What is Codeine?

Codeine is a prescription opioid pain medication that helps treat moderate to severe pain. It belongs to the narcotic analgesics category of drugs. Your doctor may recommend you to take it alone or with other medications.

Codeine generic drug is not available as a brand name medicine. Our online pharmacy offers you to buy Codeine online with amazing offers and discount rates. Our website is user-friendly, and even older adults can use it easily.

It is a question of whether this drug is safe and effective for anyone younger than 12 years. You need to consult your medical healthcare provider for more information regarding the effectiveness of this drug on children.

Codeine misuse and abuse

Codeine comes under schedule II of a controlled substance and an opioid agonist of the morphine type, meaning its misuse can result in Codeine addiction, abuse, overdose, or even death. Codeine abuse is similar to other opioids, legal or illicit.

Codeine is for oral use only, and the risk of overdose or death is higher with concurrent use of alcohol and other such substances. One may abuse Codeine by chewing, crushing, injecting, or snorting the product.

How to take Codeine?

It will help if you carefully read the medication guide correctly before you start taking Codeine and go for refills each time. It would help if you took Codeine precisely as per the doctor’s prescription.

Take this medication orally with or without food as per your doctor’s directions. If you are nauseated, prefer taking this drug with food. You may also take other measures to reduce nausea, such as lying down with little head movement for an hour or two.

Pain medications like Codeine work best if you take them as soon as the first sign of pain occurs. Do not wait for the pain to worsen; otherwise, the medicine won’t function well.

Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water daily while taking Codeine, as it will help you prevent constipation. You can take laxatives or stool softener also, but only with prior consultation with the doctor.

You must know that one accidental or improper dose of Codeine can result in sudden death. So, store it at an appropriate place where others can’t find it and dispose of the leftover opioid medication.

Codeine dosage

Your medical healthcare provider will assign your Codeine dosage depending upon several factors such as:

• Your age and the medical problem for which you are taking Codeine
• The severity of your pain
• Your response to the initial phase of treatment with Codeine
• Other medical conditions you have currently or had in the past
• Other medications or treatments you are taking now or took in the past

Usual adult dosage (ages 16 to 64 years):

• The initial dose should be 15 mg to 60 mg within every 6 hours as needed.
• The maximum amount of a day should not exceed 360 mg.

A Codeine overdose can be deadly, especially in a child or someone taking it without a prescription. Overdose of Codeine can cause extreme drowsiness, pinpoint pupils, severe muscle weakness, cold and clammy skin, prolonged breathing, or coma.

Codeine withdrawal

Suddenly stopping this medication may result in unpleasant withdrawal, and the risk is higher if you were taking it in high doses or for a longer duration. To prevent this condition, your medical healthcare provider might lower your dosage.

You need to inform your doctor if any of the following Codeine withdrawal symptoms occur:

• Restlessness,
• Anxiety,
• Suicidal thoughts,
• Trouble sleeping,
• Runny nose,
• Watering eyes,
• Diarrhea,
• Nausea,
• Muscle aches,
• Sweating, or
• Sudden changes in behavior

What are the possible drug interactions with Codeine?

Drug interactions can alter the way your medication works and also increase the risk of side effects. Some products that may interact with Codeine includes the following:

• Pain medications including mixed opioid agonist-antagonists such as nalbuphine, pentazocine, butorphanol; or
• Naltrexone

The risk of Codeine side effects is higher if you take it with other products that tend to cause drowsiness or breathing problems. To avoid Codeine drug interaction, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medications:

• Opioid pain or cough relievers including hydrocodone and morphine
• Alcohol or marijuana (cannabis)
• Treatment for anxiety or sleep disorders such as lorazepam, alprazolam, zolpidem
• Muscle relaxants such as carisoprodol and cyclobenzaprine
• Antihistamines including cetirizine, diphenhydramine

Be careful with the drug interactions and take this drug precisely as per the doctor’s recommendation to avoid the side effects of Codeine.