Percocet withdrawal side effects

Expected Percocet withdrawal side effects include a group of symptoms that is close to the flu. However, Percocet with can also cause health complications, especially if your general health is shaky. More on which side effects to expect during Percocet withdrawal here.

3
minute read

Percocet is the brand name for the opioid (man-made) synthetic drug combination of oxycodone mixed with acetaminophen. Percocet is prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain due to injury or pain disorders. If you take Percocet daily for more than a few weeks, you will experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop or decrease dosage… regardless of whether Percocet is being abused or used to treat pain.  So how do you go about detoxing Percocet from your body?

How long are Percocet withdrawal symptoms present? They peak about 72 hours after your last dose but can linger for days to weeks later.  Here, we’ll look at the effects of Percocet withdrawal and what to expect. Plus, we examine why Percocet withdrawal side effects occur and how to ease Percocet withdrawal. Then, we invite your questions about Percocet at the end.

Withdrawal effects of Percocet

You experience withdrawal effects from Percocet when you miss a dose or stop taking Percocet after a period of daily dosing. Sometimes, withdrawal is a necessity because of an addiction. Other time, you’ll need to go through withdrawal to address physical dependency or after acute injury. Whatever the case, when dependency develops your body goes into a state of shock when you stop taking Percocet. The effects of withdrawal occur as your body adapts to a system without oxycodone and “relearns” how to function without the presence of Percocet in the body. Withdrawal can occur a few hours to several hours after the last dose of Percocet has worn off.

Effects of Percocet withdrawal

Effects of Percocet withdrawal feel like you have come down with a severe flu. Symptoms of withdrawal increase with prolonged use and higher doses. This is also the case if you are using Percocet illegally. Additionally, dependence on Percocet can make withdrawal not only painful but mentally unbearable. If you are trying to withdrawal from Percocet the symptoms you may experience include the following:

  • anxiety
  • depression
  • heart palpitations
  • flushed skin
  • increased heart rate
  • insomnia
  • irritation
  • restlessness
  • tingling and numbness of the limbs

Not to worry, there are ways you can treat your withdrawal symptoms so you are not effecting the full effects and ease the pain and discomfort. You don’t have to be in complete pain to resolve the effects of Percocet withdrawal.

Side effects of Percocet withdrawal

Side effects of Percocet withdrawal can also include complications. The more severe side effects of Percocet withdrawal include seizures or extreme diarrhea and vomiting. If you experience any of these, doctors can prescribe a anticonvulsant medication and anti-diarrhea medication to help mitigate the severity of these complications. It some casesm it may be necessary to be hospitalized in order to have withdrawal side effects taken care of.

Withdrawal is a tricky and – at times – an unpredictable process. And Withdrawal side effects can be painful and frustrating and affect your life but they don’t have to be severe. So how can you address them? One universal recommendation that doctors recommend to reduce the likelihood of complications is to taper doses over time. That is, slowly reduce Percocet dose so that your body has time to readjust. Tapering minimizes the severity of Percocet withdrawal side effects and makes complications less likely. Additionally, medications like clonidine, buprenorphine, or naloxone may be prescribed to treat cases of severe Percocet withdrawal.

Percocet withdrawal side effects questions

Percocet withdrawal side effects usually pass within the period of 7-10 days. And there are ways you can treat and manage Percocet withdrawal side effects. If you feel like you need help in treating Percocet withdrawal side effects there are facilities that can help. Detox centers or a substance abuse treatment centers are there to help support your process of withdrawal.

If you still have questions regarding the side effects of Percocet withdrawal … please ask us below. We will get back to your questions as quickly as we can. And we will do our best to respond to you personally.

Resources Daily Med: Percocet
State of Connecticut Department of Health: Percocet Withdrawal
NCBI: Opioids and the Treatment of Chronic Pain, Controversies, Current Status, and Future Directions
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
I am ready to call
i Who Answers?