CODEINE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF ADDICTION

Codeine Addiction: Recognizing the Signs and Finding Effective Treatment

Prescription medications can be a life-changer for many people, offering relief from pain or helping someone overcome an infection or disease. However, medications have risks, and even something that can be beneficial for some can become a dangerous habit-forming substance for another. Codeine is typically prescribed to provide mild to moderate pain relief and occasionally will be a component of prescription cough medicine.

This opioid can offer relief from symptoms, but it won’t treat the cause of problems, and taking it brings the same risks as other opioids, including addiction. If you’re wondering about codeine addiction, it is a very real thing that can happen if you’re taking this medication.

Like other opioids or other forms of prescription drug addiction, someone who is addicted to codeine will suffer from withdrawal symptoms and cravings for the drug if they try to quit on their own, and often, they’ll quickly relapse.

That’s why it’s so important to turn to professionals for help if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction to codeine. Let’s explore how codeine works, the symptoms of addiction, and how to get help at a top drug rehab center in California like Resurgence Behavioral Health.

Codeine Opioid Crisis In The U.S

The abuse of codeine and Broncleer has increasingly spanned the globe in severity. Codeine is one of the most abused prescription drugs with soaring addiction rates. The opioid crisis is not limited to the United States. About 1.8 million people misuse Codeine in the United States, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

What Does Codeine Do to a Normal Person?

As previously stated, codeine is most often prescribed as a pain reliever. It does this by changing how the user’s brain responds to pain, offering relief from moderate or mild pain. Codeine is most often taken as a pill but can also be found in prescription cough syrup. Its pain relief can be helpful as someone recovers from an injury or surgery or needs help dealing with temporary pain.

In a normal person, codeine can cause side effects like head or stomach pains, drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting. Serious side effects are also possible, including things like heartbeat changes, shallow or difficult breathing, and seizures, according to MedlinePlus. However, it’s generally considered a safe medication when used as prescribed. This all changes when it’s being abused or taken recreationally, and there are many potential dangers of prescription pill addiction to codeine or other similar medicines.

What Are the Symptoms of Codeine Addiction?

Codeine is an opioid, so the symptoms of codeine addiction are similar to other opioids. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says opioid addiction warning signs or symptoms can include:

• Taking more of the drug or for a longer period than originally intended.
• Continuing to use the drug, even though it’s causing major personal problems or missing important obligations at work or home.
• Stopping other former favorite activities or hobbies.
• Craving more of the drug.
• Spending much of the day trying to get or use the drug.
• Continuing to use the drug despite physical or mental health consequences.
• Suffering from withdrawal symptoms if the drug isn’t taken.

About 5.7 million Americans had opioid use disorder, or opioid addiction, in 2023, and it’s a widespread issue that sometimes involves codeine as well as other medications like oxycodone.

Can You Take Codeine Every Day?

Codeine is most often prescribed for a short period and is meant to be taken at prescribed times and dosages according to the original treatment plan. For example, someone with a bad cough might get a prescription cough medicine with codeine for five days.

However, it’s not something that’s meant to be taken every day for extended periods unless prescribed by a doctor, and the more that’s taken and the longer it’s taken, the higher the risk the person will develop a codeine addiction.

Australia’s Alcohol and Drug Foundation says some people abuse codeine or take it illegally, not as a prescription, but as a way of coping with pain or mental health struggles. They might also abuse it for the euphoric feeling it can cause because it is an opioid. However, abusing codeine can quickly lead to a dangerous addiction that requires treatment to overcome.

Can You Get Withdrawal From Codeine?

Like other opioids, people who are taking codeine can experience withdrawal symptoms if they quit the drug suddenly. MedlinePlus says withdrawal symptoms include:

• Restlessness
• Irritability or anxiety
• Insomnia
• Fast breathing or heartbeat
• Nausea and vomiting
• Chills
• Diarrhea and upset stomach
• Aches
• Sweating

That’s why it’s crucial to take codeine precisely as prescribed by your doctor and to not quit the medication before speaking with your doctor and coming up with a plan to decrease the dose over time. For those who are addicted to codeine, it’s best to get professional treatment rather than attempting to quit on your own at home because that will most likely lead to relapse in the near future.

Opioid use disorder, including due to the use of codeine, will most often require a comprehensive addiction treatment plan that will start with a round of prescription drug detox that can help people wean off the drug while minimizing or preventing withdrawal symptoms.

Once the patient is stabilized and off codeine, they can receive therapy and medication-assisted treatment to deal with the physical and mental aspects of addiction and learn how to resist cravings better and deal with challenges in the future.

Brand Names of Drugs Containing Codeine

Painkillers

• Hydrocodone
• Oxycodone
• Vicodin
• Oxycontin

Cough Suppressants

• Tuxarin ER – codeine, chlorpheniramine
• Tuzistra XR – codeine, chlorpheniramine
• Generic – codeine, phenylephrine
• Generic – codeine, promethazine
• Triacin C – codeine, pseudoephedrine, triprolidine
• Hycofenix – hydrocodone, pseudoephedrine, guaifenesin
• Rezira – hydrocodone, pseudoephedrine, guaifenesin
• Tussionex Penni Kinetic – hydrocodone, chlorpheniramine
• Vituz – hydrocodone, chlorpheniramine
• Generic – hydrocodone, homatropine
• Zutripro – hydrocodone, chlorpheniramine, pseudoephedrine
• Broncleer

The Abuse of Codeine

Anytime you use a drug containing codeine for reasons other than what it is designed for, you are abusing it. Codeine is intended to treat pain, coughs, and other symptoms deemed necessary by physicians.

You will only be able to obtain codeine legally through a prescription. Those of us who abuse drugs containing codeine do so to experience the euphoria or “high.” People from all walks of life become addicted to drugs such as painkillers that were initially prescribed for things such as post-operative pain, acute pain, or chronic pain.

The longer they take it, the higher the risk of addiction. The same goes for cough suppressants containing codeine. It is alarming that our children are being subjected to potential addiction with prescribed cough syrups containing codeine!

Statistics 
2018

• There were approximately 9.95 million people who abused opioids.
• Opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. were an estimated 14,792 people.
• Pharmacies across the U.S. filled 168 million prescriptions containing opioids

 

Resurgence Behavioral Health Can Help If You’re Suffering From Codeine Addiction

Codeine has a valid medical purpose, providing pain relief when taken as prescribed. However, like other opioids, it can be quite addictive, and many dangers of codeine addiction are left untreated. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says opioids, when taken repeatedly, can cause the user to develop a dependence on the drug, meaning they adapt to the substance and can only feel normal once they take it.

In addition, they’re likely to develop a tolerance that means they need to take more of the drug more often to feel the same things as before. If they try to quit codeine cold turkey, they can suffer uncomfortable and scary withdrawal symptoms that can prompt them to relapse quickly.

The good news is codeine addiction can be treated at top drug rehab centers in California like Resurgence Behavioral Health. Our team of experts knows how to help someone with an opioid addiction stabilize and wean themselves off the drug and then tackle the mental side of addiction through therapy, education, and support. If ignored, addiction to an opioid like codeine can cause devastating psychological and physical health challenges, strained relationships, and ruined opportunities.

Help is available, and a better future is possible with the right help. Don’t wait to start—call us today at 855-458-0050 to get on the road to recovery.

External Sources

• Australia Alcohol and Drug Foundation – Codeine
• MedlinePlus – Codeine
• National Institute on Drug Abuse – Opioids