codeine vs oxycodone
Side-by-side comparison of codeine and oxycodone. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
If urgent use of an opioid is necessary, use test doses and frequent titration of small doses of other opioids (such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, or buprenorphine) to treat pain while closely monitoring blood pressure and signs and symptoms of CNS and respiratory depression.
Recommendation: Your doctor should use very small doses and watch you closely for signs of extreme sleepiness or trouble breathing.
This medicine contains acetaminophen and codeine. It is used to treat mild to moderate pain when other pain medicines are not strong enough.
Oxycodone is a strong pain medicine. It is used to treat severe pain that is not helped by other treatments.
This medicine is used to manage mild to moderate pain. It is for when an opioid medicine is appropriate. You should only use it if other pain treatments are not working well enough for you.
Oxycodone is used to manage severe pain. It is for pain that requires an opioid medicine. You should only use it when other pain treatments are not enough. Talk to your doctor about other options if possible.
Codeine works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain. Acetaminophen also helps to relieve pain. Together, they provide pain relief.
Oxycodone works by changing how your brain and nervous system respond to pain. It attaches to certain receptors in the brain. This helps to block pain signals and reduce pain.
- • Feeling drowsy
- • Lightheadedness
- • Dizziness
- • Feeling sleepy
- • Shortness of breath
- • Feeling sick to your stomach
- • Constipation
- • Throwing up
- • Headache
- • Itching
- Allergic reaction to the medicine 806
- Feeling sick to your stomach 487
- Feeling unwell 374
- Throwing up 364
- Head pain 356
- Addiction to the drug 27,480
- Pain 26,410
- Death 19,598
- Taking too much of the drug 19,081
- Harmful effects from different substances 16,254
This medicine can be habit-forming, leading to addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can result in overdose and death. Serious, life-threatening breathing problems can occur, especially when starting the medicine or after a dose increase. Accidental ingestion, especially by children, can cause a fatal overdose. Do not give this medicine to children under 12 years old, or to children under 18 after tonsil or adenoid removal, due to the risk of life-threatening breathing problems. This medicine can also harm your liver. Taking this medicine with certain other medicines like benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants can cause serious side effects, including death.
Oxycodone can cause serious, life-threatening risks: * Addiction, abuse, and misuse can lead to overdose and death. Your doctor will check your risk before prescribing and during treatment. * It can cause very slow or stopped breathing, especially when you start taking it or after a dose increase. * If a child accidentally takes even one dose, it can cause a fatal overdose. * Taking it with benzodiazepines (like Xanax) or other depressants (like alcohol) can cause sleepiness, slowed breathing, coma, and death. * Using oxycodone for a long time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn. * Taking oxycodone with certain other medicines can cause dangerous side effects.
This medicine can cause withdrawal symptoms in newborns if taken during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if this medicine passes into breast milk.
Using oxycodone for a long time during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the baby after birth. Talk to your doctor about the risks if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Oxycodone is not recommended during labor, as it can cause breathing problems in the newborn.
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How to Read This codeine vs oxycodone Comparison
codeine is classified in the Opioid Analgesic drug class, while oxycodone sits within the Opioid Analgesic 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, codeine has 2,387 submissions while oxycodone has 108,823. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both drugs are strong pain relievers that slow down your breathing and brain activity. taking them together can make these side effects much stronger and more dangerous.. 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 codeine and 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.