Difference Between Oxycontin and Oxycodone
Oxycontin vs Oxycodone
A number of people wonder if there is a difference between oxycontin and oxycodone. Are they the same medicines? Is oxycodone just a generic name for oxycontin? We’ll address these questions and other differences between the two:
- Oxycodone hydrochloride is an opioid painkiller. It can be found in a number of prescription medications. When it is available by itself, it is available in the form of oxycontin. Oxycodone is also found in combination with other ingredients on a number of prescription medications e.g. Percocet.
- The main difference between the two relates to the onset of action. Oxycontin is a time released drug. This means that it acts over a period of time. Usually, oxycodone medications need to be taken every four to six hours. However, Oxycontin continues acting for at least 12 hours. That is why it needs to be taken only twice a day.
- You may come across certain articles that categorize oxycodone as a generic name for oxycontin because it is the active substance in the medication. However, it would be incorrect to say that because oxycodone is an active ingredient in other medications also. Most experts prefer calling oxycontin ‘oxycodone extended release’.
- The two medications are prepared in a different manner. Though oxycontin contains more of oxycodone, it is also prepared in a manner that releases the medication gradually into the blood. So, even though the dosage is large, it is released slowly into the blood stream. Oxycodone is often used together with other chemicals in other medications like Percocet.
- The dangers of over dosage in oxycontin are more pronounced. Since the amount of oxycodone is large, lack of a sustained release may have severe effects on the patient. This is especially true for first time users. The danger becomes more apparent in the case of addicts who break open the capsule and snort it in.
- A common problem with quick acting painkillers is that they become nearly ineffective within a few hours. The action peaks within a few minutes, but falls within a few hours. Oxycontin aims at doing away with this problem by going for a sustained release.
Summary:
1. Oxycontin is time released oxycodone. It is pure oxycodone, without anything added.
2. Oxycodone may remain effective for around 6 hours. However, oxycontin remains effective for around twelve hours also. This is because the medication is slowly released into the body.
3. Oxycodone may contain other chemicals like Tylenol, which may induce vomiting in a person if taken in large amounts. However, since oxycontin does not contain this chemical, it becomes more of a danger if taken in large amounts.
4. Oxycontin should never be broken up and taken in. It may cause severe and fatal after effects if taken in this manner.
5. There is no reduction in the efficacy of oxycontin during the entire time.
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Thank you for some other magnificent post. The place else could anybody get that kind of information in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am at the search for such information.
Thank you SO VERY MUCH for an article that has a clear, concise answer to a question that I have had for much too long!!! I would ask doctors or even SEVERAL PHARMACISTS what the difference is between the two I still couldn’t get a clear answer. I often would get hurried responses or one or two word phrases that left me even more puzzled. Even when I searched on numerous websites I was still at a loss.
Again, thank you very much for taking the time to clarify this question for me, and not hiding it in paragraphs upon paragraphs of medical lingo!
Is it true the Pain Management clinics must reduce the amount of pain relievers being prescribed to patients?
my doctor has me on oxycodone and oxycontin, she said i could use my oxycodone as a break threw ever 4-6 hours if needed. it that ok to do?
O no wayy am in austin and i cant find non of my doctors out here bc no one takes my insurance i sure wish sumone could help cant sleep at night from my back had a back accident 6 months ago and moved here from florida because my family moved down here ;(
What insurance carrier do you have and what type of insurance is it? You mentioned you live in Austin, right? Regardless of what insurance you have, you can always find at least one physician who accepts your insurance. Also, you can go ahead and visit a pain management doctor or an orthopedic surgeon and explain your situation to them, and they’ll definitely prescribe you some form of pain medication, whether it may be oxycodone, hydrocodene, or something else like tramadol. The doctor’s visit won’t cost you more than $50 to $60 without insurance, and if you tell them you are in extreme pain, they’ll definitely write you a script for te medication, which won’t be more than $50 or $60 as well. Just make sure you call around before selecting any given pharmacy. I usually stay away from CVS and Riteade because they have the highest costs compaired to small independent pharmacies.
That’s less than $150 and you’ll have enough medication to last you about 2 months. Whatever you do, just try not to get hooked on the meds. It’s very easy to get hooked on them because they’re opiates, except for tramadol, but that also works like an opiate, and you’d need to gradually taper off.
No one needs to suffer with pain, NO ONE! Try seeing an orthopedic surgeon, they’re more liberal at writing scripts.
I’m actually waiting to get a lumbar surgery (disc replacement) at the L5-S1 level. I’m on 30mg’s of oxycodone every 6 hours. I initially started at 10mg’s of hydrocodone (Norco) once a day. The body becomes easily tolerant to the opiates, causing for a higher dosage to manage the same amount of pain. So try to stay at the level you’re prescribed.
I hope you can get the help you need. I have extreme back pains, so I know how difficult it can be to go on with normal activities; even sleeping seems impossible with such pains.
I hope you find a doctor and get the relief you need. Good luck and let me know if I can help with anything else.
-Calvin
How dangerous is oxycodone. How much do you have to do in order to be addicted?
Dearv George,
Most likely if you are wondering how much you have to “do” to be addicted, or thinking you MAY be addicted you probably already are.
If you have a history if addiction, or there is an underlying risk, such as addiction in your family, then you should look to an alternative, or make sure you do not exceed the dosage.
Do oxycontin have more pain medicine than oxycodone
Yes it does, and is more likely to be abused and become addicted to. If the doctor ordered this pain med or you please take just as prescribed. These meds are addictive, I know I’ve been on one or the other since 1999. You will become dependent on the OxyContin it will happen. Then it seems like if you get close to being out of the drug it makes you anxious. When I first started taking it was in 40mg. Increased very quickly to 80mg. in a short time. I was killing myself and did not know it or care. I was also on other meds. some for depression, muscle relaxers. My wife and my mom would beg me to stop taking these, and all the while I was taking what my doctor told me to take. I was not myself for years, my wife and kids were scared of me, thinking that they would come home nd I’d be dead. My wife I’d not trust me to even watch my own kids. I could not drive because I would fall asleep at the wheel. My wife came to me and said she was not going to be there to watch me die. She was asking me for a divorce it was during a time when I wasn’t out of my head. So I started thinking about suicide cause it just goes along with what these drugs do. Long story short it was in Jan. of I’m not sure but I had gone several days without taking any meds and it was then that I was beginning to see what I was doing. My kids and wife would tell me things I had done and I did not remember it at all. I had wrecked to vehicles and did not know it. Sorry I felt like I needed to get all this off my chest. So folks please be careful with this drug it is no joke, today I’m dong good I still take a pain killer but my wife is in charge of the meds not me.
Great reply Johnny, I take endocet 10/325 and my doc wants me to try the time released meds, I have heard too many horror stories about them. I take my 90 pills in about 3 weeks, I can get a refill every 25 days. Some times when my pain is 6-8, nearly brings me tears, so, if I have many bad episodes like that, pills might nt last the full three weeks, tolerance builds up real fast. But I still gotta wait until day 25 to refil them. That is my way of keeping myself honest. Plus, I hate them, lol, even have to take Benadryl with them. But I still itch terrible, hot flash, my limit is 3-4 in an eight hour span, and if I exceed that, u can bet I will throw up. Constipation is terrible, offset that with arisen brand n morning, dry mouth TERRIBLE, and I have a sort fuse when I take them. It is extremely painful to walk, and when I can without hurting, we goa work, and stuff.
Good luck with your problem Johnny. My problem is four Ankle surgeries on left ankle, two of those were major, puttin screws and such in and fusing the bone that died, it is call avascular necrosis.
please be very careful. Those drugs are poison yet at the same time I am thankful they are available for people who truly need them. It’s like choosing the lesser of 2 evils when in pain. I pray that your pain subsides and gets better everyday. God bless you.
I am thankful that I found a methadone clinic in 1994. Oxycodone in all forms was my drug of choice. Shortly after getting away from painkillers, this “oxycontin” became available. The number of horror stories that have started with this “new” medicine is incredible. IMO, there was no need for a stronger painkiller than what was already available, eg; Demerol, Dilaudid, Morphine, Fentanyl, etc. I believe that had oxycontin been around before I got clean, I wouldn’t have survived. In the 18+ years of stable life, I’ve become aware of more addicts than I knew when I was using. To me, that says there are more of them. I believe oxycontin is behind a lot of this problem.
What makes people think that methadone is one bit better than oxy? It isn’t. It has as many side effects if not more. It can build up in your system and can kill you in your sleep.
Addiction and dependency is two different things. If you are a junkie no matter what pills are there you will take, you will take heroine, drink, etc.. it is not the pills it is YOU. I hate when people blame the pills. It is not the pills, it is the person taking them, taking too much of them, crushing them, etc. Guns are not bad, the person pulling the trigger is bad. Your body becomes dependent on ANY prescription that you take over a long period of time it is YOUR responsibility to wean off, red the pamphlet and bide by the rules. YOU chose to drive and wreck two cars, you were not even suppose to drive. you over did your medication, and you are the reason that pills have a bad rep. It is NOT the pills it is the junkies who abuse them that is the friggin problem and take the pills away and watch the heroin and drunks rise. treat the addictive personality not the medicine. millions use these pills the correct way and when you do you do not even get high because you are not suppose to get high your suppose to get relief from pain. the first month you get a buzz any time after that your body is use to the dose. YOU just want to get high so you abuse it. Seeing how your wife has to dose your meds out for you, it is obvious you have an addiction,do not blame it on the meds, blame it on you who didn’t take the right proper dose as PRESCRIBED.
Wow nia. You seem to be in denial about something. Anyone who takes ANY opiate for an extended period will become addicted and therefore dependent. The guy said he just took what his doctor prescribed. The effect on his behavior wasn’t because he was a junkie. It was because simply, that is the way the drugs affected him. Everyone is different in the way these drugs change their behavior. The guy wasn’t even blaming the drugs, he was just telling people to be careful if they end up on a prescription.
If you have been taking these drugs for an extended period (months or years) you are just as much a drug addict and drug-dependent as anyone else, even a street user (aka junkie). Some street users have a relatively easy time giving up drugs others struggle much more. The same can be said of prescribed-opiate addicts. Some find it easier than others. This is for many, many reasons.
As for the person who discussed methadone, when it comes to the time to withdraw I would much rather be an Oxycodone addict than a methadone addict. Methadone is pretty much the worse to come off. Much worse than heroin.
For the record, I don’t take these drugs but through my work I have known many people addicted to opiates and have seen firsthand the difficulties they faced when withdrawing and the many different ways they respond to this challenge.
I have an Oxycodone prescription because of my peripheral neuropathy pain. I have taken it so that I can sleep. However the side effect of unbearable itching keeps me from using it.
I sure wish i knew you i cant find any doctors that takes my insurance ;(
Hi. I too found this site very helpful and easy to understand. I just had knee surgery, May, 8th 2013. Got 25% of my Mencius
removed and a patella cartilage clean out. I’ve been prescribed 10 MG of Oxycotin and 10 MG of oxycodone. To be honest, I feel more pain relief with the oxycodone than the Oxycotin and can’t even understand how it can be so addictive. My surgeon wants me to take the Oxycotin first thing in the morning and even though it lasts 12 hours, I only take one in a 24 hour period. What I think is the best thing patients should do to control becoming addicted is to start off with less than the recommended dosage, this is what I’ve done, so I still feel pain, but it’s manageable. I only take the Oxycodone in between my dose of Oxycotin after my physical therapy sessions which leave my knee feeling not so happy, and to sleep at night. I only take one 10 mg of Oxycodone when I do take it. I definitely do not want to become dependant on these pills, especially because it’s my first time using them. Also, gauging pain levels, one day you may feel more or less pain than the previous day. We as adults are responsible for monitoring not just our medication, but also our pain and taking the medication according to it.
I only have the itching and crazy heat flashes with the Oxycodone, not the Oxycotin. One of the best things you can also do for pain management is to seek alternative treatments in addition to taking medication. This will help in reducing the amount of medication you need, believe me that is what I’ve been doing and yes it really helps.
I wish everyone the best of luck with your pain management and surgeries!
I feel for all of you that have found yourselves on the oxy merry-go-round. I too was caught and thank God I found the strength to get off. I am currently taking Suboxone as a step down process and am doing extremely well now. I can’t believe how much better I feel. God bless and my prayers go out to all!!!
I was in a car accident real bad one had to be cut out of car & a few other things have caused me chronic severe back pain & i then had bacterial meningitis & then was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple
sclerosis & alot of problems with my m/s including pain in my lower legs this pain is unbearable with out meds , i am not a smoker or drinker i
also do not have an addictive personality i am not a drug abuser b4 meds or currently . i go through a pain management dr a very conservative 1,
i also do my best to not let any one new in my life no i take meds sm people i no in the past wld constantly ask for them till i said do not ask again if u need them go to a dr im not a pharmacy , i have ben on meds
for 12 1/2 years it started with hydrocodone , then 10 mg oxycontin pain dr at the time told my pcp dr to gradually increase it & he didnt need to see me any more so by the 5 years i was on 80 mg 2x a day of
oxycontin so 160 a day worked great , i changed drs thankfully & he wrote this for me for a few months & then 1 month insurance wld not cover it , so my pcp dr said the only equivalent wld be 100 mg of
morphine 4x a day so 400 mg a day the only difference to me was oxy made me sleep more , morphine doesnt , i went to new pain
management & had all the back injections all done again id had 3 epidurals b4 now i had 3 more epidurals & 4 sets of facets & 2 ris radio
frequencey burning nerves in back none of it worked except the nerve burning worked great except only last 6 mon to 2yrs mayb about 10/12 months for me i want to do it again but my dr requires the facetts be done
again they dont work & were the most painful he requires u to be awake on all procedures after doing all these he started managing my meds & decreased my morphine to 100 3x day then 80 3x now im at 60 mg 3x
day & i was on hydrocondone 10/325′s 4x day for break thru pain i was reduced to 3x day & now im on 2x day i really need 3 a day , i never take more medication than prescribed never id be afraid it wld kill me
morphine works best 4x aday it last about 6 hours oxy lasts 8 hours not 12 , so ever heard of a drug holiday going off meds like a week or 2 with drawls are horrible but wen u do this you need less meds wen bk on them
wen i started on med ive never had a euphoric feeling like getting high ect never i take my meds for severe pain i belive there is a diffrence between addition & being dependent on them of course my body is dependent on
them after 12 yrs ive done a 2wk drug holiday so i no what its like if i cldnt have any meds i wldnt worry about being dependent or addicted my worry is the severe pain im in & w/ out meds i have no quality of like i
cant function at all because of pain im 42 i have a grand daughter 2yes old i cant play & go places w/ her carry her ect / w/ out meds id want body parts cut off its so bad its heart breaking to think im in such severe
pain at 42 for last 12 1/2 yrs & my body will probably give out early , the oxycontin ruined my teeth they say from dry mouth i dont have dry mouth or any side effects except constipation, i oftrn walk w/ forearm
crutches due to my m/s b4 starting meds my now ex husband left me & my kids wen i got sick w/ m/s & clnt walk for a year at 1st thought it was
als lou gerigs changed dx to m/s he left also because he was tired of me saying im in pain i was bed ridden at time i cld not even turn over in bed by myself i am so thankful there are meds to dull the pain id i didnt have
them id probably commit suicide my pain is so severe i no some people have family that thinks they r junkies because they take these meds but until you have walked a mile in there shoes with chronic debilitating pain
dont judge , I HAVE NEVER ABUSED MY MEDICATIONS NEVER !!
i hate it wen people complain about pain meds & addiction ect yes u will become dependent people become dependent on anti depressants the body comes to expect its daily does of meds so its not just pain meds that
you get dependent on & need to taper off wen stopping a med it people that get on pain meds that either have a drug abusing habit in past or they have a an additive personality those 2 things w/ pain meds spells
DISASTER !! i am so thankful i do not have that issue these people because they have taken every thing under the sun in large quantities to maintain a high or keep adding more & more to get the buzz meaning it
takes more & more as time goes on to still reach top peak high this is all a deduction from info ive heard & read these peple r the ones pain meds need to be strictly watched & maybe only given 1 wks worth meds at a
time these people r the ones that if they no longer cld get oxy contin or morphine ect wld go to the streets & start a herion addiction very said but very true in earlier post man said he got his meds refilled every 25 days
some drs r too liberal w/ pain meds ive been with same pain dr for 6 yrs i am med compliant he doesnt give 2nd chances either on rainy days i hurt more & it wld help if i had hydrocodone 3x day but i dont so i
manage thru it icy hot helps , i no sm one that was in motorcycle wreck
& is in bad pain & is now on pain meds & in past b4 this he was drug addicted illegal stuff & non prescribed pills a person thats got an
addiction will take any thing so he came to see my son i was talking to him & he was on flexiril & hydrocodone he asked his dr for morphine he gave him 30 mg 2x day he ended up w/ empty bottle way too soon
because he was taking way more than prescribed up to 120 mg a day h & he was having terrible with drawls i was asked if id give him 1 pill & keep in mind he was 7 days to go b4 new script i said for 1 i dont do that
for 2 if he got 1 pill how does that hill wen he has 7 days to go i said he caused this & he needs to dry out now 3rd i said i never have taken more meds than prescribed its very dangerous & stupid & then you run out &
have to withdraw not fun i with drew on a supervised drug holiday to get me on a lower dose , 4th if you gave sm one your meds youd then be
short your self 5th im the type of person that thinks if you caused this your self & took way more than your supposed to then why should sm 1 else help that stupid person im sure people that are drug addicts & who
have addictive personality’s do not go in to pain dr & r not honest w/ drs which hurts them in long run ive heard sm many stories of people on pain meds that have to have sm one lock their meds up & give them out
daily to prevent over taking them i cant even imagine that problem
sm i dated yrs ago had a friend that was a past drug abuser & had gotten ran over by a bus i think & was injured bad had chronic pain ect
& id known of her for about 5 yrs what we didnt no was apparently she was getting meds from a drug dealer & trading him hydrocodone ect for what she wanted , she took unbeknownst to us a morphine , a oxycontin
, a sleep medication, hydrocodone , antidepressant & who no’s what else she cldnt get rto sleep so we assumed she took extra every one went to bed , next am getting up she was gonna go to church ect u probably
guessed it she was dead it was about 8 am medical examiner estimated she died around 12 am , so she was turned over on her side facing the wall
& she has a small pillow up covering her mouth & nose they ruled it an accidental overdose , i imagine she had fallen in a deep drug induced
sleep & was unaware of the pillow& also taking oxycontin & morphine together can be a lethal combination w/ out any other meds very sad
she was a recovering crack addict the man i dated had been trying to help
her for several years sm x i wonder if she intended to end her life ? we will never no 4 sure
i imagine ill live rest of my life on pain medication unless a miracle happens !!! b4 starting pain medications on ongoing basis
wen in hospital for a surgery i was given fental it didnt help , after other
surgeries going home id been give hydrocodone over yrs & it always made me itch , after a spinal tap for meningitis &severe spinal headache & a failed painful blood patch i was given dilauded for 1st time thru an iv it
made me so out of it that no one realized i was allergic too it i ended up scratching the skin off my nose & a reaction occurred at iv site , i was given dilauded again in different stay after same thing & same reaction
ive never had any bad reactions on oxycontine or morphine & wen i started taking hydrocodone for chronic pain itching stopped but i take allergy meds
id like to no how many people r med compliant vs how many take extra meds ?
& if any one had their teeth ruined from oxycontine or morphine ?
soes any one on these meds have severe sweating & hot flashes
& if any one taking these 3 meds at a given time have any skin redness like Roschea facial redness or redness on neck chest arms ect sm x
people think ive got a sun burn im like ni its roschea wrong spelling i wish it was a sun burn it wld go away my dr says i have a severe case i noticed
facial redness wen using hydrocodone years ago ????
& last what does every one take for constipation ??
so if any one wld like to respond if you have these symptoms please respond ps i found this site accidentally wanting to no difference between oxycodone & Oxycontin as my neighbor says they r
completely different according to this site the r same compound except Oxycontin is a time released drug
he asked dr to stop morphine & give him oxycodone thinking its not as powerful as morphine & will not cause withdraws if he takes 2 much & runs out ???? they all cause withdraws once your dependent on them
& esp if your prescribed 30 mg & you take 120 or more a day that plain stupidity !!!!! but again people who abused drugs r most likely to abuse opioid meds wen prescribed to them i am so thankful i am not in that
position ! i wish every one happiness , health & a lot less pain or better yet pain free days for life they wld be a like changer indeed for me !!
i dont drink or smoke thankfully but my pain dr tests for both & doesnt allow either of them does any one believe hydrocodone will no longer we available at sm point , my dr says that ?? & the pharmacy says it wont
happen what will be an alternative drug because its whats given for pain after surgery & child birth & accidents , broken bones ect tramadol is a no narcotic non steroid & no dependency issue it is like a super ibuprofen
any ideas if that will happen or what wld take its place my dr says he’d like to get all pts off of it so wen it is no longer available ?? he says their is no alternative but their has to be because for temporary pain & long term
its widely prescribed ,once again i hate for people to blame pain meds for their own stupidity & addiction problems
it just makes it harder for the people whom r med compliant & do well on pain med & basicly have to be on pain meds to even function on a daily basis & many of us wld cease to exist w/ out paim meds
wld not be able to do daily necessitates / functions & daily tasks period much less even leaving the house so i know many of you on long term pain meds can identify with my words on daily survival
ps i met sm one on suboxone said she was a recovering from a pain pill acddition after several surgeries this is reason i dont tell others what i take because then its a temptation & it also causes people to ask you for
meds they dont care that youll be short on meds & in pain addicts care for only them selves dont get sucked down that drain with them because you will they will never stop asking & you have to be vigilant with your
meds & keep a count because it is a temptation to others
i sleep w/ my purse on my bed so i no where my meds r long time ago i had meds come up missing so i learned , also if you go to sm ones home thats a stranger or family any one or any place for that fact do not trust
any one & , never set purse down i did this on a craigs listing for baby items my mother had just died & i was still upset over her death & i was going to pain dr rt after leaving there i went out in garage to look at baby
stuff the husband stayed inside stupid me i left my purse on table wen i got to dr my 3 hydrocodone were missing morphine untouched i figured they new what the hydro was & not the morphine they were not in bottles
i was so thankful i didnt have more or id ben doing w/ out for a while so there r many excellent reasons i prefer to not tell others what i take esp pain pills they r for me only to lessen my chronic pain & give me a better
quality of life , not for others to abuse steal harass beg meds out of you ect
they were in my medicine tray big time lesson learned also be care ful with your meds
good nite every one jasmine sorry so long