TABLE OF CONTENTS
- What is OxyContin?
- What strengths does OxyContin come in?
- What is the difference between oxycodone and OxyContin?
- What does the OXY and CONTIN in OxyContin stand for?
What is OxyContin?
OxyContin, manufactured by Purdue Pharma, is a controlled-release formulation of oxycodone effective for 12 hours of pain management. Instant-release formulations, such as Percocet and Tylox, are effective for only 4-6 hours, which results in four to six doses per day. With OxyContin, it only needs to be taken twice a day, making it a little easier for the patient. Though oxycodone has been used since 1917, no time-release formulation was available until December 1995, when OxyContin was introduced as a Schedule II substance in the United States. OxyContin is approved for the treatment of moderate or severe pain, though it is only really used in cases of chronic severe pain.
What strengths is OxyContin supplied in?
OxyContin is supplied in four strengths: 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg. A 160 mg formulation was available up until May 2001, when it was discontinued. Each tablet is a different color: (1) 10 mg – white, (2) 20 mg – pink, (3) 40 mg – yellow, (4) 80 mg – green, (5) 160 mg – blue [discontinued]. A lot of the companies that manufacture the generic equivalent of OxyContin employ the same color scheme, but not all, so it is always wise to double-check using the Oxycodone Pill Identification Guide.
What is the difference between oxycodone and OxyContin?
OxyContin is merely a 12-hour time-release formulation of oxycodone. Over the course of 12 hours, 10-80 mg of oxycodone is released into the body unless the time-release mechanism is bypassed (i.e. crushing the pill). Percocet is an instant-release formulation of oxycodone, with the main difference being the fact that it contains an extra active ingredient, acetaminophen. Another difference is the amount of oxycodone contained in each formulation. OxyContin comes in dosage forms ranging from 10-80 milligrams, and Percocet in doses from 2.5-10 milligrams. One crushed 20 mg OxyContin pill is equal (in terms of oxycodone) to two 10 mg Percocets or the generic equivalent.
USER COMMENTARY: A mistake many people commonly make is to say that abusing Percocet is safer than abusing OxyContin. While in high school, my peers and I all abused opioids, but because I heavily researched this class of drugs before even experimenting, I knew that acetaminophen, the non-opioid active ingredient in Percocet and its generic equivalents, could severely damage the liver. To get high, I knew I had to take more than what was recommended which also meant that I would be consuming a large amount of acetaminophen if I chose to use Percocet. So while all my friends were taking obscene doses of acetaminophen with their oxycodone, I was not because I chose to use OxyContin instead. I wasn’t snorting it at this point, but instead chewing and swallowing. Still, even though I was taking the same doses, and avoiding the Tylenol, it was not socially accepted. It was viewed in the same light as heroin (as it should be), and these people had no idea that they were consuming the same drug that I was despite my frequent attempts to explain this concept. This led me to just keep my little secret to myself.
What does the OXY and CONTIN in OxyContin stand for?
The OXY in OxyContin is a reference to its active opioid ingredient, oxycodone. The word CONTIN is also seen in other continuous-release medications, such as MS Contin, which is controlled-release morphine. CONTIN is short for continuous, and refers to the fact that it is continuously released over the course of a given period of time, rather than all at once like the instant-release formulations.
My Primary care Doctor, moved to another state, he referred me to a pain management Doctor, who gave me MANY trigger point shot’s – epidurals- pain block shot’s- spinal shots- ALL this took place in a hospital, on an operating table, which was under a local anesthesia ( twilight sleep), it was toradol, THAT DID NOT WORK!, I TOLD HIM I COULD FEEL EVERYTHING HE WAS DOING, THE 1ST TIME ,the doctor had the medical staff that was in the operating room , hold my leg’s down, because if I would have moved, I could have been paralyzed!!.all through this I was given a prescription of methadone 10mg per day, with my new primary care Doctor giving me a prescription of loratab 10/500- for breakthrough pain. after 1 and a half to 2 year’s of these shots, I told the pain management Doctor that the procedures he was performing at the hospital, were not lasting as long as they used to, they would usually last 2 to 3 week’s, now they are lasting 1 to 2 day’s at most, he released me as a patient, and told me he could not give me the medication without the procedures! he gave me the names of other doctors & told me I needed to be on the suboxon program, I was fine with that, anything to stop this chronic pain, little did I know that every Doctor offering this program, doe’s not take medicare, check’s,credit card’s….. nothing but cash! & lot’s of it, LOT’S!!!!!.after going to other Doctor’s, I tried to see if there were any Doctor’s, that accepted medicare, YES! ONE!!! so I made the appt, went to his office,this so called Doctor, asked me a wide variety of questions, then he started asking me sexual questions, such as : were you molested as a child? what age? by whom? how long did this go on? needless to say I was very pissed off!!!!! he had me take a urine test right then at his office, which I had no problem with, when he came back into the room, he said I don’t know what I’m going to do with you right now , let me think,I waited & then he looked at his watch & said: I want you to go home & bring me ALL of your medication,we will dispose of it then I will give you a prescription of MY METHADONE! I told him that I didn’t think I would make it back in time, before his office closed, he said o.k. then I’ll see you when we open up! needless to say I never went back, I have went to the methadone clinic, other Doctors, they all tell me they cant help me, I need to see a pain management Doctor. so here I sit ! lost ,pissed off & no one to turn to , in GOD AWFUL PAIN – JUST EXISTING!!! I wrote this in hopes that maybe somebody , somewhere can point me in the right direction, I have been offered Oxycontin, pain pumps, you name it! but with all the addicts out there , it makes it hard for a person with legitimate reason for receiving pain meds , in my case it is methadone, one 10mg tablet lasts me a whole day without pain!!!!!oh yeah I didn’t mention that my new primary care Doctor does not have the license to prescribe methadone. any suggestions????????
RHey Greg. My family owns a pharmacy. You pretty much hit the nail on the head w the colors. Oxy 15’s are green amd 30s are blue/white depending on the company. They usually say oxycodon rather than oxycontin in the bottle. I the to be the bearer of bad news, but theres a new 80mg generic that says OP 80. They’re about to be the only 80’s around. They are discontinuing the original 80s for good. Actually happened the 15th of August. It’s a fucking epedemic. People are panicing cuz of this. They street value is going to go waaaaay down when the new generic become more prevalent. However, the old 80s are still around, leaving the street value to skyrocket. They are going for 100 dollars steady where Im from. When bouht In bulk before the new one came out, they were no more than $50-55. This s what Ive heard everywhere. If n e one know more about this, please post.
The Perdue OC 15’s are actually Grey. The Green 15’s are instant-release oxycodone, or “Roxis”
The 15 milligram oxycontin are green!
@Greg Thanks for the comments. We have fixed the mistake. As for the new dosages of OxyContin, while we do not have them on this page, we do have them in our pill imprint guides. We will update this information sometime soon. Thanks again!
Your information is a little out dated. 160mg are gone but they have more than just 10, 20, 40, 80mg OC’s. If you want to get up to date they have 15, 30, and 60’s now. I am not 100% sure of their colors. I believe 30’s are brown and 60’s are red. I have never seen a 15 but I know they are out there. That leaves oxycontin at 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, and 80. They all look the same with the little OC on one side and the millgram on the other.