How to Spot a Percodan Overdose

It is relatively simple to spot a percodan overdose and if you or someone you know is taking this particular drug on a regular basis, then it makes perfect sense to know in advance what the various danger signs are that there may be too much of the drug going through the body. Percodan is a drug that is widely prescribed, but it does have the potential of being addictive to a number of people and it is possible to overdose on this drug unintentionally.

However, prior to discussing the actual overdose symptoms it can be beneficial to quickly repeat what the drug is used for and why it is so popular amongst people. Basically, percodan is a drug that combines both aspirin and oxycodone in order to give the person some relief from moderate to severe pain. The oxycodone is an opioid medication and this has the potential to be extremely addictive and this, in turn, can make it easier to then overdose on it at some point in the future.

Symptoms of a percodan overdose.

The symptoms of a percodan overdose can vary from those that may at first appear to be relatively slight in nature to others that are far more serious and could potentially lead to serious long-term health issues along with the possibility of them being fatal in a small number of cases. There is no way of knowing in advance how many of the different symptoms you may develop, but even just having one clear sign should lead to you, or the person taking percodan, to seek medical advice as quickly as possible.

The symptoms of a percodan overdose include: your stools becoming black or bloody, coughing up or vomiting what appears to be blood, suffering from hallucinations or being in a constantly confused state, bleeding or bruising very easily, extreme drowsiness where it is very difficult to get a reaction from the person potentially leading to a coma, nausea, shallow breathing or stopping breathing, and your pulse rate increasing quite dramatically. Some people may also suffer from feeling faint and dizzy or generally feeling ill, but it is often quite difficult to differentiate if this is caused by an overdose or just a normal ill feeling, but you are advised to get medical help to be safe.

Treatment of a percodan overdose.

If you have taken an overdose, then there are several treatments available, but the quicker you get medical help, then the lower the chances of you developing long-term damage to the different organs in your body. Initially the various vital signs will be observed and treatment will be given to restore the heartbeat to normal rates and also to improve breathing. Apart from this, there are also different treatments that can be administered to lower the impact that percodan is having on the body itself.

As with most overdoses it will be very common for the patient to have their stomach pumped and vomiting will also be induced in order to help get a lot of the drug out of their system as quickly as possible before the body has had time to fully absorb it. The absorption will also be tackled by the person being given charcoal as this has been shown to lower the potential impact of certain medications on the system and limiting the effects of it. As it is a pain reliever other drugs can be given to help counteract the effect it has on the body and fluids will be put into the body through a drip to keep the body hydrated and functioning throughout the treatment. People will then be observed for a period of time to see if there are any adverse reactions to the drug and in some cases where it has been a large overdose there could be some medication given to help prevent the drug from attacking organs such as the liver or kidneys.

A percodan overdose is, therefore, a very serious problem that may lead to death in some extreme cases. Treatment follows the same lines as treatment for most types of overdoses and for most people there will be no long-term health problems if medical help is sought as quickly as possible and before the drug has had the opportunity to attack the body in various ways.