Is Dilaudid More Powerful Than Percocet? - Garden State Treatment

The National Institute on Drugs (NIH) estimates that over 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Chronic pain does not just mean that the pain lasts longer than the time it takes for the body to heal; it is considered a disease that impairs function, distorts the nervous system, migrates to other areas of the body, and can impact moods and decrease a person’s overall quality of life.

Is Dilaudid More Powerful Than Percocet?

Addiction to Dilaudid or Percocet

Many addicts, because of their chronic pain, became dependent on their prescribed pain medication, which then turned into an addiction. A couple of pain medications that are commonly prescribed are Dilaudid and Percocets. A research list on the strongest to weakest strength of opioids shows Dilaudid at a 5 and Percocet at a 9; therefore, Dilaudid is more powerful than Percocet. Also, according to the World Health Organization’s three-step treatment ladder for cancer, the final step is a powerful opioid, such as oxycodone or hydromorphone, which is Dilaudid.

Dilaudid is a name-brand immediate-release narcotic pain medication; it contains the semisynthetic opioid drug hydromorphone. Hydromorphone, which is in Dilaudid, is five times more potent than morphine. It is usually prescribed to treat moderate-to-severe pain when other methods of pain medication are not working. Dilaudid is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance because it is such a target for abuse.

Opioids Don’t Come Just in Pill Form

Opioid-based drugs can come in many different forms such as a liquid solution, pills, suppository, and injection but most commonly it is prescribed as a pill dosage. These can be abused easily by crushing up the pills and adding water for injection into the vein. Addicts that use opioids intravenously especially favor it. Hydromorphone has a fast onset of action and starts working quickly after ingestion but abuse of this drug by injection speeds up its onset of action and sends the drug rapidly into the bloodstream, which is why is popular by addicts and more prone to overdose.

Percocet is Weaker than Dilaudid

Percocet is considered weaker than Dilaudid because it’s prescribed for less severe injuries or surgeries, while Dilaudid is for strong chronic pain. Percocet is one of the most frequently prescribed narcotic painkillers. Percocet is a combination of two painkillers: the opioid oxycodone and acetaminophen or Tylenol.

The most common Percocet pill contains 5 mg of oxycodone and 325 mg of acetaminophen, but can also come in other doses. A doctor usually prescribes it after surgery, tooth removal, or any pain-induced injury. Doctors prescribe the medication for a short period till the pain lessens. While the majority of patients have no problem taking the medication, there is a risk for misuse and risk of overdose whether by accident or on purpose.

If you are using Dilaudid or Percocet for recreational use and have become addicted Garden State Treatment Center can help. We are an outpatient and partial care addiction treatment facility that offers nuanced levels of care for individuals struggling with the horrors of substance abuse. It is our explicit goal to help addicted clients rebuild their lives from the inside out and reintegrate themselves back into society.

Treatment for Opioid Abuse

Clients receive both individual and group therapy sessions at Garden State Treatment Center. We’ll go into more detail on the program pages, but these therapies each have the multi-faceted goals of resolving traumatic events, peer support, and long term relapse prevention.

The most important thing you can expect from the treatment at Garden State Treatment Center is the experience that you will emerge from it transformed, stable, and ready to begin a lifetime of recovery.

FAQ

  • Is Dilaudid stronger than Percocet?
  • What is stronger than Percocet?
  • Is Hydromorphone stronger than Percocet?
  • How strong is Dilaudid?
  • What is stronger than Percocet 10/325?
  • Can I take a percocet and a hydromorphone for pain at the same time?

Published on: 2021-01-05
Updated on: 2024-02-16