Tylox® (
oxycodone/APAP) is a prescription pain medicine approved for the treatment of moderate to moderately severe pain. It is one of several different
oxycodone/APAP products currently available.
Typically, healthcare providers prescribe Tylox for treating short-term pain, such as pain caused by a surgery, dental procedure, or injury. However, Tylox is sometimes used to treat
migraines, chronic pain, cancer pain, or other types of recurring or long-term conditions that cause pain. It is often used (or rather, abused) inappropriately, as it contains oxycodone, a narcotic medication
(see Tylox Addiction). Like other oxycodone/APAP products, Tylox (even when used at high doses) is not appropriate for treating very severe pain.
Tylox contains two different medications that work together to control pain:
acetaminophen and
oxycodone hydrochloride. Oxycodone is a semi-synthetic, opioid pain reliever. It is chemically related to codeine. Oxycodone is effective at decreasing pain but also causes drowsiness and suppresses the drive to breathe (which is known medically as "respiratory suppression").
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and fever reducer commonly found in non-prescription medications such as
Tylenol®. "APAP" is an acronym for one of the chemical names for acetaminophen. Adding acetaminophen to oxycodone makes both medications more effective at relieving pain and may limit the abuse potential of oxycodone (as the maximum dose of Tylox is often limited by the acetaminophen content).
Make sure to carefully monitor your acetaminophen intake (including acetaminophen from other sources) while taking Tylox in order to avoid toxicity
(see Tylox Drug Interactions and Tylox Dosage for more information).
