It comes mixed with paracetamol co-codamol or with aspirin co-codaprin or with ibuprofen Nurofen Plus. You can also buy codeine from a pharmacy as a syrup linctus to treat dry coughs. Take our survey. Only give codeine to children aged 12 to 18 years if everyday painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen haven't worked. Codeine is not suitable for some people. Tell your doctor before starting the medicine if you have:. Do not give codeine to children who are under 18 years old and have had their tonsils or adenoids removed because of a sleep problem called obstructive sleep apnoea.
Codeine is not generally recommended in pregnancy. Tell your doctor before taking codeine if you're trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or if you are breastfeeding. Follow your doctor's instructions about how to use this medicine. This is particularly important because codeine can be addictive. Take codeine with, or just after, a meal or snack so it's less likely to make you feel sick.
You can take codeine at any time of day but try to take it at the same times every day and space your doses evenly. If you're taking codeine as a liquid, it will come with a plastic spoon or syringe to help you measure the correct amount. Ask your pharmacist for one if you don't have it. Do not measure the liquid with a kitchen teaspoon because it won't give the right amount.
If your symptoms don't go away, your dose might go up or you may be prescribed a different medicine. Talk to your doctor if your pain or diarrhoea isn't relieved by the dose of codeine prescribed for you, or if side effects bother you or don't go away.
Sometimes, you may need to take codeine for longer. But usually a different medicine will be prescribed for long term pain or diarrhoea, especially if you have side effects like constipation. If you forget to take a dose, check the information on the patient information leaflet inside the packaging or ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice on what to do. If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to remember your medicine.
If you need to take codeine for a long time your body can become tolerant to it. This isn't usually a problem but you could get unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it suddenly. If you want to stop taking codeine, talk to your doctor first.
Your dose can be reduced gradually so you don't get unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. If you stop taking it suddenly it can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as:.
If you have been taking codeine for more than a few weeks do not stop taking it without speaking to your doctor first. It's important not to take more than your prescribed dose, even if you think it's not enough to relieve your pain.
Speak to your doctor first, if you think you need a different dose. If you've taken an accidental overdose you may feel very sleepy, sick or dizzy. You may also find it difficult to breathe. In serious cases you can become unconscious and may need emergency treatment in hospital. The amount of codeine that can lead to an overdose varies from person to person.
Take the codeine box or leaflet inside the packet plus any remaining medicine with you. If you've been prescribed codeine, it's particularly important that you:.
It's safe to take codeine with paracetamol , ibuprofen or aspirin aspirin is suitable for most people aged 16 years and over. Some painkillers that you can buy without a prescription from pharmacies contain codeine. They include co-codamol , ibuprofen and codeine such as Nurofen Plus and Solpadeine. Do not take painkillers that you buy with codeine in alongside prescribed codeine.
You'll be more likely to get side effects. Like all medicines, codeine can cause side effects in some people - but many people have no side effects or only minor ones. The higher the dose of codeine the more chance that you will get side effects.
Common side effects happen in more than 1 in people. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the side effects bother you or don't go away:. Serious side effects happen in less than 1 in people. Call a doctor straight away if you:. In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to codeine. These are not all the side effects of codeine. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicine packet. In early pregnancy, it's been linked to problems in the unborn baby.
If you take codeine at the end of pregnancy there's a risk that your newborn baby may get withdrawal symptoms or be born addicted to codeine. However, it's important to treat pain in pregnancy. For some pregnant women with severe pain, codeine might be the best option.
Your doctor is the best person to help you decide what's right for you and your baby. Codeine isn't usually recommended if you're breastfeeding. Small amounts of codeine pass into breast milk and can cause breathing problems in the baby.
Speak to your doctor as they may be able to recommend a different painkiller. Some medicines and codeine interfere with each other and increase the chances of you having side effects. It's not possible to say that complementary medicines and herbal remedies are safe to take with codeine. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. It works in the central nervous system and the brain to block pain signals to the rest of the body. It also reduces the anxiety and stress caused by pain.
When codeine blocks the pain, there are other unwanted effects - for example slow or shallow breathing. It also slows down digestion, which is why codeine can cause constipation. A codeine injection into a vein gives the quickest pain relief. It works almost straight away.
Codeine tablets, liquid and cough syrup all work in 30 to 60 minutes, but they wear off after a few hours. Yes, codeine is addictive. For this reason, your dose will be reviewed to make sure you are only taking the amount you need to control your pain, or diarrhoea. Your treatment plan may include details of how and when you will stop taking codeine. If you need to take it for a long time your body can become tolerant to it. That means you need higher doses to control your pain over time.
Some people can become more sensitive to pain hyperalgesia. If this happens, your doctor will reduce your dose gradually to help these symptoms. Speak to your doctor if you are worried about tolerance, hyperalgesia or becoming addicted. If you're addicted to codeine, you may want to take it more often or feel agitated if you delay taking a dose for any reason.
And if you stop taking codeine suddenly you may suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Drinking alcohol while you're on codeine may make you feel more sleepy or increase the risk of serious side effects. It's best to stop drinking alcohol during the first few days of treatment until you see how codeine affects you. If you feel sleepy with codeine, stop drinking alcohol while you're taking it. Children aged 12 to 18 years can take codeine for pain or diarrhoea - but only if other medicines haven't worked.
Use the lowest dose that works for no more than 3 days. If they still have symptoms after 3 days see a doctor. Codeine shouldn't be given to children aged 12 to 18 years if they have breathing problems or if they have had their tonsils or adenoids removed because of obstructive sleep apnoea.
If you're taking codeine for a short time and at normal doses, there's no firm evidence that it can reduce fertility. However if you've been taking it for a long time and you're concerned about your fertility, or you're trying to get pregnant, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor.
The type of painkiller that's best depends on what type of pain you have. If codeine doesn't get rid of your pain or becomes less effective, talk to your doctor. Codeine is a controlled medicine. This means there are extra rules on how it's prescribed and dispensed to make sure it's not given to the wrong person or misused.
However, this doesn't affect you as a patient. The rules only apply to the pharmacy that dispenses it. When you first take codeine, you'll probably feel sleepy for a few days. But the sleepiness will wear off as your body gets used to the medicine. You might notice you're less alert. In this case, you might choose to have less than perfect pain relief as a trade-off. Do not drive a car or ride a bike if codeine makes you sleepy during the daytime, gives you blurred vision or makes you feel dizzy, clumsy or unable to concentrate or make decisions.
This may be more likely when you first start taking codeine but could happen at any time - for example when starting another medicine.
Acute abdomen ; cardiac arrhythmias ; gallstones ; not recommended for adolescents aged 12—18 years with breathing problems. The capacity to metabolise codeine to morphine can vary considerably between individuals; there is a marked increase in morphine toxicity in patients who are ultra-rapid codeine metabolisers CYP2D6 ultra-rapid metabolisers and a reduced therapeutic effect in poor codeine metabolisers.
Biliary spasm ; hypothermia ; mood altered ; postural hypotension ; sexual dysfunction ; ureteral spasm. With oral use.
Manufacturer advises avoid recommendation also supported by MHRA and specialist sources. Present in milk and mothers vary considerably in their capacity to metabolise codeine; risk of opioid toxicity in infant. With intramuscular use. Avoid use or reduce dose; opioid effects increased and prolonged and increased cerebral sensitivity occurs.
Forms available from special-order manufacturers include: oral suspension, oral solution, solution for injection. Tablet , Oral solution , Solution for injection. Other drugs classified as opioids. Other drugs classified as cough suppressants. Doses may be taken up to four times a day at intervals of no less than 6 hours. When prescribing or dispensing codeine-containing medicines for cough and cold, consider that codeine is contra-indicated in: children younger than 12 years old patients of any age known to be CYP2D6 ultra-rapid metabolisers breastfeeding mothers.
Acute abdomen ; cardiac arrhythmias ; gallstones ; not recommended for adolescents aged 12—18 years with breathing problems Cautions, further information Variation in metabolism The capacity to metabolise codeine to morphine can vary considerably between individuals; there is a marked increase in morphine toxicity in patients who are ultra-rapid codeine metabolisers CYP2D6 ultra-rapid metabolisers and a reduced therapeutic effect in poor codeine metabolisers.
Individual interactants: Codeine.
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