Does anyone actually know the difference between hydrocodone and oxycodone?
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Hydrocodone is NOT codeine. Codeine, hydrocodone and oxycodone are all different pain medications in the same family; they are all opioids. Oxycodone is the strongest, next hydrocodone and then codeine after that. They are all 'sister' drugs in that they are in the same family and work in similar ways, but they are not the same drugs. If hydrocodone and oxycodone feel the same to you, then maybe you took a higher milligram of the hydrocodone than the oxycodone, because oxycodone is stronger. Out of the three, it is the only one that is a class 2 controlled substance, meaning you have to have a written prescription for it and it cannot have refills. Codeine and hydrocodone both can be written or called into the pharmacy and may contain up to 6 refills.
Hydrocodone is coedine. It is a much safer, although still very addictive, narcotic pain releiver. Oxycodone is the equivilent of drugstore heroin. It is a highly addictive narcotic pain releiver which is SUPPOSED to be used only in situations in which addiction far outweighs the consequences of use. (Such as terminal cancer patients.)
Addiction to oxycodone (Ox, Oxy, Hillbilly Heroin) has become a major problem. Many people each year die because they try to "cook" the drug and shoot it IV. Oxycodone is time-released and cannot be taken in that way. It will stop the heart.
I lost a dear friend in February of 2001 because he was prescribed Oxycontin for severe chronic pain. He became tolerant very quickly and needed more and more to acheive the same pain relief. Having been an addict back in the seventies, he tried to cook and shoot the drug into his arm. At the time, his wife was out of town and his 14 year old daughter found him dead in the bathroom with the needle still in his arm. What a tragedy for him and a continuing tragedy for his daughter.
Please think hard before submitting to treatment with this drug. It is very dangerous.
Oxycodone is much stronger and much more addictive than hydrocodone. It is also much more dangerous. The reason that you don't feel the difference is probably because the of the prescription strength.
Yes, hydrocodone is for moderate to severe pain depending on the strength of the pill and how many pills you take at a time. Oxycodone is mainly for severe pain. Oxycodone is ABSOLUTELY the STRONGEST pain medication you can take P.O. (by mouth). But if you are taking just Percocet and not Oxycontin (Percocet has tylenol in it and is usually in the combo of 5mg oxycodone 325 mg acetiminophen and oxycontin is just pure narcotic and comes in 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 mg) then the strength of the percocet might be equal to that of the vicodin, hope this helps!
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