TEC Pills, officially known as Oxycocet is a generic version of Percocet, a prescription medication containing oxycodone hydrochloride and acetaminophen. This medication is produced by Teva Canada. TEC Pills provides relief for moderate to severe pain and lasts up to 3 to 5 hours depending on the formulation.
TEC Pill is a strong pain reliever most often prescribed for intense, short-term pain felt after surgery or trauma, but it is also sometimes used for patients with severe chronic pain. TEC Pill is often seen as a safer way to get high because it is legal to purchase (it is available with a prescription).
However, TEC Pill is still widely abused for its narcotic effect. A high enough dose can result in a sense of euphoria similar to that experienced by heroin users. Abuse of TEC Pills can lead to addiction or something harder. According to reports, the TEC name is among the most desired brands of prescription drugs in Canada’s opioid epidemic.
How many TEC pills can you take?
Read the Medication Guide provided by your pharmacist before you start taking TEC Pills and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Take TEC Pills by mouth as directed by your doctor. You may take this drug with or without food. If you have nausea, it may help to take this drug with food. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to decrease nausea (such as lying down for 1 to 2 hours with as little head movement as possible).
Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while using TEC Pills unless your doctor or pharmacist says you may do so safely. Grapefruit can increase the chance of side effects with this medicine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
The dosage of TEC Pill is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Do not increase your dose, take the medication more frequently, or take it for a longer time than prescribed. Properly stop the TEC Pill when so directed.
Pain medications work best if they are used as the first signs of pain occur. If you wait until the pain has worsened, the medication may not work as well.
If you have ongoing pain (such as due to cancer), your doctor may direct you to also take long-acting opioid medications. In that case, this medication might be used for sudden (breakthrough) pain only as needed. Other pain relievers (such as ibuprofen, naproxen) may also be prescribed with this medication. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about using oxycodone safely with other drugs.
Suddenly stopping TEC Pills may cause withdrawal, especially if you have used it for a long time or in high doses. To prevent withdrawal, your doctor may lower your dose slowly. Tell your doctor or pharmacist right away if you have any withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, mental/mood changes (including anxiety, trouble sleeping, thoughts of suicide), watering eyes, runny nose, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, muscle aches, or sudden changes in behavior.
When this medication is used for a long time, it may not work as well. Talk with your doctor if this medication stops working well.
Though it helps many people, this medication may sometimes cause addiction. This risk may be higher if you have a substance use disorder (such as overuse of or addiction to drugs/alcohol). Take this medication exactly as prescribed to lower the risk of addiction. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
Tell your doctor if your pain does not get better or if it gets worse.
What are the possible side effects of TEC pills?
TEC pills may cause serious side effects including:
- noisy breathing,
- sighing,
- shallowing breathing,
- lightheadedness,
- weakness,
- tiredness,
- fever,
- unusual bruising or bleeding,
- confusion,
- unusual thoughts or behavior,
- problems with urination,
- nausea,
- upper stomach pain,
- tiredness,
- loss of appetite,
- dark urine,
- clay-colored stools,
- yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice),
- vomiting,
- dizziness,
- worsening tiredness, and
- weakness
Get medical help right away, if you have any of the symptoms listed above.
The most common side effects of TEC Pills include:
- dizziness,
- drowsiness,
- feeling tired,
- feelings of extreme happiness or sadness,
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- stomach pain,
- constipation, and
- headache
Tell the doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
These are not all the possible side effects of TEC Pills. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the street value of TEC pill?
Reports indicate that a single TEC pill can fetch anywhere from $5 to $20. The TEC name is among the most desired brands of prescription drugs in Canada’s opioid epidemic. Harm reduction advocates are concerned the outdated TEC branding is being used by the drug’s current manufacturer only because of the prescription pill’s popularity on the streets, a charge the company says it not true. Some are calling on the government to investigate why the pills still have the old marking.
TEC Pills Safety Information
You should not use TEC pills if you have recently used alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or other opioid medications. Do not use Percocet if you have used a MAO Inhibiter in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, or tranylcypromine, or have received a methylene blue injection.
Oxycodone can slow or stop your breathing, and may be habit-forming. Use only your prescribed dose, and swallow the pill whole to avoid a potentially fatal dose. Never share Percocet with another person.
MISUSE OF THIS MEDICINE CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH, especially in a child or other person using the medicine without a prescription.
Do not take more TEC pills than is recommended. An overdose of oxycodone or acetaminophen (both present in TEC pills) can cause death. Call your doctor at once if you have nausea, pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).
Oxycodone (present in TEC pills) may cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in a newborn if the mother has taken Percocet during pregnancy.
Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.
Fatal side effects can occur if you use TEC pills with alcohol, or with other drugs that cause drowsiness or slow your breathing.
You should not use TEC pills if you have severe asthma or breathing problems, or a blockage in your stomach or intestines.
