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If a person becomes addicted to codeine, there is a good chance that this will have a negative impact on his or her body. The same often times holds true when somebody is using the drug in the appropriate manner, such as when prescribed by a medical professional.
There are many dangers of codeine abuse, including both short and long term effects. For those who are prescribed the drug, these will be discussed by the prescribing doctor. For those who are taking the drug without medical supervision, it is often times more difficult to understand the risks.
As an opiate, codeine suppresses breathing. For this reason, those who abuse the drug often times run into issues with catching their breath or slowed breathing. Either way, this can have a big impact.
There are other dangers of codeine drug abuse, including but not limited to the following:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Drowsiness
- Faintness
- Slowed heart rate
To go along with the physical impact of codeine abuse, this drug can also alter a person’s mental state. Some of the most common mental effects of abuse include:
- Irritation
- Confusion
- Agitation
In serious cases, somebody who takes too much codeine at one time could be faced with convulsions or hallucinations, both of which are extremely dangerous. Along with this, overdosing is not out of the question and has claimed the lives of many in the past.
Addiction

The effects of codeine abuse are very serious!
The more often a person takes codeine the better chance there is that he or she will run into a variety of side effects, both mental and physical. At the same time, there is always the chance that the person could develop an addiction.
The length of time that it takes to develop a codeine addiction is based on many factors, including how much of the drug they have been taking, how often, and their overall level of health.
Some people become addicted to codeine after a few weeks of taking the drug. Others, however, may find that they don’t feel addicted for a longer period of time, such as several months. And then there are those who never develop an addiction, despite long term use.
For many people, codeine is a drug that helps them better deal with pain. For others, this drug is abused for all the wrong reasons. Either way, it is important to realize that there are dangers associated with the substance. Furthermore, these dangers can sneak up on a person without notice.
The dangers of codeine abuse are well known. Those who abuse this drug often times deal with a variety of mental and physical side effects, some of which can be extremely serious.
Symptoms of Codeine Dependence -
Codeine is an opioid narcotic analgesic that is recommended in the treatment of mild to moderate pain and coughs. In short term treatments, codeine may cause a relatively minor physical dependence. However, in long term use or abuse, it can cause a harsher physical dependence as well as psychological dependence which may increase the risk ...
Signs of Codeine Tolerance -
Codeine is a narcotic analgesic that can be obtained directly from opium or though a methylation of morphine. It’s most common uses are for treatment of mild to moderate pain and to relieve persistent and painful coughs. Like its counterpart, morphine, codeine has the potential to produce tolerance after only a few uses. Codeine for Pain ...
Codeine and Pregnancy -
As with many other drugs that are passed on from the mother to unborn fetus, Codeine use should generally be avoided during pregnancy to ensure the safety of both mother and child. At this time, the actual safety of codeine use by pregnant women has not yet been determined and therefore should be avoided whenever ...
Dangers of Snorting Codeine -
People who use codeine on a regular basis often find themselves ingesting increasingly larger doses of the drug over time. Like all opiate-type drugs, the brain develops an ongoing tolerance of codeine’s effects, so more of the drug is needed to produce the desired “high” effects. After a certain point, codeine in pill form can ...
Side Effects of Codeine Cough Syrup Addiction -
It has become a popular trend in recent years to abuse codeine cough syrup by mixing it with soda or alcohol. This combination, according to the University of Texas, is sometimes called lean, “for the side effect causing users to lose their coordination.” This drug has many side effect of its use and, unbeknownst to ...