Two medicines, side by side
Acetaminophen/oxycodone vs amitriptyline
Acetaminophen/oxycodone is labeled for pain; amitriptyline for depression. Their labels share no use, so they are not alternatives to each other. Drugs@FDA records approvals of acetaminophen/oxycodone since 2014 and of amitriptyline since 1961. Pharmacies paid $0.183 per oxycodone-acetaminophen 7.5-325 mg tablet and $0.03 per amitriptyline HCl 10 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, acetaminophen/oxycodone is an opioid agonist and amitriptyline a tricyclic antidepressant.
Check it at the source: the acetaminophen/oxycodone FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 23, 2025); the amitriptyline FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 8, 2026).
Highlights of the acetaminophen and oxycodone record
Acetaminophen and oxycodone (Percocet) · label of December 23, 2025
ADDICTION, ABUSE, AND MISUSE: RISK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION STRATEGY (REMS); LIFE-THREATENING RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION; ACCIDENTAL INGESTION; NEONATAL OPIOID WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME;
Used for
From the label: indicationsOxycodone and acetaminophen tablets are indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- March 11, 2014
- Generic labelers
- 29 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.183 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 8
Highlights of the amitriptyline record
Amitriptyline (Elavil) · label of September 8, 2026
Suicidality and Antidepressant Drugs: Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies of major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of amitriptyline hydrochloride or any other antidepressant in a child, adolescent, or young adult must balance this risk with the clinical need.
Used for
From the label: indicationsFor the relief of symptoms of depression. Endogenous depression is more likely to be alleviated than are other depressive states.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- April 7, 1961
- Generic labelers
- 34 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.03 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Acetaminophen/oxycodone label of December 23, 2025, Amitriptyline label of September 8, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do acetaminophen/oxycodone and amitriptyline differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, acetaminophen/oxycodone is an opioid agonist and amitriptyline a tricyclic antidepressant.
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: acetaminophen/oxycodone since 1976; amitriptyline since 1976 (Drugs@FDA).
DEA schedule: acetaminophen/oxycodone CII; amitriptyline none.
| Acetaminophen/oxycodone | Amitriptyline | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Pain | Depression |
| Pharmacologic class | Opioid Agonist | Tricyclic Antidepressant |
| How it works (label) | n/a | in man is not known. It is not a monoamine oxidase inhibitor and it does not act primarily by stimulation of the central nervous system. |
| Half-life (label) | The plasma half-life is 1.25 to 3 hours, but may be increased by liver damage and following overdosage. | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | March 11, 2014 | April 7, 1961 |
| First generic approved | August 31, 1976 | November 16, 1976 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 29 labelers | 34 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.183 per tablet (Oxycodone-acetaminophen 7.5-325 mg tablet) | $0.03 per tablet (Amitriptyline HCl 10 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | +2% | -19% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 8 | 2 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 23,353 | 17,441 |
| DEA schedule | CII | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What do the labels say about using others of their kind?
Acetaminophen/oxycodone label, drug interactionsBenzodiazepines and Other Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants Due to additive pharmacologic effect, the concomitant use of benzodiazepines and other CNS depressants, such as benzodiazepines and other sedative hypnotics, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, gabapentinoids and other opioids, including alcohol, can increase the risk of hypotension, respiratory …
Amitriptyline label, warningsIf concomitant use of amitriptyline hydrochloride with other serotonergic drugs, including triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, fentanyl, lithium, tramadol, buspirone, tryptophan, and St. John’s Wort is clinically warranted, patients should be made aware of a potential increased risk for serotonin syndrome, particularly during treatment initiation and dose increases.
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to acetaminophen/oxycodone
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions