Author: James Anderson

The Risks of Combining Oxycodone and Alcohol

In the event of opioid or alcohol dependence, there are a variety of treatments and support groups available to help overcome addiction. Substance abuse, including that of opioids and alcohol, continues to be a health concern in the United States. In fact, addressing addiction and opioids is listed as one of the U.S. Oxycodone acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to deliver pain relief. Because oxycodone works in the pleasure centers of the brain, it has a high potential for abuse and addiction.

In the short term, this can lead to impaired judgment and vision, as well as slowed coordination and reaction time. Anyone can buy naloxone from a pharmacy or local health department. Make sure any person caring for you knows where you keep naloxone and how to use it. Follow your doctor’s instructions about gradually decreasing your dose. Never crush or break an oxycodone pill to inhale the powder or mix it into a liquid to inject the drug into your vein.

Where to Get Help for Addiction

It is used either alone (OxyContin, Roxicodone, Oxaydo, Xtampza ER) or in combination with other non-narcotic analgesics such as aspirin (Percodan) or acetaminophen (Percocet). The amount of oxycodone needed for pain relief varies depending on each individual’s pain levels and body. Your healthcare provider will most likely start you on a low dose, and slowly increase until the pain is well-controlled. Just one dose can cause death in someone using this medicine accidentally or improperly.

Drugs that affect brain chemistry in this way can lead to addiction. However, the combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen can lead to acute liver failure due to accidental acetaminophen overdose. Drinking alcohol while taking Percocet also increases the risk of overdose and increases the risk of liver damage. In fact, more than 30,000 people are hospitalized each year in the United States for acute liver failure as a result of acetaminophen-induced liver damage.

This slow-acting medication is released into the bloodstream over time, helping treat several types of moderate to severe pain. When opioids such as oxycodone and alcohol are combined, it can have devastating effects. Drinking alcohol while using opioids comes with many risks, including slower breathing, impaired judgment, and potentially overdose and death. Oxycodone is a prescription opioid pain-relieving medication that people use to manage moderate to severe pain.

Percocet and other depressants intensify the effects of each other, which can be dangerous and have potentially fatal consequences. On the flip side, alcohol can be detected in the blood 12 hours after taking a drink. So it is equally unwise to take a Percoset after drinking, even if the effects have apparently worn off. So even if you don’t feel the effects of Percocet, it doesn’t mean you don’t have any of the drug still in your system. If you decide to have a drink, you could very well find yourself drunker than usual and unable to operate a car or heavy machinery without extreme danger. There is no way to know how much or how little alcohol and Percoset are needed for an overdose to occur.

What happens if I miss a dose?

The side effects of mixing alcohol and Percocet can be dire and should be avoided. When taken together, they can increase the risk of addiction, overdose, or liver damage. They can also amplify the intoxicating effects of both, leading to impaired coordination and judgment and, in turn, an increased risk of injury to yourself and others. This can lead to bradypnea (abnormally slowed breathing) and respiratory depression (where carbon dioxide levels increase in the body while oxygen levels fall). Among the possible consequences of this are fainting, bradycardia (slowed heart rate), respiratory failure, heart attack, coma, and death. It is a prescription pain medication derived from the poppy plant.

1. Taking opioids, such as oxycodone or morphine, in combination with alcohol can have severe consequences and be fatal.
2. Never crush or break an oxycodone pill to inhale the powder or mix it into a liquid to inject the drug into your vein.
3. For this reason, it is essential not to take oxycodone for longer than a doctor prescribes.
4. When taken together, they can increase the risk of addiction, overdose, or liver damage.

Do not mix alcohol with prescription medications, particularly opioids, as this can lead to slowed breathing, impaired judgement, overdose, and/or death. It is very important to follow your healthcare provider’s orders for dosage and time taken to avoid misuse, overdose, and/or death. Overdoses involving opioids killed nearly 47,000 people in 2018, and 32% of those deaths involved prescription opioids. The risk of harm increases with the amount of alcohol consumed, but for people who use opioids, there is no safe level of alcohol to consume. Fatal side effects can occur if you use opioid medicine with alcohol, or with other drugs that cause drowsiness or slow your breathing. A person who experiences moderate to severe pain can discuss pain management options with their doctor.

How long should a person take Percocet?

You stay at your home during outpatient treatment while you stay at a rehabilitation facility during inpatient treatment. Your healthcare provider will work with you to discuss your options, the pros and cons of each, and how much they may cost. Because oxycodone can also cause sensations of pleasure or euphoria, it’s also highly addictive. Regulatory agencies have long been concerned by just how addictive it is.

Alcohol and oxycodone cause feelings of euphoria by stimulating the production of the “feel-good” hormones dopamine and serotonin. By acting on the reward center of the brain, both drugs can make users feel more relaxed, less inhibited, and “happier.” The article describes the risks of taking Percocet with alcohol, including the signs and symptoms of a medical emergency. If the person has had a seizure, collapsed, does not wake up immediately, or has trouble breathing, immediately call emergency services. Depending on your individual situation, your treatment plan could be either outpatient or inpatient.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Serious breathing problems may be more likely in older adults and in those who are debilitated or have wasting syndrome or chronic breathing disorders. Always check the brand and strength of oxycodone you get from the pharmacy. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device (not a kitchen spoon).

According to the World Health Organization, about 115,000 people died of an opioid overdose in 2017. If a person takes opioids and alcohol together, they may experience severe and dangerous consequences. A 2017 study found that taking even one tablet of the opioid oxycodone with a modest amount of alcohol can increase the risk of respiratory depression. This causes breathing to become extremely shallow or stop altogether. Opioid medicine, including oxycodone, can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should give naloxone and/or seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

This limits the risk of dependence and addiction, which can occur quickly when a person takes Percocet. When alcohol is used in combination with opioids, the risk of respiratory depression increases exponentially. Some health officials have reported that 37% of overdose deaths caused by the combined use of alcohol and drugs involve opioids like oxycodone.