In this hectic life, people face various health conditions into their lives. More than a million people in today’s time deal with pain. To treat this discomfort feeling people use various medications such as Nucynta and Percocet. Though both are used to treat pain, they may differ in some cases. So, this blog helps you to know a Nucynta vs Percocet comparison that clears all the confusion regarding these drugs such as uses, available dosages, and precautions that should be taken while taking these drugs.
Comparison Between Nucynta vs Percocet Drugs
Let us discuss and compare the differences between Nucynta and Percocet brand name medications on the grounds of some aspects that are mentioned below:
1) Definition:
Nucynta
Nucynta is an opioid pain-relieving medication that is used to treat moderate and severe pain in patients. It belongs to the family of drugs commonly called opioid analgesics.
This drug functions in the brain in such a way that the patient’s body can feel and respond to pain. Tapentadol medication helps in relieving moderate to severe pain in patients. The patients may take norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (NRIs) to treat neuropathic pain.
Percocet
Percocet branded drug is a combination of both Oxycodone and Acetaminophen medications that are also used to relieve moderate to severe pain in individuals. This medication is prescribed by doctors for treating pain and chronic pain in patients.
It is used for the treatment of non-opioid pain-relieving medication. Acetaminophen helps in reducing fever and is a low-potency pain reliever which increases the effect of Oxycodone medication.
2) Uses: Nucynta vs Percocet
The uses of Nucynta and Percocet are as follows-
Nucynta
It is a brand of medicine that is often administered by doctors for treating short-term pain (like pain occurring from an injury or after surgery, which may provide relief from moderate to severe.
In addition, Tapentadol drug is used to treat severe pain in patients. The potency of this drug but having low opioid properties allow some patients to tolerate the drug when taking it.
Percocet
This branded drug contains both opioid pain reliever (oxycodone) and non-opioid pain reliever (acetaminophen) medications which are used for relieving moderate to severe pain in patients. It is a narcotic painkiller and its uses are limited as it leads to Oxycodone drug dependency, therefore patients may become addicted.
Percocet drug is available in generic form and can be used to treat patients who are experiencing severe chronic pain caused due to cancer. It is an opioid pain reliever medication.
3) Dose & Dosage Strength
Depending on the dosage factor, both these drugs can be prescribed by doctors and healthcare experts to treat patients experiencing either moderate or severe pain.
Nucynta
The dosage form of Nucynta drug is available in the form of an oral tablet. Patients can take this drug depending on their body weight. The dosage strength of these drugs is as follows
- 50 mg
- 75 mg
- 100 mg
The recommended dose of this generic drug initially starts from 50 mg dose and can be taken up to 100 mg dose.
Percocet
It is also available in the form of an oral tablet and its strengths are as follows:
- Percocet 2.5-325 mg
- Percocet 5-325 mg
- Percocet 7.5-325 mg
- Percocet 7.5-500 mg
- Percocet 10-325 mg
Adults may take the initial dosage of Percocet drug is 2.5 mg/325 mg with one or two tablets at once but after every 6 hours to reduce chronic pain. Patients who are taking acetaminophen medication should not exceed its total daily dose of not more than 4 grams.
4) Effectiveness
Nucynta
The efficacy of the Nucynta drug may differ from one individual to another. This drug is determined to be effective for some opioid analgesics such as oxycodone or hydrocodone for relieving pain in patients.
In addition, Nucynta drugs may lower the risk of gastrointestinal side effects when compared with other opioids. Some persons may find this drug very effective as it can help in reducing their pain. While some persons may not consider it effective because they may experience some side effects such as nausea, constipation, vomiting, dizziness, etc.
Percocet
The effectiveness of this pain relief drug may also vary in individuals. However, it depends on some personal factors like pain severity, opioid tolerance, and overall health complications. For most persons, it may provide immediate relief from pain when used as prescribed by a doctor or a health care expert.
In addition, there should be an equal balance between risk factors and side effects to maintain the efficacy of Percocet. If a person takes an overdose of acetaminophen, it may lead to liver damage.
Also, it can also lead to the problem of addiction if taking oxycodone for a longer duration.
So, it is important to use this drug cautiously under the medical supervision of a doctor to avoid its misuse, overdose, and addiction.
5) Side Effects: Nucynta vs Percocet
In this aspect, we will list some side effects of Nucynta and Percocet drugs occurring in patients. If a patient experiences any side effects, he or she may consult with a doctor before getting actual treatment.
The common and serious side effects of Nucynta drug are as follows:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Constipation
- Fever
- Headache
- Anxiety
- Stomach ache
- Muscle twitching
- Appetite loss
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
- Fainting
- Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
- Sleep apnea
- Weakness
- Unusual tiredness
- Seizures
- Gallbladder inflammation
Some common and serious side effects may occur in individuals when taking Percocet drugs. These are as follows:
- Dry mouth
- Sweating
- Itching
- Blurred vision
- Lightheadedness
- Insomnia (difficulty in sleeping)
- Hypoalgesia or analgesia (loss of pain sensation)
- Dark urine
- Tiredness
- Swelling
- Skin rash
- Face allergy
- Mood swings
- Idiopathic hypersomnia (difficulty in waking)
- Jaundice
- Mental disorders such as Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and dissociative identity disorder (DID).
Safety Measures to follow when taking Nucynta or Percocet Drugs
A person must follow some below-mentioned safety measures when taking Nucynta or Percocet drugs for treating pain or chronic pain in patients. These safety measures are as follows:
- Must swallow the drugs wholly with plain water.
- Should be taken with a doctor’s or health care expert’s prescription.
- If one has allergic symptoms, do not consume these drugs.
- If a person has used an MAO inhibitor in the last 14 days, do not consume the Nucynta drug.
- Do not chew, divide, or crush the oral tablet.
- If a person has severe breathing problems or suffering from paralytic ileus condition should not take Nucynta drug.
- Must consult with a doctor, if a patient has a family history of heart, kidney, or liver disease.
- Pregnant women should not consume the drugs without consulting a doctor.
- Do not stop these medications without consultation from a doctor or health care expert during treatment.
- Do not increase or decrease the dosages on your own until and unless recommended by a doctor.
- Must consult a doctor, if a patient has a family history of heart, liver, or kidney diseases.
- Do not take this drug for a long period, if a patient has common side effects like pain in the chest, trouble breathing, sleeping disorders, fainting, etc.
Conclusion
The potency and effectiveness of Nucynta and Preococet drugs may vary among patients. However, both these drugs are used for treating moderate to severe pain in individuals. Doctors or health care experts must typically examine the medical health condition before administering these drugs to patients.
However, these drugs should not be addictive, overdosed, or misused which may lead to liver or kidney damage. Last but not least, these medications must not be taken on our own until and unless prescribed by a doctor or health care professional.
