Percocet is a common prescription painkiller that combines oxycodone (an opioid) and acetaminophen. The drug alters how your body feels and responds to pain, which is why it’s used to treat chronic pain conditions or post-surgical pain. However, Percocet has a high potential for abuse, and people can quickly struggle with Percocet withdrawal symptoms if they try to quit.
Addiction to Percocet can lead to long-term damage and life-threatening effects. Unfortunately, it is challenging for people addicted to Percocet to successfully quit using the drug due to the withdrawal’s physical and psychological discomfort.
Symptoms of Withdrawal
The symptoms of Percocet withdrawal will vary from person to person. Symptoms depend on factors such as how long someone’s been taking it and if they mix them with other substances like alcohol. Common Percocet withdrawal symptoms include:
- Sweating
- Aches and pain
- Watery nose and eyes
- Goosebumps
- Chills and hot flashes
- Abdominal pain
- Tremors
- Nausea
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
Usually, physical symptoms will reside after a week or so. However, many psychological symptoms like cravings, depression, and anxiety can extend for weeks or months. Battling these mental side effects can leave recovering addicts feeling hopeless, and some people may experience suicidal thoughts while recovering.
Not to mention, the risk of relapse is increasingly high during the withdrawal period. Chronic Percocet users are likely to experience prolonged withdrawal symptoms that can be challenging to battle independently.
Percocet Withdrawal Timeline
Percocet is a short-lived drug with a half-life of about 3.5 hours, so usually, the first signs of withdrawal appear around 5-8 hours after the last dose. The following withdrawal timeline might not be the same for everyone as it varies from person to person. However, overall most people notice signs following a similar pattern of opioid withdrawal:
- As early as day one, people will start to feel mild opiate withdrawal symptoms.
- About 2-3 days after the last dose, withdrawal symptoms reach their peak in severity.
- By days 4-7, the severity of the symptoms should begin to decline; however, intense craving symptoms will be present.
- After the first 1-2 weeks, most psychological symptoms linked to Percocet withdrawal will intensify.
Even if someone manages to work their way through the initial days of withdrawal, the danger of psychological symptoms by the end of the first two weeks is too great to risk it. It’s essential to seek medical attention to prevent signs of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts to get the best of you.
Percocet Withdrawal Symptoms Treatment
There’s no approved medication to treat Percocet withdrawal symptoms. Instead, a combination of multiple approaches is often used by detox facilities to help people detoxify from these substances. In some cases, doctors will turn to medication-assisted treatments to minimize cravings and reduce symptoms, using the following drugs:
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine
- Clonidine
- Naltrexone
However, without medical supervision, these drugs can also be highly addictive. This is why a medical professional must administer medications at a treatment facility. Likewise, medication alone isn’t enough to help with addiction. These efforts work best when combined with behavioral therapy and other addiction treatment therapies.
Is It Time to Seek Help?
Percocet addiction does not have to be a death sentence; people can seek treatment and find sobriety in many cases. However, because of the severe consequences of withdrawal symptoms, having the right support system is critical to prevent deadly outcomes.
Most people starting their Percocet addiction treatment are recommended a detox program paired with a partial hospitalization program (PHP) that eases withdrawal symptoms and provides patients with a secure and supervised environment to begin their recovery. Many treatment facilities can help structure the right treatment plan. At Lighthouse Recovery Institute, our addiction recovery programs include:
Treatment Options
- Inpatient Programs: These offer a temptation-free environment that’s designed to help people in recovery. In this case, people check into a living drug rehab facility, and they attend meetings and therapy sessions while remaining in a supervised environment.
- Outpatient Programs: For those with a mild addiction, an outpatient rehab program might be an option. In this case, they have a more flexible program that allows them to maintain their daily schedules and responsibilities like attending school, work, or caring for their families.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment: While rare, long-time addicts might experience worse withdrawal symptoms. To prevent these symptoms from harming them physically and psychologically, a physician might recommend specific prescription medications to help through the withdrawal process under a medically supervised program.
- Individual Therapy: Beyond the Percocet detox process, it’s paramount to tackle the addiction by focusing on the addict’s mental health. Through individual therapy, people can understand what drives addictive behavior and see if there’s an underlying cause of their addiction.
- Group Therapy: Building a strong and sober support group is a critical element of addiction recovery. By attending group meetings or 12-step programs, individuals can continue their sober life and continue to learn relapse prevention techniques, even months after detox.
- Aftercare Programs: Addiction isn’t one thing people can shove under the rug. The remnants of addiction often stay with them for the rest of their life. To help users find happiness and purpose in their lives, aftercare programs offer relapse prevention classes, life skills, and other essential tools for a successful life after treatment.
Get Help
If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse, ask for help immediately. Please, call Lighthouse Recovery Institute at 866-308-200 today and speak with our addiction specialists to learn more about our comprehensive and personalized addiction treatment programs.
We offer unique and personalized treatment plans because we believe no two addictions are alike. The journey towards recovery is a long one, but together and with your family and friends’ support, we’ll make it. Whether you or a loved one is thinking about starting drug abuse treatment, don’t delay it. Start your addiction recovery journey today.
