Percocet doesn't work on me. Why?

Question

I've only taken it one time (after having wisdom teeth pulled) and it did nothing. I still felt the pain, I didn't feel drowsy, I didn't feel any different at all. I threw the percocet away and took one ibuprofen every 6 hours and that actually worked. I wonder if anyone else ever had this issue. Is it something to do with different body chemistry? Do certain pain medications not work on some people? I'm curious.

My body weight was (and still is) about 130 lbs.

Answer 1

For an oral drug to work, it has to be absorbed through the gut, transported in the bloodstream, going through the liver to the inferior vena cava to the heart, and out into the arterial circulation, where it has to reach its target and successfully bind to it.

There are several possibilities, here. First, you might absorb the active component in the percocet, which is a narcotic called oxycodone, very poorly; when it reaches your liver, it may be metabolized into oblivion before it gets to the target; next, your blood-brain barrier may deny the oxycodone access to the critical areas of your brain that it has to reach to do its thing; finally, the endorphin receptors in your brain--the things that the drug has to bind to in order to do its thing--might have an unusual structure that fails to bind oxycodone well.

Of the various scenarios, it is known that some folks' livers are remarkably good at metabolizing (=ripping to bits, if you'll pardon my being simplistic) opiates, the group of drugs that includes oxycodone. Particularly if you're fond of, and eat a lot of, poppy seed things, this is very likely. Equally, there is a small subgroup of people that have been demonstrated to have poor binding to most of the opiates; you might be one of those folks.

Either way, if you're resistant to percocet, you might be better off with ibuprofen, ketoprofen or naproxen (all three are over the counter under an assortment of brand names) for your discomfort.

Hope the longwinded discussion helps!

Answer 2

Yes, I think different pain meds can affect people differently. I took percocet when I had a terrible burn a few years back and within 15 minutes of taking it, I would start feeling really drowsy and 30 minutes after taking it, I'd be out cold for at least 3-4 hours. I suppose body chemistry could be a factor in this. Also maybe someone's body weight could also affect it.

Answer 3

You are absolutely on track when you mentioned body chemistry. Everybody does have different body chemistries. The reasons behind these different chemistries are varied, but include genetics, diet, exercise, and other medicines. Suffice to say, all of these factors can and do change how different drugs can affect your body. This includes legal/illegal drugs, over the counter drugs, and prescription drugs. The changes can be the lack of one or more side effects, the strength of the intended effect of the drug(s), additional (previously unheard of/ undocumented) side effects, and potential interaction with other drugs (though your pharmacists are generally VERY well versed in all documented interactions).
In short, it is kind of a mystery, with the endless variances in chemical reactions inside our bodies. I would say, overall, that it's nothing at all to worry about. Simply remember this for future reference, in the event a doctor wants to prescribe Percocet again.

(For what it's worth, I have an extremely violent allergic reaction to the same drug that does nothing to you. After taking my first and only percocet tablet, I had horrible nausea and vomiting for around 48 hours.)

Answer 4

I just had surgery yesterday and they gave me percocet. I'm not getting any pain relief. I just called my doctor to give me something else. Even Morphine doesn nothing for me. People just react differntly.

Answer 5

some people are predisposed to be hypo-sensitive (recieve a lesser desired effect) to certain medications

others can be hyper-sensitive to a med receive a higher than desired effect to a medication.

percocet is a synthetic drug & can be mor difficult to counter.
we use a medicen called nalaxone (Narcan) to counter the effects of a narcotic overdose.
sometimes as in the case of percocet, percodan & darvan we may have to use up to 10X the normal dosage.
we know that some people are'nt as affected as others but i.m just an administrator of medications not a researcher

Answer 6

I've been put on Percocet before. It worked for me better than Vicodin. It could be inadequite for your body type...just a guess. It usually takes 3 uses to get any pain relief. That could have been a huge screw up on your doctor's part for not telling you that =(. Percocet doesnt work for my cousin at all..he needs Vicodin. Hope this helps some.

Answer 7

Actually the explanation is simple . Percocet is just a painkiller , a narcotic . Ibuprufen in addition to killing pain also has an anti-inflammatory effect (it decreases the inflammation ,which is causing the pain)

Answer 8

I concur with the others. Some pain medicine needs to be a certain strength to be effective.