codeine
Sign in to saveCodeine is an opiate and prodrug of morphine mainly used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea. It is commonly used as a recreational drug. It is found naturally in the sap of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. It is typically used to treat mild to moderate degrees of pain. Greater benefit may occur when combined with paracetamol (acetaminophen) as codeine/paracetamol or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Evidence does not support its use for acute cough suppression in children. In Europe, it is not recommended as a cough medicine for those under 12 y
AI overview
Codeine is an opiate derived from the opium poppy plant that doctors use to treat mild to moderate pain, coughing, and diarrhea, often in combination with other medications like paracetamol or ibuprofen. Because it is an opiate, codeine carries risks of recreational misuse and addiction, which is why its use—particularly for cough suppression in children—is increasingly restricted in many countries.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Drug.image
- Codeine Structure.svg
- Drug.image_class
- skin-invert-image
- Drug.width
- 175
- Drug.alt
- Skeletal formula
- Drug.image2
- Codeine molecule ball.png
- Drug.image_class2
- bg-transparent
- Drug.alt2
- Ball-and-stick model
- Drug.MedlinePlus
- a682065
- Drug.DailyMedID
- Codeine
- Drug.pregnancy_AU
- A
- Drug.dependency_liability
- High
- Drug.addiction_liability
- High
- Drug.routes_of_administration
Article
44 sectionsContents
- Medical uses
- Pain
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Formulations
- Side effects
- Breastfeeding
- Withdrawal and dependence
- Pharmacology
- Pharmacodynamics
- Mechanism of action
- Pharmacokinetics
- Chemistry
- Relation to other opioids
- History
- Society and culture
- Names
- Recreational use
- Detection
- Legal status
- Australia
- Canada
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- France
- Greece
- Hong Kong
- India
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Nigeria
- South Africa
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Schedule V controlled substances
- Veterinary use
- References
- Notes
- Further reading
- External links
Codeine is an opiate and prodrug of morphine mainly used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea. It is commonly used as a recreational drug. It is found naturally in the sap of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. It is typically used to treat mild to moderate degrees of pain. Greater benefit may occur when combined with paracetamol (acetaminophen) as codeine/paracetamol or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Evidence does not support its use for acute cough suppression in children. In Europe, it is not recommended as a cough medicine for those under 12 years of age. It is generally taken orally. It usually starts working after half an hour, with maximum effect at two hours. Its effects last for about four to six hours. Codeine exhibits abuse potential similar to other opioid medications, including a risk of addiction and overdose.
Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, constipation, itchiness, lightheadedness, and drowsiness. Serious side effects may include breathing difficulties and addiction. Whether it can be used safely during pregnancy is unclear. Care should be used during breastfeeding, as it may result in opiate toxicity in the baby. Its use as of 2016 is not recommended for children. Codeine works by being broken down by the liver into morphine; how quickly this occurs depends on a person's genetics.