Percocet
Oxycodone and acetaminophenDrag to rotate. Scroll or pinch to zoom.
Combines two pain relievers in one tablet: oxycodone, an opioid that attaches to the brain and spinal cord's pain-relief receptors, and acetaminophen, which dials down pain signals mainly inside the brain and spinal cord — letting a lower opioid dose do the job of a higher one alone.
How it works
Percocet pairs two different kinds of pain relief in one tablet. Oxycodone is an opioid that works by binding to specific pain-blocking receptors in the brain and spinal cord. Acetaminophen eases pain through a different, not fully understood pathway, mostly inside the central nervous system rather than at the site of injury. Because the two work differently, combining them lets doctors use a lower dose of the opioid than would otherwise be needed for the same amount of pain relief.
What it’s used for
Percocet is prescribed for pain severe enough to need an opioid, specifically when other, non-opioid treatments haven't been enough.
- Mechanism
- Full opioid agonist + central COX inhibition (fixed-dose combination)
- Drug class
- Fixed-dose combination
- Therapeutic area
- Analgesic / Pain