shane asked
My wife had surgery on her wrist to insert plate and pin for a broken wrist. She had a prescription for hydrocodone from the emergency room and was also given Percocet yesterday after surgery. I gave her Percocet about 3 hours ago and she is still in pain. Can I give her hydrocodone this soon after Percocet or do I need to wait a full four hours?
Answer
Percocet is a combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen. It is used primarily for moderate to severe pain. Oxycodone is a potent opioid medication and works on a variety of opioid receptors in the body. It generally provides analgesia effects around 20 to 30 minutes after taking a dose by mouth.
Hydrocodone, like oxycodone, is classified as an opioid and has similar potency when compared with oxycodone.
Taking Hydrocodone With Percocet
In most cases, hydrocodone should not be taken at the same time as Percocet as both medications have the same mechanism of action and are used for the same indication (pain relief). Hydrocodone and oxycodone (from Percocet) are considered short acting opioid medications and doses of each should be separated by at least 4 to 6 hours, which is the duration of action of each drug. However, if you are still feeling effects from one of the medications after 6 hours, you should avoid taking the other until the effects have worn off.
Taking hydrocodone and oxycodone at the same time greatly increases the risk of potential side effects. These include:
- Sedation
- Constipation
- Jitteriness
- Hallucinations
- Respiratory depression
Summary
- For pain relief in this situation, it is important to use either hydrocodone or Percocet (oxycodone/acetaminophen), but not both.
- Doses of each should be separated by at least 4 to 6 hours if they are used during the same day.
- Taking both hydrocodone and Percocet together will increase the risk of potentially serious side effects.
