Am I addicted?

[nueme61]

In 2007 I sustained torn ligaments in my right ankle when a chair I was sitting on fell apart A year later I sustained a lower back herniation from a car accident.  I was given Oxycodone (that's Percoset-right?) for the pain for both injuries (actually, I was still on the med when the second injury happened), to be taken one every 4 hours. I don't know the milligrams, but the bottle says "Oxycodone-APAP, 5-325 MG TAB. It is now 2010. I have now reduced my usage to one tab once or twice a day.
I weighed about 186 pounds at the time of the accident, but since taking the pain med my weight stays around 202 pounds. I am a reasonable healthy 49 year old female who watches what I eat, and I excercise regularly , with no other health issues.
First question: Am I addicted to this drug? I do call it "Perky-Set", as I also get a euphoric feeling minutes after taking it. Question #2: Can Oxycodone use attributed to my weight gain, which, no matter what I do, I cannot get rid of?

[mr.lucky66]

It's a tough call. Percocete is stronger than vicodin or codeine but that dosage doesn't seem to be enought tp produce physical dependence. The litmus test is what happens when you don't take a pill?

[mom037]

My doctor prescribed vicodin for my hip and back pain and I NEVER took more than was prescribed...not ever...and some days less.  He gave me 5/500 (5 mg hydrocodone/500 acetaminophen) pills to be taken 3 times a day.  There were many days when I only took 2 or 1-1/2 pills.

But since I decided to get off the pills 5 days ago, I've had all the withdrawal symptoms.  

So to answer your question about addiction, abusing drugs is not the only way to get addicted.  Using them exactly as they are prescribed gets you just as addicted.

I even asked my doctor if  using them daily would lead to addiction and his reply was, if you're using them to control your pain and not to get high, then you don't have a problem.  WRONG!!!

Taking a vicodin never gave me a high, but I only took 1/2 or 1 pill at a time.  But I am having the same withdrawals as the others on this site.

I agree with cirene that if you can go for 5-7 days without "needing" a pill, then you are probably not addicted, but if try this and can't do it, then rethink whether you are addicted or not.  If you give it a try, don't let your pain convince you to take a pill, pay attention to your head.

[cirene]

Hi nueme -

Yes, it's Percocet.

Imho, I feel a person can tell when he / she is addicted.  It's not that difficult to determine I don't think.  I mean, can you get by without taking the pills for a week or so?  If not, then yeah I'd say you have a problem.

The '5/325' is of course the dosage you're on.
The '5' is the mgs of Oxycodone in the pill.
The '325' is the amount of Acetaminophen.

Opiate painkillers do cause water retention.  I swell up pretty bad when I'm on a hard binge (10-20 in one day.)  My calves get like rocks and wearing dress shoes is extremely uncomfortable as the tops of my feet look like throw pillows lol.  So I'd say that the Percocet probably is affecting your weight.  But that's a fairly low dose you're ingesting daily so I can't promise you that it's the sole reason.

I'm guessing you're new?  So am I.  Welcome to the board.  Hope I helped some.  :)