Percocet is a pain reliever whose active ingredient is oxycodone, an opiate with highly addictive qualities. When used properly, in appropriate dosages over prescribed time limits, it is generally safe. When deliberately misused, the consequences are terrible for abusers and loved ones. Percocet abuse can lead to a crippling emotional dependency and physical addiction that is hard to break.

Percocet is one of a class of prescription drugs that has been misused at an alarming rate since around 2000, by over 11 million people a year as of 2005. Over 1.7 million people were addicted to prescription painkillers in 2007; drugs like Percocet came second only to marijuana and alcohol as problem substances in the United States. In every state, abuse of Percocet and other prescription painkillers is arriving on medical and law enforcement radar, while schools are reporting increasing numbers of schoolchildren taking Oxycontin, Percocet, and other drugs for fun or to cope with peer pressure or the race to get into college.

2007 National Study on Drug Use and Health
U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Abuse of Percocet and other prescription painkillers cuts across all social spectra and all age groups. As shown below, by far the highest prevalence is among young adults, who encounter the drugs either through an active lifestyle (sports injuries), their parents’ medicine cabinet, or at clubs and rave parties. When Percocet tablets are crushed and the powder inhaled or injected, it creates an intense “rush” as the oxycodone binds with the brain’s dopamine receptors to produce intense feelings of pleasure and well being. Percocet abuse to get high often leads to dependency, thanks to the drug’s chemical alteration of the way the brain functions. Therefore, breaking a Percocet addiction is not as easy as simply dumping the bottle down the drain.

Percocet abuse occurs when a user begins taking the drug for reasons other than pain, or in higher dosages than prescribed, or past the time it is actually necessary or medically appropriate. At this point the user may be able to stop, at the expense of some mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms such as shakiness, anxiety, and nausea. Percocet addiction occurs when the user is unable to stop, and intense cravings for the drug drive him or her to seek out more and more of it to get high. About 10% of admissions to drug treatment centers in 2007 came from people addicted to Percocet and other opiates.

Treatment for Percocet abuse and addiction follows the general treatment methodologies used for other opiate addictions. Painful and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that discourage addicts from quitting must be managed in order to complete detoxification and continue to the next stage of counseling and behavior modification. Often, substitute drugs like methadone or buprenorphine are prescribed to mimic Percocet’s effects while easing the patient off the drug.

Only a small percentage of the 13,000 U.S. drug and alcohol treatment facilities use drug therapy in treating opiate addiction. Other treatment modalities include gradual withdrawal and behavior modification with long-term support to prevent a return to Percocet abuse. A drug treatment center can evaluate the problem and determine the best course of action.