Snorting Percocet: Dangers, Symptoms & Effects
However, they also come with a wide range of risks, including addiction and life threatening overdose. Percocet contains the opioid oxycodone, which is known as one of the most addictive opioids on the market. It also contains the over-the-counter (OTC) painkiller acetaminophen (Tylenol), which is not an opioid but can lead to health complications when misused.
Percocet is not only a widely prescribed opioid painkiller, but it also enjoys wide popularity as a street drug. Whether an individual has a prescription or not, Percocet is ripe for abuse. One of the most common — and dangerous — forms of Percocet abuse involves snorting Percocet.
Why Do People Snort Percocet?
However, the relief they get from Percocet, as well as the accompanying feelings of euphoria, can be hard to resist. Like other opioids, the oxycodone in Percocet is not only a painkiller but also produces a powerful high.
When opioids like Percocet activate opioid receptors in a users’ brain, they block pain signals while also releasing large quantities of dopamine. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the brain’s motivation and decision making centers, is responsible for the strong feelings of pleasure that people experience when taking Percocet.
The high quantities of dopamine released by Percocet cause the drug-taking behavior to be reinforced, effectively hijacking a person’s brain.
Over time, people develop a tolerance to the effects of Percocet. Once the body has adapted to the drug, an individual must take higher or more frequent doses in order to achieve the same effects. This is likely to further increase their physical dependence on Percocet.
At the same time, individuals with a physical dependence on Percocet are likely to begin suffering from opioid withdrawal symptoms when they stop using the drug. Combined, these factors drive people to find new ways of getting Percocet into their body more effectively.
Many people begin by taking Percocet orally, but once a tolerance develops, snorting Percocet can become an appealing alternative. Non-oral routes of administration, including snorting, smoking, and injecting, can make Percocet more effective for recreational purposes. Snorting oxycodone means that the drug enters the bloodstream more rapidly, which causes a more intense high at a much faster rate.
For individuals taking Percocet orally as prescribed, it can take over an hour for the effects to set in. Individuals snorting Percocet, however, can often experience initial effects in under 15 minutes. What makes snorting Percocet dangerous is that it increases the risk of overdose, as well as other health complications.
What happens after a U15 Pill Snort?
Snorting Percocet Pills
When individuals are prescribed Percocet, most people begin using the drug as prescribed. However, after some time, many people who started off taking Percocet orally progressed to snorting their Percocet tablets. In order to do so, they must grind the pill down into a fine powder.
Dangers of Percocet Drug Abuse
Percocet abuse can claim lives. In 2017 alone, prescription opioids led to over 17,029 fatal overdoses. Even individuals who do not overdose, however, are likely to experience a severe reduction in their quality of life. Snorting Percocet dramatically increases these risks.
Health risks from snorting Percocet include:
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Frequent nose bleeds
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Chronic sinus infections
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Sleep apnea and snoring
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Loss of sense of smell
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Congestion
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Substance abuse
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Pneumonia
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Lung infections
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Abdominal pain
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Problems swallowing
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Sores throughout the nose and mouth
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Inflammation
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Unconsciousness
Effects of Snorting Percocet
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Relaxation
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Euphoria
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Pain relief
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Confusion
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Drowsiness
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Lethargy
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Depression
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Nausea and vomiting
Percocet Withdrawal
These symptoms can be strong for individuals who take Percocet exactly as prescribed, but they are far stronger for individuals who misuse Percocet by snorting it. These excruciating and debilitating symptoms of Percocet withdrawal include:
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Anxiety and restlessness
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Muscle and joint aches
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Runny nose
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Excessive sweating
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Goosebumps
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Inability to sleep
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Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
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High blood pressure and rapid heartbeat
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Dilated pupils and blurry vision
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Depression
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Strong cravings for opioids
These symptoms can be so severe that individuals may find themselves unable to quit Percocet using their own willpower. Getting support during and after the opioid withdrawal process is essential. The dangers of snorting prescription painkillers include developing a long-term drug abuse habit.
Risks of Percocet Addiction
When an individual develops a Percocet addiction through snorting Percocet, they are likely to continue experiencing strong cravings for opioids even if they successfully withdraw from Percocet. This condition, known as opioid use disorder, is a legitimate mental health condition that causes people to be unable to control their opioid abuse no matter what the consequences are.
After developing a Percocet addiction, people prioritize their drug use above all else. It is common for individuals with opioid use disorder to isolate from friends and family, lose their jobs or drop out of school, and suffer from severe legal, financial, and health problems. More often than not, to achieve temporary relief from these disastrous life events, they will simply snort more Percocet.
Just as people often progress from taking Percocet orally to snorting Percocet, it is also common for people who snort Percocets to seek even more potent ways of getting their next “fix.” Individuals who misuse and abuse their prescription opioid prescriptions are likely to turn to other opioids, including cheap and widely available “street drugs” like heroin.
In fact, more than 80% of heroin users began by abusing prescription opioids painkillers like Percocet. Many of these people would never have imagined that they’d end up addicted to heroin, but it is a natural step after snorting Percocet.
It is important to recognize that opioid use disorder is a progressive condition. It can progress from swallowing too many Percocet pills, to snorting Percocet, all the way to heroin. Heroin use itself can progress from smoking and snorting to intravenous injection. As opioid addiction becomes more severe, so too do the consequences. At the same time, it becomes more difficult to recover.
Percocet Addiction Treatment
Opioid use disorder is a treatable condition but requires a comprehensive, individualized approach that includes medication-assisted treatment, counseling, and lifestyle changes.
Recovering from Percocet Addiction at Design for Recovery
They work daily to develop the skills and coping tools they need to avoid relapse. Moreover, at Design for Recovery, we believe that physical abstinence is only half the battle. We support residents as they work to rebuild their lives from the ground up, developing new lives that are happy, joyous, and free.
If Percocet is controlling your life or a loved one’s life, reach out to Design for Recovery today.
Frequently Asked Questions
The half-life of Percocet is 3.5 to 4.5 hours, meaning that it takes approximately 17 hours for the medication to be completely eliminated from your system. However, this varies depending on a person’s age, weight, metabolism, and other factors.
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