Symptoms of percocet withdrawal

spellacy · Newbie Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 16

Hi, I'm 37 years old and when I broke my leg in the car accident my doctor gave me percocet to control the pain. I was taking percocet until my leg had healed and when I was supposed to stop I didn’t, instead I started using it without the prescription or the knowledge of the doctor. I was able to obtain it because I'm a technician at a pharmacy store, of course I was getting it illegally. Now I have realized it is controlling my life and I have decided to stop using it. Can you tell me how serious the withdrawal symptoms will be? Any information will be appreciated.

guidroz · Newbie Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 18

Percocet is a combination of the opiate oxycodone and acetaminophen, a medicine used to reduce and control the fever. In the combination the two work as a powerful analgesic used to treat moderate to severe pain. Because Percocet contains oxycodone, a strong narcotic, it is also capable of causing addiction, both physiological and psychical. It is not unusual that patients who use it for a longer period of time get addicted to it. The withdrawal symptoms are prevented by the process of literally curing the addiction by gradually reducing the doses of the drug until it is no longer needed by the patient. The common Percocet withdrawal symptoms are: gastrointestinal distress, anxiety, nausea, insomnia, muscle pain, fevers, sweating, runny nose and eyes. They appear within 6 – 8 hours from the last dose of the drug. I don’t think that you should be trying to get off Percocet on your own since it can be dangerous. Even though you have disobeyed your doctor you should still ask him for advice and treatment about this, because it can be very dangerous if you try to do it by yourself. Good luck and let us know what did you do.

amazedbutnotamused · Newbie Joined: 15 Aug 2006 Posts: 1

Well, I got a first-hand introduction to percocet abuse, and it completely shocked me, and proved how niave I was to this. Heck, I'm almost embarrassed at how niave I was, but I feel compelled to tell my story.

Last Friday, I had outpatient knee surgery. It was quick and simple, but painful. They gave me 40 percocet for the pain. I don't like taking pain killers, I'd rather worth through the pain. (Previously, I had hernia surgery, and was given vicodin. I never took them, and got by with only 1 tylenol for pain relief and worked through the rest of the pain.)

At home, after surgery, my best friend came over to see how I was doing. Well, of course I was still doped up from the hospital drugs, and wasn't feeling much pain at all, and hadn't taken any percocet for it. He insisted that I give him some of my pills, and that I should only keep 10 in case I needed them. Given that when I'm severely depressed, I could see myself getting drunk, (alcohol is my drug of choice) and chasing it down with percocet, I agreed. But I told him, that I've never had this sort of surgery before, and that he was not to use them until I knew whether or not I'd need more to control pain. He agreed, and said that he'd keep them safely for me.

Well, lesson learned. Saturday morning I woke up in extreme pain. I took a percocet. I wanted to stay on a regimine of 1 every six hours, although the script said, 1 to 2 every 4 to 6 hours. At the end of six hours, again I was in extreme pain. By evening, I was in so much pain, and there was so much swelling at the site, I called my neighbor, an RN to come and check me out. She said that I had let the pain get out of control and that I needed to step up the dosage, and get it under control, and then work on rehad. I started taking 2 every 4 hrs., it wasn't long that I was down to nothing of the ten I kept.

When I called my friend on Sunday to get some more, he laughed and said that he'd taken all of them. I was shocked. No way, I said. Again, he laughed, and said, 'well what did you think I was going to with them?'

Now it's Sunday, and I was in complete agony. I told him how angry I was at him, and he came over and gave me 4 more pills and said that's all he had left. I told him that that wasn't enough to get me through the day, he said, well, no big deal, at least you have insurance, just call your doc and tell him you dropped them down the sink, he'll give you more, I'll take care of the co-pay. Oh, yeah, like that's helping me out, he had all the answers.

I don't know how, but I made it through Sunday, called the dr. on Monday, and guess what, they won't give you a new script for that over the phone, you have to pick up a written script, which is fine, if I could walk!

The dr. switched me over to vicodin, which could be called in and my pharm could deliver it to my house. I'm on the tail end of the pain, took one pill last night, none today, so far, the pain is ok. The vicodin is mostly for evening, so I can sleep, and I knew that on Monday, again, I don't like taking pain killers.

I didn't realize the addiction that my friend had, and I told him that I'd never forgive him for what he'd done to me. Leave me in pain for his pleasure, gee thanks. The worst part is, I should have known better. I work in a correctional facility and see substance abusers all the time, and know how they con people for their needs. That's the hard part for me to get over. I told my friend that he's no better than the cons we work with because they have no care for anyone but their needs. This guy has a baby on the way. I suppose there will be a day when his kid may need pain meds for legit reasons, I would also guess that if he's still addicted he'd use the meds for his own needs without regard for his child; that's scarey.

I can't forgive for him what he did to me. Since laying it on the line, he's apologized profusely, saying that he didn't intend for that to happen, and wished he hadn't taken the pills from me, etc. Well, that just doesn't wash for me, once a con, always a con. He'd say anything to get back in the good graces of me, but it won't happen. I can't trust him and never will until he gets help.

He did offer to pick up my vicodin from the pharm; I passed, he'd probably swipe some of those too upon delivery to me, and if confronted, just laugh and say, well they're gone now.

Again, thank you for the forum, in helping me understand the addiction and what people will do to get what they need to feed their habit.

Chachi · Newbie Joined: 30 Aug 2006 Posts: 1

no offense but YOU are the one who gave them to him therefore making you an enabler no matter how "mad" you are now. Don't say you didn't know either because you know damn well that the possibility of your friend taking them was real. Deep down you know and you gave them to him anyway....hence making you just as rediculous as your friend. Not to mention that giving away a controlled substance is ILLEGAL. If you are as stand up as you say you are then you wouldn't have given your friend the drugs just based on the fact that they are illegal. hahhahahah, your post.....Now I've read everything. Don't blame others for your stupid mistakes and now you won't trust your friend who let us not forget did NOT rip you off even though he has apologized. Wow.....with friends like you....who needs enemies LOL

flowergirl34 · Newbie Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 1

No offense BUT this person was still druged from surgery and this so called friend knew it! I have lupas, migrains and pain throughout my body and sometimes feel I am addicted to percocet for the last 3 years but there is one thing I know for sure, I would never do that to a friend who I knew may need them. They weren't given away, they were supposed to be held until he or she knew if they were needed.
AND Tell me,,,,,,, how do you damn well know deep inside????? I don't wear a sign saying I enjoy taking percocet and although some people know,,,,,,,,,,only because I told them,,,,most people don't.
Your reply is rediculous! I have had friends offer me left over percs and I have allways said, make sure your pain is under control. Although I do need them for pain and get a prescription, there are times when I don't need them, I just enjoy it but not at a freinds expense!
Obviously this person felt they had trust him and it is not illegal for someone to hold your meds for you. How awful that you would HaHaHa not only someones physical pain but the emotional pain of thinking you had a friend that could be trusted. He persuaded this person while they were still druged up. Friends don't do that to friends! If I needed them that badly I would say it. I have held some for a friend and although I was out and wanted them, I didn't take them because she was my friend. If someone thinks of their pleasure before a friends pain, then they are addicts and therefore can not be a true friend until they care enough about others and above all, themselves. I would drop this so called friend.
There are many people who would not do what he did!
!!!!!!!!!Wow.....with friends like that....who needs enemies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
flowergirl34

Ready_Lube · Silver Member Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Posts: 230 Location: AZ

Whatsupdoc · Newbie Joined: 02 Nov 2006 Posts: 1

Actually, I don't care if I offend either of you, flowergirl & chachi. Chachi, your response was totally without sympathy and it does appear that you are not only laughing at this poor individual for allegedly "giving away drugs to be held" but also that he was in unnecessary pain and he's now lost a previously trusted friend. Sounds like you're a lot like this person's friend yourself ... you don't care who you hurt and apparently take great pleasure from others misfortunes. Hope you never get into a situation where you actually need narcotics after surgery. You might be surprised by the pain and the ease of dependance or addiction.

As for you, Flowergirl, are you a doctor, a nurse or a lawyer??? Obviously not or you wouldn't be ignorent enough to say that it's not illegal for someone to hold your meds for you. Sorry dear, but it most certainly is. The Feds look at this as "drug distribution," no matter how one chooses to classify it. Percocet is a Schedule II controlled drug under the F.D.A. It is that way for a reason -- high abuse potential. You can't even have your doctor call it in to the drug store, but must have a written script. As far as you or anyone else "giving someone narcotics to hold" or you holding narcotics for your friends, sounds like you are an admitted addict and not in any position to give advice to anyone else. Surely you aren't naive enough to think you're not breaking federal drug enforcement laws by "holding meds for others and then taking them only if your friend doesn't need it." This is absolutely against the law and anyone who tries to fool you into thinking otherwise clearly is as dumb as you are or doesn't have your best interest at hand. Stop lying to yourself for once in your life. You should know that taking prescription drugs that are not prescribed to you is against the law and means you could be charged with a felony and be convicted AND go to federal prison. Even being caught with prescription narcotics that obviously don't belong to you without a prescripion (or not having them in the bottle they came in from the pharmacy) can get you arrested. I suggest you try to clean up your OWN drug addiction and illegal behavior and not try to talk anyone else into believing your obvious lies about innocently "holding" someone else's prescription.

And yes, by the way, I AM a physician.

gslex01 · Newbie Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1

One person is looking for help for a problem, then everyone starts hating on everyone else. First off, the person who said they gave the percocet to someone else to hold for them, and then continued to talk about what a horrible person they are for taking them... they are. But to put that behind a post of someone looking for help isn't very sensitive on your part. You are pretty much trying to say that this other person is as bad as your friend just because they got caught up in a situation that hundreds of thousands of other people get themselves into. Instead of trying to make that person feel like a "junkie" or an "addict", the only reply that should of gone with that post, was an answer to the persons question, or at least an attempt to point them in the right direction.... Instead you try to categorize them, and possibly make them feel worse about themselves and throwing them deeper into the downward spiral that addiction causes. So, in an answer to the first post, I think you should talk to a counsler or doctor that specializes in addiction or rehabilitation, and they should be able to help you set up a treatment program and be able to advise you about the negative effects of detoxing and the withdrawls associated with that. The sooner you seek help, the better, and it looks like you are on the right track, seeing as how you are already looking for answers to a very hard problem to overcome. I was also addicted to pain killers, which quickly moved up to more dangerous drugs. I tried to treat myself and looked all over the internet for answers, but when that didn't work, I sought the help of a trained, highly educated counselor / doctor. It wasn't until I went to him that I found out the truth about the drugs, and the best way to overcome. So that would probally be your best bet. The best place to look for help would probally be a methadone or suboxone website, while you probally don't need those kind of drugs, they have the listings for the doctors who specialize in addiction. One more thing............. GOOD LUCK. I will be praying for you, and everyone else whos story i have read on here. It all starts on the inside.

Guest · Guest

I have been taking percocet's for almost 2 years and I do find them addictive, the reason why I take them is because I have osteo-arthritis of the hips, and my pain tolerance is way to high and when inflammation does come it hurts even when I take them.
I was pulled over from the police and when they searched my purse and when they found my pills that have been perscribed to me, they had to make sure cause they are easy to access.
I work in the medical field my self and I have seen what some narcotics do to some people and what that addiction can be or what was. I agree with what the FDA has to say, and the Fed's as well......
The drug is almost like a hillbilly herion..and it can be sold for almost nothing or alot if other's can not get it perscribed.
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Guest · Guest

percocet is a class IV narcotic, not class II... this post has turned into a rant on you guys' behalf as opposed to an advice post... I am currently fighting my addiction, I am going the cold turkey route after 6 months of 1 pill every 4 hours, for 4 stress fractures in my feet that won't heal and it blows a$$ right now, Im in my second day and I have the DEEP DEPRESSION, the damn bends and sweats and chill bumps and the $hits and the runny nose and quite frankly, feeling like jumping, LOL!!, Im not that weak, but Im sure some of you get the point. For christ's sake Im on here looking for advice. Also guys, " It is ridiculous, NOT REDICULOUS" please learn how to spell the $5 word before you use it in context..
Regards guys,
"just call me sweaty"

Symptoms of percocet withdrawal

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