What is OxyContin?
Oxycodone, sold under the brand name OxyContin, among others, is an opioid medication used to treat moderate to severe pain and a common drug of abuse. It is usually taken by mouth and available in immediate-release and controlled-release formulations.
OxyContin Uses
This medicine is used to help relieve severe ongoing pain (such as due to cancer). Oxycodone is a class of drugs known as opioid analgesics. It works in the brain to change the way your body feels and responds to pain. The higher strengths of this drug (more than 40 milligrams per tablet) should only be used if you have been taking moderate to large doses of opioid pain medication on a regular basis. These strengths may cause overdose (even death) if taken by a person who has not regularly taken opioids. Do not use the extended-release form of oxycodone to relieve pain that is mild or will go away in a few days. This medicine is not for occasional use.
How to use
- Read your pharmacist's Medication Guide before starting to take extended-release oxycodone and every time you get a refill. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
- Take this medicine on a regular schedule as directed by your doctor, not as needed for sudden (breakthrough) pain. Take this medicine with or without food, usually every 12 hours. If you have nausea, it may help you to take this medicine with food. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to reduce nausea (such as lying down for 1 to 2 hours with as little head movement as possible). If you have nausea, see your doctor.
- Swallow the tablets together. Do not break, crush, chew or dissolve your tablets. To reduce the chance of choking or having trouble swallowing a tablet, take only one tablet at a time if your dose is more than one tablet. Do not pre-soak, lick, or wet your tablet before putting it in your mouth. Drink enough water with each tablet to swallow it.
- Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while using this medicine unless your doctor or pharmacist says you can do so safely. Grapefruit might increase the chances of side effects with this medicine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for further details.
- The dose is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Do not increase your dosage, take the medication according to schedule.
- Before you start taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you should stop taking or change the way you use your other opioid medication. Other pain relievers (e.g. acetaminophen, ibuprofen) may also be prescribed. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for the safe use of oxycodone with other drugs.
- Suddenly stopping this medicine may cause withdrawal, especially if you have used it for a long time or at high doses. Tell your doctor or pharmacist right away if you have any symptoms of withdrawal, such as restlessness, mental/movement changes (including anxiety, sleeping difficulties, thoughts of suicide), watering eyes, runny nose, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, muscle aches, or sudden changes in behavior.
- If this medicine is used for a long time, it may not work as well.
- Although it helps a lot of people, it can sometimes cause addiction. This risk may be higher if you have a substance use disorder (such as overuse or drug/alcohol addiction). Take this medicine exactly as prescribed in order to reduce the risk of addiction.
OxyContin Side effects
- noisy breathing
- shallow breathing
- sleep apnea
- slow heart rate or weak pulse
- Lightheadedness
- Unusual thoughts or behavior
- Seizure
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Dizziness
- Worsening tiredness
- Weakness
- Drowsiness
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Tiredness
- Constipation
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting
Precautions
Before taking oxycodone, inform your doctor if you are allergic to it, or to other opioid pain relievers (such as oxymorphone); or if you have any other allergies. This product might contain some inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
Before using this medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist about your medical history, in particular: brain disorders (such as head injury, tumor, seizures), breathing problems (such as asthma, sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-COPD), kidney disease, liver disease, mental or mood disorders (such as confusion, depression), personal or family history of substance use disorder (such as ovulation).
You could get sleepy or drowsy with this drug. Alcohol or marijuana (cannabis) can make you dizzy or drowsy. Don't do the driving, use big or heavy machinery, or do anything that needs alertness until you can do it safely. Avoid alcoholic beverages. Talk to your doctor if you are taking marijuana (cannabis).
Tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use before you have surgery (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially confusion, dizziness, somnolence, and slow/slow breathing.
This medicine should only be used during pregnancy when clearly needed. It could harm an unborn child. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits. (See section Warning, too.)
This drug is passed into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Tell your doctor right away if your child has unusual sleepiness, difficulty feeding, or difficulty breathing. Before breastfeeding, consult your doctor.
Interaction
The risk of serious side effects (such as slow/slow breathing, severe somnolence/dizziness) may be increased if this medicine is taken with other products that may also cause somnolence or difficulty breathing. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medications such as opioid pain or cough relievers (such as codeine, hydrocodone), alcohol, marijuana (cannabis), sleep or anxiety drugs (such as alprazolam, lorazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants (such as carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine), or antihistamines (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine).
OxyContin vs Immediate-release Oxycodone
| OxyContin | Immediate-release oxycodone | |
|---|---|---|
| Why is it used? | treatment of moderate to severe pain that usually is associated with the last stages of chronic diseases | Treatment of moderate or severe pain after surgery or from any severe injury. |
| Is a generic version available? | No | Yes |
| Forms available | Extended-release tablet | Immediate-release oral tablet Immediate-release oral capsule Immediate-release oral solution |
| Forms available | Extended release tablet available in 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, and 80 mg | Immediate-release oral tablet - Generic- 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg Roxicodone (brand) - 5 mg, 15 mg, 30 mg Oxaydo (brand) - 5 mg, 7.5 mg |
| How often it is taken | Every 12 hours | Every four to six hours |
| Time duration | Long-term treatment | Short-term treatment, usually three days or fewer |
| Brand | OxyContin | Roxicodone |
