Difference Between Oxycodone and Hydrocodone
Oxycodone and hydrocodone are two pain relieving drugs prescribed by doctors to relieve extreme pain, but the former is usually considered to be more effective than the latter. Medical research on both the medicines found that oxycodone is about five times more effective in relieving pain than hydrocodone.
However, there are some people who find hydrocodone to give better results; hence, the potency of the two depends upon how a particular individual reacts to the medication. The chemical composition of both the drugs is almost similar and their side effects are also the same, but they still have lots of differences.
Oxycodone generally comes as a single-ingredient medication, but it can also be combined with other active ingredients. Hydrocodone on the other hand, is available as a combination product only. All oxycodone medications are Schedule II controlled substances, while hydrocodone are Schedule III. This means that the former has a higher abuse potential as compared to the latter. Due to oxycodone’s abusive characteristics, this drug cannot be called in by the doctor at the pharmacy. A written prescription is necessary to buy this medication. However, in case of hydrocodone, doctor’s prescription is not necessary, one can easily buy it from the nearest drug store.
In simple words, the latter can be phoned or faxed to the medical store and may have refills, but the original, hard copy of a prescription is required to sell oxycodone to an individual. Healthcare providers are also generally more reluctant to prescribe oxycodone medication as compared to hydrocodone.
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Oxycodone
Oxycodone is a controlled, narcotic analgesic medication created from poppy-derived thebaine. This medicine was first developed in 1916 in Germany, and has been since used to treat moderate to severe pain. Owing to its greater effectiveness, it is prescribed by doctors to patients suffering from severe pain like chronic pain injuries, trauma etc. It is even used to relieve carcinoma related pains since it helps control pain for an extended period. -
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Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone is a narcotic analgesic drug, synthesized from either of the two naturally occurring opiates, thebaine and codeine. It is usually given to suppress minor to moderate degrees of pain. It is also prescribed by the doctors to help manage hacking cough. Hydrocodone is also classified as controlled drug due to its ability to induce tolerance, and is available in syrup, tablet and capsule form.
