What it does
Codeine is a narcotic analgesic. It is quite weak, but it relieves pain and suppresses coughs like hydrocodone and morphine do. Small amounts of codeine are actually changed into morphine within the body. The exact way that codeine works is not clear, but like it's cousin, codeine binds to the opioid receptors found in the brain that works to transmit pain within the body. Codeine increases pain tolerance to ease pain, but the patient can still notice it. Not only does it reduce pain, but codeine can cause depression of the breathing and sedation drowsiness. Codeine is often found in products that combine acetaminophen or aspirin to make the pain relief more effective.
How it's used
Medications that contain codeine are most often prescribed to ease pain and to ease coughing. Pills that have codeine and other pain relievers are often used to treat pain that is mild to moderate that is expected to be relatively short term. Cough syrups with codeine are often prescribed to those with a dry cough that keeps patients awake at night.
How to take it
Prescription codeine can be found in many forms. For instance, Tylenol 3 is a pill. It has 300 mg of acetaminophen and 30 mg of codeine. Some oral medicines that have codeine also have small amounts of caffeine to offset the sedating effects that codeine has. Pill types of this medication are meant to be swallowed, so the benefits can be felt between three to six hours.
The liquid cough medications with codeine have different strengths of this medication and are often found with expectorants to help clear phlegm from the airways. Phlegm has to be spit out in order for patient's breathing to become better. Cough medicines that have expectorants with codeine are given by spoon at four hour intervals and should be taken with a glass or bottle of water.
Secondary Effects
Most of the common secondary effects of codeine include: dizziness, nausea, lightheadedness, vomiting, sedation and shortness of breath. Other secondary effects may include constipation, allergic reactions, itching, rash and abdominal pain. Codeine is potentially addictive. Physical and mental dependence are possible but are not likely when taken for pain relief for the short term. If you suddenly stop taking codeine after long term use, it is possible to experience symptoms of withdrawal. The codeine dosage should be gradually cut down so that withdrawal symptoms can be avoided.
Potential interactions
Codeine has the ability to cloud thinking and affects physical abilities that are needed to operate machinery or drive. Alcohol and other kinds of sedatives including Xanax have the potential to further impair the brain and can even cause confusion when taken with codeine. For this reason, it is important to avoid taking sedatives and alcohol while taking codeine.
