Oxycodone

Oxycodone is used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain in adults. You might hear about it from a doctor in case of serious pain treatments or if the non-opioid treatment is not showing any betterment in the situation. Oxycodone is an opioid drug that can lead to habit formation and abuse. It should not be taken as a normal pain substitution medication it is for some exceptional cases only. It is an opioid analgesic that changes the way the brain responds to pain. Oxycodone is also available in combination with acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibruprofen. Before using such combinations be sure to read the ingredients and take the prescription from a doctor or pharmacist.

The medicine is a semisynthetic drug available in various release forms. As an immediate-release product, it is mainly used to treat moderate pain and sometimes severe kind of pain. Whereas in the extended-release form, it is used to treat high to severe levels of chronic pain that require a long period of treatment.

How does Oxycodone work?

Oxycodone does not work on the entire body. Rather it acts on particular tissues namely the brain stem(respiratory center), medulla(the cough center), muscles of the pupils, immune system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, and gastrointestinal tract.

Oxycodone(its active components) passes through the blood barriers and dissolves in the bloodstream to reach the targeted tissue. On reaching the targeted tissues, the drug tricks them into believing that the pain has been reduced to a comparatively low level.

How to use oxycodone?

Oxycodone is present in the form of a solution, a concentrated solution, tablet, capsule, an extended release tablet, or an extended release capsule. Generally, the solution, concentrated solution, tablet, or capsule is taken every 3-4 hours with or without food but the extended release tablet are taken after 12hours with or without food, and extended release capsules are also taken after 12 hours but you should take it with food. Your diet after taking these medications should be the same. Take oxycodone according to the prescription by your doctor, excessive use can lead to addiction or in some cases death.

Simply swallow the pills with the help of water(do not use anything other than water). Do not wait for the pill to dissolve in the mouth itself and don’t crush it. If you use the nasogastric tube, inform your doctor prior to the treatment. It is not advised to swallow pills through NG Tube.

If your doctor has advised you to take the capsule form of the medication but you find it difficult to swallow, then you can simply open the capsule and sprinkle its content on soft food such as yogurt or pudding. Immediately swallow the mixture. In any circumstances do not store the mixture for later use. Doing so can cause the reaction of inactive components.

If you are prescribed a concentrated solution and it gets thick to swallow, you can use a small amount of juice to mix it. Avoid using grapefruit juice as it is reactive with the Oxycodone medicine.

What do you need to know before taking oxycodone?

Oxycodone can cause serious issues if you don’t know the following things:

• Don’t use it if you have are allergic to it.
• Stay away from it if you have breathing problems or severe asthma.
• Should not be used by people having a blockage in their intestine or stomach.
• There are fake oxycodone pills in the market made with Fentanyl(a synthetic opioid) which is deadly even in small amounts.
• Don’t stop the medication without consulting your doctor. Stopping the medication suddenly can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, fast breathing, watery eyes, loss of appetite, chills, runny nose, diarrhea, cramps, continuous sneezing, and weakness.
• Be sure to mention all your medicines(prescription-based, non-prescription-based, vitamins, anti-allergens, herbal products, and nutritional supplements) with your doctor.
• Especially mention and discuss with your paramedics if you use diuretics, antihistamines, St. John’s wort, buprenorphine, cyclobenzaprine, tryptophan, butorphanol, dextromethorphan, medicines for glaucoma, urinary problems, almotriptan or Lithobid.
• The medicine comes with a risk of decreasing fertility. Be sure to discuss the dose with your doctor if you have erectile dysfunction or any such condition.

Before you start taking this medicine you should always tell your doctor clearly about any medical conditions you have or even if you are breastfeeding. Always buy from an Authorized pharma web online.

Benefits of using oxycodone

Oxycodone is beneficial in case of severe or any pain which can not be treated by nonopioid drugs. Other than this there are no such recorded benefits of this drug. It is a strong analgesic that changes the nerve system’s behavior towards pain and eases your pain as soon as you take it.

How long does Oxycodone take to eliminate from the body?

Oxycodone is expelled from the body in the form of urine. The extended-release dose takes about 4.5 hours and the immediate release takes about 3.2 hours. All the active and inactive ingredients are absorbed and excreted in different quantities. Expelled Conjugated Oxymorphone makes up around 10% of the volume of the urine, free Oxycodone makes up 8.9%, and Noroxymorphone covers up to 14% whereas inactive and minor components make up to 18%.

Side effects of oxycodone

Taking oxycodone can have some side effects which can be mild effects or serious effects too. A few of these side effects are:

Mild effects

1. Very low blood pressure levels that can lead to drowsiness.
2. Dry mouth
3. Headache
4. Stomach pain
5. Dizziness
6. Flushing
7. Sudden Mood Changes

Note that if any of these symptoms is sustaining for more than 3-4 hours immediately contact your doctor.

Serious effects

1. Heartbeat rise or fall
2. Hallucination or fever
3. Chest pain
4. Itching
5. Seizures
6. Lightheadedness
7. Hoarseness
8. Swelling in various body parts such as the face, tongue, and arms
9. Extreme rash
10. Hives
11. Decreased Sexual Desire
12. Irregular Period Cycle(in females)
13. Worsening of erectile dysfunction(if you suffer)

If you are facing any of these issues you should immediately take emergency medical help or consult your doctor. This is not the entire list of allergies and symptoms. In case you feel any discomfort in your body, immediately contact your doctor.

Warnings and precautions

This medicine is having a highly addictive drug in it. You should always avoid the overdose of this medicine. It should be kept in a safe place away from the reach of children and should not be given to anybody else as this is an illegal activity.

While you are going through this medication you should always stay away from any alcohol.

This can prove deadly or may cause serious irreplaceable damage to your brain.

Using marijuana in any form can also lead to serious consequences as this can lead to falling in your blood pressure levels to very low and can cause difficulty in breathing.

Don’t work with any machinery or stay away from the driver seat when you have taken this medicine. This medicine causes dizziness which can lead to accidents if you are doing such things.

Before you start taking this medicine tell the doctor about your medical history especially if had any breathing issues or mental health issues.

Older adults may see some serious effects after taking this medicine. You should be careful with the liquid intake too. Don’t take liquids with high sugar in thee and avoid grapefruit or its juice. It can cause serious reactions with the inactive ingredients.

In case of pregnancy, this medication should be avoided or should be strictly under the doctor’s supervision and the same goes while breastfeeding also as this drug can get mixed with the milk and can affect the infant. The Infants that are fed with Oxycodone-infected milk are likely to suffer from sedation and respiratory depression.

Storage

Keep this medication away from children’s reach and tightly packed in the container it came in. This medicine should be kept in a dark place at room temperature. You should save it from coming in contact with moisture also as it can affect the salts and the medicine can also get crushed due to moisture. Any medicine which is outdated should be properly disposed of or flushed if not required any further.

The cap of the medicine container should be tightly capped so that if accidentally a kid approached it even then they can’t open it. It will save your kid from intoxicating themselves.

Drug interactions

Drug interactions mean the reaction between two drugs or a drug and supplement or food. Here we can not tell you about oxycodone’s interaction with the drugs but there are few drugs that can interact well with this drug. The drugs which are used for pain relief such as pentazocine and butorphanol.

The risk of some serious effects increases as you take this drug in combination with another drug so you should always consult your doctor first before taking these medications and take it as per the doctor’s prescription only.  You should always check for the ingredients in any other drug that you take with it. If it has drowsiness creating salts then you should not take it as it can cause serious hospitalization.

There are a few medications that can reduce the Effect of oxycodone such as azole antifungals, macrolide antibiotics, mifepristone, HIV medications, and certain drugs used for seizure treatment.
Before taking any laboratory test tell laboratory personnel that you are taking oxycodone.

Approved Reactive Drugs:

• Abametapir: Reacts with Sirem concentration of Oxycodone.
• Abiraterone: Decrease the absorption time for Oxycodone,
• Acetazolamide: Increases the risk of CNS Depression.
• Acetophenazine: Increases the risk of hypotension and CNS Depression.
• Amiloride: The effects of Amiloride are almost nuffield when taken with Oxycodone.

Vet Approved Reactive Drugs:

The below-mentioned drugs are more likely to have adverse side effects by reacting with the non-active drugs.

• Butorphanol
• Azaperone
• Carfentanil
• Chloral hydrate
• Detomidine
• Halothane
• Furosemide
• Glycopyrronium

Reactive Nutraceuticals:

• Castor oil
• Niacin
• Sodium ascorbate
• Tryptophan
• Sodium ascorbate

What to do in case of overdose?

If you are taking oxycodone you should always keep in mind that it is an addictive drug that can have serious issues on your health. After taking it for some time, you may feel urges to increase the dose to experience the aftereffects it has but doing so can lead to an overdose of oxycodone and can lead to death. You should always keep naloxone at your home and should inform someone in your family about it. Tell them in what situations they need to give it to you. If you take an overdose you may body may feel weak or unable to move which can lead to fainting. If the overdose is not reversed quickly then the chances of surviving fall gradually. Call emergency help quickly and even if the person is feeling fine after taking naloxone you should call the poison control center.

The symptoms of Overdosing are:

• Respiratory Depression
• Atypical Snoring
• Bradycardia
• Partial Airway Obstruction
• Sleepiness
• Constricted Pupils
• Skeletal Muscle Flaccidity
• Stupor
• Constricted Pupils
• Clammy Skin
• Weak Muscles
• Excessive Sleepiness

What to do if I miss a dose?

You should make a proper schedule first of all or tell someone else in your family to keep your medication cycle going on time but still if due to any reason you forgot to take medication you should take it as soon as you remember. If your next dose timing is near then you skip one dose and should not take more medicine than prescribed to make up for the missed dose. The capsules and ER tablets are strictly advised to be consumed once in 12 hours.

Other things you should know

Always be in contact with your doctor you might need help anytime and keep track of how your body responds to oxycodone. So, that after any dose if feel anything incertain you can contact your doctor for it.

Always keep naloxone with you to reverse the effect of overdose.

Stay away from sugary beverages and grapefruits. Teach your family about the signs of oxycodone overdose and how to respond in that scenario.

Do not use this medicine for any other medical condition or do not share it with anybody else it is an illegal offense.

FAQs

Q. How long does oxycodone stay in our bodies?

Oxycodone can be detected in the body even after 1 to 4 days and can be tested after a few hours of intake through our saliva and sometimes even after 48 hours it can be detected in your body. It can be detected in our hairs for up to 90days.

Q. Is it legal to buy oxycodone online?

You can buy oxycodone online from any website if you have valid doctor’s prescriptions.

Q. Is it safe to buy oxycodone online?

Well, there are a number of fake oxycodone drugs being sold by some illegitimate pharmacies online which are made of synthetic opioid drug fentanyl which can be deadly. It is always advised to buy oxycodone online from authentic pharmacies.

Q. Do we need a prescription for buying oxycodone?

Yes, you need a description before buying oxycodone. There are some pharmacies that are selling them without prescriptions too but there are higher chances of giving you fake oxycodone which is identical to the original one.

Q. What is the difference between Oxycodone and Oxycontin?

Both of these are the same drugs but oxycontin is a long-acting form of oxycodone and releases oxycodone for 12 hours and is given twice a day only and on the other hand, oxycodone is a short-acting drug that needs to be taken every 4-6 hours a day.