Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSimilarities and DifferencesSide EffectsInteractions and WarningsRisk for AbuseBest Options
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Similarities and Differences
Side Effects
Interactions and Warnings
Risk for Abuse
Best Options
OxycodoneandOxyContin(oxycodone hydrochloride) are both prescription opioid painkillers. The main difference between OxyContin and oxycodone is how they are released into the body.
OxyContin is a controlled-released medication that allows active ingredients to enter the body slowly for a long-lasting effect. Oxycodone is a quick-release medication, so the active ingredients enter your body at once.
This article describes the similarities, differences, effectiveness, side effects, and warnings for oxycodone and OxyContin.
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Similarities and Differences Between OxyContin vs. Oxycodone
OxyContin is a form of oxycodone. They both reduce pain. The difference is that oxycodone releases the medication into the body all at once, whereas OxyContin is formulated to release medication slowly.
OxyContin and oxycodone can improve the quality of life of people with many types of pain. They treat moderate to severe pain not well managed with other pain medications.
Both OxyContin and oxycodone expose users to the risks of opioidaddictionandabuse, even at recommended doses. Your body can become dependent on the drug or tolerant to higher doses of it.
However, OxyContin delivers the drug over an extended period. Because of this, there is a greater risk of overdose and death due to the larger amount of oxycodone present after the tablet is taken.
Uses for OxyContin and Oxycodone
OxyContin and oxycodone are both opioids. Opioids are powerful pain relievers, also known asanalgesics. They act on yourcentral nervous system, where they bind to opioid receptors in your brain, spinal cord, and other organs in the body.
Some of the most commonly prescribed opioids include oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine, and methadone.
Opioids release large amounts of dopamine and block the transmission of pain signals from the nerves that branch off your spinal cord and extend to all body parts.
OxyContin and oxycodone can both be effective in relieving the following types of pain:
OxyContin provides continuous, around-the-clock pain relief when treatment is needed for an extended period. It is usually taken for chronic or constant pain. It is not intended for acute pain following surgery or on an as-needed basis.
OxyContin has the following advantages:
Oxycodone BrandsOxycodone is sold under several brand names, including:OxycontinRoxicodoneRoxybondXtampza EROxycet (containingacetaminophen, oxycodone)Percocet (containing acetaminophen, oxycodone)Percodan (containing Aspirin, oxycodone)
Oxycodone Brands
Oxycodone is sold under several brand names, including:OxycontinRoxicodoneRoxybondXtampza EROxycet (containingacetaminophen, oxycodone)Percocet (containing acetaminophen, oxycodone)Percodan (containing Aspirin, oxycodone)
Oxycodone is sold under several brand names, including:
Rate of Release
The difference between oxycodone and OxyContin is the rate of release into the body—how quickly (onset) and how long (duration) the drug is released in the body.
Immediate-release formulas help deliver fast and short-term pain relief, while extended-release (ER) formulas provide long-term pain relief.
OxyContin takes about an hour to work. It is a controlled-release formulation of oxycodone. A controlled-release drug is released into your body in specified amounts over a certain period. The effect allows you to have a consistent dose of pain relief throughout the day.
Oxycodone is delivered in an immediate-release formulation with an onset of about 10 to 30 minutes. It is made to dissolve without delaying or prolonging the absorption of the drug.
The immediate-release formulation of oxycodone has the following advantages:
How Long Does Oxycodone Take to Work?
Dosage
The form you receive and the strength will depend on your pain levels and medical history. For acute pain, you may need oxycodone for a few days or less. Oxycodone is used forchronic painonly when other pain management options have failed.
How often you take oxycodone varies depending on the dosage form:
Oxycodone can be used in adults and children.
When prescribed to children, oxycodone is intended to manage pain that is severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment for which alternative treatment options are inadequate.
Side Effects of OxyContin and Oxycodone
The side effects of OxyContin and oxycodone are similar because they have the same active ingredient. Common side effects of these drugs may include the following:
Serious adverse reactions to these drugs can be severe and life-threatening. They include the following:
What Is Opioid-Induced Constipation?
Interactions and Warnings for OxyContin and Oxycodone
OxyContin and oxycodone carryboxed warnings, the most serious type of safety-related warning that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives a medication. These medications can cause life-threatening effects that can lead to hospitalization or death.
OxyContin and oxycodone have a significant potential for interactions with certain other drugs. These drugs and their interactions include the following:
Having one of the following conditions is a contraindication (reason not to use) for OxyContin and oxycodone:
Having one of the following conditions may affect the efficacy and increase the risk of adverse reactions linked with using OxyContin and oxycodone:
OxyContin tablets must be swallowed whole. Crushing, chewing, or dissolving an OxyContin tablet can damage the protective coating. This can cause the rapid release and absorption of a potentially fatal drug dose.
Risk for Abuse and Addition With OxyContin and Oxycodone
OxyContin and oxycodone are Schedule II drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Drugs in this category have a high potential for abuse and can potentially lead to psychological or physical dependence.
OxyContin and oxycodone change how you feel pain. Feelings of euphoria and relaxation are the most common effects of these drugs on the brain. The effect is similar to that linked to heroin use. While this can benefit pain relief, it also increases the potential to abuse these drugs.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you or someone in your family has ever drunk alcohol in large amounts, used street drugs, or overused prescription medication. Also, tell your provider if you have or have ever had depression or another mental illness. These factors can increase the risk of overuse.
Oxycodone has the potential to be habit-forming. You could develop asubstance use disorder(an addiction). Therefore, it’s important to take the medication exactly as prescribed and to know how torecognize the signs of an opioid addiction.
People can build uptoleranceto OxyContin or oxycodone over time. This can result in your need to use the drug more often in larger doses to get the same results. It can also result in withdrawal symptoms if you abruptly discontinue the drug.
How to Recognize and Treat Opioid Abuse Before It’s Too Late
Choosing Which Is Best for You
The choice between these two drugs depends on your condition and the reason for your treatment such as the type of pain you’re experiencing. Factors like your age, history with opioids, and other medications may also affect the specific drug your healthcare provider uses.
Since the active ingredient of OxyContin and oxycodone is the same, the power of these drugs is the same. The amount of drug in an Oxycontin tablet is higher than the amount of a drug in an oxycodone tablet because it provides a longer effect.
Research shows no difference between immediate-release oxycodone taken every four to six hours or controlled-release OxyContin taken every 12 hours for cancer-related pain in adults.
Summary
Oxycodone and OxyContin are opioid pain relievers used to treat moderate to severe pain.
Oxycodone is an immediate-release tablet that provides relief within minutes and lasts a few hours. OxyContin is produced in a controlled-release tablet that acts within an hour and maintains a constant drug level for up to 12 hours.
Both drugs must be used with care and medical advice. Oxycodone and OxyContin can both lead to serious health problems and even death.
While these drugs can improve pain, they carry a risk for dependency and tolerance. If you are experiencing pain and might be prescribed oxycodone or OxyContin, talk with your healthcare provider about the benefits, side effects, risks, and proper use of the medication before taking it to make sure it’s right for you.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Purdue Pharma.OxyContin.MedlinePlus.Oxycodone.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Prescription opioid drugfacts.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Treatments to relieve chronic pain.Prescribers' Digital Reference.Oxycodone hydrochloride - drug summary.Andrade C.Sustained-release, extended-release, and other time-release formulations in neuropsychiatry.J Clin Psychiatry. 2015;76(8):20558.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain — United States, 2022.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information.Sadiq NM, Dice TJ, Mead T.Oxycodone. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. 2022.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Oxycontin label.United States Drug Enforcement Administration.Drug scheduling.Department of Justice/Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Fact Sheet.Oxycodone.Schmidt-Hansen M, Bennett MI, Arnold S, Bromham N, Hilgart JS, Page AJ, Chi Y.Oxycodone for cancer-related pain.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;6(6):CD003870. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003870.pub7
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Purdue Pharma.OxyContin.MedlinePlus.Oxycodone.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Prescription opioid drugfacts.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Treatments to relieve chronic pain.Prescribers' Digital Reference.Oxycodone hydrochloride - drug summary.Andrade C.Sustained-release, extended-release, and other time-release formulations in neuropsychiatry.J Clin Psychiatry. 2015;76(8):20558.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain — United States, 2022.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information.Sadiq NM, Dice TJ, Mead T.Oxycodone. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. 2022.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Oxycontin label.United States Drug Enforcement Administration.Drug scheduling.Department of Justice/Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Fact Sheet.Oxycodone.Schmidt-Hansen M, Bennett MI, Arnold S, Bromham N, Hilgart JS, Page AJ, Chi Y.Oxycodone for cancer-related pain.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;6(6):CD003870. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003870.pub7
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Purdue Pharma.OxyContin.MedlinePlus.Oxycodone.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Prescription opioid drugfacts.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Treatments to relieve chronic pain.Prescribers' Digital Reference.Oxycodone hydrochloride - drug summary.Andrade C.Sustained-release, extended-release, and other time-release formulations in neuropsychiatry.J Clin Psychiatry. 2015;76(8):20558.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain — United States, 2022.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information.Sadiq NM, Dice TJ, Mead T.Oxycodone. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. 2022.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Oxycontin label.United States Drug Enforcement Administration.Drug scheduling.Department of Justice/Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Fact Sheet.Oxycodone.Schmidt-Hansen M, Bennett MI, Arnold S, Bromham N, Hilgart JS, Page AJ, Chi Y.Oxycodone for cancer-related pain.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;6(6):CD003870. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003870.pub7
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain — United States, 2022.
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Schmidt-Hansen M, Bennett MI, Arnold S, Bromham N, Hilgart JS, Page AJ, Chi Y.Oxycodone for cancer-related pain.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;6(6):CD003870. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003870.pub7
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