Oxycodone - How Is It Taken?

How Is It Taken?

The immediately acting forms of oxycodone are best known under the brand names Percodan, which contains aspirin, and Percocet, which contains acetaminophen. They come in pill or liquid form and are meant to be taken every four to six hours as needed for pain. Doctors prescribe Percodan for patients who have swelling or inflammation because aspirin reduces swelling. The pills generally begin working within thirty minutes and wear off slowly. Patients using Percodan and Percocet need to follow doctors' orders, as an overdose of aspirin can lead to internal bleeding, and an overdose of acetaminophen can cause liver damage. (An entry for over-the-counter drugs is available in this encyclopedia.)

OxyContin comes in pill form and begins working within minutes of being swallowed. Its continuous-release formula sends small amounts of the painkiller into the bloodstream regularly, so that patients do not feel the return of pain or "breakthrough" pain during the twelve hours when the dose is in the body. (Breakthrough pain is a bout of intense pain that occurs rapidly and lasts several hours, despite the patient's use of longer-acting pain medicine.) Because the oxycodone releases slowly, patients using the medication properly also do not feel the side effects of opiate use, or feel the effects only slightly as a bit of dizziness or drowsiness. Upset stomach sometimes occurs with Percodan and Percocet, but is usually not seen with OxyContin.