Is my brother addicted to percocet

[needadvice6]

If my brother is taking one percocet per day (no idea what strength) is he addicted?  I think he has been taking daily for well over a year.   I actually think he is taking more than one per day...I think he only told me one because he knows that I know he is taking at least one?  Any advice would help me determine to either get him some help or just leave it alone.   He says he takes because of his shoulder...he has had no major injuries or shoulder problems..also he has lost quite a bit of weight in the last year...is this a side effect or a sign of heavy usage?

[merrymaria]

hi...yes more than likely he is addicted....people can become addicted in as little as 2 weeks...it may have started out as 1 per day but addiction takes over and we need more...as far as losing weight it could be....i didn t like to eat when using because it made the high go away or not as good...i would talk to him and show him this website...we think we are all alone but we re not...good luck to you...maria

[IBKleen]

Hi & Welcome,

Are the pills prescribed or is he buying them? Also please know if he tells you he is taking one, you can multiply that by 5 or even 10. Losing weight can be a sign of drug use as well as mood changes. If you plan on trying to get him help, let us know and we can share our experiences with you.

[s4i2c3k]

Sounds like he has and addiction problem, just not a bad one, but it seems like hes on the road to getting alot worse.

[StillLost21]

I think addiction can be judged by the behavior around his using. Does he use it to cope with life and to numb himself from things, does he put using before friends, family, work, etc. When you say he has no major shoulder injuries, do you think he is just downright lying about using it for pain, or do you think he has some sort of pain? It's hard for people on this forum to judge whether he's addicted because we don't know him or anything about him. Since you know him, has his personality changed over the past year? Is he irritated, does he ever fall asleep while you guys are talking or in the middle of him doing something? Does he get sick if he doesn't have it? The weight loss could be a sign of him doing more. If he is an addict then he's probably lying about how many he is taking. Anyways, some more information might be helpful. Have you ever had a talk with him like brother to brother, and asked what is going on, if he needs help or anything like that or is he too defensive about his use?