I was prescribed percocet after having my wisdom teeth pulled. This was before opioid addiction was a big news story, though I was aware that it was a drug healthcare providers often got dependent on (at least that's how it was portrayed in the media).

I took one pill and got an amazing high. I distinctly remember thinking to myself, "I totally understand how people get addicted to this drug." I never took another pill despite the fact that I now have chronic pain from a car accident (unrelated to my wisdom teeth, obviously). I have also been prescribed vicodin for pain, but it does not give me a high and mostly only gave me really weird dreams...so I also only ever took 1-2 pills of that.

So, for myself, I'm guessing addiction to percocet could have happened quickly...but vicodin never.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It took me about a week to get hooked after breaking my leg.

Why would be prescribed them for a leg break? My husband had brain surgery and post operatively was treated with Tylenol. What justifies opioids on a broken bone? Man up.

Depending on the nature of the break and what it took to fix it, there could be a lot of pain. Brains, however, aren't particularly sensitive to pain.

I have been prescribed opioids many times after surgeries, and when I had cancer.

Back a few years, it seemed the prescriptions were more open-ended, and for larger amounts.

Today, things are much tighter controlled. As an example, in the past, the advice was "stay ahead of the pain", now it is "for the first two days, stay ahead....after that use the Tylenol and only use opioids if the Tylenol does not work". And, the size of the prescription in much smaller. With surgery in 2012, I was given 15 mg oxycodone every for hours for 15 days, or 90 pills. (that was for abdominal surgery).

This year, after shoulder surgery, I was on 5 mg of oxycodone for a maximum of 6 days.

I have never had any problems stopping, though.

Anonymous wrote:It took me about a week to get hooked after breaking my leg.

Why would be prescribed them for a leg break? My husband had brain surgery and post operatively was treated with Tylenol. What justifies opioids on a broken bone? Man up.

I'm glad my friend told me to rip up my Percocet prescription. I hate big Pharma.

I really enjoy being on Percocet or hydrocodone or Vicodin but have thus far managed to meter out my doses when I need them and haven’t had a problem when I no longer need them. Luckily I don’t have chronic pain — the need has only been short term post surgery or dental procedure. I have taken them sometimes for migraines (doctors script) but find that they don’t work and sumatriptans are the only thing that work. My dad on the other hand needed them for a nerve condition but refused to take them for fear of becoming addicted. I get it though, because in his case there wasn’t an end to the nerve situation (it eventually got better) and he didn’t want to have to take it indefinitely.

Anonymous wrote:Big Pharma gets protection from lots of the media.
Why bite the hand that feeds you?
Big Pharma does more advertising than anyone.

True.

I have been prescribed them several times post surgery but I have a high pain threshold and just didn't need them. I think I took one once and then didn't bother.

It depends on the person, as others have said.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For some (me)it only eases pain and produces no high whatsoever, just nausea and irritability. I couldn’t stop it soon enough.

Same. I have been prescribed them a few times. And never felt high. I had a bottle lying around my house for the longest time with no desire to take them for fun.

+1. I hate the feeling that I get when I take opioids. We moved a couple of years ago, and I realized that, between the three people in my family, we had 3-4 mostly full bottles of opioids that I needed to find a way to dispose of.

I, do, however, believe that there are people who become addicted almost immediately. Unfortunately, you (and the doctors) don't know how you are going to react until you try it.

I’m an alcoholic and have been prescribed percocets after every csection. I never felt a high while taking them, nor did I ever feel withdrawal symptoms coming off of them. Knowing what it’s like to be fully addicted and within the grasp of a substance, I have never understood what is addictive about percocets. Interesting that it can affect people in such drastically different ways.

If you didn’t get addicted, count your blessings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For some (me)it only eases pain and produces no high whatsoever, just nausea and irritability. I couldn’t stop it soon enough.

For me, it got rid of the pain and made me fall asleep with about 25 mins. No high.

I'm like the first pp. No high. I was really hoping it would make me fall asleep, but no luck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For some people, one dose.

For others, it's more.

Question is, do you think it's worth the risk to find out?

Do you think it's worth the risk to try alcohol? Some people become addicted, you know.

Do you think it's worth the risk to drive a car? Fly in a plane? Some people have died that way.

Do you think it's worth the risk to try losing a few pounds? Some people become addicted to exercise, calorie restriction, laxatives...

Do you think it's worth the risk to find out if you are allergic to the dyes they use when you get certain types of MRIs? You won't know until you're injected.

The state of our education system right here. None of this is remotely analagous to opioids. It is proven that these can become addictive and/or deadly immediately for many people and in most cases, there are better and safer alternatives.

Opioids are not cohol, plane rides or dyes. Seriously.

Alcohol is more dangerous than opiods...

Um, no. While alcoholism is certainly a problem, it take a person significantly longer period of time to become an alcoholic. With opioids, it's sometimes a couple of week or even quicker.

This exactly.

Anonymous wrote:For some people it's instant. For others it would take constant abuse. I wouldn't test it if you don't have to.

I agree.

My first exposure resulted in overdose. I was getting else and less oxygen; my sisters thought I was sleeping. Luckily, I was in the hospital and the nurse noticed on her rounds and I was soon revived with Narcan. Imagine if I’d been at a party.

The misinformation in circulation here about dependence, tolerance, addiction and risk is mind-boggling.

There are far more deaths because of alcohol use (at all levels, addictive and not) each year than there are opioid deaths.