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Percocet Medication Information
Percocet® (oxycodone/APAP) is a narcotic medicine approved for treating moderate to moderately severe pain. It is often prescribed to help relieve pain following a surgery, injury, or dental procedure. Percocet is a controlled substance that has a significant potential for abuse.
Before you start taking Percocet, information on the medication should be reviewed with your healthcare provider to help minimize risks and to ensure a safe treatment process. You should talk to your healthcare provider before taking it if you have liver disease, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, or a history of alcohol or drug abuse. It is also important to know that narcotics such as Percocet have been known to cause both psychological and physical dependence.
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Percocet. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider. Common side effects of Percocet include:
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation (see Percocet and Constipation)
- Itching
- An unexplained pleasant feeling (euphoria) or an unexplained unpleasant feeling (dysphoria).
(Click Percocet for more information, including details about the drug's effects, dosing guidelines, potential drug interactions, and warnings.)
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD