Percocet is a combination of the painkillers oxycodone and acetaminophen, and is often prescribed by physicians to help relieve pain from injuries, surgery, headaches and other conditions.
Percocet addiction combines the physical need with the emotional and mental dependence on the substance. Once the body begins to need or crave the drug regularly in order to feel normal or average, dependence and addiction can take over.
Percocet Addiction: Warning Signs
The Percocet pill blocks the brain’s pain receptors, causing a user to feel a painless sort of euphoria, a feeling all-too-many find addictive. The continue use, often increasing the dosage far beyond recommended dosages and time periods, in an effort to repeatedly achieve this euphoria.
Some physical signs of Percocet addiction include:
- Gastrointestinal upset
- Constricted pupils
- Depression, often severe
- Itchy skin, skin rash
- Nausea
- Sleeplessness/Insomnia/Drowsiness
- Dizziness/Light-headedness
- Excessive sweating
- Constipation
Over the long term, other signs of Percocet abuse can surface; these include respiratory depression; pain in the muscles and bones; inability to concentrate. Additionally, signs of Percocet overdose can include difficulty breathing, weak pulse, decreased mental function, weakened pulse, bluish skin color and even coma.
Common Traits of Percocet Addicts
When it comes to Percocet addiction, some additional warning signs to be on the lookout for include these:
- The addict is “doctor shopping” or “doctor seeking,” meaning they are simultaneously seeing multiple healthcare providers all capable of providing prescriptions for the substance
- The addict requires refills and completes the prescription sooner than expected or prescribed
- Stories of losing prescriptions, needing new prescriptions, vacation plans, pills spilling out, etc.
- Claiming allergies to all other alternatives, insisting on Percocet only
Percocet vs. Vicodin
When it comes to comparing Percocet to Vicodin, both are narcotics that are designed to provide pain relief, such as for chronic pain or after an operation or surgery. Both are addictive and both are legally available only via a doctor’s prescription.
Of the two, Percocet is considered the stronger substance. Both need to be taken very carefully and only a doctor’s supervision.
Unfortunately, many people believe that a legal prescription drug is safe and acceptable, even in the case of serious abuse. No matter how far the addiction has gone, in most cases withdrawal and Percocet detox should be taken under professional and experienced guidance.
