Oxycodone
Pronounced ox-i-KOE-done
Brand names: OxyContin, Roxicodone
Type: Opioid pain reliever · All Pain Relief & Fever Medicines
What Oxycodone is used for
- Moderate to severe pain
- Severe cancer and end-of-life pain, on specialist care
◆ Kidney note
Dose is lowered and effects last longer when kidney function is reduced.
Common side effects
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Itching
Important cautions
- Can cause dangerous slowed breathing, especially combined with alcohol, sleeping medicines, or anxiety medicines
- Can be habit-forming — extended-release tablets must be swallowed whole, never crushed or chewed
- Unused tablets should be disposed of through a take-back program, as even leftover amounts are dangerous to children
How it comes
Tablets, extended-release tablets, capsules, liquid. This guide lists forms only — it never lists strengths or doses.
Related medicines — Pain Relief & Fever Medicines
Please note: This page is a patient-education summary, not medical advice, and it deliberately contains no doses. Medicines affect everyone differently — always follow your own prescription and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.