Drug interactions
Oxycodone + Pholcodine
Severity: Moderate
Oxycodone and Pholcodine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive, and combining it with oxycodone adds to opioid sedation and respiratory depression. The effect is usually modest at antitussive doses but matters in vulnerable patients.
What this interaction means in plain words
Oxycodone and Pholcodine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive opioid receptor-mediated CNS and respiratory depression.
What to do
Avoid unnecessary cough suppressant use in patients on oxycodone, and monitor sedation and respiratory rate if needed.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Oxycodone
- Alvimopan + Oxycodone Contraindicated
- Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates + Oxycodone Contraindicated
- Isocarboxazid + Oxycodone Contraindicated
- Olanzapine / samidorphan + Oxycodone Contraindicated
- Oxycodone + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Oxycodone + Sodium oxybate Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Oxycodone with Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Oxycodone and Pholcodine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive, and combining it with oxycodone adds to opioid sedation and respiratory depression. The effect is usually modest at antitussive doses but matters in vulnerable patients.
How serious is the interaction between Oxycodone and Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid unnecessary cough suppressant use in patients on oxycodone, and monitor sedation and respiratory rate if needed.
What other medicines interact with Oxycodone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Oxycodone with, for example, Alvimopan, Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates, Isocarboxazid. The full list is on the Oxycodone page.
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