OxyContin is a powerful and frequently abused opioid. People frequently wonder if there is an OxyContin acetaminophen relationship, and they wonder if OxyContin has acetaminophen in it.
The following is an overview of OxyContin, which helps answer the question, “Does OxyContin have acetaminophen in it?”
What is OxyContin?
OxyContin is the brand name of the generic opioid narcotic oxycodone that is given to treat moderate to severe pain. OxyContin is an extended-release version of oxycodone. This means that it can be prescribed for around-the-clock pain relief.
As with other opioids, OxyContin changes the perception of pain by binding to certain receptors in the central nervous system (CNS). While OxyContin helps relieve pain, it can also slow down essential functions controlled by the CNS, including respiration and heart rate. This is what leads to overdoses when people take prescription opioid pain relievers.
Since OxyContin is a time-release version of oxycodone, people are less likely to feel a euphoric high when they take it as prescribed.
Unfortunately, people do abuse OxyContin in other ways. One example is crushing it and snorting it. This method allows people to bypass the time-release mechanism and feel a much more euphoric high than they would if they took it as intended. Crushing and snorting OxyContin is also dangerous because the full effects of the time-release medicine are hitting the person all at one time.
OxyContin not only can slow breathing, but it can also stop it altogether. This respiratory risk is higher when a person abuses the drug. Developing addiction and physical dependence are risks of taking OxyContin, and those risks increase when the drug is abused.
Some of the common side effects of OxyContin include drowsiness, dizziness, feeling tired, constipation, dry mouth and itching. Severe side effects of OxyContin include confusion, extreme drowsiness, convulsions, severe constipation, nausea, vomiting and feeling lightheaded.
OxyContin Acetaminophen
Many people wonder if there is any link between OxyContin and acetaminophen. It’s important to first understand the relationship between OxyContin and acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen is a commonly used substance that’s available over the counter, and it’s used in Tylenol and other well-known medications. It’s a pain reliever for minor aches and pains. Acetaminophen is often included with other pain medications to increase their effectiveness.
Acetaminophen is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. While its risks are relatively low when taken as directed, it can be deadly if you take too much. This danger is because Tylenol affects the liver and can cause liver damage or even acute liver failure. It’s important that people know the maximum dosage they can take of Tylenol in a 24-hour period, and they should also know if they’re taking more than one drug at a time that contains acetaminophen.
It’s also unwise to drink alcohol while taking anything that contains acetaminophen because this further increases the risk of liver damage.
Anyone with a history of alcohol abuse, liver disease or kidney disease are warned against taking acetaminophen altogether.
Percocet is one example of several that contains both an opioid and acetaminophen. The opioid in Percocet is the same as OxyContin—it’s oxycodone. Percocet can fight pain in different ways because of the combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen, but people have to be careful with dosing.
People often wonder if there is a link between OxyContin and acetaminophen because oxycodone and acetaminophen are talked about in similar contexts, especially when discussing Percocet.
Does OxyContin have Acetaminophen In It?
OxyContin does not have acetaminophen in it.
OxyContin is only oxycodone, and it’s not a combination medicine with acetaminophen like Percocet. The pure amounts of oxycodone in OxyContin are much higher than in combination drugs, and the dosages range from 10 mg up to 80 mg. When someone takes OxyContin, only a portion of the total oxycodone is released, and then it slowly releases into the bloodstream and body over the course of hours.
Since OxyContin has such a high dose of oxycodone compared to combination drugs, the risks of abusing it are very high, and you should never take it in any way other than how it’s prescribed to be used.
People who take OxyContin should never crush it or chew it before swallowing it. They shouldn’t crush it and snort it, and they shouldn’t dissolve it and inject it. It also shouldn’t be taken with other opioids or central nervous system depressants like alcohol or benzodiazepines.
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