Abuse of prescription pain killers has been on the rise for years. According to the CDC, deaths from overdose on prescription narcotics now outnumber deaths from overdose on heroin and cocaine combined. Most of these are due to opioid pain medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and hydromorphone. Percocet contains a combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen. Acetaminophen reduces inflammation and potentiates the analgesic power of the medication, so the possibility of addiction to Percocet should be taken very seriously.
Signs of Addiction & Withdrawal Symptoms
To prevent the pains of withdrawal and dangers of overuse, it is best to be aware of symptoms that you or someone you know is becoming addicted in the first place. Signs of addiction include obvious emotional differences while on and off the drug, such as feeling a sense of emotional well-being while on Percocet and feeling depressed, anxious and irritated while not. Other signs include going to multiple doctors to get a prescription or multiple prescriptions, going to extreme lengths to get more Percocet pills, withdrawing from friends and family, using multiple substances together such as alcohol or other drugs, memory loss, black outs and paranoia.
Once someone is addicted to Percocet and runs out of the medication, or decides to quit cold turkey, he or she will experience serious withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, insomnia, chills, sweating, muscle spasms and pain in general. Emotional symptoms include extreme depression, agitation, anxiety and paranoia.
How to Treat Percocet Addiction
In many cases, it is best to employ multiple methods of treatments to successfully overcome addiction to prescription pain killers such as Percocet. Many experts will recommend a combination of cognitive behavior therapy and medication. Cognitive behavior therapy helps address the underlying cause of addiction and the thoughts and actions that lead up to the moment of drug use. These behaviors or habits are then reversed. There are also medications that can help ease withdrawal symptoms and slowly wean patients off opioid addiction. Examples of these types of medications are Suboxone and Subutex.
Prevention
Percocet has been used successfully to treat pain for many patients. To try to ensure that Percocet is right for you before beginning treatment in the first place, tell your doctor about any past addiction or dependency issues you may have, and any types of addiction that run in your family. Your doctor can then help you to find the best option for pain relief.
To get more information about substance addiction, visit our Addiction and Substance Abuse Condition Page.
