How long does it take to get addicted to Painkillers?!
Question: Im taking percocet for pain from wisdom teeth removal surgery and was wondering how long it takes to get addicted so I can avoid it. Right now Im taking 2 pills as one dose cause 1 pill doesnt help much and I have been taking for almost a week. I plan on stopping in a few days when the pain is lessoned.
Answers: Im taking percocet for pain from wisdom teeth removal surgery and was wondering how long it takes to get addicted so I can avoid it. Right now Im taking 2 pills as one dose cause 1 pill doesnt help much and I have been taking for almost a week. I plan on stopping in a few days when the pain is lessoned.
Physiologic dependence or physical addiction, as has been mentioned before, is an issue for all patients who take opiates or any narcotic for extended periods. However, contrary to Sicko's response, there is no particular number of days in which all patients develop physiologic dependence. This is depenent on the strength and bioavailability of the medication as well as the amount taken, and also the patient's own opioid receptors and metabolism. Few patients who have not had opiate issues in the past develop physiologic dependence using as needed doses of post procedure pain medications for a couple of weeks.
Psychological addiction, is another issue, this is personality dependent, as well as is affected by the amount of side effects you experience from the medications, and whether you find these side effects preferable to your normal state. (This is highly simplified, as addiction is multi-factorial) There are patients who can take opiates for extended periods and never develop psychological craving, or addictive behaviors (even if they are physically dependent). Others may develop the craving for the medication in a very short time. This is also very common if they abuse alcohol and street drugs.
I urge you not to exceed your physician's prescription without consulting your physician. You may be having an issue related to your procedure causing you to experience the pain, which your physician needs to evaluate. Also, while I don't have an issue with giving patients medication for pain, Percocet has Tylenol comined in the medication, and by doubling the dose you may be exceeding the maximum daily dose of Tylenol, which can cause damage to organ systems.
I don't think you have any issues related to the short term use of the medication, unless you have a history of abusing substances in the past. But please do not use the medication improperly, this is how accidents occur.
It's not a matter of time, it's a matter of when you get to the point where you think about them all the time, crave them, and/or find sneaky ways to attain them. Thats when you know you are addicted.
Well I have been on pain killers for three years. But I am disciplined in taking them. Plus I have a non addictive personality.
It takes 21 days of taking pain meds to become physically addicted,but only takes 14 to be psychologically addicted. After 21 days and then stopping you will have severe withdrawl symptoms-hot and cold flashes,sneezing,yawning,tearing,and best of all explosive diahreaha(sp?)that will last up to 72 hrs-then you will have muscle aches,no sleep!!!
Actually there are two types of addiction. If anyone takes a drug for a certain amount of time such as an opiate like percocet, then the body can become physically addicted without becoming psychologically addicted. I was on a pain patch (similar to morphine) and taking 4-6 tablets of 30mg of roxicodone in which one 30mg tablet is equivalent to six percocets but without the Tylenol. If you crave the drug just to get the "high" feeling than there is a good chance you are facing what people would call addiction or being an addict. Yes I got physically addicted but I was dependent on the medication due to severe pain. There's a huge difference. A diabetic is dependent on insulin but not addicted to it and a person who takes a pain killer because he or she gets relief and can function better is not necessarily considered mentally addicted but is dependent. A mentally addicted person who takes the drug to get a "high" does not get improved function. Now when you take a narcotic, you may experience side effects such as feeling lightheaded, dizzy, sleepy, or a sense of "what's going on with me"? As long as you stop the pain med after you don't need it for pain anymore you are not considered mentally addicted. I have other info to back this up. Check out the following link. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...
Sicko said it all. But...............do not become physically dependant. Especially over a bloody wisdom tooth. Leave that to those that live in chronic pain. We can handle it. Not that you can't, you do not need to go there. Take until you need them and forget about it.