Vicodin Vs. Percocet

I have degenerative disc disease and an undiagnosed condition that is eating away my muscles so the pain is often excruciating. Narcotic medications are my only choice if I want any relief from the pain. I have been prescribed both Vicodin and Percocet. According to my doctor Percocet is a stronger medication than Vicodin but also carries some more less than desirable side effects. I took Percocet for almost a year and it gave me stomach pain, nausea and headaches. I was switched to Vicodin just a few months ago and the stomach pain, nausea and headaches have ceased. Vicodin and Percocet are in different drug classifications so I can now get a refill with my Vicodin where as with the Percocet I had to see my doctor every month.

Vicodin is made of hydrocodone and acetaminophen and Percocet is made from oxycodone and acetaminophen. Both are derivative of opiates. They both work by blocking pain receptors in the central nervous system.

With Percocet I did get relief from my pain and the side effects were worth it to me because the relief of pain greatly improved my quality of life. The dosage I took of Percocet varied from day to day depending on pain. At my regular dosage I was able to keep most of the pain at bay for a 24 hour period being woken up on occasion in the night needing to take a little more to kill the pain. I didn't experience any addictive traits nor did I experience any withdrawal when I was taken off the medication.

Vicodin does help with my pain though I did have to increase my dose a bit being that Percocet is slightly stronger than Vicodin. The Percocet did last longer than the Vicodin does. I wake up more often in pain but it's not intolerable. The fact that the side effects are gone and I still have control over most of my pain is what is truly important and overall Vicodin does that for me. I do not feel a physical craving for it and that is important as well.

I do not experience any addictive behavior and the side effects only lasted for about a week where as with the Percocet some of the side effects would not go away. I have been on Narcotic medication for a long time now due to my conditions and have found that Vicodin seems to work the best for me.