Percocet Addiction & Abuse

Rates of prescription drug abuse have soared since the turn of the century. Prescription opioids, stimulants, sedatives, and benzodiazepines are being abused in numbers so substantial that it is considered an epidemic in the United States. Percocet is the brand name of a prescription pain relief medication that combines Oxycodone, a narcotic opioid painkiller, with Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in many over the counter pain relief medications. Percocet is usually prescribed to patients for short-term pain relief to recover from severe trauma caused by injury or surgery.

Percocet has similar effects to heroin and morphine, depressing the central nervous system and modifying the brain’s opioid receptors to change the way the brain perceives pain. The drug also causes the brain to have a dopamine response. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward. The dopamine response combined with the pain relieving effects of the drug causes users to feel a euphoric high when they take the drug, as well as feelings of being calm and relaxed.

Percocet is highly addictive, and a user can become addicted even when taking it under the care of a physician. If you or a loved one is struggling with Percocet abuse, seek professional help immediately.

Percocet abuse can lead to addiction and dependence. Even before addiction has set in, prescription pain killer abuse can result in some dangerous side effects and symptoms including:

Due to the risk of permanent organ damage and death, you are encouraged to seek help immediately if you or a loved one is abusing Percocet.

Because Percocet is often prescribed by doctors for legitimate medical use, determining that someone you know is abusing Percocet can be challenging. Any use of pain killers without prescription or outside of a physician’s instructions is considered abuse. One way to detect abuse is to look for some of the common side effects of the drug. Among these are:

Percocet overdose is extremely dangerous and often fatal. The oxycodone in the drug depresses the central nervous system, which may lead to a heart attack following respiratory arrest. Also, the acetaminophen in the drug is toxic due to the enzymes in the liver that metabolize it, which may cause liver failure.

Any person abusing Percocet is at risk of having an overdose, which can be acute or fatal. Symptoms that somebody is overdosing on Percocet include:

If you think someone might be experiencing a Percocet overdose, get emergency medical treatment by calling 911 immediately.

A person who has developed a physical dependence to Percocet will experience the following symptoms when not under the influence of the drug:

These symptoms vary in length and severity depending on the user’s history with the drug. Generally, the longer the drug was abused without stopping, the more severe these symptoms will be. For cases of severe withdrawal, it is recommended that a recovering Percocet addict undergoes medically supervised detox to ensure their safety.