Find out all you need to know about the effects of Percocet and how to recognize the signs of Percocet addiction with this helpful guide.
1. What is Percocet and What is it Used for?
2. Percocet Abuse
3. When Percocet Rehab Becomes Necessary
4. The Risks of Avoiding Percocet Rehab
5. Detox and Withdrawal – How Long Does Percocet Stay in Your System?
6. What Happens in Percocet Rehab
7. Inpatient vs Outpatient Percocet Rehab
8. Other Factors in Choosing Percocet Treatment
Percocet is an opioid narcotic prescription drug used to manage pain. It is highly susceptible to abuse and can quickly lead to dependence. If you or someone you care about has been misusing Percocet, it is essential that you recognize the signs of addiction and reach out for help if needed. Percocet rehab can help you go through detox, learn to manage your cravings, and reduce the risk of having a relapse in the future. Effective Percocet addiction help is available through rehab and with therapy and medical treatment.
What is Percocet and What is it Used for?
Percocet is a brand name for a combination drug that includes the over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen and the opioid narcotic oxycodone. It is available in several different tablets and solutions, with differing amounts of each substance. Percocet is prescribed to treat pain that is moderate to severe and that can’t be controlled with other, non-opioid substances.
In addition to Percocet, this combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen can be found under several other brand names: Endocet, Magnacet, Narvox, Oxycet, Perloxx, Primalev, Roxicet, Roxilox, Tylox, Xartemis, and Xolox.
Percocet Abuse
Like other opioid drugs, Percocet abuse is always a risk. The Drug Enforcement Administration schedules controlled substances and has placed Percocet in schedule II along with other opioids. Drugs in this schedule are considered to have a high potential for being abused, which in turn can lead to dependence.
It is important to understand that even regular, long-term use of his drug can lead to Percocet dependence. Misusing or abusing it increases the risk significantly. Abuse can include taking any oxycodone without a prescription or, if you have a prescription, using it more frequently, for longer, or in higher doses than your doctor recommended.
When Percocet Rehab Becomes Necessary
You may need rehab if your use of oxycodone has gotten out of control, if you want to or know you should stop misusing this drug but cannot. It’s not always easy to come to terms with needing help, but listen to your loved ones and your own inner voice. Know the Percocet addiction symptoms so that you can better determine if you need help or someone you care about could benefit from rehab and treatment:
- You want to stop using Percocet, or at least slow down your use, but you keep failing in your attempts.
- Your cravings for it keep leading you back to Percocet use.
- You repeatedly use more of the drug than you want to, or for longer.
- Too much of your time is taken up by drug use, which results in failing to meet your responsibilities, giving up other activities, or both.
- Drug use is causing harm to relationships important to you, and yet you keep using.
- In spite of health problems caused by Percocet, physical or mental, you continue to use it.
- You have used Percocet in dangerous situations more than once.
- Over time, you have developed some tolerance to Percocet.
- You are exhibiting signs of withdrawal when not using oxycodone.
The Risks of Avoiding Percocet Rehab
Misusing Percocet and failing to get help for your addiction puts you at risk for a number of dangers and health problems. For instance, when you use more than is recommended, you can experience Percocet side effects like nausea, rashes, loss of appetite, bad breath, chills, headaches, fever, vomiting, and fatigue.
You also increase the risk of having more serious Percocet effects like difficult urination, back pain, mouth sores, a cough, and bleeding. And the acetaminophen that is combined with oxycodone in this drug can also cause problems when you take too much. Higher doses of this over-the-counter drug can cause serious liver damage.
There are also, of course, all kinds of life consequences of becoming addicted and avoiding rehab. From missing time at work to being fired, getting in trouble in your family to getting arrested, having accidents or being a victim of violence or assault, the repercussions can be lifelong and severe.
One of the biggest risks of putting off getting Percocet addiction help is having an overdose. Too much of any opioid can repress breathing, heart rate, and central nervous system activity to the point that you stop breathing and die. It’s reversible but only if you get help in time. Signs of Percocet overdose include struggling to breathe, excessive sleepiness, limp and weak muscles, cold and clammy skin, slow, shallow breathing, and loss of consciousness.
Detox and Withdrawal – How Long Does Percocet Stay in Your System?
Once you recognize that you have a problem with misusing Percocet, you will have to go through detox. This is the process of cessation of drug use and letting it leave your body. It will throw you into withdrawal and some very uncomfortable symptoms and cravings that may trigger a relapse. For this reason, you should detox with supervision only, professional if possible.
How long it will take for oxycodone to leave your system depends on how much you took last. Expect withdrawal to kick in about 12 hours after that last dose and for Percocet withdrawal symptoms, including the following, to last a couple of days to a couple weeks:
- Mood changes, including anxiety and agitation
- Achy muscles
- Increased tearing, sweating, and yawning
- Runny nose
- Insomnia
- Cramps in the abdomen
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
What Happens in Percocet Rehab
Knowing what happens in rehab and how your addiction will be treated can make the important step of seeking help a little easier. Once you have completed a detox program, you can expect to undergo a thorough evaluation on intake to rehab. This should include a diagnosis of your substance use disorder and any mental illnesses you may also have. The best, most effective treatment for addiction will include care for mental health issues at the same time.
Your Percocet rehab will then begin with a tailored plan for your needs and preferences. Generally, this will include a combination of medical care and behavioral therapies. Medications are available for opioid use disorders, and the best rehab will make them available to you if appropriate.
Two of these, methadone and buprenorphine, are partial opioid agonists, which means they stimulate the same receptors as oxycodone and other opioids. They are less susceptible to dependency, though, so they can be used in a controlled way to wean you from Percocet and manage withdrawal. Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, is a medication that blocks the effects of opioids like Percocet. If you have it in your system, relapse becomes pointless because you will experience no effects.
Never choose a Percocet rehab facility that only offers medical treatment. You need ongoing therapy in addition to medications to overcome this addiction. Behavioral therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy, are important in providing tools for lasting recovery. They will help you learn how to identify and manage drug use triggers, set and reach goals, make positive lifestyle changes, and cope with negative emotions while also changing harmful, negative patterns of behavior.
Inpatient vs Outpatient Percocet Rehab
The choice you make for Percocet addiction treatment should at the least include an evaluation, treatment for any mental illnesses, an individualized treatment plan, and a combination of medical treatment and therapy. It is possible to get all these necessary components in either outpatient or inpatient care. There are pros and cons to each, and it is a personal decision. Some benefits of residential rehab are:
- A safe, secure environment
- Care and support 24 hours a day
- The ability to focus on recovery, away from home
- A large variety of therapy types and support services
- Treatment from a diverse staff with various areas of expertise
There are also benefits of outpatient care that many people find outweigh the downsides to not staying in a residential rehab center:
- Staying at home, which may be more comfortable and supportive
- Being able to go to work
- Caring for family and home responsibilities
- Greater flexibility in treatment and scheduling
Inpatient treatment is not for everyone, but if your addiction is severe, your home life is not safe or supportive, or you struggle with relapse, it may be the best option in the end.
Other Factors in Choosing Percocet Treatment
There are a lot of things to consider when choosing rehab for your Percocet addiction. It can feel overwhelming, and one of the most important things you can do is get help as soon as possible. To help you make this big decision, rely on someone you trust. This person can narrow down your options and make the choice a little easier with guidance and support.
In addition to the inclusion of therapeutic and medical treatment, inpatient and outpatient care, and being provided with an individualized plan for care, you have a few other things to consider. Most importantly, choose a facility, treatment program, and care specialist that makes you feel comfortable. Visit a rehab center before committing to treatment there. Talk with therapists and other staff, and get referrals from previous patients.
These are the kind of less tangible factors that will play a big role in how good you feel about your treatment and how effective it is. When you feel right about the decision you have made for care, you will devote yourself more fully to the process. But, of course, most importantly of all, you need to get Percocet addiction help and treatment as soon as you possibly can.
