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Principles of Sports Medicine & Exercise Science

Oxycodone

by Rose Ciulla-Bohling, Patricia Stanfill Edens, Michael A. Buratovich

Category: Addiction risk; Opioid

Also known as: Blue, hillbilly heroin, kicker; OC, OX, oxy, oxycotton, Perc, Roxy

Specialties and related fields: Addiction counseling, pain specialty, pharmacology, psychiatry, psychology

KEY TERMS

abuse-deterrent formulations: drug preparation intended to prevent, impede, or discourage physical and chemical tampering (e.g., crushing, chewing, extraction, smoking, snorting, injecting) while still being able to provide safe and accurate delivery of the opioid for therapeutic benefit

addiction: a neuropsychological disorder characterized by persistent use of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences

opioid: substances that act on opioid receptors to relieve pain, augment sedation, suppress diarrhea and coughs

HISTORY OF USE

Oxycodone is a semisynthetic opioid. In the United States, oxycodone comes in oral preparation only. Oxycodone is frequently combined with acetaminophen (Percocet) and is prescribed for acute pain. Long-acting formulations are commonly prescribed for chronic cancer pain. Oxycodone formulations are listed in the table below.

Drug name Formulations Oxycodone—generic 5 mg capsules, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 mg tablets, 1, 100 mg/5 mL solution Oxaydo 5, 7,5 mg tablets Roxybond—extended-release, abuse-deterrent formulation 5, 15, 30 tablets Oxycontin—extended-release, abuse-deterrent formulation 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, mg ER tablets Xtampza ER—extended- release, abuse-deterrent formulation 5, 10 mg tablets Generic, extended-release formation 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 mg ER tablets

Oxycodone is also available in fixed-dose combinations with acetaminophen (Percocet), aspirin (Percodan), and ibuprofen (Combunox).

Oxycodone was first synthesized in 1916 at the University of Frankfurt in Germany. It was developed as a nonaddictive substitute for opioids, including morphine, heroin, and codeine. Oxycodone became available in the United States in 1939. However, its misuse potential was not recognized until the 1950s, when Percodan, an oxycodone/aspirin combination, was introduced. As a result, all oxycodone-containing products are classified as schedule II-controlled substances, the strictest classification for legal medications. Schedule II drugs have a high misuse potential and legitimate medical use.

The illicit misuse of oxycodone dramatically increased in 1996 in the United States after the marketing by Purdue Pharma of OxyContin, the controlled-release prescription form of oxycodone. OxyContin, consumed for its relaxing and euphoric effects, became the best-selling narcotic pain reliever on the market.

Although oxycodone is not as potent as heroin, it remains one of the most highly addictive and widely misused prescription drugs. It has served as a gateway for many to heroin addiction. Despite numerous efforts to curb the illegal use of oxycodone-containing products, its misuse remains a major concern in the United States.

EFFECTS AND POTENTIAL RISKS

Oxycodone is structurally similar to codeine and hydrocodone but pharmacologically resembles morphine. It acts through opioid receptors to alter the brain’s response to pain, lessening pain sensations. Like other opiates, oxycodone elevates dopamine levels, the neurotransmitter linked to pleasurable experiences. Oxycodone’s short-term effects include a rush of euphoria and joy, leading to a dreamy, relaxed state. Negative short-term effects include nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, and sedation. Physiological effects include pain relief, respiratory depression, sedation, constipation, cough suppression, and in combination with acetaminophen, may cause liver damage.

Many people use oxycodone to achieve an opiate-like high. In contrast, others use it to minimize withdrawal symptoms of morphine and heroin addiction. Oxycodone users achieve the greatest high by bypassing OxyContin’s controlled-release mechanism, consuming the entire dose at once. Pills are typically chewed, crushed, snorted, mixed with a liquid, and injected.

Oxycodone, like other opioids, comes in abuse- deterrent formulations that turn into insoluble gels when mixed with liquids. This property presumably discourages low-tech methods for abusing these drugs. Unfortunately, no studies have compared the safety of abuse-deterrent formulations with other formulations. Additionally, although opioid manufacturers invested substantial time, money, and research into developing abuse-deterrent formulations, whether they discourage opioid abuse remains uncertain. No drug formulation prevents people from taking many pills at once, which is the most common abuse method.

Oxycodone leads to dependency and addiction and must be used with extreme caution and supervision. Individuals with a history of alcohol or drug addiction are more likely to become addicted to oxycodone. Long-term misuse may affect brain functioning because of hypoxia (low blood-oxygen levels) in the brain that results from repeated respiratory depression. Oxycodone addiction often requires professional intervention and treatment to help individuals overcome addiction. Greater emphasis is being placed on the illegal use of oxycodone, including physicians’ legal prosecution of overprescribing.

Further Reading

1 

Jeurgens, Jeffrey, and Theresa Parisi. “Oxycodone Addiction and Abuse.” Addiction Center, 16 July 2019, www.addictioncenter.com/opiates/oxycodone/.

2 

Joseph, Andrew. “New Details Revealed about Purdue’s Marketing of OxyContin.” STAT, 18 Jan. 2019, www.statnews.com/2019/01/15/massachusetts-purdue-lawsuit-new-details/.

3 

Moradi, Mohammad, et al. “Use of Oxycodone in Pain Management.” Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, vol. 1, no. 4, 2012, pp. 262-64, doi:10.5812/aapm.4529.

4 

“Opioids for Pain.” Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics, vol. 60, no. 1544, 2018, pp. 57-64.

5 

“Oxycodone.” MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 15 Oct. 2019, medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682132.html.

6 

Raffa, R. B., et al. “Oxycodone Combinations for Pain Relief.” Drugs of Today, vol. 46, no. 6, 2010, p. 379, doi:10.1358/dot.2010.46.6.1470106.

7 

Raleigh, M. D., et al. “Safety and Efficacy of an Oxycodone Vaccine: Addressing Some of the Unique Considerations Posed by Opioid Abuse.” PLOS One, vol. 12, no. 12, 2017, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0184876.

8 

Schmidt-Hansen, Mia, et al. “Oxycodone for Cancer-Related Pain.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2017, doi:10.1002/14651858.cd003870.pub6.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Ciulla-Bohling, Rose, and Patricia Stanfill Edens, and Michael A. Buratovich. "Oxycodone." Principles of Sports Medicine & Exercise Science, edited by Michael A. Buratovich, Salem Press, 2022. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=POSpKin_0133.
APA 7th
Ciulla-Bohling, R., & Edens, P. S., & Buratovich, M. A. (2022). Oxycodone. In M. A. Buratovich (Ed.), Principles of Sports Medicine & Exercise Science. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Ciulla-Bohling, Rose and Edens, Patricia Stanfill and Buratovich, Michael A. "Oxycodone." Edited by Michael A. Buratovich. Principles of Sports Medicine & Exercise Science. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2022. Accessed September 16, 2025. online.salempress.com.