Codeine cough syrup might seem like a medication that helps you. You likely have this medicine in your home now. However, codeine is an opiate, a highly addictive narcotic. Many people today abuse codeine for its high, whether using it straight or when making a syrupy beverage.
Dangers of Codeine Cough Syrup
Often, codeine cough syrup contains other substances like acetaminophen. Using codeine according to your doctor’s instructions is safe. However, abusing codeine for its relaxing, euphoric high can lead to negative consequences. Unfortunately, addiction is one of these dangers.
Addiction to codeine cough syrup leads to withdrawal symptoms as well. These symptoms keep people abusing the drug long after they know they have a problem and need to quit. So why do people start abusing codeine in the first place?
Overall, high doses of codeine cause various effects, both desirable and undesirable. For example, these effects include:
- Euphoria, drunkenness, relaxation
- Nausea, vomiting, and constipation
- Allergic skin rash and dry mouth
- Extreme drowsiness or confusion
- Slow breathing, slow heartbeat, and low blood pressure
- Lost consciousness, respiratory collapse, and heart attack
- Permanent organ damage or death
The further negative effects of codeine include vertigo, dizziness, stomach upset, lost appetite, and indigestion. Additionally, codeine abuse also causes hallucinations, tremors, depression, and the inability to urinate.
Mixing codeine with other drugs as part of polysubstance abuse causes even worse side effects. The most common drugs people combine with codeine include benzodiazepines, cocaine, and alcohol. Overall, these add to the risk of drug overdose and death.
Long-Term Effects of Codeine
Most people view codeine’s short-term side effects as dangerous. Few realize the true extent of the drug’s dangers. This is particularly true in regards to the long-term side effects.
For example, the long-term physical effects of codeine include sleeplessness, nightmares, pain, seizures, and liver damage. Of course, abusing codeine includes the risk of overdose, organ damage, coma, and even death.
Eventually, these symptoms lead to drug dependence. This is the inability to feel normal without codeine in the system. Consequently, you’ll experience physical, social, and lifestyle problems. Codeine addiction causes financial problems, emotional issues, relationship struggles, job loss, criminal and drug-seeking behaviors, and lying as well.
Overdose is one of the biggest problems codeine addiction causes. You’ll know someone is experiencing an overdose when they have blue lips and skin, lose consciousness, have small pupils, shallow breathing, and a slow heartbeat. They may also report chest pain, vomiting, and extreme fatigue. Above all, understand that overdose is a deadly emergency requiring immediate medical attention.
Codeine Withdrawal
Obviously, when someone abuses codeine they do so to get high. They don’t abuse the drug for its uncomfortable or deadly side effects. However, those in the throes of codeine addiction gamble with their own safety to keep from feeling the negative effects of withdrawal. Therefore, if you or your loved one experience these effects when using codeine, you likely suffer from addiction.
Drug withdrawal symptoms of codeine include irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness, and depression. They also include muscle aches, sweating, stomach cramping, and diarrhea. Many people experiencing codeine withdrawal also experience nausea and vomiting as well.
Treatment for Codeine Addiction
Codeine addiction, like addiction to other opioids, requires rehab treatment for lasting recovery. In Levittown, Pennsylvania, Steps to Recovery provides this so you or your loved one can begin a new life through successful sobriety.
The programs and services we offer include:
- 12-step Florida model treatment
- Intensive outpatient, outpatient, and partial hospitalization programs
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Individual counseling, group, and family therapies
- Aftercare
If you or your loved one suffer codeine addiction, you need help. Steps to Recovery provides this, even if you’ve tried rehab in the past and relapsed. You can achieve healthy, lasting recovery through two phases of treatment in Levittown. Call Steps to Recovery now at 866-488-8684 for more information about our available programs.