Oxycodone Vs Morphine: Key Differences, Strength & Dosage Explained

Coordinating the pain via different medicines is quite challenging when you have more than one option have to choose. Choosing the best medicine is crucial for the successful treatment of pain.  Here, Oxycodone and Morphine are two powerful opioids widely used for their advanced clinical care. Although they work in the same way, they can’t be used together. Combining oxycodone with morphine can cause harmful effects to you. So here we bring a detailed guide on Oxycodone Vs Morphine differences, where you can get the root information about which medicine will be right for you. 

Comparing Oxycodone Vs Morphine for Efficient Pain Management

For reducing pain, Morphine and Oxycodone are mostly prescribed medicines works by acting on the central nervous system. Comparing these two opioids will be useful to distinguish their clinical uses, tolerance levels, withdrawal timing, and risks associated with them. Chronic pain is sometimes related to Hyperalgesia that can’t be easily treated. But the pain can be reduced by the effect of the Oxycodone or Morphine drug if used precisely. So, let’s know their individual uses and capacity for treating pain after an injury or in the recovery phase of a chronic disease. 

Clinical Overview of Oxycodone Versus Morphine

Morphine is often called the first-line treatment for pain relief. Because you can start it as the initial pain-relief intake due to its lesser potential for opioid addiction. Morphine is available in different brand names, such as Statex, Roxanol, Duramorph, and Kadian. So, people preferred to get Morphine, checking the authenticity and brand quality on the internet. Morphine dose is the standard dose available in oral tablets, capsules, and Intravenous formulas that can be given to the patients according to their current condition.

On the otherhand Oxycodone can be your one-stop solution, if you are a recent user or a long-time user of opioids. The lower doses of Oxycodone, like Oxycodone 5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg, might be prescribed as a starting dose. The higher doses, such as Oxycodone 40 mg, 60 mg, and 80 mg, will be recommended for people with tolerance to opioids. Increased use of the oxycodone pill confuses people. Is oxycodone over the counter(OTC)? Oxycodone is not approved for OTC use by any medical association, so people canget Oxycodone only after having a legal prescription. 

Summarizing Key Differences in Morphine Pills Vs Oxycodone

For managing moderate to severe pain, both pills are effective in different ways. They work differently for each individual based on their health condition, daily routine, other medicine continuing, and hydration. Understanding their basic differences will help you take the appropriate medication. Let’s know them below

• Hence, both are belongs to the opioid class but they are differently categorized based on their formulation. Morphine is an opioid, but it is derived naturally, whereas Oxycodone is a semi-synthetic opioid formulated from opioid compounds. 
• In comparison to their strength and effectiveness, Oxycodone has a higher strength than Morphine. 
• Uses of both Morphine and Oxy Pill are nearly the same, but Morphine is good for moderate and end-of-life pain management. Oxycodone can be used in such cases, but using the Oxy drug is optimal in severe injury cases or for long-term pain management. 
• For oral consumption of either oxycodone or morphine pills, Oxycodone tends to be more effective. Because Oxycodone absorbs more quickly than Morphine dosage is lower. 
• In serious cases, Oxycodone is preferred. Because a higher dose of morphine is required to achieve the same level of pain management as Oxycodone. 
• Oxycodone is prescribed and available in combination with other medications for a dual effect. But morphine is not suggested to be taken with other medications. 

Sometimes the patient takes both pills for an enhanced result, which is not recommended. These differences are beneficial for those who think oxycodone and morphine are the same. It is recommended to use Oxycodone and Morphine together only when the doctor prescribes them. Taking the doses after balancing is preferred only when the pain is unbearable. People get confused between the pills for some properties that match with each other. Let’s know those similarities below

Characteristics of Oxycodone Similar to Morphine

Both pills are used in the same cases because their working mechanism are similar to each other. Both of them work by binding to opioid receptors in the Central Nervous System(brain and spinal cord). As a result, they reduce pain by altering the perception of pain. None of them is available without a prescription, because these two are controlled substances. For short and long-acting formulations, both pills are available as Immediate-Release and Extended-Release forms. Therefore, you can use them in Acute and Chronic Pain management cases. 

Dosing Equivalence of Oxycodone and Morphine 

Knowing the oxycodone to morphine equivalent dose is important while switching between the two pills or when wanting to take the higher dose. Oxycodone is more potent in oral use, so in general, 20 mg of oral morphine is equivalent to 10 mg oral oxycodone. Do not switch or take the higher dose without consulting a doctor, even if you are known to equivalent dose. If you want this, then you can go for check up, and he/she will suggest the right dose as per your condition. 

Which is Best: Oxycodone or Morphine?

One of them will not be the best option for everyone, because their responses to the medication and effectiveness of the pill is depends to say which one is best. Every individual’s current health condition, type of disease or pain, age, metabolic power, and other health issues matter when prescribing them the best medication. After analysing these, you can say which one is the better and fit for the current treatment process.

Oxycodone is preferred for oral use and long-term pain management of the patient.  

The lower dose of Oxycodone is more effective than the higher dose of Morphine. So you can take the oxycodone pill to avoid frequent dosing, instead of taking the Morphine pill. On the other hand, Morphine pill is preferred for intravenous use and to reduce sudden pain. For the low chance of drug interaction and lesser risk, you can choose the morphine pill. 

Conclusion

Whether you are an initial opioid user or have been using opioids for a long time, taking Morphine or Oxycodone is quite risky without a doctor’s consultation. Both are clinically proven medicines for pain relief and are trusted by most of the people. Choosing one of them is a difficult task when the condition requires moderate treatment. Therefore, it is better to know all associated benefits and risks as well as the usage process for an optimal result. In the above article, we provided the necessary information for effective and better pain management.