Prescription Drug Warning: Percocet

You are a woman, about 35 years old. You are not feeling well, and you go to the doctor. He prescribes a medication that will alleviate your pain. You take this medication, just as the doctor ordered, for a few weeks. You feel great. After three weeks, you stop, and start getting nausea, your legs start cramping, and you can’t sleep. What is the problem?

The problem is that on top of your original physical condition you are now addicted to a prescription drug: Percocet.

Sound familiar?

At this point you can do one of two things: You can go back to your doctor and get another prescription, which only makes it worse, since you have to keep taking Percocet to feel “normal”, or you can go to a drug rehab and get through your withdrawals.

Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia warns that Percocet addiction is common and far more widespread than imagined.

Percocet is a narcotic (oxycodone) and acetaminophen (commonly known as Tylenol) combination. They are combined to get a synergistic effect on pain. Oxycodone is similar to other narcotics, such as heroin or opium, in terms of effect and addiction. Percocet addiction can affect the young, middle aged, or elderly. Individuals addicted to Percocet may come from any walk of life, hold entry level or high positions, be parents or grandparents, single or married.

The risk for Percocet addiction is greatest among women, seniors, and adolescents.

Women are two to three times more likely than men to be prescribed drugs such as Percocet; they are also about two times more likely to form an addiction to it. This stems in large part from the fact that women are more likely to seek medical attention for emotional or physical problems.

Seniors take more drugs than the rest of the population, increasing their odds of becoming addicted.

Studies show that the sharpest increase of users of prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes occurs in the 12 to 17 and 18 to 25 age groups.

Once addicted, but with no original intention in becoming a drug addict, the respectable citizen, who only did what the doctor ordered, starts to exhibit drug-seeking behavior and are often preoccupied with using and obtaining Percocet. They obtain Percocet through legal or illegal sources. They sometimes doctor-shop, going from one doctor to the other, getting the prescription filled, and may eventually start looking for Percocet in the streets.

“Don’t become addicted to Percocet,” warns a Percocet addict recovering at the Narconon Drug Rehab Program in Georgia. “I never broke a law in my life; after getting un-intentionally addicted to Percocet, my life became hell.”

Often, the addiction to Percocet develops without the individual realizing it, until it begins to control their life.

When an individual exceeds the dosage prescribed or seeks to obtain Percocet after the time prescribed by their physician, they should be aware of the possibility that they have developed a Percocet addiction.

However, once addicted, abruptly stopping or reducing the intake of Percocet can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. These can begin six to eight hours after the last dosage.

These include:

Feeling as though you have the flu
Gastrointestinal distress
Anxiety
Nausea
Insomnia
Muscle pain
Fevers
Sweating
Runny nose and eyes

Beware, though: Even moderate doses of Percocet can result in a fatal overdose. When increasing doses of Percocet an individual may at first feel restless and nauseous and then progress to loss of consciousness and abnormal breathing. Everyone's body is different but as little as half a pill of Percocet when combined with other depressants can lower your respiratory system enough to kill you.

If you suspect you or someone else is addicted to prescription medication, Narconon of Georgia at 1-877-413-3073.
 
Copyright © 2008. Narconon of Georgia Inc.(www.drugsno.com) Call 1-877-413-3073. All rights reserved. Narconon and the Narconon Logo are trademarks and service marks owned by the Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission.