What is Percocet and what is it used for?

Percocet is the trade name of the combination medication oxycodone and acetaminophen. It comes in various strengths and under various names.

Oxycodone is an opioid agonist analgesic used for control of moderate to severe pain. It works on the central (brain and spinal cord) opioid receptors, more specifically the mu receptors, although it does have some crossover onto other receptors. By binding to opioid receptors, it modulates pain reception and the subjective experience of pain.

Acetaminophen, known by the trade name Tylenol, is an analgesic and antipyretic, acting in the brain to decrease prostaglandin release, at the site of pain. Decreased prostaglandin release results in less firing of pain receptors at the site of pain. Acetaminophen has also been proven to work synergistically with opioid pain medications, such as oxycodone (percocet), hydrocodone (vicodin), or codeine (Tylenol #2,#3,#4), so the analgesic effect is more than the opioid component alone could provide.

Percocet, as a combination product, is used for the control of moderate to severely painful conditions when oral analgesics are felt to be indicated.