Oxycodone (Oxycodone hydrochloride controlled-release) is an opioid analgesic in time-release form.  Which means a small amount of the drug is absorbed over a 12 hour period.  

The active ingredient in Oxycodoneis Oxycodone which is the main ingredient in Percocet, Percodan, Tylox, Roxicet, Oxycocet, OxyIR, Endodan, Endocet and probably a few more names not mentioned.  Oxycodone has been around for years and is used for moderate to severe pain.  It is a Schedule II controlled substance.  It works by inhibiting ascending pain pathways in the Central Nervous System, increases the pain threshold, and alters pain perception. 

The problem with Oxycodone is after using it for a while the body develops a natural tolerance to the medication, as it does with all opiates.  In order to get the same affect the person needs to increase the dose.  This does not mean the person is addicted.  There is a difference between tolerance and addiction. 

The problem that chronic pain sufferers have with opiates  is the need to increase the dose to get the same affect.    Before Oxycodonecame along the patient would increase there dose as tolerance developed and this increased the risk of side effects of the other ingredient in the medication.  For example:  Percocet contains Oxycodone 5mg with Acetaminophen 325mg.  Increasing the dose of this medication also increases the dose of Acetaminophen that the person gets.  

Another downfall of fast acting medications is that you get a peak affect in 2 hours and then a sudden drop of the medication.  So the patient was unable to keep a steady level of the drug in their system. 

In the past in order to get adequate pain relief, the patient would have to switch to another medication and found it did not work as well as the Oxycodone. 

In 1996 the Purdue Pharmaceutical company came out with the Oxycontin, the first oxycodone pain medication that is time released (MSContin is also made by Purdue and is a time released form of Morphine). These are the only two opiate pain relievers available in a sustained released formula.  

With Oxycodonethe patient can get Oxycodone (A very effective medication for pain) in a sustained released formula without the adverse affects of acetaminophen or aspirin that is in many of the fast acting formulas.  It releases small amounts of Oxycodone over 12 hours, keeping the therapeutic levels of this drug in the blood stream.  This was a Godsend for pain patients.  For the first time they could get adequate pain control in a sustained released product.  This gave many patients a new outlook on life.  For many this was the first time they were able to get through their day Painfree!  Because it is sustained released it does not cause an elevation in medication blood levels like the fast acting drugs do.  It keeps a steady, constant level of Oxycodone in the bloodstream, resulting in adequate pain relief.  

Contrary to popular belief you do not need to be a Cancer patient to take Oxycontin.   It works very effectively for patients suffering with chronic pain.  Most of these patients try hundreds of other medications before finally deciding to go on Opiate treatment.  Contrary to popular belief, patients who take Oxycodoneare not junkies, drug seekers, drug addicts or poor.  They are normal people who suffer with a condition that causes excruciating daily pain and have tried everything to try and control this pain. They are your mothers, children, neighbors and friends.  All they want is to be able to live their lives without pain.