Tylox- Drug Overview

Tylox is a pain relieving medicine that combines two main ingredients- acetaminophen and oxycodone. Oxycodone belongs to the group of opioid pain relievers and has similar effects as that of codeine. On the other hand, acetaminophen is a less potent pain reliever that increases the effects of oxycodone.

Uses-

Tylox is used for relieving moderate to moderately severe pain in adults. It is prescribed by health care providers for treating short term pain, such as pain caused by a surgery, dental procedure or an injury. It is also used for treating chronic conditions like migraine, cancer pain and chronic pain. Some off label uses of Tylox include the treatment of coughing and insomnia.

Recommended dose-

The standard recommended dose of Tylox is one capsule every six hours as needed for pain. The dosage is calculated after considering your age, condition and body weight. Tylox is not recommended in children.

As acetaminophen is hepatotoxic, acute liver damage has been observed in patients who take more than 4,000 mg of acetaminophen. As each capsule of Tylox usually contains 500 mg of acetaminophen, its dose should not exceed your recommended dose in a 24-hour period.

Tylox side effects-

As with any other pain relieving medications, Tylox can also cause some side effects. However, these side effects vary from one person to another and some people may tolerate them well. If side effects do occur, they are minor and do not require immediate medical attention. Some of the common side effects observed in people taking Tylox are-

Nausea, may or may not be associated with vomiting (This effect can be reduced by taking medicine along with food), dizziness and light headedness, drowsiness, constipation (fibre-rich diet is advised), itching all over the body and a state of euphoria or dysphoria (unexplained unpleasant feeling).

In very rare cases, severe side effects of Tylox are observed, which include slow or irregular breathing, severe constipation, difficulty in passing urine, signs of liver damage (dark-colored urine, abdominal pain and yellowish color of skin and eyes), anxiety, confusion, severe drowsiness and signs of allergic reaction (an unexplained rash, wheezing, hives, difficulty in breathing, and swelling of mouth or throat). Contact your doctor at once if you have any of the above mentioned severe symptoms after taking Tylox.

Tylox overdose-

Tylox can be fatal if you exceed the recommended dose in a 24-hour period. Symptoms of acetaminophen and oxycodone overdose may include nausea, vomiting, sweating, calm and clammy hands, loss of appetite, dark urine, confusion, jaundice, low grade fever, shallow breathing, fainting and coma.

Tylox overdose treatment- The goal of the treatment is to re-establishment of adequate respiratory system by providing a patent airflow. Naloxone hydrochloride is a specific antidote for respiratory depression due to tylox overdose, and is immediately administered through intravenous route.

If no signs of respiratory depression are observed, then antidote is not given. In that case, other measures like intravenous fluids, vasopressors, and oxygen are used. Gastric lavage (emptying of the stomach) is done by a medical professional to remove the poison from the stomach.

Activated charcoal treatment is recommended to remove poison from all the parts of the body.

Tylox addiction-

It is important to understand that when you are taking Tylox medication, you are prone to addiction as this drug is a narcotic. People with predisposition to drug or alcohol may become addicted to Tylox medication.

Medical care providers who dispense or prescribe this medicine watch for specific signs of addiction, such as:

• - Doctor shopping - which is seeing multiple doctors to obtain prescription for Tylox or frequent switching from one doctor to another.
• - Repeated cases of losing prescription or having prescription stolen.
• Going through the medication too quickly.
• Having a 'favourite' narcotic drug, such as Tylox and not accepting any alternate drug.
• Some other signs of Tylox addiction may include changes in social circles and secluded behavior etc.

Tylox addiction is a serious problem that needs to be dealt with using Intervention, Detox and Rehab treatment programs. It is strongly recommended that the users be weaned off the drug at a slow rate. Some withdrawal symptoms like running nose, goosebumps, nausea and vomiting are observed. Once the weaning is completed, after care specialists are able to provide support and counselling to prevent a relapse.