Percocet is a prescription drug that combines oxycodone, an opioid painkiller, with acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol. Alcohol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, which slows down parts of the brain and induces feelings of relaxation and intoxication. When combined, alcohol and oxycodone can have a synergistic effect, enhancing each other’s impacts on the brain and body. This can lead to profound sedation, with users experiencing extreme drowsiness and even loss of consciousness. Oxycodone works by blocking pain signals from the brain and depressing the CNS, causing it to slow down.
Percocet withdrawal happens when you quit using the drug after developing a physical dependence on it. Symptoms typically start around 5–8 hours after the last dose and can last up to two weeks. Percocet and alcohol are both central nervous system (CNS) depressants. This means that both of them affect the brain and slow down its function, which often results in incoordination, decreased blood pressure, slurred speech, and similar symptoms.
The medical literature downplays any possible damage in lower doses, but there is no need to take a risk with one’s liver. In higher doses, mixing acetaminophen and alcohol alone can cause severe liver damage. That’s part of why it’s ill-advised to take acetaminophen to help cure a hangover. If you’re struggling with mixing Percocet and alcohol, or you’re worried about a loved one’s use of prescription opioids, now is the time to take action.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) should be used here to manage cravings and reduce the risk of relapse. The safest option is to undergo medically supervised detoxification, followed by a long-term treatment program. Alcohol Addiction Center is a free, web-based resource helping to bring education and information to the world of alcohol addiction. It is our hope that with increased awareness, more and more people will get help with their alcohol problems.
Because each Percocet pill has 325 mg acetaminophen, someone who has developed a high tolerance to oxycodone may take several Percocet pills. An estimated 63% of unintentional acetaminophen overdoses occur as a consequence of opioid and acetaminophen drug combinations. Do not mix alcohol with prescription medications, particularly opioids, as this can lead to slowed breathing, impaired judgement, overdose, and/or death. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, combining oxycodone with alcohol can lead to respiratory depression (slowed breathing or cessation of breathing). Lack or loss of oxygen can lead to paralysis, nerve damage, kidney failure, fluid build-up in the lungs, pneumonia, or death.
Although it is a potent painkiller, it’s important to remember that Percocet falls under Schedule II controlled substances. This means that it can easily lead to abuse and result in opioid dependence and addiction. Therefore, it is not recommended for long-term pain treatment and should be taken strictly as prescribed by a doctor. Percocet is a powerful opioid medication with a high potential for misuse and dependence. People should never take Percocet with alcohol, as it increases the risk of potentially dangerous side effects and overdose.
Opioids and alcohol are both central nervous system (CNS) depressants; they reduce the overall activity level in the brain, resulting in relaxation and sedation. Oxycodone is a potent opioid agonist, meaning that it strongly activates the endogenous opioid system. In addition to enhancing the oxycodone-induced increase in activity in the opioid system, alcohol increases activity levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Because these drugs act synergistically, when they are combined they can be so sedating that breathing stops. This slow-acting medication is released into the bloodstream over time, helping treat several types of moderate to severe pain.
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. The article describes the risks of taking Percocet with alcohol, including the signs and symptoms of a medical emergency. If you are struggling with addiction and co-occurring mental health, our expert team is here to guide you every step of the way.
In fact, Percocet is no small part of the opioid epidemic that has killed thousands of known victims. Many of these side effects are not just uncomfortable—they can be fatal. Combining alcohol with opioids can overwhelm the body’s natural ability to handle the two substances simultaneously, leading to serious health risks. The mixture of Percocet and alcohol amplifies the sedative effects of both substances, leading to significant impairment in judgment, decision-making, and motor skills. This impairment increases the likelihood of accidental injuries, such as falls, burns, or road traffic accidents. To avoid the dangers of addiction and impaired coordination, it is crucial to refrain from mixing alcohol and Percocet.
This can lead to bradypnea (abnormally slowed breathing) and respiratory depression (where carbon dioxide levels increase in the body while oxygen levels fall). Among the possible consequences of this are fainting, bradycardia (slowed heart rate), respiratory failure, heart attack, coma, and death. The endogenous opioid system is a negative regulator of several physiological functions including breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.
When alcohol is used in combination with opioids, the risk of respiratory depression increases exponentially. Some health officials have reported that 37% of overdose deaths caused by the combined use of alcohol and drugs involve opioids like oxycodone. The acute detoxification process involved with opioid drugs is still intense, even if it’s not life-threatening. Even years after the initial detoxification, patients can experience physical cravings for their drug. Thus, it’s often recommended that those who are victims of opioids maintain mixing alcohol and percocet a recovery network for years, if not decades. It is not unheard of for addicts to experience relapse after more than a decade.
Most notably, as an opioid drug, Percocet can cause euphoric feelings and drowsiness. This alone makes Percocet addictive, as some people may begin to misuse the medication (e.g., increasing the dosage) to enhance its relaxing effects. However, unlike most other painkillers, Percocet consists of two active ingredients, both of which interact with alcohol in different ways. Because of this, drinking alcohol with Percocet can be especially dangerous. It’s no secret that drinking alcohol while taking most types of medication isn’t recommended and can be potentially life-threatening. Percocet is a lab-made opioid used to treat varying forms of chronic pain.
By re-regulating the endorphin-receptor system, ANR restores the brain to its natural state before addiction. As a result, this treatment enables patients to return to sobriety without experiencing withdrawal symptoms or cravings. Accelerated Neuro-Regulation (ANR) is a groundbreaking opioid addiction treatment that beats traditional therapies in terms of speed, safety, and effectiveness. When taken together, Percocet and alcohol intensify one another’s effects, especially sedation. This can be not only dangerous but also life-threatening and lead to loss of consciousness, injury, and respiratory depression. Much like the use of other opioid painkillers, Percocet use can result in various side effects, both short-term and long-term.
