Replies To: endocet vs oxycodone

Nurse and Patient says

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:36:01 -0800

1) I've been on both ends: as a registered nurse and also a 'chronic' pain patient. Meaning my pain is not daily but recurring monthly for up to 10 - 12 days per month. I've never had a drug addiction problem but my body does respond to this 'back & forth-ness.' I write everything down for my own recording - because if I'm not careful I will sometimes experience physical symptoms of withdrawal for up to 4 days. Even if I taper down correctly......2) Verwon is right: Inactive ingredients will not always but **can** affect how a patient experiences medication. Factors vary but they can indeed get in the way of effectiveness. And generics are **not** all equal. Trust me when I say Big Pharma, the FDA, pharmacists, nurses & doctors are not all on the same page. They're not gods, only human and this means not perfect. Some pharmacists (our best resource for drug information actually - they know more about what should be happening, the ideal and also detailed drug information more than MD's) -- but some do know about this difference. Others are in denial or just brainwashed in a way, for lack of a better term. Just like other health professionals (including nurses)..... 3) I've experienced a few different brands of generic oxycodone/APAP & also brand name Percocet. Tolerance build ups notwithstanding, there is **definitely** a difference between brand & generic as well as generics themselves - re effectiveness and sometimes side effects. Again, factors vary. People who rarely take this kind of an Rx tend to be more sensitive and less likely to notice any such differences in terms of effectiveness. Percocet 2.5 can hit 'infrequent-flyers' like a big stone on the head. Vs. someone like me, 2.5 would not touch my pain at all (even my regular physician was horrified when I returned from a vacation once many years ago. Because I I'd had a very messy emergency and the clinician at the walk-in facility prescribed 2.5's after treating me. My doctor back home was actually very upset, almost called her. And I digress).....Anyway, this is based on my experience with med-surg in-patients reporting to me as well as my own personal feedback.....4) Since my Rx schedule is fairly regular and again, I'm aware of the tolerance factor, I believe I can tell the difference (subjective, of course) between the generics.....Last time I went to the pharmacy I was given Mallinckrodt oxy/apap 5/325 (4.48 mg oxycodone hydrochloride/325 mg Acetaminophen) and a few other times, too. I always go to the same pharmacy for this when in my current home city and they will also use other generic brands. Long way around to saying that in my experience Mallinckrodt is not as effective as others..... 5) There is no way any of us can know what goes on during manufacturing outside of inspection times. I still believe most people are good but all pharmaceutical companies are businesses and they want to make money, profits (we're talking billion$$ in the double digits + for them), same as most of us need to. Only they are not always 100% honest about what goes into pills & capsules, side effects, true effectiveness, etc. Google it, there have been lawsuits.....6) Re what Woodstock 2009 Says and only to clarify: Hydrocodone combination products are not as strong as oxycodone. Typically it is that 15 mg of hydrocodone mixed product (example: as in when blended with acetaminophen) is about the same as 10 mg of oxycodone. Less oxycodone blended product (per mg) is needed to get the same relief **if** they both would work at some dosage for a person's pain. Last I checked oxycodone + it's blended products are Schedule 2, 'plain' hydrocodone is also schedule 2. Hydrocodone blended products are Schedule 3. And if anyone is wondering, something like heroin is considered a Schedule 1 drug......7) Best to have your MD write a prescription so that you have a free & clear choice between brand name or generic.....8) It's kind of crazy sometimes from my perspective - because I'm trained to recognize drug seeking behavior so I'm always of 2 minds. To be honest (& so very human!) it's hard not to get a smidgen paranoid when I have to advocate for myself. When I once needed to ask a pharmacist about something related I could see the red flags in his eyes. He was polite but I could see & feel what he was thinking. Then twice in the last 3 years I had to go to the ER at a local hospital at night. I told the hospital physicians about my regular Rx (which I was in between) and comfortably it seemed, both times, they went on and prescribed pain meds. This was appropriate. But when I next saw my doc & told him it was very stressful. He was not thrilled but was really okay about it in the end.....At another much later time, after seriously delaying the reporting of feeling under-medicated: suffering motivated me to finally get honest and advocate for myself. We had a long discussion about the tolerance - dependency- potential addiction aspects and he said was not worried. But, naturally, he was now aware of this change Which is what should happen if a doctor is diligent & true. He did increase the number of tablets of my prescription. But I never want to experience that again.....10) In my 'world' there is a cure for all adverse medical conditions. They just have to be uncovered. This is my sincere belief. I've also been trained in the use of a short list of holistic treatments and make use of those for myself as well. combining methods can sometimes help. My doctors never mind this as long as I am not being harmed. I consider an integrated, holisistic approach to my health care since there is no legitimate need for modalities to be at war. Any MD or NP who is trained and experienced in additional therapies knows this.....I intend to be well - so to not need narcotic medication for the rest of my life. Incidentally, I do think that these kinds of strong, narcotic Rx's will be a thing of the past sometime within the next 100 to 150 years. That new discoveries & understandings will naturally allow for this. Until that time (and after, too): making use of our resources (including experienced, smartly educated professionals) & **self-education**, self-advocacy -- and no one being alone in this -- these things are key. The medical model will be very different in the next century and that will be a blessing for everyone.

Genie says

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:38:17 -0800

I read these comments and I sit here and cry, It is so sad that our Physicians are legal drug dealers, give you a med works a while and then you need more, Sad thing is they give it to you. A little more each time till you are so addicted that NOTHING works but DEATH. and that is exactly where it ends. My son died from legal drug pushers. Pain Clinic's What a laugh. God help me I am still grieving my loss. He took it the way it was prescribed, Then Fentanyl was ordered. upping the dosage each month.from 25mcg to 100mcg in 4 months. I am very bitter and I feel for family's who are going to experience the HELL of losing a child. I am on a mission to get these clinics closed. If you need meds that are strong enough for cancer pts. and dying pt's then go in a hosp. Or a rehab center, That is where you are headed. You have a choice. Rehab or Death.

lamagonzo says

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:16:28 -0800

I hads been taking Mallie Oxy 5/325 for about 6 months and noticed after the seventh fill that the strength had decreased roughly by HALF! I found a sympathetic pharmacist who carried two types of the Oxy: Mallie and a generic shorthand called RPh. These RPhs are approximately twice as strong as the Mallies. Does anybody know what RPh is? I'll never use MALLIE AGAIN EVER!

woodstock 2009 says

Thu, 28 May 2009 21:13:08 -0800

the oxycodone shortage had the whole country looking for anything contain oxycodone, endocet, perocet, roxicodone, oxycontin, the year of 2008 has been the worse year for generic medications, they suppose to be the same active ingredeints but the inactive fillers can be a little different, the equilevencly of hydrocodone 10 is the same as oxycodone 15, meaning it takes that much more to receive the same releif, some people require less, this strictly my opinion

Kathryn says

Fri, 15 May 2009 16:00:09 -0800

My experience thus far, endocet feels no different then vicodin for pain relief- percocet has killed pain the other two have not. Why this is, I don't know except perhaps varying proportions of the opiate drug. I'm not entering an opinion, I'm simply conveying my personal experience.

jojo says

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:00:41 -0800

Rob, you are building up a tolerance to the meds this is why you do not get the same effects as before. This will continue to happen over the months and years until you cannot find a ned that helps, dont feel bad we are all in the same boat.

jojo says

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:55:56 -0800

I would also like to talk about the fact if you are out of your meds for a few days when you get them your body will try and catch up with the levels you are acustom to having in it. For example if I was taking percocet 10 4 times daily for a month and ran out for 3 days then got my script, my body would not feel the relief from just taking one, but after it got the level up to standard it would become comfortable there. Many people get this mixed up and think that it is generics suck, this is only true for the M brand generics Malicrodt pharmacuticals, they are terrible.

jojo says

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:25:06 -0800

Even worse is the fact that now, unless you find a wonderfully understanding pharmacist and they are willing to actually bend the law...your script is WORTHLESS
Dowhatucan2stop! I also found this to be a stupid statement, considering the fact doctors know how exspensive brand name pain meds can be. 9.99 times out of ten doctors sign the script where it says subsititute permitted meaning the pharmacy can dispense a generic of their choice or yours. Considering you do not want Brand name, we all know that can cost a fortune.

jojo says

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:10:20 -0800

Dowhatucan2stop here is the dosing information from the official website, I think you will enjoy this

PERCOCET
(oxycodone and acetaminophen) Tablets, USP

DRUG DESCRIPTION
Oxycodone, 14-hydroxydihydrocodeinone, is a semisynthetic opioid analgesic which occurs as a white, odorless, crystalline powder having a saline, bitter taste. The molecular formula for oxycodone hydrochloride is C18H21NO4HCl and the molecular weight 351.83. It is derived from the opium alkaloid thebaine, and may be represented by the following structural formula:

Acetaminophen, 4'-hydroxyacetanilide, is a non-opiate, non-salicylate analgesic and antipyretic which occurs as a white, odorless, crystalline powder, possessing a slightly bitter taste. The molecular formula for acetaminophen is C8H9NO2 and the molecular weight is 151.17. It may be represented by the following structural formula:

Each tablet, for oral administration, contains oxycodone hydrochloride and acetaminophen in the following strengths:

Oxycodone Hydrochloride, USP 2.5 mg*
Acetaminophen, USP 325mg
*2.5 mg oxycodone HCl is equivalent to 2.2409 mg of oxycodone.
Oxycodone Hydrochloride, USP 5mg*
Acetaminophen, USP 325 mg
*5 mg oxycodone HCl is equivalent to 4.4815 mg of oxycodone.
Oxycodone Hydrochloride, USP 7.5 mg*
Acetaminophen, USP 325 mg
*7.5 mg oxycodone HCl is equivalent to 6.7228 mg of oxycodone.
Oxycodone Hydrochloride, USP 7.5 mg*
Acetaminophen, USP 500 mg
*7.5 mg oxycodone HCl is equivalent to 6.7228 mg of oxycodone.

Oxycodone Hydrochloride, USP 10 mg*
Acetaminophen, USP 325 mg
*10 mg oxycodone HCl is equivalent to 8.9637 mg of oxycodone.
Oxycodone Hydrochloride, USP 10 mg*
Acetaminophen, USP 650 mg
*10 mg oxycodone HCl is equivalent to 8.9637 mg of oxycodone. THIS ONE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD SEE, THIS IS THE SAME AS ENDOCET, OR ANY GENERIC OR BRAND NAME 10/325 OXYCODONE/Acetaminophen
bEFORE YOU TRY TO BE SMART AND GIVE PEOPLE FALSE INFORMATION CHECK YOUR RESOURCES.

All strengths of PERCOCET also contain the following inactive ingredients: Colloidal silicon dioxide, croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, pregelatinized cornstarch, and stearic acid. In addition, the 2.5 mg/325 mg strength contains FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake and the 5 mg/325 mg strength contains FD&C Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake. The 7.5 mg/325 mg and the 7.5 mg/500 mg strengths contain FD&C Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake. The 10 mg/325 mg and 10 mg/650 mg strengths contain D&C Yellow No. 10 Aluminum Lake.

jojo says

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:59:24 -0800

Dowhatucan2stop! Yo uare a complet idiot, even if you buy brand name percocet it will say oxycodone HCL 10mg=8.9637, this is because of the salt you know the HCL is a complex salt. So even with the brand name your are not getting a pure 10mg of oxycodone. This is with any narcotic that contains a complex salt. The salt helps in the absorbtion process in the body and metabolites. You are assuming because on the endocet bottle it says 10mg of oxycodone=8.9637 of oxycodone you are getting shorted on the opioid, this is your junkie mind spinning its wheels. Percocet and endocet are the same, you are getting the same ammount of the oxy, however the grade and quality may slightly differ, thus making you feel like you are not as high, or getting the same relief, YOU ARE STILL GETTIN THE SAME AMMOUNT OF OXYCODONE. Good try on being professor of the year award, but not enough to convince anyone with a little bit of sense. DUMB ASS!