How is Percodan taken?
Percodan is
consumed orally by tablet.
Because Pecodan is not designed to be a time-released
drug, and therefore has a near immediate effect upon consumption, it is less at
risk of being crushed, snorted or injected as time-release painkillers like
Oxycontin are.
Effects of consumption
Percodan
is an effective painkiller, when prescribed correctly.
Patients
should increase the fiber in their diet and drink 6
to 8 glasses of water per day to prevent constipation while taking Percodan.
Impact on the mind/body and health
risks
Percodan
users should consult a doctor if they notice symptoms such as mental impairment
and episodes of euphoria, or drowsiness, heartburn, dizziness, shortness of
breath, blurred vision or obsession with taking Percodan; a doctor should also
be consulted if they experience bleeding in the stomach or intestines, black or
bloody stools, coughing
up blood, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds.
Other
side effects that could affect the circulatory system are blood clots, anemia,
internal hemorrhaging and decreased white blood cell count.
Other
side effects include skin irritation such as allergic inflammation, redness,
itching, hives, and rash; breathing problems, such as decreased lung
functioning, brochospasm, trouble breathing, wheezing, collapsed lung and vocal
cord swelling; and mental issues such as obsession, depression, hallucination,
drowsiness and shock.
Signs of abuse of this substance
Users
who overdose on Percodan may exhibit symptoms such as:
- nausea,
vomiting and diarrhea
- confusion
and pinpoint pupils
- cold or
clammy skin
- muscle
weakness or fainting
- weak
pulse, slow heart rate, coma
- blue
lips, shallow breathing, or no breathing.
Common treatment options
Percodan addicts have a number of
addiction treatment options available to them and their families, including:
- cold turkey
- rapid medical detox combined
with residential treatment
- rapid medical detox combined
with outpatient treatment
- ultra rapid detox
- methadone
- Suboxone
Quitting cold turkey is often an
addict’s first choice, but is rarely successful. Even those who endure the
initial withdrawal face a lengthy battle with cravings that pull them toward
relapse.
Medical detox with continuing
treatment is the standard “drug rehab” route. The recovery process begins with
a medically assisted detoxification as Percodan addicts must first overcome
physical dependency.
During detox, medications are
prescribed to help reduce the discomfort of withdrawal, with doctors on call
should a problem arise. After about a week, patients can continue additional
treatment.
Detox is not treatment. If a patient
fails to continue treatment after detox, a relapse is practically guaranteed.
Post-detox treatment options vary
between inpatient and outpatient programs, including:
- Individual therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- 12 Step groups
- Group therapy
- Life skills, vocational and
educational programming
- Family therapy
Treatment programs teach recovering
addicts the essential skill of how to overcome powerful and permanent cravings
to use again.
Ultra-rapid detox claims to be a
much less uncomfortable program by placing the addict under anesthesia in order
to accelerate the withdrawal period; it is a controversial procedure due to its
high cost and possible danger to the health of the recovering addict.
Methadone is a long-lasting
synthetic opiate used to treat addiction to other opium derivatives such as
Percodan. In theory, a patient who receives one dose of methadone per day will
not feel withdrawal symptoms, experience drug cravings, or attain the euphoric
“high” associated with these drugs.
There are, however, disadvantages to
methadone treatment:
- Methadone is addictive and
subject to abuse
- A patient must go to a clinic
to receive methadone daily.
- Patients who stop using
methadone experience difficult withdrawal symptoms.
Suboxone is a more recently
developed methadone alternative, which works in a similar way to keep a patient
from entering withdrawal without a euphoric “high” or drug cravings.
Suboxone is a significant
improvement on methadone treatment in the following ways:
- no daily clinic visits
necessary; suboxone can be administered in month-long doses.
- withdrawal symptoms much less
severe than methadone.
However, suboxone treatment has its
drawbacks as well:
- As a partial opiate agonist, suboxone
may provide only limited results for heavy addicts, who may experience
withdrawal.
- Suboxone treatment costs more
than methadone
- Doctors who prescribe Suboxone
might be more difficult to find than a methadone clinic.
Withdrawal/detox symptoms
Users
who suddenly discontinue their use of Percodan will often experience symptoms
typical of any opioid withdrawal, including:
- Loss of
appetite
- Mood
swings
- Nausea
- Fever
chills
- Aches
and pains
- Flu-like
symptoms
- Diarrhea
- Goose
bumps
- Hallucinations
- Headaches
- Abdominal
cramps
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Insomnia