- Percodan
Percodan is a potent compound
painkiller used to treat moderately severe to severe acute (short-term)pain . Percodan containsaspirin andoxycodone , a potentopioid agonist . Percodan was firstmarketed byDuPont Pharmaceuticals and prescribed in theUnited States in1950 . At one time one of the most widely prescribed painkillers, Percodan has largely been replaced by alternative oxycodone compounds containingacetaminophen (Tylenol ) instead ofaspirin , such asPercocet .Pharmacology
Each Percodan
tablet contains the followingactive ingredient s:
* 4.62 mg ofoxycodone hydrochloride
* 0.38 mg ofoxycodone terephthalate
* 325 mg ofaspirin .Each tablet also contains the following inactive ingredients:
*FD&C Yellow 10
*FD&C Yellow 6
*microcrystalline cellulose
*starch .The
oxycodone component in Percodan is technically 14-hydroxy-7,8-dihydrocodein-6-one, awhite odorless ,crystalline powder which issynthesized from theopium alkaloid thebaine . Thebaine by itself has no therapeutic value. Oxycodone ismetabolized intooxymorphone . Unlikemorphine and likecodeine , oxycodone has a good oralpotency . Prior to the introduction ofacetaminophen (paracetamol ), Percodan was the mainstay in post-operative oral pain treatment due to the potency and longhalf-life of oxycodone. Percodan originally contained a small amount ofcaffeine .The usual
dose is one tablet every six hours as needed for pain. The maximum daily dose should not exceed 12 tablets.Decline of use
Percodan has largely been replaced by
Percocet (which is a compound of oxycodone and acetaminophen, instead of Percodan's aspirin) and other oxycodone-containing compounds for post-operative pain, since aspirin and otheranti-inflammatory drugs increaseprothrombin time and thus inhibit the blood from clotting, which can result in post-operative complications, such as excessive bleeding.Norco andVicodin , which containhydrocodone and acetaminophen, have also gained favor over Percodan for post-operative pain because hydrocodone is nearly as potent as oxycodone, and it is not as highly regulated as Percodan. In the United States, Percodan is regulated as aSchedule II controlled substance under the UniformControlled Substances Act of 1970, along withcocaine , morphine and raw (unprocessed)opium .Schedule II prescriptions may not be filled by telephone (except in an emergency), and norefill s are allowed. By contrast, Vicodin, Norco, and other hydrocodone-containing compounds are inSchedule III . Percodan is becoming something of a relic in the United States, at least, as the number of prescriptions has fallen precipitously since the 1960s in light of the alternate drugs available containing oxycodone (Percocet,Tylox , OxyContin,Roxicodone ).Miscellaneous
Percodan is also sold under the brand name Endodan. All products containing oxycodone (including Percodan, Percocet, OxyContin) have the potential to be habit-forming. Oxycodone can produce drug dependence of the morphine type and, therefore, has the potential for being abused. It is a favorite of and eagerly sought after by
opiate addict s; many addicts, however, prefer OxyContin because it does not contain any other active ingredients besides oxycodone, unlike Percodan and Percocet, which each contain aspirin and Tylenol, respectively.As of 2008, Percodan and Percocet are manufactured by
Endo Pharmaceuticals .External links
* [http://www.endo.com/PDF/percodan_pack_insert.pdf Percodan Prescribing Information from Endo Pharmaceuticals.]
* [http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/index.cfm Search "Percodan" in FDA Archives; shows approval in 1950.]
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