Cold turkey Percocet

Should you stop taking Percocet cold turkey? No. Going cold turkey can cause unnecessary discomfort. More here on suggested ways to stop taking Percocet, with a section for your questions at the end.

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Percocet withdrawal can cause extreme discomfort if abruptly stopped, especially for long term users. Here, we explore the recommended ways to quit Percocet. Then, we invite you to ask questions about treating Percocet dependence or getting help for Percocet addiction at the end.

Going cold turkey Percocet?

Percocet (main ingredient oxycodone) is narcotic pain reliever that is used to treat moderate or long term pain. But even after a few weeks of regular dosing, your body can become dependent on Percocet. When physical dependence on Percocet occurs, the body will go through harsh withdrawal symptoms when dosage is stopped abruptly. What kinds of symptoms occur?

When you go cold turkey off Percocet a rush of uncomfortable symptoms will flood your body, resulting in muscle cramps, and disruption of sleep, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you quit Percocet cold turkey, you are also more prone to relapse to manage both the physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. So instead of going cold turkey Percocet, how can you avoid severe or intense Percocet withdrawal symptoms?

Cold turkey Percocet withdrawal

How long to withdraw from Percocet? Percocet withdrawal symptoms usually last a week, or so. Symptoms can include fatigue, confusion, chills, extreme drowsiness, sweating, stomach pains, anxiety, back aches, joint pain and strong drug cravings. If you do gradually reduce your dose of Percocet, symptoms tend to be a lot less intense.

Cold turkey off percocet

Going cold turkey off Percocet is not necessary and Percocet should not be stopped abruptly. Especially if you are seeking treatment for Percocet addiction.  Instead, medical professionals use a method called tapering, which lowers the dosage of Percocet over a period of time (at least 2-3 weeks) so that your body can adjust slowly and avoid severe withdrawal symptoms. Seek a tapering schedule, or calendar, from your prescribing doctor when coming off Percocet. This way, you can work with medical supervision to mitigate and avoid unncessary withdrawal symptoms. Generally, the course of withdrawal is a 10-25% dose decrease per week, with decreases occuring at no more than 50% at any one time.

Quitting Percocet cold turkey

Some people do need to quit Percocet cold turkey due to medical need. So, what are the clinical traits that should be present to quit Percocet cold turkey? The people who are best suited for quitting Percocet cold turkey should have the following characteristics:

  • good health
  • keep other drugs out of your system
  • no health conditions that could be triggered by withdrawal
  • strong determination

Stopping percocet cold turkey risks

Trying to quit percocet addiction abruptly can cause severe adverse side effect, so it is best to seek professional help. Most people do not need to go through immediate Percocet detox and risk serious discomfort. Risks of stopping percocet cold turkey include:

  • chills
  • perspiration
  • restlessness
  • rhinorrhea (runny nose)
  • severe aches
  • vomiting

Get off percocet cold turkey

Medical professionals do not recommend stopping percocet cold turkey abruptly. Going cold turkey off Percocet can result in severe pain and health complications. Medical professionals recommend that instead of quitting cold turkey you get tapered off percocet over the course of a few weeks by lowering the dosage. Your doctor will monitor your progress to keep withdrawal symptoms minimal.

Can I quit percocet cold turkey?

It depends on your situation. If you are a heavy Percocet user, you may not want to quit Percocet cold turkey. If you have been addicted to Percocet for months or longer, a slow taper can also help mitigate symptoms until you can seek alternatives. In the end, a doctor can help advise you on your choice to taper or quit Percocet cold turkey. But ultimately, the decision is yours to make.

Cold Turkey Percocet Questions

If you still have questions about quitting percocet cold turkey, please post your questions below in the comment section. We will try to respond to all comments promptly.

Reference Sources: Daily Med: Percocet
The National Pain Foundation: Abrupt withdrawal from pain medications
PubMed Health: Opiate withdrawal
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.
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