When people struggle with cold or flu-like symptoms, they want quick relief. To help them with their symptoms, doctors give them medications such as promethazine codeine. While this drug combination can relieve symptoms, it’s also addictive. Below is more information you’ll need to know about codeine and promethazine.
What Is Promethazine Codeine?
Promethazine codeine is a mix of two drugs that fight cold and flu symptoms. Codeine is a narcotic that blocks pain and acts as a cough suppressant. Promethazine is an antihistamine that blocks the histamines that the body naturally produces. When people take these two drugs together, they experience a decrease in symptoms such as:
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Pain
- Itchy and watery eyes
- Sneezing
On paper, this sounds like a miracle cocktail of drugs. For people who struggle with severe colds, it is. Unfortunately, this drug mix also has some drawbacks, and the biggest is that it’s extremely addictive.
Why Is Promethazine With Codeine So Addictive?
The main reason why this combination is so addictive is because of the codeine. Alone, promethazine isn’t an addictive drug. It’s simply an antihistamine that helps ease sinus problems. Codeine, on the other hand, is an opioid.
Opioids help people feel calm and relaxed. They bind to receptors in the brain and change the way that people process or receive pain signals. In short, they interrupt the normal pain messaging system of the brain.
Since they can block pain messages, opioids are great for reducing pain. However, they also cause a buildup of dopamine in the brain. High levels of this natural chemical create the euphoric sensation and high people crave most from opioids.
The imbalance of chemicals eventually leads to abuse and addiction. Once people develop an addiction to opioids, they require professional help to stop using. Those who keep abusing codeine can overdose, which may lead to many health problems, including death.
How to Avoid Codeine Addiction
Everyone develops addictions at different rates. In addition, there’s no magic formula that can keep people from developing a codeine addiction. Some people can finish a prescription from their doctors without a problem. Others start to feel the effects of addiction after just one use.
The only way to avoid addiction for sure is to never take codeine initially. If people get prescriptions from their doctors, they can usually avoid addiction if they follow the prescriptions exactly.
In most cases, the disease develops when people start taking codeine more often than their prescriptions allow for. Addiction can also develop if they take more than their doctor recommends. It’s also a good idea to avoid mixing codeine with other drugs unless a doctor approves it.
Get Help for Prescription Drug Addiction at Steps to Recovery
At Steps to Recovery, we understand that addiction affects good people. Our goal is to help them overcome the disease and live happy and healthy lives. As part of our drug recovery program, we create custom treatment plans for each of our clients. These comprehensive plans ensure that we address every patient’s individual needs.
We strive to offer a full range of addiction recovery services to help as many people as possible. After all, no two people are the same, so everyone needs different treatments. The options we provide include:
- Intensive outpatient programs
- Sober living
- Gender-specific treatment
- Family therapy
- Individual and group counseling
In addition, our facility offers a small and intimate environment for people like you to grow and learn. In fact, we offer a three-to-one staff-to-client ratio. This approach ensures that everyone gets the attention they need. Our friendly staff members will walk you through our 12-step recovery program.
Don’t let prescription drugs keep you from living a full life. Fight back against your addiction with the help of Steps to Recovery. Reach out for help today at 267.719.8528.
