acetaminophen/hydrocodone vs acetaminophen/oxycodone
Side-by-side comparison of acetaminophen/hydrocodone and acetaminophen/oxycodone Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Vicodin, Norco, Lortab
Percocet
This medicine contains acetaminophen and hydrocodone. It is used to relieve moderate to severe pain.
Percocet is a strong pain medicine. It contains acetaminophen and oxycodone, an opioid.
This medicine can relieve minor aches and pains. It can help with headaches, colds, backaches, arthritis pain, toothaches, and muscle aches. It can also reduce fever and help with premenstrual and menstrual cramps.
Percocet is used to manage severe pain. It is for pain that requires an opioid medicine. You should only use Percocet if other pain treatments don't work well enough.
Acetaminophen relieves pain and reduces fever. Hydrocodone is an opioid pain reliever. It works in the brain to decrease pain signals.
Oxycodone works in the brain to block pain signals. Acetaminophen also helps to reduce pain and fever. Together, they provide stronger pain relief.
- • Nausea
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Lightheadedness
- • Dizziness
- • Drowsiness
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- Tiredness 34,486
- Medicine not working 34,371
- Using medicine for unapproved purpose 32,846
- Feeling sick to your stomach 29,571
- Head pain 28,378
- Tiredness 34,486
- Medicine not working 34,371
- Using medicine for unapproved purpose 32,846
- Feeling sick to your stomach 29,571
- Head pain 28,378
This drug has a risk of serious side effects, including addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death. Your breathing may become dangerously slow. Do not take more medicine than prescribed. Never give this medicine to anyone else, especially children.
Percocet has a boxed warning. It can cause addiction, abuse, and misuse, leading to overdose and death. It can also cause life-threatening breathing problems, especially when starting or increasing the dose. Accidental ingestion, even one dose, can cause a fatal overdose, especially in children. Taking Percocet with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants, including alcohol, can cause severe sedation, breathing problems, coma, and death. Using opioids for a long time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn. Acetaminophen can cause liver damage if you take too much.
This medicine may harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not recommended to breastfeed while taking this medicine, as it can pass into breast milk and cause serious harm to a nursing infant.
Taking Percocet for a long time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the baby after birth. Make sure a newborn specialist is available when you deliver your baby.
How to Read This acetaminophen/hydrocodone vs acetaminophen/oxycodone Comparison
acetaminophen/hydrocodone is classified in the Opioid Analgesic Combination drug class, while acetaminophen/oxycodone sits within the Opioid Analgesic Combination class. Because both drugs share the same classification, they are often considered interchangeable in theory — but clinical outcomes rarely track that cleanly. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, acetaminophen/hydrocodone has 159,652 submissions while acetaminophen/oxycodone has 159,652. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between acetaminophen/hydrocodone and acetaminophen/oxycodone — always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.