Hydrocodone vs. Oxycodone

Hydrocodone is an opioid drug and a prescription painkiller. This narcotic pain medication that binds to opioid receptors in the central nervous system, and changes the way pain is perceived. Hydrocodone drug brand names include Hysingla ER and Zohydro ER, which are both extended-release medications. However, there are several other drugs that contain hydrocodone. The risks and side effects associated with most hydrocodone formulations come from the drug’s opioid components, and also acetaminophen components.

It also slows the overall activity of the central nervous system, which includes respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure. This slowing of the CNS is why it’s particularly important for people to follow dosing instructions and take hydrocodone exactly as prescribed.

Some of the side effects of hydrocodone can include nausea, vomiting, itching, constipation, headache, and drowsiness.

While hydrocodone does have benefits in a therapeutic sense, as with other opioids, there is also the risk of addiction and dependence. When people take opioids, particularly in high doses, it can create a euphoric high, so this is something that can lead to addiction.

When you’re comparing hydrocodone vs. OxyContin, there are a few key similarities. OxyContin is a brand-name drug has extended-release tablets, just like the brand-name forms of hydrocodone. This means that OxyContin has a large amount of the opioid oxycodone, and when someone takes it, it’s intended to gradually release into their bloodstream over a period of about 12 hours or so.

Brand-name drugs that include only hydrocodone include Hysingla ER and Zohydro ER, both of which are extended-release drugs. However, hydrocodone is also a component in many other drugs which may be short-acting, or immediate.

OxyContin is also a brand name drug, while hydrocodone is the generic name of an opioid drug.

Both hydrocodone and oxycodone are powerful pain relievers.

There is a potential of getting high with both hydrocodone and oxycodone, but oxycodone is stronger and more likely to lead to addiction than hydrocodone. Hydrocodone used to be the most commonly misused opioid in America because, until recently, it was easy to prescribe and obtain.

Both hydrocodone and oxycodone are classified as schedule II drugs by the DEA in the U.S., which means both are considered to have a high potential for abuse and addiction.

Both are powerful, but oxycodone is approximately 30 percent stronger than hydrocodone. Many studies have shown that a combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen was better at treating pain than hydrocodone with acetaminophen, however.

The most common side effects of both hydrocodone and oxycodone are drowsiness, nausea, vomiting and constipation. However, there is one difference between hydrocodone vs. oxycodone side effects. Because it’s much stronger than hydrocodone, oxycodone is more likely to cause gastrointestinal side effects and constipation than hydrocodone.

In general, yes. There is a similar risk when looking at hydrocodone vs. oxycodone addiction.

Both are classified as schedule II drugs, meaning a high abuse potential. It’s important for people to take both of these drugs exactly as instructed to avoid the risk of addiction, which can occur even when a person is prescribed either of these drugs.

Another similarity between hydrocodone and oxycodone is that the brand-name forms of the drugs come in extended-release forms.

One of the most important differences between the two drugs is that oxycodone is stronger than hydrocodone.

With hydrocodone vs. oxycodone, there are many similarities, and both are generic opioids often used in extended-release and combination drugs. The side effects and addiction potential are similar when looking at hydrocodone vs. oxycodone.