Is Codeine Addiction Possible?
Two basic types of drugs are available for use as pain relievers. These are the non-narcotic drugs and the narcotics. The latter are powerful drugs that must be prescribed by a doctor. They are often used as pain relievers directly after major surgery. These drugs, however, have no anti-inflammatory or antifever properties.
All narcotic drugs have the capacity to become addictive. Codeine, as one of the narcotic drugs, therefore can cause addiction when used improperly or abused.
How does codeine work and what makes it a potent drug? Codeine has pain-relieving and cough-suppressing activity.
As an analgesic, it is useful for mild to moderate pain.
Compared to aspirin though, codeine may be less active for types of pain associated with inflammation as it does not reduce inflammation. Here lies the danger. The user may want to get quick relief for his pain caused by an underlying inflammatory condition and takes excessive doses of codeine, thinking that the drug is weak anyway.
In another situation that may likewise lead to a case of codeine addiction, a person may want to suppress his cough and takes more than what may have been prescribed to him because he's not finding the quick relief he needs. While codeine does suppress the cough reflex, it does not cure the underlying cause of the cough.
A person who has shown allergy to a narcotic drug should not take codeine. Long-term use may cause drug dependence or addiction. The drug is a respiratory depressant and must be used with extreme caution by those who suffer from such breathing problem as asthma. It affects the central nervous system, causing tiredness and sleepiness. Users of codeine may also suffer from an inability to concentrate.
Some of the possible side effects of codeine include dizziness, vomiting, nausea, sweating, loss of appetite, and difficulty in breathing.
The list of its more serious side effects is even longer: euphoria, agitation, headache, minor hallucinations, uncoordinated muscle movement, visual disturbances, disorientation, dry mouth, flushing of the face, constipation, palpitations, rapid heartbeat, difficulty in urinating, faintness, skin rashes, itching, lowered blood sugar, anemia, and jaundice.
Cases of codeine addiction or overdosage have shown these following very dangerous signs: pinpointed pupils of the eyes, cold and clammy skin, convulsions, extreme tiredness progressing to stupor and then coma, slowing down of the heartbeat, and cardiac arrest. No moment should be wasted in bringing a codeine overdose victim to a hospital emergency room.