Roxicodone Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Roxicodone Tablet (oxycodone hydrochloride) is an opioid analgesic used to manage pain severe enough to require an opioid, when other pain treatments do not work well enough or cannot be tolerated. It is an immediate-release formulation that works by activating opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord to reduce pain perception. It carries serious risks, including life-threatening breathing problems, addiction, and withdrawal, so it must be used exactly as prescribed.

What is Roxicodone Tablet

Roxicodone is a strong prescription pain medicine that contains an opioid (narcotic). It is used to manage pain severe enough to require an opioid pain medicine, when other pain treatments do not work well enough or cannot be tolerated.

Roxicodone Tablet uses

• Management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate

Benefits of Roxicodone Tablet

• Provides relief from severe pain that requires an opioid analgesic.
• Helps reduce pain intensity when non-opioid treatments are inadequate or not tolerated.
• Is an immediate-release formulation, providing relatively rapid pain relief after oral dosing.
• May improve comfort, mobility, and daily functioning when severe pain is appropriately controlled.
• Can be used for acute or ongoing severe pain when a healthcare professional determines opioid treatment is appropriate.

How Roxicodone Tablet works

Oxycodone attaches to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord to block pain signals. It is a full opioid agonist, meaning there is no upper limit to its pain-relieving effect, though side effects can limit how much can be used.

Roxicodone Tablet dosage

Take exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider, using the lowest dose possible for the shortest time needed. Take your prescribed dose as needed for pain, spacing doses apart as directed. Do not take more than your prescribed dose. If you miss a dose, take your next dose at your usual time. Do not change your dose or stop taking this medicine without talking to your healthcare provider first.

For short-term (acute) pain, you may only need to take it for a few days. A high-fat meal can increase how much of the drug your body absorbs and delay how quickly it takes effect, so its effects may vary depending on whether it is taken with or without food. Elderly patients may be more sensitive to this medicine, so treatment is usually started at the low end of the dosing range and increased slowly. This medicine has not been evaluated for use in children.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet

Side effects of Roxicodone Tablet

Common

• Constipation
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Itching (pruritus)
• Insomnia
• Dizziness
• Weakness (asthenia)
• Sleepiness (somnolence)
• Tiredness
• Abdominal pain
• Dry mouth
• Sweating
• Rash
• Loss of appetite

Serious

• Trouble breathing, shortness of breath, or breathing that stops during sleep
• Slow heart rate, weak pulse, or fast/irregular/pounding heartbeat
• Chest pain or fluttering in the chest
• Swelling of the face, tongue, or throat
• Extreme drowsiness or confusion
• Lightheadedness or feeling faint, especially when changing positions
• Agitation, high body temperature, trouble walking, stiff muscles, or tremors (possible serotonin syndrome)
• Seizures (convulsions)
• Severe headache, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, loss of coordination, or feeling unsteady
• Sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights
• Signs of adrenal insufficiency such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and low blood pressure

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine can cause serious, life-threatening, or fatal slowed or stopped breathing, especially when starting treatment or after a dose increase.
• Even one accidental dose of this medicine, especially in a child, can cause a fatal overdose.
• Using this medicine together with benzodiazepines, other CNS depressants, or alcohol can cause severe sleepiness, slowed breathing, coma, and death.
• Even when taken as prescribed, this medicine can lead to addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can result in overdose and death.
• Using this medicine for a long time during pregnancy can cause a withdrawal syndrome in the newborn that may be life-threatening if not recognized and treated.
• Do not stop this medicine suddenly if you have been taking it regularly, as this can cause serious withdrawal symptoms, uncontrolled pain, and has been linked to suicide.
• This medicine should not be used by people with significant breathing problems, severe asthma without monitoring, a bowel blockage, or a known allergy to oxycodone.
• Never give this medicine to anyone else, even if they have similar symptoms, because it could cause their death.
• Using this medicine for an extended period during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby that could be life-threatening if not recognized and treated. Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
• This medicine passes into breast milk and may harm your baby. Watch infants for increased sleepiness, breathing difficulties, or limpness, and get medical care right away if these occur.
• This medicine is removed from the body mainly by the kidneys, so people with kidney problems may have a greater risk of side effects. Treatment should start with a lower than usual dose and be increased carefully.
• This medicine is broken down mainly by the liver, so people with liver problems may clear it from their body more slowly. Treatment should start with a lower than usual dose and be increased carefully.
• Do not drink alcohol or use products containing alcohol while taking this medicine, as it can cause overdose and death.
• Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how this medicine affects you, since it can cause sleepiness, dizziness, or lightheadedness.

Storage

• Store at 20–25°C (68–77°F) at controlled room temperature.
• Keep in a cool, dry place away from excessive heat and moisture.
• Keep tablets in the original, tightly closed container.
• Protect from direct light and avoid hot or humid storage areas.
• Store securely to prevent accidental ingestion, misuse, or unauthorized access.
• Keep out of reach and sight of children and pets.

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you take too much of this medicine, as it can cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems that can lead to death.
• Get emergency medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, chest pain, swelling of the face, tongue, or throat, extreme drowsiness, lightheadedness when changing position, feeling faint, agitation, high body temperature, trouble walking, stiff muscles, or confusion.
• Talk to your healthcare provider if your pain gets worse, if you become more sensitive to pain, or if you develop new pain after taking this medicine, rather than taking more of it on your own.
• Seek medical attention if you notice symptoms that could suggest adrenal insufficiency, such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and low blood pressure.

Alternatives

• Buprenorphine
• Tramadol
• Hydrocodone
• Hydromorphone
• Morphine