Percocet

Generic Name: acetaminophen and oxycodone (a SEET a MIN oh fen and OX i KOE done)
Brand Names: Endocet, Magnacet, Percocet, Primalev, Primlev, Roxicet, Tylox, Xolox

What is Percocet?

Percocet contains a combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone. Oxycodone is in a group of drugs called opioid pain relievers. An opioid is sometimes called a narcotic. Acetaminophen is a less potent pain reliever that increases the effects of oxycodone.

Percocet is used to relieve moderate to severe pain.

Percocet may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Important information about Percocet

Tell your doctor if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day. You may not be able to take medicine that contains acetaminophen. Do not take more Percocet than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain. Oxycodone may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it. Percocet may impair your thinking or reactions. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how Percocet will affect you. Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.

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Before taking Percocet

Do not use Percocet if you are allergic to acetaminophen (Tylenol) or oxycodone. Tell your doctor if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day. You may not be able to take medicine that contains acetaminophen.

To make sure you can safely take Percocet, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

• asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorders;

• liver or kidney disease;

• a history of head injury or brain tumor;

• epilepsy or other seizure disorder;

• low blood pressure;

• a stomach, intestinal, or pancreas disorder;

• underactive thyroid;

• Addison's disease or other adrenal gland disorder;

• enlarged prostate, urination problems;

• curvature of the spine;

• mental illness; or

• a history of drug or alcohol addiction.

Oxycodone may be habit forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Never share Percocet with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether Percocet is harmful to an unborn baby, but it could cause breathing problems or addiction/withdrawal symptoms in a newborn. Before you take Percocet, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Acetaminophen and oxycodone may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Do not use Percocet without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

See also: Percocet pregnancy and breastfeeding warnings (in more detail)

How should I take Percocet?

Take Percocet exactly as prescribed. Never take Percocet in larger amounts, or for longer than recommended by your doctor. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.

One Percocet tablet may contain up to 650 mg of acetaminophen. Know the amount of acetaminophen in the specific product you are taking.

Drink 6 to 8 full glasses of water daily to help prevent constipation while you are taking Percocet. Do not use a stool softener (laxative) without first asking your doctor. Do not stop using Percocet suddenly after long-term use, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor how to avoid withdrawal symptoms when you stop using Percocet.

Acetaminophen can cause false results with certain lab tests for glucose (sugar) in the urine. Talk to your doctor if you are diabetic and you notice changes in your glucose levels during treatment.

If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using Percocet. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

Store Percocet tablets at room temperature away from moisture and heat. After you have stopped using Percocet, flush any unused pills down the toilet. Disposal of medicines by flushing is recommended to reduce the danger of accidental overdose causing death. This advice applies to a very small number of medicines only. The FDA, working with the manufacturer, has determined this method to be the most appropriate route of disposal and presents the least risk to human safety.

Always check your bottle to make sure you have received the correct pills (same brand and type) of medicine prescribed by your doctor. Ask the pharmacist if you have any questions about the medicine you receive at the pharmacy.

Keep track of the number of Percocet tablets used from each new bottle. Oxycodone is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.

See also: Percocet dosage (in more detail)

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since Percocet is taken as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of Percocet can be fatal.

The first signs of an acetaminophen overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness. Later symptoms may include pain in your upper stomach, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.

Overdose symptoms may also include extreme drowsiness, pinpoint pupils, cold and clammy skin, muscle weakness, fainting, weak pulse, slow heart rate, coma, blue lips, shallow breathing, or no breathing

What should I avoid while taking Percocet?

Percocet may impair your thinking or reactions. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how Percocet will affect you. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP. Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.

Percocet side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Percocet: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• shallow breathing, slow heartbeat;

• feeling light-headed, fainting;

• confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior;

• seizure (convulsions);

• problems with urination; or

• nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Less serious Percocet side effects include:

• feeling dizzy or drowsy;

• mild nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, constipation;

• blurred vision; or

• dry mouth.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

See also: Percocet side effects (in more detail)

What other drugs will affect Percocet?

Do not take Percocet with any other narcotic pain medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, or other medicines that can make you sleepy or slow your breathing. Dangerous side effects may result.

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially:

• glycopyrrolate (Robinul);

• mepenzolate (Cantil);

• atropine (Donnatal, and others), benztropine (Cogentin), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), methscopolamine (Pamine), or scopolamine (Transderm-Scop);

• bladder or urinary medications such as darifenacin (Enablex), flavoxate (Urispas), oxybutynin (Ditropan, Oxytrol), tolterodine (Detrol), or solifenacin (Vesicare);

• a bronchodilator such as ipratropium (Atrovent) or tiotropium (Spiriva); or

• irritable bowel medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl), hyoscyamine (Anaspaz, Cystospaz, Levsin, and others), or propantheline (Pro-Banthine).

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with Percocet. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about Percocet.