Oxycodone

Trade names

Oxycontin®, Oxygesic

Chemical name and molecular formula

(5R,9R,13S,14S)-14-hydroxy-3-methoxy-17-methyl-4,5-epoxymorphinan-6-one; C18H21NO4Oxycodone belongs to the class of strong opioid analgesics. It is used to relieve severe to very severe pain, but also has a cough-relieving effect. It is therefore also a very effective antitussive (cough-relieving drug) such as codeine. The WHO level scheme (scheme of pain therapy) classifies oxycodone at level III.

Application form and dosage

Oxycodone can be taken in various forms and dosages. There are both fast-acting capsules, such as sublingual capsules, and slow-dosing retard capsules. Oxycodone can also be given by injection, for example to suppress unbearable pain, which is more common in cancer patients.

Such pain is called breakthrough pain. The dosage starts at 5 mg (as capsule) and can be up to 80 mg in a retarded capsule. The drug is available only on prescription and is subject to the narcotics law.

It must therefore be prescribed on a BtM prescription. Any intake and its dosage is strictly controlled by doctors and is adjusted to the patient and his pain level. The active ingredient Oxycodon is prescribed for very severe pain, such as tumor pain, postoperative or traumatic pain. It can also be used as an antitussive, but in Germany codeine and dihydrocodeine are more commonly used for this.

Mode of action

Oxycodone acts on the body’s own opioid receptors in the central nervous system. These opioid receptors are the body’s own system for pain relief. They represent a natural protective mechanism against pain.

Oxycodone acts agonistically here, i.e. it enhances the effect of the opioid receptors. Compared to morphine, Oxycodone is approximately twice as strong. In addition, it acts in the brain at the cough center and thus has a cough-relieving effect.

In combination with the active ingredient naloxone, a typical analgesic intestinal inertia can be avoided, which is one of the advantages of oxycodone. After ingestion, the drug spreads throughout the body and has a half-life of four hours. This means that after four hours half of the active substance is broken down by the body. Morphine takes about twice as long. The breakdown products (metabolites) are excreted with the urine and stool.