Thursday, May 17, 2012

A Comparison Of The 2 Drugs Used For The Treatment Of Pain

Oxycodone hydrochloride is an opioid analgesic used in the treatment of moderate to severe pain. It's present in several pain relieving medications along with other ingredients and also by itself. Although, Oxycodone and Oxycontin have the same active component and have more or less similar name, they just have a host of differences. The primary differences are quite essential to comprehend, which includes the difference in potency, indications and general safety.
Ingredients: Oxycontin is a time-released preparation, where Oxycodone hydrochloride is available by itself in high concentration. However, Oxycodone is an immediate release form that combines Oxycodone HCL with other ingredients and treats pain for a short term period.
The prescription drug label indicates clearly whether the drug is pure Oxycodone HCL or Oxycodone along with other ingredients. When the label reads "Oxycodone", then the formulation contains only the narcotic pain killer. But, if it reads "Oxycodone/APAP", then it's the narcotic pain killer combined with a NSAID Acetaminophen.
Difference in potency: Prescription medications that contain Oxycodone and other ingredients usually contain 2.5 to 10 milligrams of the narcotic pain killer, Oxycodone HCL. These medicines are often prescribed for short term pain management, in mild to moderate pain conditions after minor surgeries or procedures.
Oxycontin time-release formulations range more widely in the strength of its active ingredient. The instant release form may contain only 5 mg of the Oxycodone HCL, but the controlled release form could have quantity ranging from 20 mg, 40 mg and even 80 mg of the narcotic pain reliever, that delivers the active ingredient in to the system very slowly and gradually for a period of around 12 hours. Oxycontin is usually used to treat mild to significant pain conditions caused by significant injuries, cancer pain, and back injury.
Different trade names: Oxycontin is the trade name for pure Oxycodone preparations. But, Oxycodone formulations with other active ingredients come in other names like Percocet, Percodan, and Endocet.
Precautions: Both Oxycodone and Oxycontin can be habit-forming, and also have high chances for drug abuse among its users. Hence, it should be taken as prescribed by the medical doctor. Oxycontin is a time-released formulation that contains high doses of Oxycodone HCL, which should be crushed or chewed or split while taking or otherwise it could become fatal.
Discuss With Your Doctor The strong effects of Oxycontin and Oxycodone could be harmful to one's health. Those who take these prescription medications should follow their doctor's suggestions. They should take the medications only when necessary, specially when there's significant pain. Extreme caution is vital for people who are prescribed to take Oxycontin and Oxycodone. The effects of addiction can jeopardize the health, and it might also lead to extremely serious consequences. Before addiction occurs, you should realize the symptoms to prevent the condition from getting worse.

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