Author: Gary Jackson

Percocet Addiction: Signs, Effects, and Treatment

Along with its needed effects, acetaminophen / oxycodone may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention. Follow patients for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation. Under the requirements of the REMS, drug companies with approved opioid analgesic products must make REMS-compliant education programs available to healthcare providers.

How Does the Percocet High Occur?

Ask your pharmacist where to locate a drug take-back disposal program. If there is no take-back program, flush the unused medicine down the toilet. You should not use Percocet if you have recently used alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or other opioid medications. Do not use Percocet if you have used a MAO Inhibiter in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, or tranylcypromine, or have received a methylene blue injection. Opioid medications like oxycodone have properties that are similar to heroin. They activate the same areas of the brain that cause feelings of euphoria, pleasure, and reward.8 When you use opioids, the opioid and dopamine signaling parts of your brain are affected.

1. Medicines that interact with Percocet may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with Percocet.
2. The triggering of large amounts of dopamine in the brain’s pleasure center conditions the brain and convinces it that it should seek out more of the substance in order to keep feeling that euphoria.
3. The possibility of having severe withdrawal symptoms is high and often leads to relapse or even overdose.
4. Your heart rate can be dramatically affected by how often and how deeply you breathe.
5. You should refer to the prescribing information for Percocet for a complete list of interactions.
6. Because of this, the effects will seem weaker than when first consumed.

What’s a Relapse? Signs to Identify One

Accidental ingestion of even one dose of oxycodone/acetaminophen, especially by children, can result in a fatal overdose of oxycodone.Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome. It is recommended to undergo Percocet detox in a medical facility or detox center where you will be safe and comfortable. Behavioral therapy is an important part of treatment that will address the underlying causes of Percocet abuse.

Overdose Chasing the Percocet High

A 2020 report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that of the nearly 92,000 drug overdose deaths that occurred in the United States in that year, 75% involved an opioid. The long-term effects of a Percocet addiction on the brain worsen the longer the drug is abused and could lead to irreparable damage. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Medicines that interact with Percocet may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with Percocet. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does.

Related/similar drugs

Some side effects of acetaminophen / oxycodone may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. A person caring for you should give naloxone and/or seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up. Your doctor may recommend you get naloxone (a medicine to reverse an opioid overdose) and keep it with you at all times.

American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Other drugs may affect Percocet, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. In rare cases, acetaminophen may cause a severe skin reaction that can be fatal. This could occur even if you have taken acetaminophen or Tylenol in the past and had no reaction.

In the case of an overdose, this rush may be larger than the brain is capable of handling. The surge of dopamine causes the brain to malfunction, leading to signaling and messaging being severely affected. Such dysfunction causes various motor functions within the body to slow or completely stop working. It’s critical that if you suspect someone has overdosed on Percocet or any opioid, you act immediately. Opioid overdoses can suppress breathing to the point of stopping entirely – respiratory arrest – which then leads to brain damage or death due to lack of oxygen. However effective it is in relieving discomfort, Percocet carries with it substantial risk for dependence and abuse due to the oxycodone, which produces a euphoric high that can lead to its misuse.

What is Oxycodone?

Percocet is a prescription opioid pain medication that is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It’s a combination of opioid oxycodone and acetaminophen (more commonly known as Tylenol). Mixing alcohol with any medication is never advised, mixing Percocet with alcohol can be particularly dangerous. Combining alcohol with either oxycodone or acetaminophen individually can cause harmful symptoms, when taken together, the risks become even greater.

Oxycodone is a semisynthetic opiate analgesic that is sold under the brand name of OxyContin. It is an opiate-alkaloid synthesized from the poppy and is intended for those with moderate to severe chronic pain. It is most commonly administered orally and comes in immediate or controlled release. The onset of effects typically kicks in at around 15 minutes and will begin waning at 6 hours. While the average time percs stay in your system is based on the drug’s composition, many factors play a significant role.

For such people, once Percocet is out of their systems, they will begin feeling cravings and withdrawal symptoms within hours. With a plethora of prescription painkillers currently on the market, it is critical for you to know what it is your doctor is giving you to put into your body. This means understanding its effects, side-effects, strength, and potential for abuse and addiction. While it is natural to innately trust your doctor and assume that they would never intentionally harm you, it is also foolish to follow anyone, even the highly educated, blindly. The drug alters how your body feels and responds to pain, which is why it’s used to relieve pain conditions or post-surgical chronic pain.