Most Americans suffer from some form of chronic pain. This pain may have stemmed from an injury or illness. Many healthcare professionls choose to administer narcotic analgesic combination drugs to their patients to help them deal with pain.
Both Vicodin and Percocet pain relief drugs belong to a class of drugs called the ‘Narcotic analgesics combination’.They are both used for providing patients relief from moderate to severe pain. But they may differ from each other in some cases. To know the comparison of Vicodin vs Percocet you have to read this blog till the end carefully. A narcotic analgesic combination is a product that contains a narcotic analgesic, along with one or more analgesics.
What is Vicodin?
Vicodin is the branded name for the generic drugs hydrocodone and acetaminophen. It is a pain medication, used for relieving moderate to severe pain. Hydrocodone is an opioid pain medication, combining it with acetaminophen increases the potency of its effects. The efficacy of this medication reduces over time. This medication is discontinued in the USA.
What is Percocet?
The brand name medicine Percocet is a combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen. It is administered for the treatment of pain that is moderate and severe. The oxycodone content of this medication is an opioid pain reliever. Acetaminophen is also used for relieving pain. In this medication, the effectiveness of oxycodone is boosted by adding acetaminophen.
Percocet is a prescription-only medicine that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Doctors refrain from prescribing this medicine to patients who have used an MAO (Monoamine Oxidase) inhibitor in the last 14 days.
Uses: Vicodin vs Percocet
Use of Vicodin
Vicodin provides patients relief from acute and chronic pain. The pain should be of medium to high intensity.
Use of Percocet
Similarly to Vicodin, Percocet is prescribed by doctors for treating sudden and long-term pain. It should only be used to provide relief from moderate to severe pain.
Forms of Vicodin and Percocet:
Vicodin
Oral tablets of Vicodin have 325 mg of acetaminophen and different quantities of hydrocodone. Hydrocodone may be of strength 5 mg, 7.5 mg, and 10 mg.
Percocet
Percocet is available in the form of oral tablets. These tablets comprise 325 mg of acetaminophen and oxycodone of various strengths. The quantity of oxycodone may be 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, and 10 mg.
How Should You Take the Doses:
- If you miss a dose of this medication, it is recommended to skip it. Taking two doses at once is never recommended.
- If someone overdoses on these medicines, they should immediately inform medical experts. This is so because overdoses can be life threatening.
- In certain situations, the doctor will change the strength and/or the frequency in which these medicines are to be taken. Any such changes are made after carefully monitoring the response that the patient has to these medication drugs.
The initial doses of Vicodin and Percocet:
Vicodin
In the starting stages of the treatment, adults are prescribed to take 1 or 2 tablets. These tablets are to taken in intervals of 4 to 6 hours. The health care expert may regulate the dose to provide optimal treatment. The maximum daily-dose of this drug is 8 tablets.
Percocet
The initial administered dose of this oral tablet for adults is 1 or 2 tablets, in every 6 hours. The dosage can be changed by the doctor, for improving results. At most, only tablets of Percocet should be taken in a day.
Side effects: Vicodin vs Percocet
Although both Vicodin and Percocet are Narcotic Analgesic combinations, they have some side effects that are different.
Side Effects of Vicodin
- Difficulty Focusing or Brain Fog
- Tiredness
Side Effects of Percocet
- Excessive sweating
- Heartburn
- Change in perception of pain
- Bloating
- Muscle aches
Some side effects that are shared by both Vicodin and Percocet are:
- Feeling Lethargic
- Dry Mouth
- Digestive problems
- Excessive Itching
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Vomiting
Some severe side effects may be experienced by individuals. If these are effects are noticed, patients should immediately inform their healthcare professional:
- Increased heartbeat
- Swelling in tongue and/or throat
- Shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing
- Pain while urinating
- Cognitive dissonance
Precautions:
- Both of these medicines have opioids in them, so alcohol consumption should be avoided while on treatment course them.
- Vicodin and Percocet come under the CSA Schedule 2 category, meaning they have a high potential for abuse.
- These medication drugs should not be administered to ladies who are breastfeeding. It can lead to drug depedency in children.
- Vicodin and Percocet should not be prescribed to asthma patients, as they can the hinder breathing of such individuals.
- These medication drugs are not given to pregnant ladies, as their consumption during pregnancy can lead to addiction in the newborn baby.
- Even if the patients take the recommended amount of these medications, they are at risk of developing an addiction.
- Opioid medications have a tendency to make the patient who takes them very lethargic. Due to this reason, people are advised against driving under the influence of these drugs.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, this blog provides possible comparisons on Vicodin vs Percocet. All differences may not be included in this blog. So, it will be helpful for you to consult with a healthcare professional if a person feels long-term pain. Hope, this blog will be informative for you.
