Oxycodone is used to relieve pain severe enough to require opioid treatment and when other pain medicines did not work well enough or cannot be tolerated. It belongs to the group of medicines called opioid analgesics (pain medicines). Oxycodone is used to manage pain severe enough to require an opioid pain medicine when other pain medicines do not treat pain well enough, or are not tolerated. OxyContin and oxycodone are opioid painkillers that differ in how they release medication into the body. OxyContin provides long-lasting relief, while oxycodone offers immediate pain relief. Oxycodone relieves moderate to severe pain, but it carries real risks. Learn how it works, its side effects, and who should avoid it. Why is this medication prescribed? Oxycodone is used to relieve severe pain. Oxycodone is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain. Oxycodone is a medicine used to treat severe pain. It's only available with a prescription. Oxycodone is a type of medicine called an opioid. It's used to treat pain, for example after an operation or a serious injury, or pain from cancer. Oxycodone is a medicine that is used to help treat severe pain. Common side effects include constipation, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, headache, and dizziness. Yes, oxycodone is an opioid. Specifically, it is a semi-synthetic opioid, meaning it is derived from a naturally occurring compound found in the opium poppy but then chemically modified in a lab. It was first synthesized from thebaine, a compound in opium, in Germany in 1917. Oxycodone, sold under the brand names Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended-release form) among others, is a semi-synthetic opioid used medically for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. What is the difference between oxycodone and Oxycontin? Oxycodone and OxyContin both contain the same active ingredient, oxycodone, but the key difference is how and how long they release it.