Regardless of potential deterrents oxycodone has about 60-87%% oral bioavailability and about 46% bioavailability intranasal.
I don't want to be involved in an argument because I truly don't know, but I know that one of the members, (mod?) who has training in pharmacology/pharmacokinetics, is saying that this high oral bioavailability is a myth (or simply untrue). I remember him telling something inline "How many times will I have to show papers that are showing that oxycodone has similar bioavailability when snorted as when taken orally?".
Maybe some of the members will remember who am I writing of. But anyways, common knowledge is what
@SnafuInTheVoid wrote. Also, I read that high-fat meal (lyophilic nature of oxycodone) will help prolong oxycodone's duration. That is not what I know but it is what I read. I will give a link to an an article that states
"Oral oxycodone has a bioavailability of 60–70%, with little difference in bioavailability between different forms of orally administered oxycodone (e.g. tablet, capsule, liquid). Assessment of intranasal and sublingual absorption of oxycodone has found that bioavailability of these forms is low, potentially due to the low lipophilicity of the oxycodone molecule (Papp = 0.7). Absorption of oxycodone is higher in females than in males and increases with age.". If it is true that real number for a person is in the lowest percentage area, ~60% when administered oraly, and if ~50% is a true number when administrated intranasaly, then it all comes down to what a person is looking for. Intranasaly should give a more rapid onset and shorter duration, while oral is reverse. This is all theory and it applies only to pure oxycodone hcl, not pills that have binders and coloring. Snorting pills will mean that bioavailability will be lower because the mucous membrane will not absorb oxycodone from the pill well because of all the other stuff in it. Snorting pills isn't healthy but beyond that, if the pills are IR and one is snorting a small amount of powder then I don't think anything will go to waste.
If I was to take oxycodone now, for the sole purpose of recreational effects, without concerns for my health, I would:
1) Make sure that it is a legit oxycodone pill.
2) Make sure that I know my tolerance
3) Eat a high fat meal 30 minutes before taking oxycodone
4) Crush the pill and snort it
Anything that doesn't make it through the mucous membrane should drip and therefore end up in the digestive tract anyway.
Have in mind that this is all a speculation from my side. I have always taken oxycodone orally (I prefer the legs over fast onset). But if one has a strong fetish towards snorting and doesn't see anything wrong with it, or one doesn't care for health hazards, then I would advise him to proceed following 4 points above.
OP take note that I am not advising you to snort pills neither I claim that I have knowledge that would go contrary to
@SnafuInTheVoid answer. I just wanted to make an answer about oxycodone bioavailability a little more nuanced. Maybe a member that was so tired of telling people that oxycodone, in younger individuals with a healthy body, has similar oral and intranasal bioavailability, will see what I am writing and elucidate me cause I am really interested to see that papers. Until then listen to Snafu.
PharmGKB summary: oxycodone pathway, pharmacokinetics
Snafu, do you know who is the member I am talking about? I would really like to see the papers that he is citing. I just saw one post where he was obviously nervous and tired "of explaining oxycodone bioavailability and the myth that oral dosing is much more effective than snorting".
