How Long Does Percocet Stay In Your System?
Medically Reviewed By: Manish Mishra, MBBS
Written by: Dr Jason Martin Psy.D., LCPC
The amount of time Percocet stays in your system depends on a number of factors including genetics as well as the severity of drug abuse. Percocet can be detected in urine for 4 days, in saliva for 2 days, and in hair for 90 days.
Percocet (the combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen) is a prescription medication used to treat moderate to severe pain. The time this prescription drug stays in your system depends on a number of genetic factors as well as the amount of time the prescription opioid has been abused.
Percocet is a Schedule II controlled substance according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). For employment, legal reasons, and other means, a person may be subjected to a drug test.
How long Percocet stays in your system depends on a number of factors. There are also several ways in which this oxycodone/acetaminophen combination stores in the body.
Percocet Drug Test
The side effects of Percocet use may become severe as the drug can be stored in the fatty tissues of the body. This pain reliever joins with opioid receptors in the brain to provide sedation.
Percocet may be for pain relief, but can be abused. This is why employers sometimes request employees to take drug tests. Percocet can be detected in a number of ways.
How Long Does Percocet Stay In Your Urine?
Percocet can show up in a urine test. However, depending on the liver and kidney function of the individual, the detection time may begin within two hours of taking the medication and can last up to 4 days.
How Long Does Percocet Stay In Your Saliva?
Although less accurate than other testing methods, a saliva test can reveal if Percocet is in your system. In fact, Percocet may be found in saliva for up to 2 days. You may be tested by having a healthcare professional swab your mouth for detection.
How Long Does Percocet Stay In Your Blood?
Blood tests will show certain metabolites that can be identified with a drug test. The detection window of Percocet in the blood is typically 1 day after the last dose was taken.
How Long Does Percocet Stay In Your Hair?
When hair follicles are tested for crime or legal reasons, a hair test may reveal a number of substances. This long-term test can reveal Percocet in a person’s system for up to 90 days.
Half-Life Of Percocet
A drug’s half-life is an important factor when determining how long Percocet remains in the body. The half-life of an immediate-release Percocet is 3.5 hours, meaning it takes Percocet this period of time for the body to process half of the medication.
However, Percocet may build up in the body if high doses of the drug are taken, whether long-term or during a short-term period.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Percocet can affect mental health, especially when combined with other medications such as antidepressants.
Percocet Abuse & Addiction
Before taking Percocet, speak with your doctor regarding the chronic pain you experience as well as any other medical conditions you suffer from. Percocet may lead to physical dependence and addiction.
Those who take higher doses of Percocet may experience life-threatening health problems including a Percocet overdose. Those suffering from an overdose may suffer from certain side effects such as low blood pressure, coma, or sudden death.
Percocet Addiction Treatment
Treatment for Percocet drug use requires individualized treatment plans. If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse, consider enrolling in an inpatient or outpatient treatment center.
Treatment programs involve certain behavioral therapies and other treatment options suggested by your healthcare provider.
Detox
One of the most important parts of treatment involves detoxification. With detox, your body rids itself of unwanted toxins brought on by drug use.
This process requires assistance from medical professionals at a treatment facility. Those who have a drug addiction and try to stop Percocet abruptly to avoid testing positive on a drug test may experience severe withdrawal symptoms.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Percocet withdrawal symptoms may include excessive yawning, vomiting, irritability, and serious drug cravings.
Inpatient Treatment
Those with a substance use disorder may require serious treatment options in an inpatient setting. As an inpatient, you’ll have access to healthcare representatives, as well as an abundance of treatment services, on a daily basis.
For information on our inpatient addiction treatment program, please contact Ohio Recovery Center today.
- Food and Drug Administration — Percocet https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/040330s052lbl.pdf
- National Institute on Drug Abuse — What are Prescription Opioids? https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-opioids
- National Library of Medicine: LactMed — Oxycodone https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501245/
- National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus — Oxycodone https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682132.html
- National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus — What is Opioid Testing? https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/opioid-testing/