Addiction to Percocet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Addiction to Percocet - Essay Example A brief overview of the substance is followed by the sections on the nursing care considerations during the drug user’s pregnancy in general and during the second trimester in particular, and for the neonate. In addition, the paper explores the potential solutions to the issues that may arise during Percocet use in patient treatment. It ends with a conclusion that summarizes the overall discussion of Percocet: its effects and warnings. 2. Overview of Substance 2.1. What is Percocet? Medications that treat pain are known to have been the first line of defense directed against pain and a standard prescription practice across the United States for decades (Cole, 2012). While they are believed to considerably raise patient quality of life, narcotics often lead to addiction and, if overdosed, to death. Percocet, an opiate-based drug, is one of such painkillers. It relieves severe pain, but puts a person at risk of becoming an addict. To make the matters worse, once consumed in a no n-prescribed or excessive manner, Percocet may lead to fatal consequences. Needless to say, withdrawal from addiction is very painful and accompanied by a range of symptoms including muscle pain, anxiety, panic, muscle weakness, fever, insomnia, and nausea, etc (CESAR, n.d.). 1.2. Percocet Ingredients. Percocet is a trade name of oxycodone and comes in a tablet form. Other brand names of oxycodone, along with Percocet, are OxyContin, Percodan, Endodan, Roxicet, Roxiprin, Endocet, Tylox, Magnacet, Primlev, Xolox. Defined as â€Å"  a semi-synthetic opiate manufactured by modifying the chemical thebaine, an organic chemical found in opium†, oxycodone is known to be as powerful, dangerous, and addictive as heroin (CESAR, n.d., Drug-Free World Foundation, 2008). Oxycodone is classified as a Schedule II drug, which means that it has a high potential for being abused. It also means that the medication is currently accepted (with restrictions) in the United States, and may lead to severe dependence, either psychological or physical (Office of Diversion Control, 2013). In terms of active ingredients, Percocet also contains acetaminophen along with oxycodone, which increases the pain relieving effect. 2.3. Percocet: Side Effects & Consequences of Use. On 30 June 2009, Percocet was recommended to be removed from the U.S. market by an FDA advisory panel. Along with another drug, Paracetamol, Percocet was accountable for more than 400 deaths over one year. That was caused by the fact that the overdose of these drugs or their intake along with multiple other drugs can cause death (Hombach, 2012, p.122). The consequences and side effects of Percocet are grievous and numerous. An overdose of Percocet is likely to cause death. Oxycodone overdose may lead to circulatory collapse, cardiac arrest, apnea, and death. Overdose of acetaminophen leads to the fatal condition of hepatitis necrosis, hypoglycemic coma, renal tubular necrosis, and thrombocytopenia. Evidently, a c ombination of two, found in Percocet, means a double effect when overdosed. Percocet is a highly addictive drug. Prolonged use of the drug leads to addiction, when the user’s brain is charged in such manner that he or she is not capable of quitting on their own. Once the user decides to quit, withdrawal symptoms appear to be high, in particular if the withdrawal is sudden. The symptoms of withdrawal are severe and include: anxiety, insomnia, nausea, muscle pain, fevers, and a range of other flu-like symptoms (CESAR, n.d.). A number of side effects that result from Percocet use include respiratory depression, irregularity of breathing, nausea, growing pressure of spinal/cerebral fluid,