Oxycontin Oxycodone HCl: Side Effects, Uses, Dosage, Interactions, Warnings

Opioids cross the placenta and may produce respiratory depression and psycho-physiologic effects in neonates. An opioid antagonist, such as naloxone, must be available for reversal of opioid-induced respiratory depression in the neonate. OXYCONTIN is not recommended for use in women immediately prior to labor, when use of shorter-acting analgesics or other analgesic techniques are more appropriate. Opioid analgesics, including OXYCONTIN, can prolong labor through actions which temporarily reduce the strength, duration, and frequency of uterine contractions. However, this effect is not consistent and may be offset by an increased rate of cervical dilatation, which tends to shorten labor.

Contraindications for Oxycontin

• Oxymorphone is present in the plasma only at low concentrations and undergoes further metabolism to form its glucuronide and noroxymorphone.
• For geriatric patients who are debilitated and not opioid tolerant, start dosing patients at one-third to one-half the recommended starting dosage and titrate the dosage cautiously.
• Stop taking oxycodone and get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.
• Carcinogenic potential of oxycodone was evaluated in a 2-year oral gavage study in Sprague-Dawley rats.
• These substances work to decrease the pain messages that your body sends to your brain.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following. The sphincter of Oddi is a muscular valve in your body that controls the flow of bile and digestive juices from the pancreas into the small intestine. When this valve spasms, it may feel like getting a tight muscle cramp, causing pain and blocking the flow of these juices, which can lead to discomfort and digestive problems. This is more likely to happen if you do not have a gallbladder.

Initial Dosage In Adults Who Are Not Opioid Tolerant

Monitor patients receiving OXYCONTIN and any CYP3A4 inhibitor or inducer see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS , DRUG INTERACTIONS , CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY. Close follow-up with healthcare providers and creation of a pain management plan is an effective way to manage chronic pain. This plan may include limiting opioid medicines to the lowest effective dose for a limited period of time.

Risk of Dependence and Addiction

Taking too much acetaminophen can cause serious liver problems. If you take too much acetaminophen, get emergency help right away, even if you do not feel sick. Taking oxycodone/acetaminophen for a longer period of time can affect your ability to get pregnant or get your partner pregnant.

• Make sure you store the medicine in a safe and secure place to prevent others from getting it.
• Your doctor may want you to gradually reduce the amount you are using before stopping it completely.
• These may be symptoms of a serious condition called serotonin syndrome.
• Bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to the hospital.

Observe newborns for symptoms of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and manage accordingly see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS. Inform patients that OXYCONTIN could cause adrenal insufficiency, a potentially life-threatening condition. Adrenal insufficiency may present with non-specific symptoms and signs such as nausea, vomiting, anorexia, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and low blood pressure.

Risks Of Use In Patients With Gastrointestinal Conditions

Its potency and efficacy make it a valuable medication for pain relief when used correctly under medical supervision. Talk to your doctor about other drug options that may work for you. Your doctor may start you on a lowered dose or a different dosing schedule. This can help keep levels of this drug from building up too much in your body. The adult side effects for this drug can vary from the side effects for children.

What should I do if I forget a dose?

Individually titrate OXYCONTIN to a dosage that provides adequate analgesia and minimizes adverse reactions. Frequent communication is important among the prescriber, other members of the healthcare team, the patient, and the caregiver/family during periods of changing analgesic requirements, including initial titration. During use of opioid therapy for an extended period of time, periodically reassess the continued need for the use of opioid analgesics.

Regularly evaluate for signs of respiratory depression, sedation, and hypotension see Use In Specific Populations and CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY. Use of higher starting doses in patients who are not opioid tolerant may cause fatal respiratory depression see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS. The presence of risk factors for overdose should not prevent the proper management of pain in any given patient see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS. Taking this medication with other substances that cause drowsiness, oxycodone uses side effects precautions such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, or other opioids can cause serious side effects.

Call emergency services if you have problems breathing or staying awake. Oxycodone may interact with other medicines and supplements. Before taking oxycodone, tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. People who are 65 or older can be at greater risk of some side effects from oxycodone. Talk to your health care provider about your risks if you are in this age group. Some people taking oxycodone have had severe constipation.

Tell your healthcare provider if you feel that oxycodone/acetaminophen is not working. Call your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following serious symptoms. If you think you might be at risk of misuse or overdose, talk with your doctor about naloxone.

Do not take more of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Be sure that you know the dose in milliliters that your doctor has prescribed. Use the dosing cup, oral syringe, or dropper provided with your medication to carefully measure the number of milliliters of solution that your doctor prescribed. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about how to measure your dose or how much medication you should take. You may experience serious or life-threatening side effects if you take a different amount of medication than prescribed by your doctor. Oxycodone may be habit-forming.Do not take more or less of it, take it more often, stop taking it suddenly, or take it in a different way than directed by your doctor.

Oxycodone is extensively metabolized by multiple metabolic pathways to produce noroxycodone, oxymorphone and noroxymorphone, which are subsequently glucuronidated. Noroxycodone and noroxymorphone are the major circulating metabolites. CYP3A mediated N-demethylation to noroxycodone is the primary metabolic pathway of oxycodone with a lower contribution from CYP2D6 mediated O-demethylation to oxymorphone. Therefore, the formation of these and related metabolites can, in theory, be affected by other drugs see DRUG INTERACTIONS. About 60% to 87% of an oral dose of oxycodone reaches the central compartment in comparison to a parenteral dose. This high oral bioavailability is due to low pre-systemic and/or first-pass metabolism.

Other metabolites (α- and ß-oxycodol, noroxycodol and oxymorphol) may be present at very low concentrations and demonstrate limited penetration into the brain as compared to oxycodone. The enzymes responsible for keto-reduction and glucuronidation pathways in oxycodone metabolism have not been established. Marked mydriasis rather than miosis may be seen with hypoxia in overdose situations. In a study of reproductive performance, rats were administered a once daily gavage dose of the vehicle or oxycodone hydrochloride (0.5, 2, and 8 mg/kg/day). Male rats were dosed for 28 days before cohabitation with females, during the cohabitation and until necropsy (2-3 weeks post-cohabitation). Females were dosed for 14 days before cohabitation with males, during cohabitation and up to Gestation Day 6.

Other Opioids

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of these side effects that bother you. The use of drinks that contain alcohol raises your risk of serious side effects from oxycodone. Oxycodone belongs to a class of drugs called opioid agonists. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way.