Understanding Percocet Addiction and Withdrawal

Percocet is among the most popularly prescribed drugs for alleviating pain, it also effectively blocks anxiety sensation, depression and muscle strain. This drug induces euphoria, a state of feeling good for a while. Percocet is prepared from a combination of a strong additive narcotic known as oxycodone and acetaminophen, this is a drug usually purchased from drug stores. The oxycodone component in the drug leads to physical addiction. It is a man- made narcotic but its structure resembles that of morphine or heroin. The detached feeling and pain relief that a person gets after taking Percocet is what develops the mental addiction.

What causes Percocet addition?

Too much reliance on a drug that is addictive is not static. This implies that a high intake of Percocet makes the body crave for more, thus enhancing the body's tolerance for the medicine. This makes the body demand an increased dosage of the drug and lack of Percocet will develop withdrawal symptoms. A person may seek other strong narcotic drugs hence increasing the risk of overdose. When this happens, medical supervision for the treatment of drug addiction and opiate detox are very necessary.

Primarily, after taking Percocet there is a great feeling of calmness or euphoria. After a while the undesirable effects of the drug become evident. Percocet addiction arises if the body is accustomed to this drug. The pain receptors just become accustomed to the presence of the drug and start to anticipate it. If an individual does not take more of Percocet, symptoms such as vomiting, cramps, nausea and irritability occur as he or she experiences Percocet withdrawal.

Impacts of Percocet addiction

Some herbal compounds like Valerian Root when mixed with Percocet can impact the body negatively as far as normal body functioning like breathing is concerned. Note that acetaminophen a single compound in Percocet when taken in large doses can destroy the liver permanently. In addition, elderly people and those with chronic conditions like asthma are highly vulnerable to pulmonary diseases from the use of Percocet. The abuse of Percocet can make people with heart conditions to suffer cardiac arrest.

Percocet addiction may lead to endocrine system problems. Hence, men may develop testicular atrophy whereas women may loss their menses a condition known as amenorrhea. This occurs because of the suppression of natural chemicals that aid the functioning of hypothalamus by opiate abuse. Regrettably, there is an increased number of patients admitted as a result of Percocet overdose by 500% in only a few years.

Percocet is both an analgesic and a narcotic. Narcotics usually soothe, induce sleep and dull senses. However when taken in heavy doses it can lead to a coma or even death. It is an analgesic due to its known pain reliving properties. It is the most effective pain reliever prescribed by doctors today.

A person who is addicted to Percocet will experience withdrawal symptoms within two to fours hours of not having an usual dose. Most people taking the drug do not know they are addicted not until they stop the medication. This is when the severe withdrawal symptoms make their bodies to crave for more of Percocet, to alleviate pain and reduce other symptoms. The symptoms are psychological and physiological.

How people become addicts

Addicts are even purchasing the drug illegally to prevent the withdrawal symptoms from reoccurring. Many youths take Percocet because they were not able to purchase the drug illegally and consequently have no practitioner's counsel or medical advice on how to handle the situation. Moreover, many young people find it difficult to seek advice for Percocet addiction and they were not supposed to take the drug in the first place. Percocet addiction in young people is a serious problem, because when someone develops an addiction to alcohol or drugs when still very young, the condition even becomes worse with time. Therefore, the young generation can be saved by educating them the risks involved in using addictive drugs regularly.

Percocet is widely prescribed because of its outstanding pain relieving ability however it should be prescribed for a shorter duration and for a particular pain. The oxycodone in Percocet unluckily guarantees that anybody taking it frequently and for a longer duration will be addicted. On the other hand, if Percocet is bought with no prescription and without a doctor monitoring the dosage, it is simpler for a person to develop Percocet addiction.