Author: John Carter

Codeine Addiction & Treatment Rehabs

Outpatient programs provide well-rounded treatment for people with a high motivation to recover. To assist in maintaining sobriety, many individuals enter aftercare programs following inpatient and/or outpatient care. Aftercare comprises solutions such as sober living facilities, ongoing therapy, 12-Step programs, and more. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information.

Inpatient Programs

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of behavioral psychotherapy, plays an integral role in treating codeine abuse. This type of therapy may occur during individual, group, or family counseling sessions. For those with an addiction to codeine, a change of environment can lead to higher chances of recovery.

Codeine Addiction

Not only do they inhibit pain signals from being sent throughout the body, but they also create a sense of reward. The reward, or a sense of euphoria, is what leads many people to misuse opioids. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology found that long-term codeine use was related to depressive symptoms. In fact, 70 percent of codeine-dependent respondents with mental health problems sought help for depression.

Physical withdrawal symptoms are strongest in the first few days after you stop codeine use. Physical dependence on a prescribed opiate is a typical response to treatment and can be managed with help from your doctor. Although codeine is considered a milder opioid, it can still be dangerous. It is possible to overdose on codeine because tolerance develops over time, and higher doses of the drug must be taken to achieve the same effect.

Codeine Dependence and Addiction

Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications can be prescribed to reduce more challenging psychological symptoms. Unfortunately, codeine addiction can occur whether you are using the drug recreationally or for medical reasons. Doctors strive to ensure safe prescribing methods and to monitor patients’ development of dependence on the drug, but many people misuse the drug. Promethazine, a medication commonly combined with codeine in medicated syrups, has a half-life of 16 to 19 hours. A drug’s half-life is the time it takes for the concentration of a drug in the body to be reduced by one-half.

  1. In the case of codeine withdrawal, symptoms can be quite unpleasant, but they can be managed.
  2. This increases tolerance, causes physical dependence, and triggers withdrawal faster than many other drugs.
  3. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of behavioral psychotherapy, plays an integral role in treating codeine abuse.
  4. Detox usually takes between five to ten days, but it ultimately depends on your needs.
  5. For most people, symptoms are most uncomfortable for about a week and should completely resolve within two weeks.
  6. Physical dependence on a prescribed opiate is a typical response to treatment and can be managed with help from your doctor.

Buprenorphine, Methadone and Other Pharmacotherapy Options for Codeine Dependence

For example, in 2020, there were over 100,000 deaths related to a drug overdose.10 Of those fatal drug overdoses, approximately 78,000 (78%) included an opioid. This is the highest number ever recorded.11 The risk of experiencing a fatal overdose increases with the misuse of opioids. Other non-opioid medications can be prescribed as well to relieve symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, or anxiety. Because everyone’s withdrawal process is unique, an exact codeine detox timeline can’t be guaranteed. There is an approximate timeline, however, that you can expect for the major phases of detox. Individuals dependent on codeine should seek help immediately, but many do not.

An addiction treatment professional can help determine the most appropriate treatment based on individual needs and circumstances. Codeine is an opioid-based medication available only by prescription and classified as a Schedule II substance under the Controlled Substances Act. Codeine is commonly used to treat mild to moderate pain and coughs, however the chronic use of codeine can cause mental and physical dependence. Chronic use can also lead to withdrawal symptoms if use is decreased or stopped. As part of a medical detox protocol for opioid withdrawal management, various medications may be used to stabilize someone in codeine withdrawal.

Sizzurp: A Cough Syrup High

Call today to learn how to use health insurance coverage for rehab, payment options if you are uninsured, and how to get started on the road to recovery. Get support right now and check your insurance for one of our top-rated facilities across the U.S. Buprenorphine creates opioid-like euphoric effects, but it can reduce an individual’s risk of codeine-related side effects, misuse and dependence. Codeine is an opioid used to reduce coughing or treat mild to moderately severe pain. The drug often is combined with other ingredients, such as acetaminophen, and comes in the form of a tablet, a capsule and a liquid solution.

Promethazine typically is eliminated from the system in three to four days. The opioid has been included in many drugs that target pain, which has resulted in its widespread use. However, codeine can be harmful when mixed with other substances, such as alcohol.