Percocet Street Names: A Dangerous Drug by Any Name

Percocet is the brand name of a drug that contains a mixture of two other substances: Acetaminophen and oxycodone. Most are familiar with Acetaminophen as the over-the-counter medicine used to treat headaches and other minor aches and pains. Oxycodone, however, is a more potent medication used to treat severe pain, and is available only by prescription. Oxycodone alone also goes by the name OxyContin, and has been responsible for a sharp rise in the number of prescription drug overdoses in the past ten years. It also has caused a great increase in prescription drug addiction over the same period of time. In Percocet, oxycodone is mixed with Acetaminophen because the latter allows the body to more efficiently metabolize the former.

There are many Percocet street names, by which people recognize the black market form of the drug. They are frequently just referred to as percs, but another common name for them is 512's. They are called 512's because this is the number that is printed on the side of a common 5mg pill. Regardless of the name, Percocet represents a drug with a powerful addiction potential.

Percocet is a commonly prescribed drug, so not all users are taking it illegally. Often, Percocet addiction starts out with a legal prescription. People will be prescribed Percocet after experiencing a serious injury or accident from which they experience severe pain. If this prescription lasts for longer than 2-3 weeks, the potential for addiction increases drastically. Over that time, the body can become dependent upon Percocet, just like any other opiate. If the individual taking the medication decides to stop using it, this can produce withdrawal effects that resemble those caused by heroin. They include nausea, fever, vomiting, gastrointestinal problems, and a variety of other uncomfortable sensations. They also produce a strong desire to seek out and use the drug again. Thus, someone may turn back to using the drug just because of the withdrawal effects, even if they don't have a serious desire to use it.

Percocet addiction strikes women, adolescents, and the elderly most frequently, although the reasons for this a quite different. Women go to their doctors to discuss pain and other problems more frequently than men. Thus, they are prescribed Percocet more than men by 2 times. This leads to them experiencing addiction 2-3 times more frequently. The addiction statistics for women may also be skewed because they are more likely to seek help for their addiction than men.

Elderly are prescribed Percocet more than any other group, probably because they experience chronic pain more than others. Thus, they are also the population that has higher rates of addiction than any other. Percocet addiction in the elderly can be very serious, as they may have more difficulty managing the withdrawal effects due to frailty or other physical problems.

Adolescents frequently use Percocet for the physical euphoria that results from taking the drug. Thus, they often try to find ways to get Percocet into their bloodstream as quickly as possible. This often means using an alternative method of administration, such as snorting. These alternative methods of administration also lead to addiction more quickly, as they represent a more intense feeling of analgesia.

Percocet is a very dangerous drug because of how easily addiction can sneak up on someone. Many people begin taking Percocet because of a medical problem or injury. Some of these people may never have experienced a craving to any drug prior to Percocet. However, after taking Percocet for 2-3 weeks, their body may become physically dependent upon the drug. This can lead to a full-fledged addiction in someone who has never had addiction problems. Many don't know they are addicted until they attempt to go off of the drug and experience severe withdrawal effects.

On top of all of these problems, there also exists a potential for Percocet overdose to occur. This is especially a concern when different routes of administration are use. Percocet overdose can result in cardiac arrest and coma; it can be a deadly situation.

Overall, the use of Percocet should be handled with caution. If someone finds themselves physically addicted to Percocet, there are treatment options for detoxification and treatment. Like any other addiction, someone can eventually replace Percocet cravings with constructive desires.