Percocet 10/325 Recurrent Panic, Chronic Alcohol, Panic Attacks, Hot Flashes, Percocet
Posted over a year ago
I started having panic attacks while taking Percocet. I am a chronic alcohol user, and I am saying this just in case it rings a bell for anyone. I have since stopped taking Percocet (about 3 days). I was a habitual/recreational user ... meaning that I took ... more »
I started having panic attacks while taking Percocet. I am a chronic alcohol user, and I am saying this just in case it rings a bell for anyone. I have since stopped taking Percocet (about 3 days). I was a habitual/recreational user ... meaning that I took them when available, but I did not always have them. Since my last dose, I have been having recurrent panic attacks that are very scary. They include physical symptoms (heart pounding, cold and hot flashes, feeling of difficulty breathing, sweating, shaking) - and the much more scary mental symptoms (fear of death, walls closing in, inability to think or concentrate, vivid dreaming, fear of people, etc.). It appears that some other people have had issues like this, but not everyone. Can someone share their story with me. Has anyone had similar experiences ? Do they go away at some point ? Is it withdraw (I am not sure since they started while I was using them - but continued after I stopped) ? I have heard that it just takes some time, but it is very scary. I get some relief by drinking ... in fact almost complete freedom from most of the symptoms, but I can't just drink all day. Please help.
Vidoebycarol - Hi. I started useing Percocet for shoulder pain, and have since turned into a daily recreational user of it. I have had panice attacks while using percocet, they usually happen around that monthly cycle (for women). I have had panic attacks for years tho, but have successfuly treated them with Klonopin. I usually take a small amount of Klonopin each night and that keeps the panic attacks away, for the most part. I've used other narcotics and have had panic attacks with them also. There's something that stuff that appears to be a short-lived stimulant, thus causing some anxiety and panic attacks, along with the sedation. Weird.
Xopiate - Sounds like withdrawl effects. Stay away from them for anything other than pain if you have an addictive personality. These are lesser forms of heroin, morphine released in the brain. The effects you are describing are absolutely withdrawl. If you take them for extended periods of time, you will find the withdrawl symptoms getting worse and worse. You will NEED to have a pill to get out of bed, when you SHOULD be otherwise healthy. Tolerance to the drug will build and you will quickly become addicted... If you have problems with alcohol, you are at hightened risk of opiate addiction, so stay away from it. (family history, substance abuse problems.)
If you are currently addicted to opiates, Vicodin/percocet/ ect. There are treatment options available. If you are feeling down after a short period of use, these symptoms will subside and you will be back to normal in a little time. If you keep taking them, it will only get worse and you may require medical treatment, IE: Suboxone/Subutex , methadone. Paths you don't want to go down. The high, eventually will NOT be worth the HORRIBLE, UNBEARABLE, withdrawl symptoms. You will have to take huge ammounts of pills to feel 'normal.'
If your addicted to painkillers, get help. They retard your life IF your using them for recreational 'high' OR to maintain or avoid the withdrawl symptoms, post addiction. If you have legit pain, they are a life saver. But really unless you have a CHRONIC condition, you shouldn't take these any longer than your pain is present, until you are healed, or advised by your doctor.
Get with god, drink water and get alot of sleep. Some people find anti-anxiety medication helpful for the mental discomfort (don't get abusive of that too, those withdraw symptoms can be fatal.) The addicted brain is damaged by the drug and MUST HEAL. If you believe you may be addicted to painkillers, there is ALOT of help these days. There is no excuse for taking opiates to 'maintain' normality.
You may want to take a look at the reasons for abuse. Maybe depression? Or a coping responce. You want to completely get sober, no drinking or taking pain pills. Seek help if you can't be completely sober. You may have an underlying condition. Maybe you need anti-depressants. Nothing to be ashamed of, just get it done. Start your life today! It may hurt, it will hurt to feel again. But in the end, everyone around you will see it. You will feel better, more connected and you will NOT regret the choice you've made.
Sorry if this isn't where you are in life, but I've know alot of people in these situations. And you ALWAYS have a choice. You will live a much longer, more enjoyable, healthier life in the end.
Telewheels - Thank you for taking the time to respond. To update ... After about 5 days the attacks ended, and I stopped taking Percocet until about 2 weeks ago. Within 48 hours of taking 1 1/2 pills over a full day, I again had attacks, lasting minutes not hours. After a day or two, they went away.
I got brave and tried again ... same thing. Well, I guess that I proved that there is a connection in my case.
I know that t sounds strange to keep trying it over and over, but I needed to know if the drug was causing the attacks, or if I was in need of professional care for them. I truly feared that I had crossed a line of no return, and similar to flashbacks, was going to suffer with this without taking any more drugs.
To answer one queston posted ... yes, I truly and definitely have an addictive personality. This personality has created the drive to be successful (I am a successful, although small, car dealer), but the other side of it is issues like this. I guess that I am what you call a functioning addict. I wish that there was a way to harness to positives that I get from alcohol and pills, and eliminate the side effects (bad breath, drunkeness, sickness). They make a stimulating drug for everything else, why not one that gives the effects of alcohol, but without beng so sloppy ?
Shame to throw all of those percs away.
Isaiahsun - You sound exactly like me. I mean right to the jot and tittle. I'll wake up sometimes early in the morning just reeling trying to get a breath, and I feel super distant and disconnected for a few minutes. The last few days my stomach just kills with a gnawing pain. I take like 3-4 7.5 percs at once and probally around 6 a day. I also get the 10 miligrams as well the yellow ones. I'll eat 2-3 at once. The tolerance builds up so much that I dont get the energy and euphoria I once did. Now I just feel drowsy and anxious. I drink wine on them as well, and ofcourse the liver thing is always knocking on my conscience. I'm pretty much over them...I would rather just drink some wine to help ease the afflictions. The spritual side, like the fear of death and the panic thoughts are a hell on earth. I wouldnt want my worst enemy to suffer it. If anything your not alone my friend, and I would love to converse, cause you sound right up my ally, and I can relate. Been there done that!! Peace, David
Missyxx - Well for me it all started due to a herniated disk I suffered from.I began to pop these pilss and they took the pain away,soon after though I found myself popping them just to get high and feel good.All of a sudden the usaual dose was not working for me so I had to run to the er just to get more perc's.Then I started havin panick attacks I lost 60 pounds in less than a year and all I could do was tink how can I keep the supply comming in for me it was fun to feel good and drink coffee with them while all my pain was gone.Now I am on zoloft and clonopin because the anxiety and panick attacks started to get out of control I would end up in the er at least twice a week not knowing what the heck was wrong with me felt as if my throat was closing up and I had difficulty slawllowing at tiimes my saliva was not as much in my mouth yet I still needed to pop those darn pills I admit it now I feel like I am dependent on them and I do need help but am afraid to get help because what If a time comes that I will need them again and due to the fact that I have become addicted to them I may not be able to obtain them at all.also I went from 7.5 to 10/325 grams because they were not helping me with the pain now the higher dose works fine but sometimes i take 2 just to get knocked out and sleep do I have a prblem?
Rpm83826 - Every single time i snort a bag of heroin or do a shot of tar, or snort a roxy or oxy, my heart starts beating like crazy, its like a full blown panic attack which is weird because i've been doing these drugs for 6 years without ever having these feelings now all of a sudden the past month its been this way. i cant even thiink about doing a bag right this second because i can feel in the pit of my stomach the attack im going to have
Leilani1 - Did anyone happen to think that this might be symptoms of o.d.? Panic attacks happen when the body feels it is in danger so it goes into the- fight or flight response. Meaning it will fight to survive, thus having a panic attack. I've come very close to o.d. more than once and this is how I've felt.
Elli - I am going through the same thing. Panic attacks, major anxiety to the point where I don't even want to leave my house. I feel like this is who I am now...it faded a little for a day, then it comes right back to bite me! I HATE it...I hope I am going to get better, but when? My mind is racing, I am constintly worrying to the point where it makes me sick. I can't go out and do the normal things I want to do because I don't feel right. WHAT IS THE TIME LIMIT? I have been off percs for 15 DAYS! I used on and off for 5 months and the last two months pretty much everyday.
Elli - And why do I feel good one day? Then it starts all over again the next? Could this be a serious problem now or is it part of the withdrawal?
Elli - I also constintly think how am I going to ever work when I feel so horrible? I can't even go out in public and feel right. Am I going to be that person stuck in my house my whole life? THIS IS CRAZY...IT HAS BEEN 2 WEEKS TOO LONG.......
Tseanmurr - See a doctor and have klonopin prescribed to you to stop the anxiety and panic attacks. Get prayer to be free from the excessive alcohol consumption. Give your heart and life to The Lord Jesus Christ. Attend a church where God wants you to be. Dont go to AA. God can free you from alcoholism.
Vpowers - u may have heart probs from all the drugs! Its a total warning sign to you that u need to stop now or you will die! get some help, hope u make it through difficult times..
Missmess - OK, here's the deal. I have been a pain management patient for over 10 years for degenerative disc disease as I was a gymnast through my childhood all the way until I was 19 years of age. I use to be on Fentanyl patch 75 mcg along with Norco 6 a day for breakthrough pain for 5 years, then I lost my job and had to ween off because of no more medical insurance. I then was put on 30 mg Roxicodone not to exceed 9 a day and also 2 10 mg Methadone right before bed. I had been on that regimen for years until all of a sudden I took 2 Roxicodone's and had a major panic attack where I thought I was going to die. I went to the ER and explained EVERYTHING to them. I also went to the ER and they gave me a Dilaudid shot and within 45 seconds my heart started pounding and I thought I was going to pass out. I do not wish a panic attack on my worst enemy. I never abused these drugs or ever exceeded my dosage. Long story short....the ER doctor couldn't believe it was the Roxi's that were giving me the panic attacks....it happened to me about 10 more times...and every time I went to the ER, even at different hospitals, the doctors were morons and had never heard of that happening before as opiates are supposed to make you sleepy or sedated. I finally went to a neurologist and he said "OH! of course! after taking opiates for so long the chemistry in your brain starts to change and sometimes people start to experience panic attacks, hallucinations, etc. I asked the pharmacist at a new pharmacy I started going to and he pulled the manufacturer's paper out of the bottle and circled where it stated that a small percent of people experience anxiety with this medication. I now feel that i'm not crazy. But it was disheartening that so many doctors acted like they had never heard of it before. Needless to say, it has diminished my faith in doctors.
Missmess - OK, here's the deal. I have been a pain management patient for over 10 years for degenerative disc disease as I was a gymnast through my childhood all the way until I was 19 years of age. I use to be on Fentanyl patch 75 mcg along with Norco 6 a day for breakthrough pain for 5 years, then I lost my job and had to ween off because of no more medical insurance. I then was put on 30 mg Roxicodone not to exceed 9 a day and also 2 10 mg Methadone right before bed. I had been on that regimen for years until all of a sudden I took 2 Roxicodone's and had a major panic attack where I thought I was going to die. I went to the ER and explained EVERYTHING to them. I also went to the ER and they gave me a Dilaudid shot and within 45 seconds my heart started pounding and I thought I was going to pass out. I do not wish a panic attack on my worst enemy. I never abused these drugs or ever exceeded my dosage. Long story short....the ER doctor couldn't believe it was the Roxi's that were giving me the panic attacks....it happened to me about 10 more times...and every time I went to the ER, even at different hospitals, the doctors were morons and had never heard of that happening before as opiates are supposed to make you sleepy or sedated. I finally went to a neurologist and he said "OH! of course! after taking opiates for so long the chemistry in your brain starts to change and sometimes people start to experience panic attacks, hallucinations, etc. I asked the pharmacist at a new pharmacy I started going to and he pulled the manufacturer's paper out of the bottle and circled where it stated that a small percent of people experience anxiety with this medication. I now feel that i'm not crazy. But it was disheartening that so many doctors acted like they had never heard of it before. Needless to say, it has diminished my faith in doctors. I hope this helps someone, and I hope you don't feel alone anymore!
Vidoebycarol - Hello... Well I've been off percs for 2 years now, no more panic attacks. Unfortunately it seems that long-term narcotic use does damage tho. I've developed other oddities that are otherwise inexplicable. I cannot tolerate anyone touching me, and I have emotionally flat-lined. I don't feel depressed, I just only pretend to be interested in those around me so they don't notice anything. I believe I've developed a serious mental disorder but I don't want to be medicated, so keep it to myself.
Narcotics do seem to be a cause of panic attacks as well as other things!
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