• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
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What is codeine?
Codeine is in a group of drugs called narcotic pain medicines. Codeine is used to treat mild to moderate pain. Codeine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of codeine?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• shallow breathing, slow heartbeat;

• feeling light-headed, fainting;

• confusion, agitation, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior;

• seizure (convulsions); or

• problems with urination.

Less serious side effects include:

• feeling dizzy or drowsy;

• nausea, vomiting, constipation;

• sweating;

• headache;

• trouble sleeping (insomnia);

• loss of interest in sex;

• dry mouth;

• blurred vision; or

• mild skin rash.

This list is not complete and other side effects may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I take codeine?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Never take codeine in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain. Take each dose with a full glass of water. Take codeine with food or milk if it upsets your stomach. Do not stop using codeine suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Talk to your doctor about how to avoid withdrawal symptoms when stopping the medication.

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What is the most important information I should know about codeine?
Codeine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Codeine should never be given to another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it. Do not drink alcohol while you are taking codeine. Dangerous side effects or death can occur when alcohol is combined with a narcotic pain medicine. Check your food and medicine labels to be sure these products do not contain alcohol.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Since codeine is taken as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect codeine?
Do not take codeine with other narcotic pain medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, muscle relaxers, or other medicines that can make you sleepy or slow your breathing. Dangerous side effects may result. There may be other drugs that can interact with codeine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Codeine has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Codeine is the only narcotic analgesic which has shown a statistically significant association with teratogenicity (involving respiratory tract malformations) at the time of this writing. Like other narcotics, codeine rapidly crosses the placenta. Neonatal codeine withdrawal has occurred even in infants whose mothers were taking codeine at cough suppressant doses for as little as ten days prior to delivery. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Codeine should only be given during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk.

Codeine is excreted into human milk in small amounts. The FDA issued a Public Health Advisory about a very rare, but serious, side effect in nursing infants whose mothers are taking codeine and are ultra-rapid metabolizers of codeine. Several small series and one small retrospective study suggest that codeine may be causative in episodes of apnea, bradycardia, and cyanosis in the first week of life. Codeine is nevertheless considered compatible with breast-feeding by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The FDA issued a Public Health Advisory regarding a very rare, but serious, side effect. This may occur in nursing infants whose mothers are taking codeine and are ultra-rapid metabolizers of codeine. When codeine enters the body and is metabolized, it changes to morphine, which relieves pain. Many factors affect codeine metabolism, including a person's genetic make-up. Some people have a variation in a liver enzyme and may change codeine to morphine more rapidly and completely than other people. Nursing mothers taking codeine may also have higher morphine levels in their breast milk. These higher levels of morphine in breast milk may lead to life-threatening or fatal side effects in nursing babies. In most cases, it is not known if someone is an ultra-rapid metabolizer of codeine. When prescribing codeine-containing drugs to nursing mothers, it is recommended that the lowest effective dose be used for the shortest period of time. It is also recommended that the mother-infant pairs be closely monitored. There is an FDA cleared test for determining a patient's CYP450 2D6 genotype. The test is not routinely used in clinical practice but is available through a number of different laboratories. The results of this test predict that a person can convert codeine to morphine at a faster rate than average, resulting in higher morphine levels in the blood. When levels of morphine are too high, patients have an increased risk of adverse events.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known hypersensitivity to codeine or any ingredient in the formulation.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of codeine can be fatal. Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, pinpoint pupils, confusion, cold and clammy skin, weak pulse, shallow breathing, fainting, or breathing that stops.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking codeine?
Do not use this medication if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a narcotic medicine (examples include codeine, methadone, morphine, Oxycontin, Darvocet, Percocet, Vicodin, Lortab, and many others). You should also not take codeine if you are having an asthma attack or if you have a bowel obstruction called paralytic ileus. Codeine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Codeine should never be given to another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
If you are taking an analgesic for pain and you are no longer experiencing the pain you may stop using the medication. In general, pain medications are to be used on an as needed basis.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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