Percocet Addiction
Percocet is one of the most commonly prescription pain relief medicaitons in the United States. although it comes with some medical benefits, it can also cause you to experience euphoric effects that are similar to those of heroin. For this reason, it is considered to be addictive.
Since it was released in the 1990s, Percocet has been prescribed for the relief of moderate to severe pain arising from dental procedures, surgery, and injury. Even so, the drug also has addictive properties due to its oxycodone properties. This is why it is one of the most commonly abused drugs.
About Percocet
Percocet is defined as a brand name prescription pain relief medication. It has two main active ingredients, the opioid oxycodone and acetaminophen. The drug is also produced synthetically in labs.
Doctors often prescribe this medication for the relief of pain. However, it also comes with a high addictive potential. This is why it is only available through a legal and valid prescription in the United States.
The reason why this drug is so highly addictive is because it works by attaching itself to the brain's opioid receptors. After that, it can trigger the release of dopamine - which effectively leads to the associated feelings of euphoria and happiness.
Percocet is also quite powerful that you may become addicted to its effects even if you have been taking it while following a legitimate prescription from your doctor. When this happens, it can start causing a wide variety of negative side effects and adverse consequences, including slowed breathing, drowsiness, and slowed heart rate.
For this reason, you should not use this medication if you have:
- Asthma
- Hypercapnia, or elevated carbon dioxide levels
- Paralytic ileus (dysfunctional intestines arising from intestinal muscle paralysis)
- Respiratory depression
- Sensitivity to acetaminophen
- Sensitivity to oxycodone
- Blue dynamite
- Hillbilly
- Hillbilly heroin
- O.C.
- Ocs
- Ox
- Oxycet
- Oxycotton
- Paulas
- Percs
- Poor man's heroin
- Roxi
- An excess of Percocet pill bottles
- Asking to borrow funds or money so that you can fund your growing drug habit
- Avoiding your friends and family
- Avoiding your normal daily routine, including attending school or work
- Changing behaviors and priorities to reflect your new substance abuse habits
- Continuing to use the drug even after you have realized that it is causing negative side effects
- Declining performance at school or work
- Faking illness to get more of this drug
- Exaggerations of pain so that you can get a new prescription for Percocet
- Feeling that you need Percocet to be able to act normal or complete everyday duties
- Frequent doctor visits in an effort to get new Percocet prescriptions
- Ignoring hobbies that you used to value
- Losing control while you are on Percocet
- Loss of appetite
- Missing cash
- Prescriptions pads that you used to forge Percocet prescriptions
- Reducing the time you spend with your family so that you can abuse this drug
- Seeing multiple doctors to get multiple prescriptions for Percocet
- Seeking out drug dealers
- Spending more time on your own
- Spending time with new groups of friends
- Stealing
- Symptoms of withdrawal when you try to stop abusing this drug
- Tolerance, where you need to increase your dosage of the drug to experience the pleasurable effects that you desire
- -Trying to recreate the first high you got from the drug
- Using fake prescriptions
- Wearing long sleeves even when it is warm or hot to cover the track marks in your arms
- White powder on sinks, tables, handheld mirrors, and other surfaces
- Abdominal pain
- Addiction
- Anxiety
- Bladder damage
- Chest pain
- Compromised mental capacities
- Confusion
- Constipation
- Constricted pupils
- Death
- Decreased testosterone levels (for men)
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- -Difficulty breathing (or an inability to breathe properly)
- Difficulty swallowing (including an inability to swallow)
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Dry mouth
- -Fast heartbeat
- Fatigue
- Feeling lightheaded
- Flushed face
- Headache
- Hives
- Infection
- Irritability
- Kidney disease
- Kidney failure
- Lack of coordination
- Liver damage
- Loss of appetite
- Low blood pressure
- Memory loss
- Mood swings
- Nausea
- Obtundation
- Other gastrointestinal problems
- Overdose
- Panic attack
- Rash
- Respiratory failure
- Seizures
- Severe constipation
- Shallow breathing
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Slowed breathing
- Slowed heartbeat
- Sweating
- Swollen face, hands, tongue, feet, or throat
- Urinary retention
- Vomiting
- Blue fingers or lips
- Limp limbs
- Noisy breathing, which is similar to the sound produced during snoring and which indicates airway obstruction
- Reduced response to stimuli
- Shallow breathing
- Stopped breathing
- Unconsciousness
- Aggression
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Cold or hot spells
- Cramps
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- Dilated pupils
- Fatigue
- High blood pressure
- Hyperactivity
- Inability to concentrate
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Muscle aches
- Muscle spasms
- Nausea
- Paranoia
- Runny nose
- Sweating
- Tearing
- Tremors
- Vomiting
- Clonidine
- Buprenorphine
- Naltrexone
- Methadone
The oxycodone component in Percocet is classified as a schedule II drug by the Drug Enforcement Adminsitration (the DEA) under the Controlled Substances Act passed by the federal government. This effectively means that it has some medical uses but also comes with a high risk for substance abuse and addiction.
Other Names for Percocet
Although Percocet is only legally available through a valid medical prescription, you may end up becoming addicted to it. once this happens, you could start getting your dose of the drug off the streets. You may also buy it on the dark web.
To avoid attracting the attention of law enforcement officals and other authorities, or tipping others off about your Percocet abuse and addiction, you may use the following street names to refer to this medication:
Signs and Symptoms of Percocet Addiction
Percocet is like other opioids in the sense that it can increase your risk of developing tolerance, dependence, and addiction. if you have become addicted to it, you may start displaying the following signs and symptoms:
Short and Long-Term Effects of Percocet Abuse
Due to the oxycodone component in Percocet, there is a high risk that you could experience a wide variety of side effects when you start abusing this drug. Examples of these short and long term side effects include but are not limited to:
Percocet Overdose
If you take Percocet in excess, you may accidentally or deliberately overdose on its opioid component. An overdose will occur beause there is too much of the drug in your system such that your body cannot process or detoxify itself. This could result in various complications, some of which could turn out to be fatal.
If you suspect that you may be suffering an overdose as a result of displaying any of these symptoms, you should call 911 or your local poisons control center as soon as possible. This is because a Percocet overdose is considered to be a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention and response.
Percocet Withdrawal Symptoms
If you have developed tolerance and dependence and you suddenly reduce your normal dose or Percocet or suddenly stop abusing it, there is a high risk that you may suffer some negative health effects.
These effects are referred to as withdrawal symptoms, and they range from the psychological to the physical. Most of them also tend to be painful and uncmofrtable. They often include:
Percocet withdrawal can prove to be dangerous or even life threatening. for this reason, it is recommended that you check into a medically managed detox center so that you can get the help that you need to overcome your drug addiction.
In many cases, these centers will use medication assited detox by applying certain medciations that mimic the various effects that Percocet produces in the brain. Examples of these medicaitons include:
The Best Options for Percocet Addiction Treatment
Since Percocet addiction is a type of opioid use disorder, it might be difficult for you to overcome it on your own. However, there are several medical options that you can count on.
The first step to recovery would be through a medical detox process. This process will ensure that you are put in an isolated recovery environment so that you can get rid of the drug and all its traces in your system.
After that, your addiction treatment will be provided in an inpatinet or an outpatient drug rehab program. These forms of rehab are effective and they can help you overcome your Percocet abuse and addiction.
It is recommended that you seek these recovery services as soon as you realize that you have been using Percocet in excess, for no medical reason, or without following the express instructions that your doctor gave you when they issued the prescription for this medication.
CITATIONS
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