Codeine Addiction and Abuse
Siobahn Morse, executive director of The National Institute For Holistic Addiction Studies, discusses Codeine addiction and abuse in this Special Report.
What is Codeine?
The purpose of Codeine is to relieve pain and anxiety. This drug, like other opiates, not only has the potential to depress breathing, but can depress other body systems as well.
What are the effects of Codeine?
Like many other drugs tolerance can result after consistent use of this medication, even when used for therapeutic effects.
How quickly this occurs depends on the metabolism of the individual.
Codeine Addiction and Abuse
What is Codeine addiction and abuse?
Recreational use of Codeine occurs often, mainly because it is very easy to obtain.
Codeine can be obtained either over the counter in low doses or through prescription combination drugs.
Reasons for abusing Codeine include experiencing the euphoric effects associated with opiates.
Common ways in which Codeine is abused are snorting, smoking, injecting intravenously, or by taking cough syrup.
What are the side effects of Codeine?
Using Codeine recreationally is dangerous on many levels.
Misuse can and will lead to a dulling type effect, a lack of coordination, and a dulled response.
Codeine dependence can occur within 2-3 weeks of use, and can lead to both physiological and psychological addiction.
Improper doses of Codeine can lead to breathing cessation.
The combination of acetaminophen with Codeine can lead to liver damage.
The combination of Codeine with ibuprofen can cause kidney problems and even lead to kidney failure.
The combination of aspirin and Codeine can lead to internal bleeding, particularly bleeding of the stomach.
What are the withdrawal symptoms of Codeine?
Possible Codeine withdrawal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, weakness, stomach cramps, chills, headache, runny nose, sweating, yawning, dehydration, muscle pain, muscle twitching, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, fever, sleep problems, agitation, depression and possibly even hallucinations.
Codeine Addiction and Abuse
Click Here to Download a PDF version of this report.
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