Percocet abuse is also associated with heart and brain damage.
How Treatment Can Help
Getting treatment from a structured rehab program not only addresses drug abuse but can also deliver medical care and attention to all of the individual’s needs. From a prevention perspective, enrolling in treatment early in the Percocet abuse cycle can stop long-term effects from taking hold. From a management perspective, an addiction professional can make the necessary referrals to a qualified medical provider, such as a hepatologist (liver disease specialist) who can provide required treatment. Therapy can address any emotions, fears, and concerns that recovering individuals with co-occurring medical conditions face.
At Black Bear Lodge, our addiction treatment team is exceptionally well qualified to treat prescription pain reliever abuse. We provide a multidisciplinary approach to rehab treatment that begins with a confidential intake with an admissions coordinator. Our patients benefit from plans uniquely tailored to their specific needs, drug histories and health concerns. Call us at 706-909-9811 to learn more.
Sources
- 1 World Health Organization. “Information Sheet on Opioid Overdose.” Nov. 2014. Web. Accessed 26 Jun. 2017.
- 2 MedlinePlus. “Acetaminophen Overdose.” 23 Jan. 2015. Web. Accessed 26 Jun. 2017.
