Oxycodone Side Effects

Serious Adverse Side Effects

There are a series of adverse side effects associated with taking Oxycodone, some of which are very serious:

Cardiovascular side effects such as cardiac arrest, heart failure, hypotension and shock
Gastrointestinal side effects such as bowel obstruction and diverticulitis
Immunological side effects such as an immune hypersensitivity reaction
Respiratory side effects such as apnea, slow or stopped breathing or respiratory depression

Common Adverse Side Effects

More common and less severe adverse side effects of Oxycodone are:

Dermatological side effects such as itching and sweating
Gastrointestinal side effects such as constipation, nausea, vomiting and dry mouth
Neurological side effects such as weakness, dizziness and drowsiness

If you or a loved one have experienced serious adverse side effects as a result of taking Oxycodone, please do not hesitate to contact someone who can help you.

Warnings & Recalls for Oxycodone

There are a series of contraindications that patients might suffer or have suffered that hinder their ability to take Oxycodone:

Severe or acute bronchial asthma
Severe or acute hypercarbia, or excess carbon dioxide in the blood
Hypersensitivity to Oxycodone or any component of the drug
Known or suspected intestinal obstruction
Significant respiratory depression

Some warnings and precautions are necessary to inform the public about certain conditions that might hinder a patient’s ability to take Oxycodone:

High risk of abuse potential
Crushing, splitting, cutting, breaking or chewing the Oxycodone prescription prior to ingestion might lead to rapid release or absorption of the drug at a potentially higher dose which may be fatal
Opioid-intolerant patients are at a greater risk of death
Concomitant use with CYP3A4 inhibitors
Acute abdominal conditions leaves patients at a greater risk of intestinal obstruction
Abrupt discontinuation might leave patients to experience withdrawals
Addison’s disease or adrenocortical insufficiency leaves patients at a greater risk for toxicity
Alcoholism leads to greater toxicity
Circulatory shock can lead to further reduction of cardiac output or blood pressure
CNS depression leads to greater risk of toxicity
Concomitant use with other analgesics is not advised
Significant COPD or cor pulmonale may worsen hypoxia, hypercapnia, sedation and expose patients to potentially fatal heart conditions
Patients with delirium tremens may lead to increased toxicity
Elderly or debilitated patients are at an increased risk of respiratory depression
Gastrointestinal disorders such as esophageal cancer or colon cancer with a small gastrointestinal lumen are at an increased risk of intestinal obstruction and exacerbation of diverticulitis which may require medical care
Certain head injuries such as intracranial lesions or preexisting increased cranial pressure may lead to a potential for exaggerated respiratory depressant effects with elevations of cerebrospinal fluid pressure or exacerbation of increased intracranial pressure
Hepatic impairment may lead increased risk of toxicity
Hypercapnia may worsen
Severe hypotension
Hypothyroidism or myxedema may lead to an increased risk of toxicity
Hypoxia may worsen
Kyphoscoliosis associated with respiratory depression may lead to increased risk of toxicity
Pancreatitis and bilary tract disease may cause spasm of the sphincter of Oddi and increased serum amylase levels
Prostatic hypertrophy or urethral strictures may lead to an increased risk of toxicity
Pulmonary impairment
Renal impairment
May induce seizures
Difficulty in swallowing tablets and choking have been reported
Toxic psychosis

Black Box Warning

There is a “black box” warning associated with Oxycodone. Since this drug is an opioid and therefore a Scheduled II controlled substance, there is an abuse potential similar to morphine. Patients should be monitored as to what their initial dose should be, whether they’re predisposed to toxicity from Oxycodone, and any patient taking this drug should be aware of the ramifications of death from overdose or any of the aforementioned warnings and precautions, contraindications as well as adverse side effects from Oxycodone.

Oxycodone Treatment and Use

Oxycodone is a poppy-derived thebaine and is an analgesic medication developed in Germany in 1916. In its development, it was meant to be one of several new semi-synthetic opioids made to improve on existing opioids in order to treat moderate to severe pain.

Oxycodone is not without its controversies as people who are susceptible to drug use abuse this drug on a grand scale for recreation. In the US, it is regarded as a Scheduled II controlled substance because of its high potential for abuse under the Controlled Substances Act. In this sense, all Oxycodone medications must be formally prescribed by a doctor or a pharmacist, except in situations of a dire emergency when relief for pain is a concern. Under Section 829 of the Controlled Substances Act, there is conspicuous language that declares that prescriptions for Schedule II drugs cannot be refilled.

The FDA labeled indications for Oxycodone are for:

Moderate to severe chronic pain
Postoperative pain
Pain as a result of dental surgery

There are a series of adverse side effects that are associated with taking Oxycodone, such as serious ones like cardiovascular side effects like cardiac arrest, heart failure, hypotension and shock, and respiratory side effects like apnea, slow or stopped breathing or respiratory depression. It is worth noting that this drug has a high potentiality for people taking abnormally high doses of it to experience overdose which can lead to death.