Percocet Tolerance
Are you having to increase your Percocet dosage regularly for it to work? Does it seem like the drug no longer works at all? If so, it’s possible that you’ve developed a Percocet tolerance. This may leave you wondering — are you addicted to Percocet? Do you have a dependence? Is it time to start detox, treatment? Percocet tolerance is a complex subject. Someone isn’t necessarily addicted to Percocet just because they’ve become tolerant. Tolerance, dependence, and addiction can—and often do—exist simultaneously, but each are separate and different entities. While addiction has strong psychological and behavioral drives, tolerance alone is a normal part of Percocet treatment.
How Do You Develop a Percocet Tolerance?
What makes opiates particularly abuse-prone is the unfortunate reality that dependence is a part of the treatment. After all, the Percocet is treating a problem. Without the oxycodone in your system, that problem will manifest. Your body begins to adjust to the amount that you’re taking, creating a new normal and eventually welcoming the pain back.In order to get pain relief again, you have to up the dose so your body is no longer “used to” the amount of opiates it’s been receiving.
What Are the Symptoms?
So how do you know if you’re tolerant? A medical profession can identify Percocet tolerance by two common symptoms:1 – The Percocet is no longer having a therapeutic effect. You do not receive any pain relief.2 – Your physician has to increase your dosage frequently in order to maintain the relief.If you experience either of these symptoms, you may think to yourself — are you addicted to Percocet? While the answer may be yes at this point, you should first talk to your doctor and see what he or she thinks.
How Long Does It Take?
It takes roughly 2-3 weeks of continual Percocet use to become tolerant. If you’re using the drug recreationally, that window is shorter. Some people naturally become more tolerant than others. Since they need higher and higher doses more frequently, the abuse-potential for them is greater. If you’re one of these individuals, you may want to ask your doctor about alternative pain medications that aren’t opiates.
How Much Is a Lot?
According to the labels, an adult should not exceed 12 immediate-release Percocet tablets per day. Taking more than that indicates that you have a very high tolerance. Still, doctors may purposely prescribe unusually high doses of opiate drugs for specific situations. For example, you may need more if you’ve recently been in a painful car accident or had an invasive surgery. Hence, this figure is a rough estimate.
Who Develops Percocet Tolerance?
A person may receive a Percocet prescription for a variety of reasons, but there are some people who receive these prescriptions more often than others. Often, the elderly receive the most prescriptions for Percocet. This is because they undergo surgeries more often than younger adults and have issues with chronic pain.Since elderly adults have more trouble with exercise and other pain management techniques, they often rely on prescription painkillers to relieve their pain. Percocet tolerance becomes especially common among this age group for just that reason.Another group at high risk for Percocet tolerance and addiction is young adults. Teenagers and young adults often play sports or engage in other recreational, but dangerous, activities. When these young adults need surgery, they may receive Percocet to manage the pain.Additionally, this age group has the most misconceptions about prescription drug addiction in general. Younger teenagers may believe that prescription medications are safe. However, this is incorrect. Older teenagers and young adults may purposely abuse Percocet if they find it in their parent’s medicine cabinet. Percocet addiction in college can be extremely common.
Are You Addicted to Percocet? Get Help Today.
One of the biggest worries that comes with developing a Percocet tolerance is the possibility of heroin addiction. Many people who abuse opiates eventually turn to heroin since it’s cheaper and provides a stronger high. Getting help for a high Percocet tolerance can help you avoid this path. If you wish to lower your Percocet tolerance, the best course of action you can take is to cut back on the amount and/or frequency under a doctor-directed plan.For those with a naturally high tolerance, it can be difficult to reach a point at which the drug can once again offer relief. During the process, they might also experience withdrawal symptoms.
Are you addicted to Percocet? Do you know someone else who is? Don’t wait. A Percocet tolerance or addiction is entirely treatable, but only with the proper opiate addiction treatment. Call The Last Resort at 512-750-6750 to get into a medical detox program and avoid painful symptoms of withdrawal as soon as possible. Additionally our expert admissions team can get you information about the addiction treatment programs and substance abuse treatment you need for recovery.