Codeine Addiction
Codeine Addiction Causes Damage Similar to Alcoholism
Codeine is the pharmaceutical magic behind the well-known prescription drug known as Tylenol 3 in the north American market or Co-Codamol in the UK. Codeine is plain and simple, an opiate and it’s turned into morphine by chemical process in the body in order to be utilized properly. Codeine is derived from the opium poppy and chemically, is closely related to morphine and heroin and hence the easy path to Codeine addiction.
Like any other drug, a high tolerance level can build up after consistent use of any medication for prescribed therapeutic effects. The individuals metabolism determines how quickly this occurs Side effect tolerance tend to develop at a different rate allowing addiction to commence while the drug is still performing it’s therapeutic routine. The serious and probable first adverse reaction is the expected respiratory depression. When someone with Codeine addiction seeks addiction treatment, the same detoxification methods used in alcohol detox are used to rid the body of Codeine residue before and other standard addiction treatment begins.
Another of Codeine addiction side effect that is very common is decreased libido or a lack of sexual drive. Codeine is also known to interact badly with certain psychiatric medications, so patients who are prescribed Codeine for sound medical reasons and don’t mention that they are taking psychiatric prescription drugs could be in for a an unexpected increase in whatever discipline has prescribed the psychiatric medications.
There is also the possibility of having an allergic reaction to codeine, mostly manifesting itself with causing swelling of skin, rashes and on occasion respiratory distress, that is additionally one of its long term Codeine addiction by-products, depressed breathing.
Codeine addiction is an easy path, due to the user include the euphoric effects normally associated with opiates. And recreational use of codeine often occurs because it is very easy to obtain. Codeine is available as either an over the counter medicine in low consumer safe doses or through prescription combination drugs.
It is common practice for individuals wishing to obtain a high to drink Codeine cough syrup straight or by taking a large number of Codeine pills, sometimes crushed before swallowing as this allows faster absorption into the body. A doctor prescribed dosage of Codeine for a regular patient will run from 10-60mg per dose. Codeine used recreationally is usually taken in between 100 to 400 mg doses and then numerous doses each time. If an individual who is abusing Codeine should take more than 400 mg, it exceeds the amount of drug the liver can metabolize at one time. Because of this interaction with the liver, people seeking addiction treatment for Codeine are run through the same preliminary medical scenario as those going through alcohol detox.
In some countries cough syrups and cold tablets that contain codeine are available without prescription over the counter. In France, approximately ninety percent of Codeine cough medication is attributed to non-medical use. In fact, it is common for individuals trying to reduce the effects of alcohol detox or alcohol withdrawal to use Codeine as a pain reliever for those symptoms.