Difference btw hydrocodone and oxycodone?

[SHELLBELL79]

What is the exact difference between hydrocodone/Vicodin/ loratab and oxycodone/ Percocet? I know Percocet is supposed to be lil stronger but what is the real difference? Does one work better on other pains? What's the difference btw hydro and oxy? Thanks!!

[dpbRN]

All of you with itching caused by these or any drugs (and/or foods for that matter) PLEASE pay attention to your body's reaction...a little topical itching is one thing. But... as a rule of thumb, if you are itching on the outside, what is it doing to you on the inside?? A true allergic reaction can be life threatening. Sorry--the nurse in me just had to say that. And...Best of luck with your pain management!

[JeniRoux]

You know daddysgirl600 and savak, who cares if you're dependent on a medication prescribed by your doctor whether it's a narcotic or not, whether you take it and it makes you feel sleepy, or calm or even loopy. It doesn't necessarily mean you're addicted even medically speaking. Hear is the medical definition of addiction.

Habitual psychological and physiological dependence on a substance or practice beyond one's voluntary control.

I take solace in those last words in the definition. I am prescribed Norco 10mg/325. I have been taking hydrocodone for eight years regularly and much longer than that if I had an occasional severe pain situation. I didn't want to increase my refills from six months on average to every other month to monthly and increase my mg and dosage but my doctor and I felt it was the best option available to me and I am always allowed to take them as needed. I do have a withdrawal symptoms if I don't take one for a day or two, and the withdrawal strength can vary depending on if I took my full daily doses or needed less and if this was  for one day, or a week straight , I have never wanted to go and take a pain pill for NON PAIN withdrawal symptoms(unless I mistake them for candy, even for a second. But that's rare now that I don't  keep any pills in my pez dispensers lol:). Now, many of my family members are prescribed a wide assortment of medications, and if they miss one dosage on most of these and not just things that are obvious, like psyche-meds, but just maintanence type meds, like for cholesterol, blood pressure or blood thinners, their withdrawal symptoms are much more severe than my worst withdrawal session and it's definitely more mental addiction than what I deal with because if I can figure out what's wrong with that person and give them the dosage missed, they immediately have a reduction in symptoms. Even before that damn thing could hit their stomach they feel and act a major reduction in symptoms. Yep, mind over matter on that but they can't do it without having that pill head down their throat. So there you go, who gives a **** if people are addicted to something that will help them lead a better quality of life? As long as you aren't going rogue on your meds and trying to get a high, you are only trying to improve your quality of life, same thing doctors used to always be able to help us with without worrying about breaking a law, or more likely, not being able to get an HMO, or a medical insurance company, or maybe even a hospital bureaucracy to allow our doctors to do their job.
Sorry I went off about that, but I get a lot of guff from one person in my family for taking narcotic pain relievers and I don't think we should have to worry about 'addiction' and all the nastiness it entails when we aren't doing this to get by, be high or ignore life.

[amyahlom]

Here is an article about the subject
http://ethehealthadvisor.com/oxycodone-vs-hydrocodone/

[daddysgirl600]

I agree.  At my age and health, what is the problem with being addicted?  I have arithiritic, which grows spurs and have permanent back problems.  I need 2 knee replacements.  I can't funtion without pain medicine and I am almost 70. Just let me be comfortable for what time I have left!!!!!  I have degenerative disc and bone disease, am diabetic, have migraines, I can hardly walk because of severe knee pain.  Daddysgirl600

[Proemed]

  Itching is common for ppl on opiates. Its often due to an allergy to something in the medication. It could be to the hydro itself or to one of the inactive ingredients in the pill. Only by experimenting with different meds can you narrow it down to exactly what U R allergic to.

[savak03]

If I understand what you are saying dmoe32 I agree with you.  I too am in chronic pain because of a twisted spine caused by polio.  I've tried everything and the only thing that helps at all is narcotic pain meds.  With the government involvement it is getting harder and harder to get the meds I need to function.  I wish there was some way to convince the powers that be that at my age it doesn't really matter if I am dependent on meds as long as I can still function.

[bill93384]

I am taking Hydrocodon-acetami 10-325. I take one at 3:30 am, another at 7;00 am another at i;00 pm and the last at 7;00 pm. That does not relive the pain. If I go into store to shop after about walking about 100 feet my left side of my back starts hurting. If I contemned to walk the pain goes all cross my entire back then the left hip in center starts hurting and very soon my right hip starts hurting. If I centennially walking the  calves on both legs starts hurting, then I have stop for about 10 mins holding on a basket. Then I can start walking again for a short way then it all begins all over again. The only releaf I can get is setting on a heating pad. In fact the doctor has told me I've used a heating pad so much I have cook my back. But what else can I do for the easement of pain. It's sure not much of a life living this way.