Will I have withdrawals from percocet?

[pecanpiequeen]

I have been on 7.5/325 mg oxycodone (percocet) for over a year.  I had a spinal fusion which resulted in severe permanent nerve damage in my right leg.  The neuromuscular specialist put me on a med called Keppra which has helped with the feeling of being tasered.  I also take one or two percocets a day.  I used to take 5 or 6 a day, but now only need one or two to deal with the pain.  I am getting concerned that at some point I would like to stop the percocet even though the pain continues - but will I have withdrawals?  I have never been addicted to anything.  I am 55 years old.  What do you think?

[Tuckamore]

Hi Pecanpiequeen,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum. I am glad that you found us. I highly doubt you have any reason to be concerned about addiction. Ppl that are addicts often take 20 times or more than you are taking. And they take it to get high, not to ease pain. There is a huge difference.

I doubt you will have much if any withdrawal symptoms if your physician discontinues the Percocet. you are on a fairly small amount of this drug. You may have a bit of anxiety for a day or two but nothing to be concerned about. Ghilly has a good suggestion if you are concerned you could taper them as he suggested but only with your physicians approval.

If you have pain. as I am sure you do, I don't understand why you would want to discontinue the pain medication. If you are concerned about becoming an addict you chances are extremely small to none. Too many ppl suffer needlessly with pain because of that fear. Some ppl even take too little of the narcotic so their pain is never controlled because of the fear of addiction. Please discuss this with your physician. I am confident that he will also ease your concerns. None of us like having to take narcotics but they allow us to function.

Please let us know how you are doing. We are here to support you in any way we can. I will look forward to your next update.
Take care, Tuck

[Ghilly]

One or two of the 7.5mg percocet a day is really a very minimal dose considering some of the dosages that people take, but if your body is used to receiving that amount, you MAY experience some withdralwal symptoms when you stop taking them entirely.  I think the WD symptoms will probably be minimal, though.  You may feel kind of "flu-ish" for a couple of days, but then you should be able to return to normal.  If you are only taking one or two a day, you are not addicted to them.  Anyone who takes a narcotic pain med for any length of time develops a physical dependency on the drug, but that is COMPLETELY different from an addiction.  If you were addicted, you would be taking more and more of the drug in order to just feel normal.  That's not what you're doing.  

So you may have a few days of your body adjusting to no longer having the substance in it, but you can even minimize that by tapering down from two a day to one a day for a week or so, and then a half a pill for a couple of days, and then finally you can just stop.  That should completely minimize any withdrawal symptoms you'd feel.

Ghilly

[jollyman069]

hi this is the pain mangemnet forum there is and addicition forum that have people there better suited to answere your question..i would say most likely you will have some kind of w/d if you stop cold turkey.. but i think the subtance abuse forum woulod be a better place to get your answere