Oxycodone vs Codeine: Which Works Better? (Differences, Similarities)

In this era, pain is one of the most common health problems for this generation. For the effective treatment of pain relief, people get prescribed a lot of opioid drugs.  Oxycodone and Codeine both are the first line opioid prescribed pills among all other pain relief drugs. Both are opioid pain relievers, but have a lot of differences. Only the detailed explanation on ‘Oxycodone vs Codeine’ can clear all the doubts related to Codeine and Oxycodone.   

Codeine is used as for common pain or cough depressant. On the other hand, oxycodone is stronger and typically used for pain after any surgery. But a question that always comes to mind is oxycodone the same as codeine? Or both are different, we can discuss this in this article. So let us delve into this article to know better about these two medications. Know there difference, similarities, side effects, and also know the potency, different dosage that varies. 

Comparing Oxycodone vs Codeine In Details

The most common thing that causes you is suffering in pain. It can be for a short term or in a severe way. So, understanding oxycodone and codeine is necessary for your comparison. If the medications share some similarities, but in terms of mechanisms, both are different. 

Codeine is a natural opiate that comes from the opium poppy. The codeine tablet is used to treat light to medium pain, as well as for cough inhibition. On the other side, the oxycodone tablet is a semi-synthetic opioid that has more power than codeine. Before knowing codeine vs oxycodone, let us know them individually.

What Is Oxycodone and Codeine? And How Do They Work?

Wonder to know what codeine and oxycodone are and how they work to relieve pain, here are some details about these two drugs that been provided. After comparison of both opioid you can find out what is best for your individual needs. And also know if both are controlled substances or not.

What Is Oxycodone Medication?

Oxycodone is known for its semi-synthetic opioid drug, which is less common power compare to other pain-relieving drugs. In most cases, it is prescribed for pain that vary average to very serious pain and is also prescribed as a single medication as well as a combination medication. So, taking an example oxycodone pill is mostly carried with the mixture of acetaminophen to make it effective for relieving pain.

What Is Codeine Medication?

Somewhere, the relation for the other opioid codeine pill is milder. The reason for being mild is the tablet for the design by the schedule V, which is the lowest risk of abuse. In such a case coedine tablet is known for its lower power than other opioids that are prescribed. It is also prescribed in regular basis after combining the drug. The tablet can also be prescribed to cure pain, and it is also used as a cough syrup. 

Additionally, the question you might hear is codeine a controlled substance?  The answer is that codeine is a narcotic, so its range is from schedule II to schedule IV. And codeine is the only ingredient in itself.  

What’s the Difference Between Oxycodone and Codeine?

The difference between Codeine and Oxycodone is evaluated with individual uses and how they depend on serious pain, patients’ risk of addiction, and their risk of overdose. They are different in Half-Life, approximately oxycodone has 3 to 5 hours, and codeine has between 3 and 4 hours.

Basically, you can know codeine is used for mild to severe pain in conjunction with other drugs like Acetaminophen. On the other hand, oxycodone pill helps to cure common to very serious pain. Oxycodone is more powerful than codeine, which can lead to addiction and dependency. The key differences are mentioned below the table.

Here, the table below describes the key differences:-

Features	Oxycodone	Codeine
Drug class	Opiate Analgesics	Narcotic
Primary use	It is used to manage pain	Managing acute or chronic Pain
Onset of effect	10 to 30 minutes,/About 1 hour for the controlled release	30 to 45 minutes after administration
Average dose	The average dose of Oxycodone is 10 to 30 mg	The average dose of Codeine is 15 to 60 mg
Potency	High-potency semisynthetic opioid	Much less potent as an analgesic

Similarities Between Codeine and Oxycodone

In terms of distinct of Codeine and Oxycodone, both have some similarities, which are both known for their schedule II phenanthrene-class opioid drug for the binding to mu-opioid receptors in the brain. As these two belong to the phenanthrene that pretend for there chemical structures. So the meaning of a similar chemical structure is that they have the same type of allergy. Both are mostly paired with non-opioid pain relievers.       

What Are The Side Effects?

If you’re taking any opioid you need to be cautious about these tablets. In any case, taking codeine and oxycodone together can lead to side effects. Both can lead to addiction, so they can cause more serious side effects. Also, you can feel some serious side effects that are mentioned.

The most common side effects of both opioids are mentioned below 

• Lightheadedness
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Sedation
• Allergic reactions
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Rash
• Itching

Serious Side Effects

If you have serious side effects, then no need to panic, stay in proper cation follow the doctor’s advice, and check regularly. Oxycodone and Codeine together can cause some Serious side effects. The very serious side effects are described below:

• Hives
• Difficulty breathing 
• Swelling
• Feeling lightheaded and fainting
• Slow heart rate and weak pulse
• Confusion or unusual thoughts, or behavior
• Severe constipation
• Pancreatitis

Addiction Potential of Codeine vs Oxycodone

The addiction of oxycodone vs codeine potency indicates the drug used alone. Due to the potential misuse and serious dependence. Codeine is basically classified as a Schedule III drug when it contains less than 90mg of the same substance. On the other side, you have oxycodone, which is typically classified as sceduleII substance that mimics the high power that can be misused and also a risk of serious physical dependence. So, both are taken under a healthcare professional’s guidance.

Drug Interaction

The drug interaction of oxycodone with coedine which are both opioids are remarkable danger in the metabolic route in this opioid drug interaction. So tell your pharmacist all other drugs you take. Mixing both drugs can affect the central nervous system, which can be dangerous. After taking it can slow down your brain. Some other drugs interaction which include.

• MAO inhibitors
• Benzodiazepines 
• Acohol
• Antidepressants
• CNS depressants
• Antiseizure medications
• Muscle relaxers
• Anticholinergic

Which Drug is Best: Oxycodone or Codeine?

If you are looking for the best opioid in these two drugs, codeine and oxycodone for your needs it depends on your doctor. He decided by checking your health, which is based on your symptoms and the cause of your pain. In a small reference, Codeine is most typically used for very light to serious pain. Oxycodone is a stronger opioid, so it is used as a medium to massive pain. So, according to your need doctor may prescribe either one of them which suit for you or both in combination.

Conclusion 

This article concludes that both Oxycodone and Codeine are effective in the treatment of very serious pain. You can know that Codeine is mainly used for its safety profile, although some studies have found it to be less effective than Oxycodone. For any reason, oxycodone can be misused more than codeine. So, codeine and oxycodone are mainly interlinked. In case you hve allergic to oxycodone, you may have an allergy to codeine. But lastly, both have central nervous system depressants, and they can not be taken together.