What do codeine pills do to you

Ask your pharmacist where to locate a drug take-back disposal program. If there is no take-back program, mix the leftover medicine with cat litter or coffee grounds in a sealed plastic bag throw the bag in the trash. Since codeine is used for pain, you are not likely to miss a dose. Skip any missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not use two doses at one time.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at A codeine overdose can be fatal, especially in a child or other person using the medicine without a prescription. Overdose can cause severe muscle weakness, cold and clammy skin, pinpoint pupils, very slow breathing, extreme drowsiness, or coma. Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how this medicine will affect you. Dizziness or drowsiness can cause falls, accidents, or severe injuries. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Opioid medicine can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

Seek medical attention right away if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, such as: agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Serious side effects may be more likely in older adults and those who are overweight, malnourished, or debilitated.

Long-term use of opioid medication may affect fertility ability to have children in men or women. It is not known whether opioid effects on fertility are permanent.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may have breathing problems or withdrawal symptoms if you start or stop taking certain other medicines. Tell your doctor if you also use an antibiotic, antifungal medication, heart or blood pressure medication, seizure medication, or medicine to treat HIV or hepatitis C. Opioid medication can interact with many other drugs and cause dangerous side effects or death.

Be sure your doctor knows if you also use:. This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect codeine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed here. Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Your doctor may need to change the dosages of your medications and will monitor you carefully.

If you take codeine with any of these medications and you develop any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical care: unusual dizziness, lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slowed or difficult breathing, or unresponsiveness.

Be sure that your caregiver or family members know which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor or emergency medical care if you are unable to seek treatment on your own. Drinking alcohol or using street drugs during your treatment with codeine also increases the risk that you will experience these serious, life-threatening side effects. Do not drink alcohol, take prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or use street drugs during your treatment.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you take codeine regularly during your pregnancy, your baby may experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth. Tell your baby's doctor right away if your baby experiences any of the following symptoms: irritability, hyperactivity, abnormal sleep, high-pitched cry, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, vomiting, diarrhea, or failure to gain weight.

Do not allow anyone else to take your medication. Codeine may harm or cause death to other people who take your medication, especially children. Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet Medication Guide when you begin treatment with codeine and each time you refill your prescription.

Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Codeine is used to relieve mild to moderate pain.

It is also used, usually in combination with other medications, to reduce coughing. Codeine will help relieve symptoms but will not treat the cause of symptoms or speed recovery. Codeine belongs to a class of medications called opiate narcotic analgesics and to a class of medications called antitussives.

When codeine is used to treat pain, it works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain. When codeine is used to reduce coughing, it works by decreasing the activity in the part of the brain that causes coughing. Codeine is also available in combination with acetaminophen Capital and Codeine, Tylenol with Codeine , aspirin, carisoprodol, and promethazine and as an ingredient in many cough and cold medications.

This monograph only includes information about the use of codeine. If you are taking a codeine combination product, be sure to read information about all the ingredients in the product you are taking and ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Codeine alone or in combination with other medications comes as a tablet, a capsule, and a solution liquid to take by mouth. It is usually taken every 4 to 6 hours as needed.

Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. If you have taken codeine for several weeks or longer, do not stop taking the medication without talking to your doctor.

Your doctor may decrease your dose gradually. If you suddenly stop taking codeine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, widened pupils black circles in the center of the eyes , teary eyes, irritability, anxiety, runny nose, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, yawning, sweating, fast breathing, fast heartbeat, chills, hair on your arms standing on end, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, muscle aches, or backache.

Shake the solution well before each use to mix the medication evenly. Do not use a household spoon to measure your dose.

Use the measuring cup or spoon that came with the medication or use a spoon that is made especially for measuring medication. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Codeine is usually taken as needed. If your doctor has told you to take codeine regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it.

However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Codeine may cause other side effects.

Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily.

Error: Not a valid value. If a person is not breathing, or if they are unresponsive, seek help straight away. Call triple zero and ask for an ambulance. Codeine is an opioid medicine that is only available on prescription from your doctor.

Codeine is used for the short-term relief of mild to moderate pain. It should only be used when other forms of non-opioid pain relief have not been successful in managing pain or are not tolerated. Codeine is not usually recommended for the treatment of chronic pain. Codeine works directly on opioid receptors in the central nervous system and reduces feelings of pain by interrupting the way nerves signal pain between the brain and the body. All opioids, including codeine, can have side effects including life-threatening breathing problems.

The risk of these is higher:. If you take codeine, you may become dependent on this medicine even if you take it exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor will monitor how you use codeine, to reduce your risk of harm , including through misuse, abuse and addiction. You can also develop tolerance when you take codeine — this means that you may need to take larger amounts of the opioid to get the same effect.

As the dosage increases, so does the risk of side effects. Continue to take codeine for as long as your doctor tells you to. If you stop taking codeine suddenly, you may experience withdrawal symptoms. Codeine may make it difficult for you to drive or operate heavy machinery.

If you have recently started taking codeine or another opioid medication, or the dosage has changed, you may be at higher risk of having an accident. If your kidney or liver function is impaired, your doctor may decide that codeine in not appropriate for you.

There are other factors that may limit your use of codeine — for example, if you drink alcohol or take other medicines that can cause drowsiness. Your doctor is the best person to advise you on whether codeine is the right medicine for you, how much you need and how long to take it for. Naloxone is a medicine that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. A pilot program, funded by the Australian Government, is offering certain individuals in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia this medication including the nasal spray Nyxoid free of charge and without a prescription.

Learn more here about the take home naloxone pilot. Everyone's pain is unique, and different pain-relief medicines will work in different circumstances. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before making any change to the dosage or type of medicine you take. If you have chronic long-term pain , your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes to help manage the discomfort. This may include physical fitness and activity pacing , social activities, relaxation techniques and overall health management.