When a woman drinks, the alcohol in her bloodstream typically reaches a higher level than a man’s even if both are drinking the same amount. This is because women’s bodies generally have less water than men’s bodies. Because alcohol mixes with body water, a given amount of alcohol is more concentrated in a woman’s body than in a man’s. As a result, women are more susceptible to alcohol-related damage to organs such as the liver.
Signs and Symptoms of Combined Percocet and Alcohol Use
- Oxycodone extended-release capsules or tablets work differently from the regular oxycodone oral solution or tablets, even at the same dose.
- If you are taking the extended-release tablets (Oxycontin), swallow the tablets one at a time with plenty of water.
- Oxycodone does not affect any type of contraception including the combined pill, progestogen-only pill or emergency contraception.
A person caring for you can give the naloxone if you stop breathing or don’t wake up. Your caregiver must still get emergency medical help and may need to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on you while waiting for help to arrive. Opioid medicines, including this medicine, can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should give naloxone and/or seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue-colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.
A doctor may prescribe oxycodone if you have had side effects from other opioids. This depends on whether you are taking standard oxycodone capsules, tablets or liquid, or slow-release tablets. When an opioid overdose is suspected, naloxone hydrochloride should be administered as soon as possible. Naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray is currently available both over-the-counter and by prescription, under different brand names. Prescription options include Kloxxado (8 mg/spray), Rextovy (4 mg/spray), and Rezenopy (10 mg/spray). Narcan (4 mg/spray) and ReVive (3 mg/spray) are brand names available OTC.
Oxycodone is the primary ingredient in many opioid painkillers. These pills come in many shapes, sizes and doses, depending on the brand. Oxycodone is most often prescribed in pill or liquid form.
Small amounts of alcohol can make it dangerous to drive, and when you mix alcohol with certain medicines you put yourself at even greater risk. Combining alcohol with some medicines can lead to falls and serious injuries, especially among older people. Some medicines that you might never have suspected can react with alcohol, including many medications which can be purchased “over-the-counter”—that is, without a prescription. Even some herbal remedies can have harmful effects when combined with alcohol.
Medical Professionals
It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children, and in a location that is not easily accessible by others, including visitors to the home. Store it at room temperature and away from light and excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). You must immediately dispose of any medication that is outdated or no longer needed through a medicine take-back program. If you do not have a take-back program nearby or one that you can access promptly, flush any medication that is outdated or no longer needed down the toilet so that others will not take it.
Long-Term Risks
Oxycodone is a highly potent opiate medication that is processed from the opium in the Asian poppy plant. Opiates are drugs that have long been identified as significant drugs of abuse worldwide. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved medications to help treat alcohol addiction —naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. Individuals consume alcohol primarily for its mood-altering effects. Alcohol works through the central nervous system and depresses or slows functioning of various parts of the brain. If you are taking this product on a regular schedule and miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember.
What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?
Taking alcohol and oxycodone together can amplify these effects, making you “drunker” than you might be drinking alcohol alone or “higher” than you might be taking oxycodone alone. The combination can be deadly, increasing the risk of injury, particularly if behind the wheel of a car. Older people are at particularly high risk for harmful alcohol–medication interactions. Aging slows the body’s ability to break down alcohol, so alcohol remains in a person’s system longer. Older people also are more likely to take a medication that interacts with alcohol—in fact, they often need to take more than one of these medications.
Get medical help right away if you take too much acetaminophen (overdose), even if you feel well. Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, sweating, stomach/abdominal pain, extreme tiredness, yellowing eyes/skin, and dark urine. Taking too much acetaminophen may cause serious (possibly fatal) liver disease.
Your doctor may adjust your dose of oxycodone during your treatment, depending on how well your pain is controlled and on the side effects that you experience. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling during your treatment with oxycodone. Tell your doctor if you feel that your pain is not controlled or characteristics of an enabler if your pain increases, becomes worse, or if you have new pain or an increased sensitivity to pain during your treatment with oxycodone. Do not take more of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.