Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: OXAYDO versus VICODIN.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: OXAYDO versus VICODIN.
OXAYDO vs VICODIN
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Oxycodone is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for mu-opioid receptors, although it can bind to kappa-opioid receptors at higher doses. The principal therapeutic action of oxycodone is analgesia. Like all full opioid agonists, there is no ceiling effect to analgesia for oxycodone.
VICODIN (hydrocodone/acetaminophen) is a combination opioid agonist and analgesic. Hydrocodone acts on mu-opioid receptors in the CNS to alter pain perception and response; acetaminophen inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX) activity, likely in the CNS, reducing prostaglandin synthesis and providing antipyretic effects.
Oral, 5-10 mg every 4-6 hours as needed for pain; maximum 60 mg per day.
1-2 tablets (hydrocodone 5-10 mg and acetaminophen 300-325 mg) orally every 4-6 hours as needed for pain; maximum daily acetaminophen dose 4 g.
None Documented
None Documented
Terminal elimination half-life is 3.5-5.5 hours for immediate-release oxycodone; clinically dose every 4-6 hours for sustained analgesia.
Hydrocodone: 3.8-6.4 hours (terminal); Acetaminophen: 2-3 hours (terminal). Clinically, steady-state achieved in 1-2 days.
Primarily renal as unchanged drug and metabolites; ~90% excreted in urine (approx 10% unchanged oxycodone, rest as noroxycodone and oxymorphone conjugates) and <10% in feces via biliary elimination.
Hydrocodone: primarily renal (~60% as metabolites, 12% unchanged); minor biliary. Acetaminophen: renal (90-100% as metabolites, 2-4% unchanged).
Category C
Category C
Opioid Analgesic
Opioid Analgesic