Will taking 5 mg of oxycodone every 4 hours affect decision making?

== == == == Addition by TSD -RAVEN-

Not necessarily - it completely depends on you - your size (weight), tolerance to opiates (if you've ever used it before, had anesthesia during a surgical procedure, been given lower narcotics for pain or an accident, etc.), and how well your body processes it. The biggest factor is overall tolerance and how long you take it. I've been using Percocet for 9 years (highest dosage, 10/325, which is 10mg Oxy and 325 tyelenol), and I get and use between 120 / 150 per month. That's just for breakthrough pain - I use Duragesic patches for primary pain). At the tolerance level I'm at, taking any amount of Percocet is like taking aspirin. I found that after the first 18 months most of the side effects pretty much went away, (a good buzz, too, unfortunately). It no longer makes me drowsy or anything else in the great list of side effects. However, I'm not a small person either - I'm 6' 250lbs, and before using it I had used Oxy in other forms, as well as lower end narcotics for pain. So I'm well tolerant of it. Most people I know with my kind of problems who also use a lot of it also find the more they use it the less side effects really bother them.

In the end though, each person is different, and your medical history pertaining to pain drugs will be another large factor in whether or not it affects you to the point you have problems with decisions. The best course to take if you're concerned is not to put yourself in that position until you're sure you can deal with the effects.

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Probably. Addition by Aphlyxion- That depends completely on the person, 5 mg qid, is a comparably small dose, it might make you a little drowsy, but your overall thought processing and decision making skills should not be affected. Addition by Echo646 - It could also have the opposite effect, and make you more awake, but with less of an ability to focus, though I believe this effect is less common. I personally have to take 5-10 mg of oxycodone for chronic pain and still go to classes, but I am still able to comprehend difficult concepts and complete my tasks. I'd say whenever making a decision, add in the fact that you are on a medication that alters your mental state.