Anyone ever get addicted to Percocet? (1 Viewer)

[Archer]

If so, how long were you taking it before you felt physically or psychologically addicted to it? I've been taking it for a week since having shoulder surgery and it's the only thing that keeps me from being in pain for a few hours. I've never been addicted to any type of drug or alcohol but keep hearing how many people have problems with this med. I am taking the exact recommended amount (won't dare take more) but just wondering if anyone has been able to take it for several weeks or a month and had no problems.

 

[TheWalkmen]

Just endure the pain if you're worried.

 

[Gawain]

I was in a fairly serious car accident that caused my hip to break and dislocate, impacting my sciatic nerve.

I was on a Dilaudid iv in the hospital for two weeks. Then went on Percocet and Vicodin.

Was hooked pretty bad for four months, went cold turkey for a week where I basically threw everything away and had the runs. Was at the end of my 2L year and needed to cram for finals.

Your worst enemy is your body. Because it wants the junk, it'll send pain signals to trigger you to take pills, even if the actual injury has healed. Fighting through that aspect was the worst.

Also, having a strict pain management doc or a PCP you trust is invaluable. Mine basically wrote scripts at my request. Think I was up to 120mg of Percocet (10mg/300mg), 60mg of Roxy and the assorted Vicodin.

Opiates are no joke. Sticking to your dosage is the smartest thing. I know my trouble started once I began exceeding the dosage given per day.

 

[Parrothead]

no, but I'm willing to learn

 

[Archer]

Right now I pretty much have to take them because the pain is absurd. But I haven't once taken more than the recommended dose. And they call for 1 pill every 6 hours, and a few times I've taken them at like 5 hours but no more frequent than that. Decided I would try to skip the night dose and maybe just talk Tylenol or something, that way I'm only taking 3 pills a day max.

 

[snogger]

If so, how long were you taking it before you felt physically or psychologically addicted to it? I've been taking it for a week since having shoulder surgery and it's the only thing that keeps me from being in pain for a few hours. I've never been addicted to any type of drug or alcohol but keep hearing how many people have problems with this med. I am taking the exact recommended amount (won't dare take more) but just wondering if anyone has been able to take it for several weeks or a month and had no problems.

Interesting.. I had Shoulder surgery a little over a week ago.. Had my bicep tendon disconnected from my Shoulder.

I was on Oxy and Hydroxcine(sp?) but stopped taking both on Saturday just 4 days after surgery and now just use Advil when needed.

I was telling my wife last night I don't understand how people get addicted to them as, beside relieving the pain, all they did was make me tired and sleep.. I couldn't wait to stop taking them so I could stay awake.

But maybe they affect others differently, or maybe they weren't "pot heads" like myself back in High School so are easily grabbed by the feeling

 

[Archer]

I don't really experience any high from it at all. It just numbs the pain and I guess I've been in pain with the shoulder for so long (since Nov) that I really welcome a good 3-4 hours where it doesn't hurt. But I agree, they can make you feel drowsy and sleepy.

 

[Gawain]

I have to ask what dosage you guys were on.

I was up to 40mg Oxys and used to pop them in my mouth like dip.

Once I started getting into cold-water extractions I knew I was getting dangerously close to the addict line and it was a bit of a wake-up call as well.

I always got euphoria from exceeding my opiate dosage. YMMV.

 

[snogger]

I don't really experience any high from it at all. It just numbs the pain and I guess I've been in pain with the shoulder for so long (since Nov) that I really welcome a good 3-4 hours where it doesn't hurt. But I agree, they can make you feel drowsy and sleepy.

I hear you on the pain.. My Shoulder issue started last September and by the End of December it was keeping me awake at night so finally saw a doctor. We tried Anti-inflammatory drugs, Physical Therapy, rest, ice, heat... to no avail.. By Mid-February I was taking Advil consistently..

Met with the Orthopedic surgeon in Mid-February and the minute I pointed out where it hurt he said, Therapy won't fix a torn bicep.

But my pain level is minimal now.. I'd say before surgery I was at a consent 6 pain level, and if I reached or moved wrong I'd hit 10+

Since surgery It's a ache issue now, pain level of 2 or 3.. If I move it wrong( still not allowed to lift anything heavier then 2 pounds until next week) the pain hits a 7 or 8, but never hits what I was feeling before surgery..

That could be another reason I'm off the pain meds,, pain is a LOT less now a little over a week after surgery then it was leading up to the surgery.

 

[Chaos Commish]

If so, how long were you taking it before you felt physically or psychologically addicted to it? I've been taking it for a week since having shoulder surgery and it's the only thing that keeps me from being in pain for a few hours. I've never been addicted to any type of drug or alcohol but keep hearing how many people have problems with this med. I am taking the exact recommended amount (won't dare take more) but just wondering if anyone has been able to take it for several weeks or a month and had no problems.

Yes, I've taken Percocet and Vicodin for months at a time without getting addicted. Your script is probably 2.5mg/325mg. The 325 is acetaminophen. That drug, not the opiate, limits you to 12 pills a day. Even if you're on 5mg/325s, you can take 12 a day and avoid addiction issues. For most people that's a lot of pain meds, and I managed my problem with 6-8 pills daily. It's okay to mix in a little ibuprofen. I'd take 600-800 miligrams (3-4 otc capsules) first thing in the morning just to get my bones working. Then I'd manage pain like Dr. House with a single prescription pill at a time, as needed, sometimes taking two at bedtime to get me to sleep. I've even cut them in half to lower my dose. Some people do that for a week or so to taper off - cessation therapy. I never needed to.

Of course if you're eating 40mg hits, you're going to have issues. That's = to 16 of the typical script per day in a single (quite marvelous) pill.

 

[Soulfly3]

Been using percs off and on for almost 15years.

Use them 2-3x a day for a month or two, lay off for a month or two or longer w no issues.

I apparently have a very non addictive personality. Been able to do this with every drug Ive done, which is plenty. But to answer your question, I have friends that are pretty hooked and need them quite often (they're all pretty well paid professionals, not run of the mill bums)

 

[JaxBill]

If so, how long were you taking it before you felt physically or psychologically addicted to it? I've been taking it for a week since having shoulder surgery and it's the only thing that keeps me from being in pain for a few hours. I've never been addicted to any type of drug or alcohol but keep hearing how many people have problems with this med. I am taking the exact recommended amount (won't dare take more) but just wondering if anyone has been able to take it for several weeks or a month and had no problems.

Interesting.. I had Shoulder surgery a little over a week ago.. Had my bicep tendon disconnected from my Shoulder.

I was on Oxy and Hydroxcine(sp?) but stopped taking both on Saturday just 4 days after surgery and now just use Advil when needed.

I was telling my wife last night I don't understand how people get addicted to them as, beside relieving the pain, all they did was make me tired and sleep.. I couldn't wait to stop taking them so I could stay awake.

But maybe they affect others differently, or maybe they weren't "pot heads" like myself back in High School so are easily grabbed by the feeling

I had surgery to repair a ruptured quad tendon about a year and a half ago. I couldn't wait to get off the percocet. Didn't really feel any high. They numbed the pain but didn't like the side effects. Not only did I just feel worn down but also the constipation was terrible. The gave me a prescription for Oxy but didn't use it because of all of teh horror stories. Was just doing like 6 Advil every 12 hours or something like that.

 

[snogger]

If so, how long were you taking it before you felt physically or psychologically addicted to it? I've been taking it for a week since having shoulder surgery and it's the only thing that keeps me from being in pain for a few hours. I've never been addicted to any type of drug or alcohol but keep hearing how many people have problems with this med. I am taking the exact recommended amount (won't dare take more) but just wondering if anyone has been able to take it for several weeks or a month and had no problems.

Interesting.. I had Shoulder surgery a little over a week ago.. Had my bicep tendon disconnected from my Shoulder.

I was on Oxy and Hydroxcine(sp?) but stopped taking both on Saturday just 4 days after surgery and now just use Advil when needed.

I was telling my wife last night I don't understand how people get addicted to them as, beside relieving the pain, all they did was make me tired and sleep.. I couldn't wait to stop taking them so I could stay awake.

But maybe they affect others differently, or maybe they weren't "pot heads" like myself back in High School so are easily grabbed by the feeling

I had surgery to repair a ruptured quad tendon about a year and a half ago. I couldn't wait to get off the percocet. Didn't really feel any high. They numbed the pain but didn't like the side effects. Not only did I just feel worn down but also the constipation was terrible. The gave me a prescription for Oxy but didn't use it because of all of teh horror stories. Was just doing like 6 Advil every 12 hours or something like that.

Yep.. another reason I couldn't wait to stop.. Like I said, stopped on Saturday.. Had to make 3 visits to sit down on Monday as my system woke back up. :X

 

[DiStefano]

I've had hydrocodone after some surgeries. Taken them for two or three days afterwards, but had no trouble stopping when I needed to. I have had pills left over, and once in a very great while I have taken one for insomnia. Still have quite a few, but they're out of date now.

 

[spOOfy]

i can't answer your specific question, but my brother became addicted to the point where he had to enter rehab. so just 1 person's caution warning.

 

[Parmcat]

I hate the way Opiates make me feel, as well as T3's.

I always request Torodol. It is a non narcotic pain reliever, so it is very hard to get addicted, and it works very well on the paiin

 

[fantasycurse42]

I've had two surgeries in a two year period... Taking pain killers is fun once in a blue, but not out of necessity. After my first surgery I was downing percocet like water - It was bad for my family life & bad for my work... Stopped cold after a month, I'll take one here or there on a rare occasion, but for the most part don't. I'm in pain 50% of the time, but I fight through it.

 

[General Malaise]

I was in a fairly serious car accident that caused my hip to break and dislocate, impacting my sciatic nerve.

I was on a Dilaudid iv in the hospital for two weeks. Then went on Percocet and Vicodin.

Was hooked pretty bad for four months, went cold turkey for a week where I basically threw everything away and had the runs. Was at the end of my 2L year and needed to cram for finals.

Your worst enemy is your body. Because it wants the junk, it'll send pain signals to trigger you to take pills, even if the actual injury has healed. Fighting through that aspect was the worst.

Also, having a strict pain management doc or a PCP you trust is invaluable. Mine basically wrote scripts at my request. Think I was up to 120mg of Percocet (10mg/300mg), 60mg of Roxy and the assorted Vicodin.

Opiates are no joke. Sticking to your dosage is the smartest thing. I know my trouble started once I began exceeding the dosage given per day.

Can you give me your doctor's name?

 

[ShaHBucks]

Been using percs off and on for almost 15years.

Use them 2-3x a day for a month or two, lay off for a month or two or longer w no issues.

I apparently have a very non addictive personality. Been able to do this with every drug Ive done, which is plenty. But to answer your question, I have friends that are pretty hooked and need them quite often (they're all pretty well paid professionals, not run of the mill bums)

They still aren't exempt from being drug addicts.

 

[spOOfy]

don't know how you can keep taking vicodin. i took that after my knee surgery and the freaking constipation became worse than the actual knee pain.

 

[DiStefano]

don't know how you can keep taking vicodin. i took that after my knee surgery and the freaking constipation became worse than the actual knee pain.

I'm pretty sure you must have read something I posted, and that gave you constipation.

 

[chet]

I've had 4 shoulder surgeries for torn rotator cuffs--2 right and 2 left.

My pain med Rx is norco (very similar to percocet) and oxycontin (the next level up in pain meds). I take as few oxys as possible as I can see how people get addicted. I take the norco as prescribed when I need them for pain and don't worry too much about developing a habit. Inevitably, I end up with far more painkillers than I need. I flush the oxys and keep the norco for when I need them.

As long as you're following the Rx dosage guidelines (time and amount) and using them for pain, I wouldn't worry about a habit. If you find yourself wanting more, then I'd start to worry.

 

[Mr. Know-It-All]

Back in 1994, one of the NCOs that worked for me was prescribed percocet after wisdom teeth removal surgery. He became addicted to it to the point that he stole a Rx pad from the base hospital along with a stamp and began using friends to get more Percocet using the fake Rxs. He wound up with Article 15 and time and several of his "friends" also got time or rank reduction (maybe both). Point is - I won't take any pain meds due to the horror stories other than anything I can buy over the counter. The only time I have used anything stronger was during surgery or post surgical hospital stay.

 

[BustedKnuckles]

14 days ago i had total knee replacement ...been on percs (5mg) 2 at a time as needed since ive been home...as the pain subsides so does my need for the pills...i use them before PT and after if needed. My doc just prescribed another 50 pills yesterday without hesitation. I found this ,it may help.

Dependence on and/or Addiction to Pain MedicationsAlthough prescription pain relief medication is important to pain management after a knee replacement surgery or hip replacement surgery, many doctors, patients and patients’ families are concerned with addiction to the opioids.

It is entirely possible for the human body to become accustomed and dependent on the presence of a medication. Physical dependence, however, is not addiction.

Addiction is an uncontrolled psychological craving for the drug, even in the absence of physical pain and need. Occasionally individuals who become physically accustomed to a pain medication may need to consult with their physician and wean themselves from the medication over a period of weeks to avoid withdrawal symptoms. This doesn’t happen very often, however and provided it is done gradually, there should be no difficulties and certainly no lasting effects akin to addiction. Thousands of people each year successfully cease taking their pain meds without incident.

In most cases, a knee replacement patient or hip replacement patient will begin naturally leaving longer gaps between doses because they aren’t experiencing pain at such a level to serve as a dosage reminder.

There are individuals, however, who do become addicted. The percentage is very small and is highly unlikely as long as you are taking your medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Long-term opioid therapy is associated with little risk for addiction when given to selected patients with chronic pain and no history of substance addiction or abuse (about 0.27% of study participants)

 

[Nugget]

I broke my shoulder socket 11 years ago. I took double doses of oxy and had no problem giving it up. I do get wistful when the shoulder aches every couple of months.

 

[17seconds]

Right now I pretty much have to take them because the pain is absurd. But I haven't once taken more than the recommended dose. And they call for 1 pill every 6 hours, and a few times I've taken them at like 5 hours but no more frequent than that. Decided I would try to skip the night dose and maybe just talk Tylenol or something, that way I'm only taking 3 pills a day max.

That's pretty cautious. Nothing to worry about if you only ever take 1. When you start taking 2 at a time every few hours... you don't want to be doing that for a week.

Standard thing to do is to try to switch to Ibuprofen or Tylenol as soon as possible.

 

[DiStefano]

Right now I pretty much have to take them because the pain is absurd. But I haven't once taken more than the recommended dose. And they call for 1 pill every 6 hours, and a few times I've taken them at like 5 hours but no more frequent than that. Decided I would try to skip the night dose and maybe just talk Tylenol or something, that way I'm only taking 3 pills a day max.

That's pretty cautious. Nothing to worry about if you only ever take 1. When you start taking 2 at a time every few hours... you don't want to be doing that for a week.

Standard thing to do is to try to switch to Ibuprofen or Tylenol as soon as possible.

Correct, but be careful about ODing with Ibuprofen (kidney damage) or Tylenol (liver damage). Sometimes people supplement with Tylenol, for example, when the Hydrocodone already has 375 mg of Tylenol.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

I took 2 every 4 hours for 10 days after I broke my neck 18 months ago. I still have a few left that have come in handy thanks to a broken down body. I have an addictive personality but could never become addicted to these things. They relieve the pain but it lingers way too much for me.

 

[bushdocda]

Opiates FTW!

 

[shadyridr]

I don't really experience any high from it at all. It just numbs the pain and I guess I've been in pain with the shoulder for so long (since Nov) that I really welcome a good 3-4 hours where it doesn't hurt. But I agree, they can make you feel drowsy and sleepy.

its when you dont have any pain that you feel the high

 

[peaces]

No but not for lack of trying.

 

[Johnnymac]

I think oxy is the greatest drug ever made. I can see how people can get addicted to it.

 

[17seconds]

Admittedly I love the feeling of percocet but it makes me constipated after just a few pills and strangely it gives me insomnia too

 

[Short Corner]

I always sold my opiates when I got a script and stuck with Ibu.

 

[McGarnicle]

Addiction? More like a love affair.

 

[ShaqAttaq]

I've had 15 orthopedic procedures. Knee shoulder hand and elbow. Never had the oxycontin but the percocets are awesome. If anybody wants to share, I'd love some.

 

[Soulfly3]

I've had 15 orthopedic procedures. Knee shoulder hand and elbow. Never had the oxycontin but the percocets are awesome. If anybody wants to share, I'd love some.

2 percs is equal to an oxycontin (a 10mg oxy)1 perc = 5mg oxycodone

1 oxycontin contains anywhere from 10 to 80mg oxycodone (2-16 percs worth)

Fwiw, my uncle who was demolished by various cancers would pop 2 80mg oxys at a time from the pain and would do little to help.. Not regualar oxy either - the quick release

Thatd kill most ppl

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I too don't get the phenomenon of opiates. They make me stupid and often make my stomach hurt. They are nothing more then sleeping pills to me.

I wouldn't ever taken then recreationally - not because I'm worried , but because they suck.

But I've been jaded by coke and weed.

 

[flysack]

I took them for a week recently when I got sutures for a nasty cut on my hand. The euphoria was pretty great, so I could see how people have said they're the #1 gateway to heroin addiction. Apparently most heroin addicts don't start shooting heroin - they only do that when percs and other pills stop giving them an euphoric high.

I'd go easy with those things. Opiates really are no joke. It's like heaven in a pill.

That said, I had 6 pills left over after my wound healed. They came in real handy as hangover relief. Hungover? Pop a perc and get some food in your stomach. They're perfect for that.

 

[Apple Jack]

Percs are fine, especially if you're this conscious of and worried about it. 2.5-5mg of oxycodone isn't going to bite you. The people who get hooked are taking probably 20+ times that. Any physical dependency is going to be barely noticeable, if at all. Psychological, not likely.

 

[Archer]

Boy what a mistake. Last night instead of taking a dose before bed (last dose was at 5pm) I just took Tylenol. Long story short, up almost the entire night, maybe got 2 hours sleep max. From here on out, I'm gonna take the recommended 1 pill every 5-6 hours no matter what.

 

[shadyridr]

Take what the doctor gave you. Youre in alot of pain and thats the point of the pills. Its not a high enough dosage to get addicted as long as you stick to the recommended amt. My wife 5.0 percs that she took for 2 weeks after her two dncs and had no issues. 5.0s are amazing btw lol

 

[Archer]

Good advice Shadyridr and that is exactly what I am doing from here on out. I have about 25 pills left, so I can take 4 a day for 6 more days. Hopefully by then I'm better. Plus I have a follow up with him mid week. Appreciate all the serious responses on this thread. You guys rock.

 

[Tiger Fan]

took these on an empty stomach by mistake :X

 

[cstu]

I think oxy is the greatest drug ever made. I can see how people can get addicted to it.

Opiates ain't got nuthin' on me.

/Cocaine

 

[the moops]

about 7 years ago you could find a ton of online pharmacies that would "prescribe" hydrocodone and deliver by UPS in like 2-3 days. It was both glorious and depressing. The UPS guy was making bi-monthly visits to my house amd was blowing about 2 grand a month. That lasted like a year.

Quitting that #### was hard. Very hard and very not fun.

Oh man I miss that ####

 

[one time]

I've had 15 orthopedic procedures. Knee shoulder hand and elbow. Never had the oxycontin but the percocets are awesome. If anybody wants to share, I'd love some.

2 percs is equal to an oxycontin (a 10mg oxy)

1 perc = 5mg oxycodone

1 oxycontin contains anywhere from 10 to 80mg oxycodone (2-16 percs worth)

Fwiw, my uncle who was demolished by various cancers would pop 2 80mg oxys at a time from the pain and would do little to help.. Not regualar oxy either - the quick release

Thatd kill most ppl

Reading this thread makes my head hurt with so many people talking about what they have very little clue about, but especially this post. There are 3-4 wrong statements in this alone.

1) Chronic pain management should be managed by 1) trying to have a baseline pain medication in your body at all times and 2) just taking a quick acting product for what should be breakthrough pain.

2) Oxycontin (Oxycodone ER) is an Extended Release product ONLY and is used for the baseline pain. If you truly have chronic pain, Oxycontin is meant to make it so you have to take minimal breakthrough pain medication. This is the medication cant be crushed (dangerous) since it destroys the release of it. It is available 10-80mg.

3) Percocet is Oxycodone Immediate Release (IR) with Tylenol/acetaminophen/APAP. Vicodin/Norco is Hydrocodone with APAP. The oxycodone component in percocet is from 5-10mg. Oxycodone IR (by itself) is available anywhere from 5mg-30mg. The APAP used to be able to vary anywhere from 325mg to 650mg. This recently changed in March and now the max is 325mg APAP in a single pill. If you are getting 300mg of APAP in Vicodin, you are going to be paying a lot more as its a newer, more expensive formulation. This is due to APAP being the most common overdose since it is everywhere: Tylenol PM, Vicodin, Percocet, cold medications, etc. 4000mg is the current max daily dose last I looked, however, it is going to be changed to 3,000mg at some point due to the overdosing issues IMO.

4) Percocet, oxycodone IR, and Vicodin are used for breakthrough pain that isn't controlled by the Extended Release or long acting product. If you are using the max amount of breakthrough pain medication prescribed or even more, it is not being managed properly. However, most chronic pain patients take near the max amount of the breakthrough pain medication on a month by month basis whether it is either addiction or improper management.

5) Constipation is something that your body will not get used to whether you're on it for a 2 weeks or 10 years.

I know this is about an acute issue (surgery) so most of this doesn't apply, but I keep hearing people saying oxycontin when they mean oxycodone; talking about oxycontin strengths when meaning the oxycodone strengths and vice versa; talking about unsustainable doses of medications that no doctor would write for and no pharmacist fill.

 

[DiStefano]

I've had 15 orthopedic procedures. Knee shoulder hand and elbow. Never had the oxycontin but the percocets are awesome. If anybody wants to share, I'd love some.

2 percs is equal to an oxycontin (a 10mg oxy)1 perc = 5mg oxycodone

1 oxycontin contains anywhere from 10 to 80mg oxycodone (2-16 percs worth)

Fwiw, my uncle who was demolished by various cancers would pop 2 80mg oxys at a time from the pain and would do little to help.. Not regualar oxy either - the quick release

Thatd kill most ppl

Reading this thread makes my head hurt with so many people talking about what they have very little clue about, but especially this post. There are 3-4 wrong statements in this alone.

1) Chronic pain management should be managed by 1) trying to have a baseline pain medication in your body at all times and 2) just taking a quick acting product for what should be breakthrough pain.

2) Oxycontin (Oxycodone ER) is an Extended Release product ONLY and is used for the baseline pain. If you truly have chronic pain, Oxycontin is meant to make it so you have to take minimal breakthrough pain medication. This is the medication cant be crushed (dangerous) since it destroys the release of it. It is available 10-80mg.

3) Percocet is Oxycodone Immediate Release (IR) with Tylenol/acetaminophen/APAP. Vicodin/Norco is Hydrocodone with APAP. The oxycodone component in percocet is from 5-10mg. Oxycodone IR (by itself) is available anywhere from 5mg-30mg. The APAP used to be able to vary anywhere from 325mg to 650mg. This recently changed in March and now the max is 325mg APAP in a single pill. If you are getting 300mg of APAP in Vicodin, you are going to be paying a lot more as its a newer, more expensive formulation. This is due to APAP being the most common overdose since it is everywhere: Tylenol PM, Vicodin, Percocet, cold medications, etc. 4000mg is the current max daily dose last I looked, however, it is going to be changed to 3,000mg at some point due to the overdosing issues IMO.

4) Percocet, oxycodone IR, and Vicodin are used for breakthrough pain that isn't controlled by the Extended Release or long acting product. If you are using the max amount of breakthrough pain medication prescribed or even more, it is not being managed properly. However, most chronic pain patients take near the max amount of the breakthrough pain medication on a month by month basis whether it is either addiction or improper management.

5) Constipation is something that your body will not get used to whether you're on it for a 2 weeks or 10 years.

I know this is about an acute issue (surgery) so most of this doesn't apply, but I keep hearing people saying oxycontin when they mean oxycodone; talking about oxycontin strengths when meaning the oxycodone strengths and vice versa; talking about unsustainable doses of medications that no doctor would write for and no pharmacist fill.

Unless you're talking to Lance Armstrong's people. Then you can get anything, in any quantity and/or frequency.

 

[Chaos Commish]

A scoop of Miralax a day will help keep you regular. Sometimes takes a bonus scoop to keep things moving.

 

[BustedKnuckles]

Good advice Shadyridr and that is exactly what I am doing from here on out. I have about 25 pills left, so I can take 4 a day for 6 more days. Hopefully by then I'm better. Plus I have a follow up with him mid week. Appreciate all the serious responses on this thread. You guys rock.

Dont be afraid to ask for more if needed