When Is An Opiate User An Addict
The beginning of an addiction is not always clear-cut, so opiates and other powerful drugs must be cautiously approached and carefully used. Warning signs of dependency and addiction must be watched.
A person is addicted to opiates when he or she has reached the point where even their strong personal desire to stop or reduce the use of opiates is not enough. They can no longer control their need for greater amounts or more frequent dosages of opiates. The compulsion to obtain and use opiates becomes the top priority in their life. Other things that were once important like work, relationships, or personal goals fade into the background. Opiate addiction becomes inevitable the longer its use or abuse continues.1
Causes And Risk Factors For Percocet Addiction
Many factors can affect ones chances of abusing or becoming addicted to Percocet, such as the following:
Genetic: The American Psychiatric Association has stated that both novelty-seeking and impulsivity are two common characteristics that can improve ones likelihood of developing opioid use disorder, which includes a Percocet addiction. The APA also notes an increased risk of addiction in those who have a first-degree family member like a sibling or a parent who has also struggled with chemical dependency.
Risk Factors:
- Gender
- Being prescribed Percocet or otherwise having access to this medication
- Having a family history of substance abuse and addiction
- Prior substance abuse and/or mental illness
- Having a family history of mental illness
Signs and Symptoms
Biology Of Percocet Addiction
Once drug use is stopped, the body has to re-establish its natural balance. After abusing the drug, the body lacks the natural chemicals that alleviate pain. This chemical imbalance occurs with regular use of Percocet and results in physical dependence. Even if taken as prescribed, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms may occur once the medication is discontinued. Such symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and pain. Depending on the individual and their patterns of drug use, it takes anywhere from one to four weeks of regular use to develop an addiction to Percocet.
People suffering from chronic pain are at an increased risk of developing a substance use disorder and abusing medications like Percocet. As they continue to take the medication, it stops working as effectively and they need to use more and more. Doctors often recommend stopping the medication, but the individual is typically addicted at this point. This drives addicted individuals to illegal means of acquiring the drug whether it is buying it off the street or stealing it from friends and family members. It is important for chronic pain patients to have a safe, long term pain management plan in place once discontinuing opioid use.
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The Risks And Effects Of Percocet Addiction
The risks and effects of Percocet addiction are numerous. Short term effects of Percocet addiction look like this:
- Putting drug seeking behaviors before everything else
- Laxative and antihistamine abuse, mostly to fight chronic constipation and itching
- Neglecting family, relationships, health, work, and other important parts of life
- Avoidance of responsibility
- Theft of money or valuables, even from close relatives and friends
- Tendency to blame other people or things for every problem
Do you see yourself in these behaviors?
Percocet addicts are at risk of overdose every time they use. Some signs of Percocet overdose include:
- Confusion
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How Long Do The Effects Of Percocet Last
Once consumed, Percocet works fairly quickly in the body. It can be felt within 15-20 minutes oral ingestion, reaches maximum effect in 30-60 minutes, and lasts around four to six hours.
The euphoric effects of Percoct is even shorter, although the duration varies considerably from person to person. A Percocet high may last anytime from minutes to hours, depending on the method of administration, dosage, and personal tolerance. After your body becomes tolerant, or used to the drug, the high lasts shorter and it takes more Percocet to produce the same high. By this time, the person will be at high risk for overdoseboth from the oxycodone and acetaminophen.
Medications For Detoxing From Oxycodone
Doctors may prescribe medications to eliminate or ease oxycodone withdrawal symptoms.
- Buprenorphine and naloxone are frequently prescribed for opiate withdrawal. Buprenorphine is also an opioid, and it can help decrease withdrawal symptoms and cravings for opiates. It has been found to help people stay in treatment longer.6 Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that, when taken diligently, will block the pleasurable effects of opiates in the event of a relapse. It also will reduce the risk of overdose, should this situation arise. Suboxone is a widely prescribed medication that contains both buprenorphine and naloxone.7
- Clonidine is a blood pressure medication found to reduce the intensity of some withdrawal symptomsalleviating muscle aches, cramping, anxiety, agitation, and cold sweats.8
- Gabapentin has been found to effectively reduce withdrawal symptoms when combined with the opiate blocker naltrexone.9
- Trazodone is another drug that eases withdrawal symptoms, particularly insomnia.10
Some doctors may also recommend over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen and other pain relievers, to decrease discomfort.
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Getting Help For Percocet Addiction
Comprehensive Wellness Center located in sunny Palm Beach, Florida, is here to help. We offer a number of services to help addicts on their road to recovery including medication-assisted treatment. Working closely with clients, we develop treatment plans to meet each individuals unique needs and guide them on their journey to sobriety. Contact us today if you are addicted to Percocet and want the help you deserve.
The Course Of Treatment
Initially, the patient is subjected to a comprehensive medical and psychiatric examination to help determine the extent of the dependence. This stage also helps the medical team to determine whether the patient has any co-occurring disorders and medical conditions. The results of the medical examination and tests help the treatment administrators design the appropriate treatment for each patient.
The patient is then administered medically managed detox program. In this phase, the patient is prescribed certain medications, in specified dosages, to help overcome the physical symptoms of drug withdrawal. Since Percocet addiction treatment is similar to the treatment of most opiate addictions, medications like methadone or buprenorphine are usually prescribed to help address withdrawal symptoms.
Once the physical symptoms produced by withdrawal subside and the drug is successfully cleared out of the body, its time to provide the patient with counseling to prevent a possible relapse. In this phase, the patient is reoriented with the help of private and group therapies, training in life skills, and addiction awareness education. Recovery from this medication resembles that of treatment for prescription opiates like morphine.
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Day : Onset Of Percocet Withdrawal
Percocet has an approximate half-life of 3.5 hours, which means that most people will begin experiencing withdrawal symptoms between 5 and 8 hours after taking their last dose. Although the symptoms set in fairly quickly, day 1 is considered the early onset stage of Percocet withdrawal. During this time, individuals may exhibit the following symptoms:
- Sweats
- Sweating
How Long Does It Take To Get Addicted To Percocet
Home » Blogs » How Long Does it Take to Get Addicted to Percocet?
Percocet is a commonly prescribed opiate that many people get addicted to. How long it takes someone to get addicted to Percocet depends on a variety of factors. The drug contains a chemical called oxycodone, which is prescribed to alleviate pain. However, it is highly addictive and people with substance use disorder take it recreationally, or without a prescription. Due to the highly addictive nature of Percocet, many people inadvertently become addicted in as little as one week.
Understanding how an individual gets addicted to Percocet as well as how quickly an addiction develops is important in treating addiction. It is important to remain aware that while it is a prescription drug, use and subsequent abuse of the medication has many negative consequences.
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Can Opioids Be Taken Responsibly
Opioids are an effective painkiller and should be used appropriately, and to do so, the patient needs to take a level or responsibility for their medical care. If you are going to have a medical procedure, you should have a conversation with your physician about pain control.
Ask questions like:
- You are prescribing me this many tablets. Do I really need these?
- What is your strategy for pain control?
- What options do I have other than an opioid to help control my pain?
Drug Tests For Percocet
The length of time that it takes for the body to clear Percocet is particularly important to those who are taking drug tests. Some people may worry that the drug will show up in their system if they are being tested in a professional setting. Other people may want to administer a test to see whether their loved ones are addicted to Percocet. A drug test is the best way to determine whether a loved one has been abusing this opioid.
There are various different types of drug testing methods. The most common ones include blood tests, urine tests, hair tests and breathalyzers.
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Your Percocet Addiction Treatment Options
If you believe you are addicted to Percocet, there are addiction treatment options for you. Going through drug detox can help your body eliminate Percocet much faster. It’s also safer for you than if you were to quit using on your own. There are many drug rehab centers out there that can help you work towards recovery.
Northpoint Washington is an inpatient drug detox and rehab center. We have a lot of experience in helping patients learn more about addiction and figure out how to achieve sobriety. Our goal is to help our patients achieve lifelong sobriety and uncover the reasons behind their addiction.
We offer individualized treatment plans for those with an addiction to Percocet. We understand that everyone needs something a little different when it comes to addiction treatment. As a result, we tailor each plan to each patient. Check out our testimonials to see what others have thought about our approach.
If you have any further questions, please donât hesitate to contact us. We have a team of specialists available 24 hours of the day to help answer any questions that you may have. We can even assess your situation and help you verify your insurance plan to see what type of coverage you have. We have everything under control, so that you can relax and focus on your recovery.
Am I Addicted To Percocet
Percocet is a powerful prescription drug and is also an opiate. Like other prescription painkillers with oxycodone as their main ingredient, including OxyContin, Percocet causes users to develop a tolerance and is highly addictive. This means that over time, you will need to use more and more Percocet just to feel the same way. This may seem like a dream come true for whoever is selling Percocet, but its a nightmare for everyone else.
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Once a user has developed a Percocet dependency, any attempt to stop using the drug typically results in painful withdrawal symptoms. In fact, this experience causes many people to relapse and stay addicted. Others keep using Percocet because they simply want to feel normal, and their new normal means using the drug. Does this sound familiar?
Percocet itself is almost the same as many different drugs, in case you believe that substituting one for another means you cant be addicted:
- Endocet
- Pinpoint pupils, or dilated pupils with overdose
- Sweating
- Sedation
Remember, if youre like many others who are addicted to Percocet, you might have never imagined things going this far. Many Percocet addicts began by taking the drug just like they were prescribed, after a surgery or injury, when their doctor prescribed it to them. If you started this way, youre not alone however, you shouldnt believe that just because you have or had a prescription, you dont have a problem.
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Addiction And The Brain
You are at the mercy of your brain. It plays a significant role in your dependence to a substance.
The first time someone uses a drug, he or she may begin to feel its effects immediately. For example, when someone consumes ecstasy, they experience a burst of euphoria. When they take a painkiller such as oxycodone, they may feel extreme relaxation and reduced anxiety. Your brain reacts differently to each drug, and each drug affects certain areas of the brain.
Addiction can be expedited if the substance is injected intravenously, snorted, used in large amounts or taken in high frequencies. The more you take, or the heavier the dosage, the higher your tolerance becomes over time. This causes the pleasure to weaken and the cravings to heighten. Oftentimes, this result leads to a substance use disorder.
Talk To Your Doctor Before Surgery
If youre having urological surgerysuch as surgery for prostate cancer or to remove a kidney stoneyou will have a doctors appointment before the surgery. This is sometimes called a pre-op appointment. This is when you and your doctor should talk about how you will feel after surgery and whether or not you will need opioid pain medicine.
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Is Percocet Addictive
Doctors prescribe Percocet to relieve a variety of significant pain presentations. The medication works by altering the way your brain and nervous system respond to pain.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Percocet is addictive when the medication is taken in high doses and used for an extended period of time. Anyone who is prescribed Percocet may begin to develop physiologic dependence, even if he uses the medication exactly as the doctor prescribes.
Can Percocet Kill You
Yes, Percocet can kill you.
The amount of Percocet required to elicit fatal effects depends on personal body metabolism and tolerance. As stated before, it takes 40 mg of oxycodone before fatal overdose symptoms kick in, but the real danger lies in liver toxicity from the acetaminophen. A person may not take 7,000 mg of acetaminophen at once, but long-term ingestion of even low amounts of acetaminophen can be deadly. When tolerance is considered into the equation, a person can easily take too many pills in his or her efforts to achieve a high.
Percocet is a Schedule II drug, more addictive and more potent than Vicodin. Playing around with opioids is like playing with firedangerous, and potentially deadly. Even a deliberate, careful, one-time misuse can easily slip into a habit as addiction takes over.
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Why Percocet Is Popular
Like any drug taken outside defined instructions, Percocet abuse can cause an overdose. Severe side effects range from physical health issues to mental health disorders to fatality. Therefore, anyone who has an addiction to Percocet should seek professional help from our addiction treatment center.
If you take Oxycodone pills for an extended period, the Percocet high will eventually wear off as your body becomes tolerant of the substance. As a result, you may increase the dosage of Percocet to continue getting high. The increase in dosage can lead to an overdose or a long-term dependency that is hard to quit.
The most preferred method of taking the drug is snorting. This produces a Percocet high up to five times faster than swallowing a pill. When you snort the drug, it bypasses your stomach and goes straight into your system. As a result, you may start to get high within 15 minutes of snorting the drug. By comparison, it can take over an hour to feel the same high when you swallow the pill.
What Is Withdrawal From Percocet Like
The physical withdrawal symptoms for Percocet are quite similar to those for morphine. Typical withdrawal symptoms include:
Increased heart rate
Depression
Beginning with flu-like symptoms, withdrawal leads to intense cravings for the medication.
Psychological symptoms of withdrawal can last longer than physical addiction. Withdrawal symptoms begin to set in from twelve to twenty-four hours after the last dosage. These symptoms then go on to peak at around forty-eight to seventy-two hours.
The duration of withdrawal symptoms varies depending on factors such as the duration of individual usage, and the level of tolerance individuals have developed. Normal detox treatments last for around seven days.
However, the psychological impact of dependence or addiction will linger longer and will need to be treated if absolute healing is expected.The following timeline gives a broad idea of the various symptoms that can be expected at different stages of the detox process:
DAY 1
Since Percocets half-life is around 3.5 hours, general withdrawal symptoms can be expected to appear from around 5-8 hours after ingesting the last dose. Initial withdrawal symptoms at this time may include sweating, body aches, goosebumps, runny nose, and watery eyes, chills, and hot flushes.
DAYS 2-3
DAYS 4-7
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Treatment For Percocet Dependence
Since discontinuation is accompanied by a host of withdrawal symptoms, treatment for addiction must be done in a controlled manner, under medical supervision. The drugs narcotic character and the severity of withdrawal symptoms require treatment in a professional environment.
Depending upon the intensity and duration of the addiction, the physician may recommend that the patient access treatment as either an inpatient or an outpatient. Usually, inpatient treatment is prescribed for Percocet detox this is more effective because it allows constant monitoring and care. This is particularly important in the initial phases of the detox treatment because the patient is particularly vulnerable to sudden cravings and is in danger of reverting to their habit. Moreover, the immediate effects of withdrawal can be quite severe in some cases, necessitating immediate medical attention which is possible only at a medical center. Inpatient treatment may last for around a week.
