PERCOCET INFO:
Percocet is a combination of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and oxycodone, which is used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain. Its function in relieving pain is very similar to Lortab, in that acetaminophen interrupts the production of prostaglandins while oxycodone reduces the emotional sensation of pain when it binds to the brain’s pain receptors.
Even those who were originally prescribed Percocet or other opiates for legitimate pain treatment may find themselves crossing the line between pharmaceutical and recreational drug use. Ken Clarkson, a Los Angeles area pharmacist, suggests that anyone who regularly uses prescription pain relievers maintain a high level of awareness regarding the frequency and amount of the drug they have been prescribed. He offers this brief self-test, suggesting that anyone who answers yes to any of the questions speak with their doctor immediately.
1. Has your prescription ever run out before it was time to refill it?
2. Have you begun taking more than the recommended dosage to achieve a euphoric
effect?
3. Do you have prescriptions for the same (or similar) medications from
different doctors?
4. Has your doctor ever suggested you stop taking your medication, and you
found you were unable to do so?
5. Do you find yourself obsessing over when you can take your medication?
Some people obtain prescriptions for these drugs (Lortab and Percocet) by falsifying symptoms, then multiplying these prescriptions by a process known as “doctor shopping” (seeing several doctors for the same condition, getting prescriptions from each one and filling the orders at different pharmacies).
Karla Birkholz, a board member of the American Academy of Family Physicians claims, “It’s a regular thing we encounter all of the time. There are all kinds of classic clues: ‘the dog ate my pills,’ or ‘it spilled down the toilet.’ I’ve heard it all.”