Other Percocet Uses

On occasion, a healthcare provider may recommend Percocet for something other than pain relief. Other ailments such as insomnia and coughing can also be treated with off-label forms of Percocet. Although Percocet may be effective for these conditions, most healthcare professionals will not prescribe the narcotic for such uses as there are more appropriate medications available to treat coughing or insomnia.

Oxycodone Successfully Treats Shingles

A new study finds oxycodone, often known as OxyContin, successfully reduces the sometimes excruciating pain of shingles.

Shingles, an often stress-related condition resulting from the same virus that causes chicken pox, causes pain, blisters, rash and flu-like symptoms that antiviral medications usually help alleviate within a month. However, the patient has a greater chance of the pain lasting months or even years after the other symptoms have subsided if the pain component is not effectively treated during the course of the illness.

The long-term pain comes from the varicella zoster virus damaging nerves during the infection period. The condition, called postherpetic neuralgia, affects up to a quarter of shingles patients and can cause shooting or burning pain, an electric shock feeling in the body or skin highly sensitive to touch.

In a study of 87 people with moderate to severe shingles pain, those given oxycodone were at least twice as likely to have their pain reduced by a minimum of 30 percent compared with those taking a placebo. However, constipation — a common side effect of oxycodone — forced nearly a third of the study participants on that medication to drop out of the trial.

Percocet Addiction Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with a Percocet addiction, we can help. Please call our toll free number at (866) 872-6492. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions on percocet addiction and treatment. All calls are private and confidential.

There are a number of slang terms that people use to talk about Percocet and they vary according to location and trends, popular songs of the moment and inside code words. There are, however, a number of terms that are relatively well known and refer to Percocet across different age groups and population groups:

• Percs
• Paulas
• Roxicotten
• Roxi’s
• Blue dynamite (the 15-30 Percocet with no Tylenol)
• 512s (refers to the generic brand that prints 512 on the round white 5mg Percocet pill)

Understanding Oxycodone and Names

As studies have shown the abuse of such painkillers like Percocet increasing, employers are now initializing a more rigorous opiate screening when conducting drug tests on new employees. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH) showed that lifetime use of oxycodone increased 47 percent. Subsequently and more recently, Employer Solutions’ new FDA-cleared screening technology has a specific reagent that can detect oxycodone in opiate drug screening panels. In a pilot study by Quest Diagnostics using 20,000 specimens, the positive rates for oxycodone alone increased from 0.19 percent to 0.53 percent- an increase of over 150 percent using the new, expanded panel. In addition, the Drug Abuse Warning Network showed that oxycodone single use (not in combination with other drugs) increased a staggering 295 percent.

For these reasons, as well as the growing concern for individuals who are becoming more and more addicted to oxycodone (i.e. Percocet), understanding and knowing how it is referred to will only broaden a person’s capacity to be aware of the drug itself. Oxycodone can also be found in or heard under various brand names such as:

• Endocet®
• Endodan®
• Percodan®
• OxyContin®
• OxyFast®
• OxyIR®
• Roxicet®
• Tylox®
• Roxicodone
• Endocodone
• Oxy
• Oxy 80s
• OxyContin
• Oxydose
• OxyFast (liquid)
• OxylR
• Percolone

These prescribed drugs are obtained on the street from numerous sources or from individuals, who visit many different doctors with fake symptoms to obtain multiple prescriptions for the drugs, commonly known as doctor shopping. Mixing these substances can also be heard as pharming.

Oxycodone can be found in multiple mixtures of other drugs and can be heard under street names such as:

• 40, 80 (referring to dosage size)
• Blue
• Hillbilly heroin
• Kicker
• Killers
• Ocs
• Oxycotton
• Poor Man’s Heroin

Percocet Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with a Percocet addiction, we can help. Please call the toll free number at (866) 872-6492. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer your questions on Percocet addiction and treatment.

• Usage Increase – As time passes, it is normal for individuals to develop a tolerance to drug effects. If someone you know seems to be increasing his/her dose over time, this is an indication that the amount they were taking is no longer providing them relief.
• Change in Personality – Changes in a person’s normal behavior can be a sign of dependency. Shifts in energy, mood, and concentration may occur as every day responsibilities become secondary to the need for the relief the prescription provides.
• Social Withdrawal – An individual developing a habit may withdraw from family, friends and other social interaction.
• Ongoing Use – Continued usage after a medical condition has improved will result in the person needing extensions on his/her prescription. The person might talk of how they are “still feeling pain” and need just a little longer on the medication in order to get well. He or she might also complain frequently about the doctors who refused to write the prescription for one reason or another.
• Time Spent on Obtaining Prescriptions – A dependant person will spend large amounts of time driving great distances and visiting multiple doctors to obtain the drugs. Watch for signs that he or she seems preoccupied with a quest for medication, demonstrating that the drug has become their top priority.
• Change in Daily Habits and Appearance – Personal hygiene may diminish as a result of a drug addiction. Sleeping and eating habits change, and a person may have a constant cough, runny nose and red, glazed eyes.
• Neglects Responsibilities – A drug user often may call in sick to work on a more regular basis and ignore household chores and bills.
• Increased Sensitivity – Normal sights, sounds and emotions might become overly stimulating to the person. Hallucinations, although perhaps difficult to monitor, may occur as well.
• Blackouts and Forgetfulness – Another clear indication of dependence is when the person regularly forgets events that have taken place and appears to be suffering blackouts.
• Defensiveness – When attempting to hide a drug dependency, abusers can become very defensive if they feel their secret is being discovered. They might even react to simple requests or questions by lashing out.

Physical Effects of Percocet

The signs and symptoms of a Percocet addict can vary from person to person and how the drug was administered. However, there are simple, physical signs a loved can be looking for if they suspect Percocet use in an individual.

• Dizziness
• Light-headedness
• Sleeplessness
• Nausea
• Irritability
• Vomiting
• Sweats
• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Drowsiness

Long-term effects of Percocet Abuse

Consistent abusers will most definitely face adverse effects because of the dangers of using the drug. Some long-term effects of abuse include:

• Respiratory depression
• Loss of concentration
• Increased muscle and bone pain

Signs of a Percocet Overdose

When a user has taken too much of the drug at one time, they will experience an overdose. An overdose can be told by these symptoms:

• Abdominal discomfort
• Difficulty breathing
• Clouding of mental functions
• Bluish skin color
• Weak pulse
• Small pupils
• Coma

Healthcare Provider Warning Signs

Most healthcare providers look for these warning signs when dealing with patients they suspect have an addiction:

• Going through prescriptions too quickly
• “Doctor shopping,” which is seeing several different healthcare providers to obtain Percocet prescriptions or switching from one provider to another
• Repeated reports of losing a prescription, having a prescription stolen or needing a prescription early to go on vacation
• Having a specific “favorite” narcotic drug (such as Percocet), and nothing else will do
• Reporting “allergies” to all other alternatives

If you or someone you know is struggling with a Percocet addiction, we can help. Please call our toll free number at (866) 872-6492. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer your questions on Percocet help and treatment.

Percocet was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1976, but since it contains oxycodone, it is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act. It works to block messages from getting to pain receptors in the brain, which creates a feeling of euphoria. It is this sensation that people with a Percocet addiction are seeking when they continue to ingest the pills. They often believe they can recreate the feeling by increasing the quantity and frequency of their dose. Unfortunately, the initial euphoria is hardly ever reproduced. Percocet addicts, however, will keep taking the drug despite the tolerance that their bodies have developed which prevents them from experiencing the euphoric feeling that they desire.

One reason that Percocet abuse has spread so rapidly is that it is readily available nationwide. As opposed to drugs that are illegally grown or imported, Percocet is sold in pharmacies across the country. Percocet addicts generally obtain the drug by either “doctor shopping” (going from doctor to doctor to receive several prescriptions), by stealing pills from a friend or loved one, or by purchasing Percocet on the street, where high mark-ups have increased the number of dealers. Since these addicts are not taking the drug as directed, it is much more likely that they will quickly develop an addiction.