Difference in Oxycodone and Hydrocodone????

Try this chart taht's stickied at the top, and also the links inside it

http://www.pharmer.org/node/3757

It has opiod comparisons. Hydrocodone is not as powerful as oxycodone 

No, the chemical composition is different. Oxycodone is roughly 3 times stronger than hydrocodone. It also depends on what it is with - APAP, ibuprofen, etc.  

Tuna is right, it is about 1.5 X stronger, but the other poster is right when she says they are completely dif chemical compounds. It is quite common to be switched over after a year or two (as I was) b/c you have a tolerance to the hydro...that said, you should take tuna's advice and be cautious b/c it is possible to be fine with hydro, yet allergic to oxy.

-Also remember it works both ways, when you start to build a tolerance to the oxy, have them switch you back to the hydro for 6 months so your tolerance dissipates - but for "true" chronic pain patients (as i believe many of you are), the sooner you get to a "non-ceiling" drug the better, using hydro or oxy for breakthru only...it is far better on your liver and organs...Just my opinion, but having gone thru this for a decade, I recently got Fentanyl patches (a drug 100 X strength morphine that was first used medicinally in the early 1960's during surgery) these patches have no ceiling, no harm is caused to the organs, so the doctors just work until they get a theraputic level...

just something to keep in mind for you "chronic pain patients"

please see.... rules and regs

oxycodone is nowhere near oxycontin.

Stay away from oxycontin unless you want to get super addicted to a drug

(edited by TeamPharmer) 

• OxyContin is my specialty. Oxy is slightly stronger Hydrocodone. Highly addictive. Taken as prescribed it is more addictive than any hydrocodone pills because of the shear amount in an O.C. No Hydrocodone pill comes close to 40 mg 80 mg. Strongest Hydrocodone pills are only 10mg hydro. The rest being tylenol. Which is why O.C.'s were invented. too much tylenol kills your liver. OxyContin is pure opiate. It is definitly more addictive than any hydrocodone drug. As for Oxycodone, it's the same drug, mg per mg. Same addiction as any Oxy pill.

Hydrocodone is actually available without tylenol, however; it is rarely used, and I do not believe it is in pill form. I know compounding pharmacies can compound any amount of hydrocodone with any amount of ibuprofen/acetaminophen. However, compound pharmacies are usually pricier than their generic counterparts.

Also, as far as looking up stomach upset as a side effect to hydrocodone, it is a side effect. However, it is also a possible side effect in oxycodone. This goes back to the fact that everybody is different, and what works for some may not work for others. I have no personal experience with oxycodone, except for a kidney stone episode a few months back, so I'm definitely not an expert on oxycodone by any means. But I can say, with some degree of certainty, that stomach upset can occur with either drug, depending on the patient.

Please post your references that you are using so I can cross reference them with the ones I am using. Somewhere, something is definitely not right.

Gtrplayer

Blueangel...Not only is percocet available as a brand but in two other generics besides mallinkcrodt. Your pharmacy can order any generic you wish although you might have to wait or you could call around to other pharmacies to see who does not stock mallinckrodt. All stregths of percocet (5/325, 2.5/325, 7.5/325, 7.5/500, 10/325, and 10/650) are all available in watson and endo generics commonly known as endocet (the manufacturers of brand percocet) so I dont really see your dilemma. As far as the other posts go, they make instant release oxycodone in 5, 15, and 30mg strengths so oxycontin was not invented to have oxycodone w/o tylenol, is was produced for a long acting controlled release formula of a well established narcotic pain killer. Oxycontin is no more addicting than percocet unless you break the time release and end up with 20, 40, or 80mg in your system immediately. They do also make 10s but they make 10mg percocet as well in 2 diff. stregnths. It depends on the patient on whether they will become addicted or not as we all know there is a huge debate between dependency and addiction. I may not have worded that right so apoligies in advance if if comes out sounding wrong.

PDX

"Your pharmacy can order any generic you wish although you might have to wait or you could call around to other pharmacies to see who does not stock mallinckrodt. "

Actually that is not true.   It all depends on which distributor the pharmacy uses.    If they only carry a certain generic they won't order another one.    I am sure it is different with smaller independent pharmacies but with the larger chain stores this is how they seem to operate.  

 Good luck with your fusion Blue Angel.    I also have cervical Myelopathy and herniated C3-C4 C5-C6.   Although I haven't been scheduled for surgery yet, it's definately in my near future.

Blueangel, I also personally do not like walgreens. They seem to carry the cheapest generics, charge and arma and a leg for them and take forever to fill them. (had to wait 5+ hours once) I've also found the techs and pharmacists at walgreens rude and moody. If you have access to an Albertsons/Sav-on pharmacy, I suggest using that. They are extremely friendly and knowledgeable, the longest I've ever had to wait was 15 minutes and they had no problem whatsoever oredering the watson generic percoet 10/325 for me instead of the endocet. (the yellow die in it gives me a bad reaction for some reason.) I've also found safeway as well as smaller pharmacies very good. Good luck woth your spinal fusion and I hope you recover well. I have bulging, and one herniated disc in the L4-L7 area and and spondilitis in my thoracic spine(great genetics I guess) I am only 23 so it really x*#&s and my dr. pretty much told me by the time I'm 80 I will be able to write a book on back pain and will probably be taking pain meds for the rest of my life as surgery is not an option for me. Not the news I want to hear. I just wish tolerance didnt exist! :-D If I am taking two 10/325 percocet a day now (minimum) i cant imagine what I will have to take 20 years from now. But sorry to ramble about myslef, I wish you the best of luck and hope you can find the generic you need at a pharmacy who cares more about the patient than the bottom line (aka walgreens, rite-aid, etc.) Like I said, try grocery store pharmacies and smaller mom and pop shops (old fashioned apothecaries are the best) I know in my neck of the woods (Oregon) Safeway, albertsons/sav-on, and fred meyer/kroger all will match any other pharmacies price and order you any generic/drug/strength you wish as long as it is accessable to them. Once again, best of luck with yuor spinal fusion.

JeckPDX

Pharmacies can send copies of your pain med list to your doctor if they feel there is the possible abuse or soemthign isn't right.  You can thank the doctor shoppers for that. Under HIPAA though it is permitted. 

Just out of curiosity, how many people here have had problems with Walgreen's in particular?  I'm curious due to the fact that I've always gone to a Mom & Pop style pharmacy, and most of the time, they know their patients and know their conditions.  Heck, there are two pharmacist, and one of them will actually recommend drugs that he feels may be safer than what the doctor orders.  

Again, I'm looking to see how many people have had problems with Walgreen's.  I think it's fascinating that one pharmacy can have such a horrible reputation.  Hopefully, someone within the company will see that not only did ABC show them for what they are, but that people on the internet have begun sounding off about them as well.

Gtrplayer

This is neither a pro nor a con statement of Walgreen's, simply just an observation.

Has anyone else noticed that at nearly every intersection, especially in the south, if there is a Walgreen's on a Northeast Corner of an intersection, there is a CVS in the Southwest Corner of the same intersection.  I'm curious if anyone else has noticed that.

Gtrplayer

Gtrplayer,

It's because a few years ago, RiteAid went into this mass expansion, trying  to compete with WalGreens. they expanded too quickly and ended up having to shut down numerous stores. CVS expanded and bought out many of the old Rite Aid stores. 

I typically go to a CVS a block away from my house. They usually are less than friendly there, I've tried to small-talk with them before to be polite and their responses are usually just "yes" or "no". They usually don't say more than "sign here" "5 dollar co-pay". Some techs are nicer than others of course....

as far as dirty looks go, I remember going to a different CVS to get 20 hydro's and they give me all sorts of stare downs and stink-eyes because of my young age. They were just about to hand it to me then they said "hold on a second! stay there!", I waited while the pharmacist punched some keys on his computer (probley triple checking to see if my doctor/prescription was real).

I think I want to switch to a mom & pop type pharmacy.

-----

Tuna

The drugs are very similar and at the molecular level; as the name reflects, oxycodone differs from hydrocodone by only a single oxygen atom attached to hydrocodone replacing a hydrogen atom with a hydroxyl group (-OH).  Very minor structural differences in molecules can have profound affects in activity, however in this case only a subtle difference is observed.  Most references will report that oxycodone is slightly more potent than hydrocodone, but I have spoken with patients and doctors who say that some believe that hydrocodone works better for them for pain relief--in general, you'll hear that oxycodone works better.  The precise molecular mechanism of these drugs has not yet been elucidated

I myself have degenerative disc disease that has rendered all of my lumbar discs to be flattened, protruding and devoid of water.  This condition has diasabled me and I am no longer in the workforce.  Two independent evaluations from a nuerosurgeon and an orthopedic surgeon gave me 50/50 odds that surgery could help, so I opted out of surgery and continue with yoga and drugs.  I take 80mg extended release oxycodone every 6-hours and 5mg oxycodone for "break though" pain.  I have built up to this level after over two years of taking these drugs--due to tolerance these seemingly astronomic levels barely affect me, but they do still help.  I know that I am physically dependent to the drug because if I go more than 24hrs without the drug I start sweating profusely and feel flu-like, but I still feel that by tapering off the drug properly I would not suffer severe withdrawal symptoms and could completely stop the drug.

All this said, I would surely not be worried about trying oxycodone--the difference compared to hydrocodone will most likely be subtle.  Good luck!

I think there is a little more difference between hydrocodone and oxycodone than just a single oxygen molecule replacing a hydrogen one. If thats the case, that why is one chemical name oxycodone hydrochloride and one is hydrocodone bitartrate, the full names for the chemicals. I know Percodan has a very small amount of something called oxycodone terepthalate, only .33mg and 4.5mg oxycodone hcl as well as 325mg of aspirin so I am not sure if these are the same or what. I am no chemical expert and just know things from what I've read and heard albeit from legitimate sources. Any ideas?

PDX

10mg six times per day, you  might think about going to a long acting pain med if your doctor is willing.  With taking the Percocet that often, you're going through a lot of mountains and troughs.  With a long acting pain medicine, you'll hopefully get some baseline relief, with the Percocet (or any other regular release medication) being prescribed to use as needed for pain flare ups.  Finding a good long acting pain medicine isn't an easy thing to do, so don't expect it to work right away.  

That being said, you may actually find that the LA pain meds do give you better relief in a quick fashion.  

As far as Roxi & Oxy combinations, they both contain the same active ingredients.  Roxicette is basically Percocet, and Roxicodone is Oxycodone.  The only difference is the manufacturer.

Gtrplayer 

       I wouldn't worry about taking the whole 10mg of oxycodone if you are taking vicodin 10mg you won't even notice nothing at all except for maybe your pain won't be there. If you have ever went to the hospital some doctors prefer vicodin for pain and other prefer oxy for pain there isn't much differnce i could take 4 of those and nothing would happen rather than i wouldn't have any pain

Kaiser Permanente's is this the name of the man that owns Vintage Pharmacueticals? The ones with the Cursive V on them?

the differences in hydrocodone and oxycodone are very distinct. oxycodone is simply stronger. if they are the 10mg then they are the strongest as well.

but there are similarities

as said by a few of you is they r both opiates but the oxycodone is mixed with a different chemical called acetominophen or something like they "bad spelling"

hope this helps

That thread was started over a year ago, March 27, of 2007.

I think most of the members on the site know the difference between oxycodone and hydrocodone by now, even those who do not take either.

Hydrocodone also, most commonly, uses acetaminophen in it's preparations. That is not what sets oxycodone apart from hydrocodone. They are two different chemicals, that fall in the same therapeutic class of drugs. 

gtrplayer

Chemically, there is a difference between Oxy and hydro.  From a pain-killer perspective, Oxy comes way out on top.

I am a multi-arthritic patient; rheumatoid and fibromyalsia together are the worst for me.

Hydro, you can get refills on; oxy is a class 2 narcotic - monthly Dr visit to get your script.  Oxycodone is currently used as a generic for oxycontin; but a legal battle based on "contin" patent won; so you won't be seeing the substitution for oxycontin by oxycodone in the very near future.. Just FYI from a chemist and long-term chronic pain sufferer w/ breakthroughs.