Living a healthy life is one of the most challenging things for individuals nowadays. Recently, the WHO reports, due to individuals’ busy schedules lives, and working pressure at home or in business, they neglect to take care of their health in time. As a result of chronic pain, nerve pain, or back pain increases day by day as an unwelcome guest that feels very uncomfortable. All find a better solution to reclaim peace effortlessly. Many doctors prescribe Codeine and Oxycodone as powerful pain relievers for their opioid nature. But it is difficult to choose which is better. This article is all about Codeine Vs Oxycodone, how quickly they affect your body, and which is stronger.
Overview of Codeine Vs Oxycodone
Codeine
Codeine is the strongest drug that commonly acts as a pain reliever and inflammation controller. It affects the chemical receptors in the brain and nerves, helping to calm overactive nerve signals. A pharmacist recommended this medication for managing moderate to severe pain that is not well treated with other opioid pain medications. Codeine is used to manage short-term pain relief such as dental pain, post-surgery pain, and injury-related pain. Sometimes pharmacists refer to using Codeine with acetaminophen to enhance the pain-relieving effect. When other treatments have failed, Codeine is included in the prescription to reduce persistent, dry coughs and long-term illness.
Oxycodone
Oxycodone is a well-known opioid agonist that is prescribed to treat moderate to severe acute pain. It is a Schedule II controlled substance and is most useful for spontaneous bursts of shooting pain, also known as paroxysmal pain. It is used as a strong medicine for having a brand medicine of oxycodone, which are: OxyContin, OxyPro, Roxicodone, Oxaydo, Xtampza ER, Percocet, and Percodan. Oxycodone relieves pain like injury pain, dental procedure, or after surgery pain, and chronic pain such as back pain, nerve pain, or arthritis. Frequently, it is also recommended to manage the pain of cancer patients, and it helps in managing pain after major surgeries.
Differences between Codeine vs Oxycodone
Both opioid drugs alter pain evaluations in people, yet how they vary often relies on pain type and severity, patient history, risks from addiction, plus side effects.
- Codeine is usually used for mild to moderate pain, and it is frequently intercept with other drugs such as Acetaminophen. Whereas Oxycodone used for moderate to severe pain, Oxy pills are also formulated with other pills, such as Percocet, OxyContin.
- Oxycodone is a higher potency than Codeine, which increases the danger of addiction and dependency. Codeine presents less risk of tolerance and abuse, also while its potency is less and its effects are milder than oxycodone’s.
- Oxycodone is a synthetic narcotic analgesic derived from thebaine. It functions by modifying how the central nervous system and brain react to pain. Other-hand Codeine acts effectively on the central nervous system, preventing the brain and body from receiving pain signals from the nerves.
- Oxycodone is more powerful than oral morphine. Oxycodone’s potency is about 1.5 to 2 times above morphine’s. On the other hand, codeine is regarded as being a less effective opioid and has about 10% of morphine’s efficacy. Therefore, oxycodone is roughly 15–20 times more powerful than codeine.
- Codeine contains antitussive (cough-suppressing) properties. whereas the extended-release (ER) formulation is used to treat severe or chronic pain conditions.
How Long Do Both Medications Stay In Your Body?
Drug tests can detect medications (Oxycodone & Codeine) using urine, blood, saliva, and hair. Detection time varies for individuals, given many factors such as weight, age, and metabolism. Their detection time is affected by the dose they take. The timeframes in regard to how long both of the medicines stay within your body are below.
| Test Type | Detection Time Of Codeine | Detection Time of Oxycodone |
| Urine | 1-3 Days | 2-4 Days |
| Blood | 24 Hours | 24 Hours |
| Saliva | 1-2 Days | 1-2 Days |
| Hair | 90 Days | 90 Days |
After considering the above data, it is concluded that Oxycodone stays more time than Codeine. So, it is more potent, and it informs you to use Oxycodone carefully to minimize side effects. Regularly visit your healthcare provider to get proper guidance
Side Effects of Codeine Vs Oxycodone
Codeine as well as Oxycodone, are two drugs toward which people frequently turn for pain management choices. Though helpful, they differ greatly in side effects particularly. The Following side effects of Codeine Vs Oxycodone are given below:
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Sedation
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Rash
- Constipation
- Dry mouth
- Sweating
- Agitation
- Seizures
- Urinary retention
Severe side effects
- Faintness
- Heart attack
- Rash
- Itching
- Depression
- Abnormal heartbeats
- Life-threatening respiratory depression
- Severe low blood pressure
- Adrenal insufficiency
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which is stronger, Codeine Vs Oxycodone?
Oxycodone is stronger than Codeine. It is reduced into pieces and released within 24 hours after consumption. Oxycodone at 10 mg has two to three times much strength as codeine at 60 mg.
Can I take Oxycodone with Codeine?
You should avoid taking oxycodone in the event you are using pain relievers that contain codeine. Effects of harm are a possibility. That is more likely to happen. These do consist of co-codamol. Nurofen Plus, along with Solpadeine, is included as well.
Conclusion
Both codeine and oxycodone are members of the narcotic sleeping drug family and are used to treat pain. These medications differ in potency, dosage, and effectiveness, all of which influence the many applications for which they are prescribed. Here is given which medicine is strong for severe pain management for a long time.
