Oxycodone
A strong opioid painkiller for severe pain, including cancer pain and pain after major surgery, available in immediate- and modified-release forms and as a controlled drug with the full opioid risks of dependence and respiratory depression.
- Generic name
- Oxycodone
- Active ingredient
- Oxycodone (variants: oxycodone hydrochloride)
- Product type
- Small-molecule medicine
- Drug class
- Opioids
- Brand names
- UK OxyNorm, OxyContin, Longtec, Shortec · US OxyContin, Roxicodone
- Routes
- Oral, Intravenous, Subcutaneous (Oral (immediate-release capsules and liquid, modified-release tablets); injection)
- Dosage forms
- Capsule, Solution, Extended-release (modified-release) tablet, Injection
- Forms
- Immediate-release capsules and oral liquid every 4-6 hours; modified-release tablets every 12 hours; injections and syringe-driver infusions in hospital and palliative care
- Onset and duration
- Immediate-release forms work within about 30 minutes and last 4-6 hours; modified-release tablets last 12 hours.
- Terminology
- RxNorm RxCUI 7804 · ATC N02AA05 · FDA EPC Opioid Agonist [EPC]
- Monitoring
- Pain relief, sedation, breathing rate and constipation at every review; kidney and liver function; regular reassessment of the need to continue, with a tapering plan.
Availability by country
| Country | Status | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Prescription only | UK | |
| UK | Controlled substance | Schedule 2 controlled drug in the UK | UK |
Legal status differs between countries and can change; each row cites the document it was taken from and applies only to the country named.
What it is used for
- Severe pain that non-opioid painkillers and weaker opioids do not control
- Cancer pain and palliative care
- Pain after major surgery
- Long-term use for chronic non-cancer pain is discouraged because benefit is limited and harm accumulates
How it works in the body
Oxycodone is a full agonist at mu-opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. Activating them closes the gates on pain signals travelling up the spinal cord and changes how the brain experiences pain, while also slowing breathing, dulling alertness, causing constipation and, with repeated use, producing tolerance and dependence. It is metabolised in the liver (CYP3A4 and CYP2D6) and cleared by the kidneys, so both organs affect its dose.
Common side effects
- Constipation, feeling sick, being sick
- Drowsiness, dizziness, confusion
- Dry mouth, itching, sweating, headache
Serious: seek help
- Slow or shallow breathing and extreme drowsiness, particularly with alcohol, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids or other sedatives
- Dependence, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms on stopping
- Very low blood pressure, fainting
- Severe constipation with bowel obstruction
- Signs of an allergic reaction
Cautions and interactions
- A controlled drug: prescribed at the lowest effective dose for the shortest time, with a plan for stopping
- Alcohol, benzodiazepines and other sedatives can cause fatal respiratory depression together
- Dose reduced in kidney or liver impairment and in older or frail people
- CYP3A4 inhibitors (clarithromycin, some antifungals) raise its levels; inducers (rifampicin, carbamazepine) lower them
- Modified-release tablets are swallowed whole; crushing releases the whole dose at once
- Driving: illegal in the UK if driving is impaired
Interactions
Check interactions
Taking Oxycodone with other medicines? Add them to the checker to see what the official sources say about each pair: the mechanism, general management and monitoring, never a bare "safe".
Interactions documented in the official sources cited on each card. The list covers the medicines represented on this site and is not exhaustive; how the interaction data is compiled.
No pair records for this medicine are in the sources currently represented by Anatomy Nexus. Absence from this list does not mean no interaction exists.
Same-class and related medicines
Same class: Opioids
Medicines that share the class of Oxycodone. They are separate medicines with their own licences, doses and interactions, not alternative names for Oxycodone.
Related medicines
Medicines often discussed alongside Oxycodone: used together, compared with it, or acting on the same problem by a different route.