Drug and Alcohol - Opioid Addiction

How Long Does Percocet Stay in Your System?

How long does Percocet stay in your system? The answer might shock you. Get the facts about Percocet and drug tests in our blog.

How Long Does Percocet Stay in Your System?

Table of Contents

Written by

Brian MooreBrian Moore

Content Writer

Reviewed by

Jeremy ArztJeremy Arzt

Chief Clinical Officer

April 19, 2023

The Edge Treatment Center

Percocet is a prescription painkiller. It's a mix of acetaminophen, a non-addictive, non-narcotic painkiller (it's the active ingredient in Tylenol) combined with the partially-synthetic narcotic oxycodone.

This prescription drug is used to treat mild to chronic pain on a periodic basis. Percocet is widely available in the form of a tablet. However, when abused, Percocet can quickly become addictive because it's partially an opioid drug.

Prescription painkillers addiction has grown due to greater accessibility and the misconception that such substances are easier to misuse versus illegal psychoactive drugs. Opioid painkillers, such as Percocet, are equally as addictive as street opioids like heroin and can cause fatal overdoses. It's why Percocet, like other drugs in its class, is a controlled substance.

Experiments were developed to see if the drug was present in the patient's urine, saliva, and hair follicles. They can be used in various settings, from a drug treatment center to the workplaces of targeted companies, to detect relapse. Percocet could be found in urine for two days, blood for one day, and hair for one month.

Percocet combines two medications: acetaminophen and oxycodone, with quick disconnect. Tylenol's principal constituent is acetaminophen, while oxycodone is a potent opioid analgesic pain reliever.

Oxycodone is Percocet's narcotic, which could be included in the assessment.

If the physician has recommended Percocet and has a reasonable cause for taking it to alleviate discomfort, inform the staff at the substance research center before you complete your checkup.

Do not abruptly quit accepting Percocet without consulting your physician since you might develop severe withdrawal symptoms. Instead, talk to your physician, who might advise you to discontinue medication over time.

By the Numbers

More than 106,000 people died from drug-related overdoses in the United States in 2021, encompassing illicit substances and synthetic opioids, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

What Is the Purpose of Percocet?

Percocet is employed to relieve pain that is sufficiently serious to warrant the use of opiate painkiller but not so extreme that alternative treatments (such as paracetamol separately, analgesics like aspirin, or non-medicated techniques like cooling, heating, or physiotherapy) are ineffective. Percocet is an oral pharmaceutical pain reliever that includes oxycodone and acetaminophen.

Acetaminophen is a popular non-prescribed pain reliever, but oxycodone is a more powerful prescribed opiate pain reliever. In addition, acetaminophen may boost oxycodone's discomfort-managing properties. The DEA classifies oxycodone as a Schedule II prohibited drug due to the possibility of addiction and misuse. Often, oxycodone is the preferred substance for occupational drug screening.

How Long Does Percocet Take to Work?

Typically, the discomfort-alleviating properties of one Percocet capsule start being effective between twenty and thirty minutes, peak in between one and two hours and persist for between four and six hours. The quantity of Percocet required for medical intervention varies significantly across individuals. In a broad sense, your physician will begin with a minor concentration and gradually build it up until the discomfort is controlled.

What Is The Half-Life of Percocet?

The "half-life" of medicine is the frequency it takes to be removed from the human system. While instant-effect oxycodone has always had a half-life of roughly 3.2 hours, most individuals should be able to remove a dosage from their circulation within 24 hours, although outcomes may vary.

What is the half life of Percocet? This image describes the half life of Percocet

Because acetaminophen has a half-life of approximately 1.25-3 hours, one intake must leave your system between 24 hours or less.

A chemical's half-life is the duration it requires for its plasma content to be lowered by one-half of its initial amount. A substance takes roughly five half-lives to be wholly cleared from the system, yet it could still be identifiable on a medical exam. A medication's half-life and clearance can vary from one individual to another depending on variables like maturity, body weight, heredity, renal or liver performance, drug reactions, and even health problems. For example, Percocet might persist in your body for an extended period if you've ingested it frequently or in excessive dosages.

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How Long Does Percocet Stay in Your System?

Drug tests may reveal previous Percocet usage. Percocet typically departs the body after 17.5 hours, although it may be found in specific drug testing for much longer due to residues remaining from the medication. When a person consumes Percocet, the component of oxycodone in the bloodstream is processed in the hepatic area and expelled in their bowels and urine. Substance examinations may identify previous usage even after oxycodone has been removed from the body since its compounds are around for a prolonged period compared to oxycodone.

How long does Percocet stay in your system? This chart shows how long Perks stays in urine, saliva, blood, and hair

How Long Does Percocet Remain in Urine?

Percocet can be detected in urine for three days after it was last used.

How Long Does Percocet Last in Your Blood?

Percocet consumption, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), can be identified in blood work for approximately eighteen hours after being used. This timeframe is calculated according to the period required for most medication to be eliminated from the body, which would be five half-lives.

How Long Does Percocet Remain in Your Saliva?

According to the Nebraska government, oxycodone could be found in biological fluids lasting up to 2 days. However, saliva swab administration is uncommon as it is more challenging and far less reliable than urine tests.

How Long Does Percocet Linger in Your Hair?

Hair testing can identify Percocet and certain other narcotics for a maximum of ninety days. The limited timeframe is determined by the rate at which hair grows.

How Long Does Percocet Linger in Breast Milk?

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), oxycodone, the narcotic ingredient in Percocet, could remain in the mother's milk for 2-3 days. Scientists say roughly 8% of oxycodone passes further into breast milk from the woman's system. This amount may be sufficient to produce unpleasant effects in newborns. If you intend to nurse while using this medicine, see your physician.

Risks of Percocet Abuse

Apart from understanding the detection period of Percocet in the body, many adverse reactions and hazards are associated with its use. Individuals who take the drug correctly will suffer fewer or milder forms of these negative impacts. On the flip side, those who consume more medicine than necessary or who use it casually might experience greater serious complications altogether.

Among the grounds that clinicians generally explore for substitutes before administering this medicine is because of its dangers and harmful impacts. If you are on a treatment for this drug but find that the negative effects surpass the advantages in your situation, speak with your physician; they might be capable of suggesting a much more excellent substitute medicine.

Aside from understanding the response to the query "How long will Percocet remain in the system?" one must be mindful of the following Percocet adverse effects, as defined by MedlinePlus:

  • Morning sickness

  • Throwing up

  • Parched mouth

  • Tiredness

  • Migraine

  • Mood swings

Significant adverse reactions that may necessitate medical assistance involve:

  • Vomiting or feeling nauseated 

  • Heartache

  • Skin infection

  • Scratching

  • Facial, nasal, esophagus, mouth, lips, eyelids, foot, and ankle swelling

  • Dry cough

  • Struggling to breathe

  • Convulsions

  • Loss of coordination

Besides such health consequences, which could also indicate an allergic response, intoxication, or other unpleasant responses, there is the additional danger that somehow this prescription can develop a dependency or that protracted consumption of the prescription would lead to liver damage.

Understanding the basics of the detection time frame of Percocet in the body is helpful, yet not dependable enough just to make all informed choices on the medicine. For example, individuals with a track record of liver diseases are highly susceptible to hepatic injury when using this medicine. If you suffer from serious illnesses, you should speak to your physician about whether Percocet is appropriate.

Percocet Withdrawal Symptoms

Anyone dependent on Percocet or a different narcotic must seek the advice of a licensed physician before trying to discontinue, as side effects and desires can be harsh. Drug rehabilitation programs might progressively start tapering a patient off the medicine to reduce these side effects or replace an opioid addiction therapy prescription.

Among the signs of Percocet withdrawal are:

  • Falling asleep

  • Nasal congestion

  • Anxiousness

  • Nervousness

  • Anxiety and depressive disorders

  • Aftershocks

  • Puking and discomfort

  • Constipation

  • High blood pressure

  • Elevated pulse rate

  • Muscle stiffness

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Is Percocet an Addictive Substance? 

In a nutshell, definitely! Percocet may prove highly compulsive, mainly if used for an extended period or leisure purposes apart from authorized and doctor-supervised pain management. Percocet, like several other narcotic and opiate drugs, focuses on your mind's reward center in addition to alleviating suffering. This is why numerous opiate consumers feel psychologically superior after taking the prescription, although they don't need pain treatment. The larger the dosage and the length of time you utilize the drug, the bigger the danger of dependency. And it's at this point that comprehending how long Percocet lingers in your bloodstream becomes much more crucial than learning the risk of dependence on this potent analgesic.

While a few individuals may utilize Percocet for a prolonged period and discontinue without experiencing massive issues, others can develop an obsession after only one standard injection or authorization for the medicine. However, detecting Percocet dependence can be challenging, notably if you are the person that takes medication or if the individual you are concerned about is a beloved one.

Typical symptoms of Percocet dependency encompass:

  • Seeing many specialists of the identical category incorporate different prescriptions

  • Being compelled to lie regarding the amount of medicine you've consumed

  • Visiting several clinics to obtain medicines

  • Experiencing the desire to conceal your substance usage

  • Using Percocet more frequently than suggested

  • Required to consume more Percocet than usual to achieve the same effect

  • Using additional Percocet than recommended

  • Thinking or have previously purchased Percocet on the illicit market

  • Being unwell in a manner that appears to improve only after you consume extra Percocet

There are several additional indications and signs of Percocet dependence, but this list may assist you in recognizing addictive behavior in yourself or anyone close to you.

Recovery From Percocet Addiction

"What's in Percocet" or "How long does Percocet show up in drug tests" are questions many ask, especially if they're concerned about Percocet addiction.

First and foremost, realize that you are not alone, as numerous specialist doctors have expertise in assisting persons in your situation. You can benefit from their skills and understanding of dealing with addiction, and it's essential to understand that it's possible to get healthier.

Finally, if Percocet addiction is controlling your life, consider speaking with a drug rehab center. There's no better place to receive treatment for Percocet addiction. A drug rehab excels in this therapy and developing conditions suitable for healing.

Opioid Addiction Is Treatable. Get Treated for Percocet Addiction Today at The Edge Treatment Center

How long does Percocet stay in your system? Long enough to cause real damage.

The Edge Treatment Center can assist you or a loved one in getting free from Percocet addiction. You can visit our facility in person or email the institution for additional data concerning the admissions procedure, our evidence-based programs, and what you should anticipate during your stay.

Percocet addiction is treatable. To learn more about our effective program for Percocet abuse, contact The Edge Treatment Center today.

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