Dosage form: extended-release tablets (10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg)

OxyContin side effects

Common OxyContin side effects include drowsiness, headache, dizziness, tiredness, constipation, stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Serious OxyContin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to OxyContin with symptoms of hives, difficulty breathing, and swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Opioid medicine can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should give naloxone and/or seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue-colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• noisy breathing, sighing, shallow breathing, breathing that stops during sleep;
• a slow heart rate or weak pulse;
• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
• confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior;
• seizure (convulsions);
• low cortisol levels – nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, worsening tiredness or weakness; or
• high levels of serotonin in the body – agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

Serious breathing problems may be more likely in older adults and in those who are debilitated or have wasting syndrome or chronic breathing disorders.

Long-term use of opioid medication may affect fertility (ability to have children) in men or women. It is not known whether opioid effects on fertility are permanent.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use OxyContin if you are allergic to oxycodone, or if you have:

• severe asthma or breathing problems; or
• a blockage in your stomach or intestines.

You should not use OxyContin unless you are already using a similar opioid medicine and are tolerant to it.

OxyContin should not be given to a child younger than 11 years old.

To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• breathing problems, sleep apnea;
• a head injury, or seizures;
• drug or alcohol addiction, or mental illness;
• liver or kidney disease;
• urination problems; or
• problems with your gallbladder, pancreas, or thyroid.

Tell your healthcare provider if you are living in a household where there are small children or someone who has abused street or prescription drugs, taking prescription or over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. Taking OxyContin with certain other medicines can cause serious side effects that could lead to death.

If you use OxyContin while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on opioids may need medical treatment for several weeks.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, as this medicine may harm your baby. Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with OxyContin.

How should I use OxyContin?

Take OxyContin exactly as prescribed. Follow the directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides. Never use oxycodone in larger amounts, or for longer than prescribed. Call your healthcare provider if the dose you are taking does not control your pain.

Take your prescribed dose every 12 hours at the same time every day. Do not take more than your prescribed dose in 12 hours. If you miss a dose, take your next dose at your usual time.

Oxycontin should be taken 1 tablet at a time. Do not pre-soak, lick, or wet the tablet before placing it in your mouth to avoid choking on the tablet.

Swallow the extended-release tablet whole to avoid exposure to a potentially fatal overdose. Do not crush, chew, break, or dissolve.

Never crush or break an OxyContin tablet to inhale the powder or mix it into a liquid to inject the drug into your vein. This can result in death.

You should not stop using OxyContin suddenly. Follow your doctor’s instructions about tapering your dose.

Never share opioid medicine with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. MISUSE CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it. Selling or giving away opioid medicine is against the law.

Store at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and light. Keep track of your medicine. Oxycodone is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.

Do not keep leftover opioid medication. Just one dose can cause death in someone using this medicine accidentally or improperly. Ask your pharmacist where to locate a drug take-back disposal program. If there is no take-back program, flush the unused medicine down the toilet.