Codeine how much can i take

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If you have asthma or another breathing disorder, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Breathing: Codeine can suppress breathing. If you are at risk for breathing difficulties, such as asthma, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Constipation: Codeine can be very constipating. Eating a high-fibre diet and following good bowel habits will help to minimize this effect. If you develop constipation easily, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Dependence and withdrawal: This medication contains codeine.

Physical dependence, psychological dependence, and abuse have occurred with the use of codeine. People with a history of past or current substance use problems may be at greater risk of developing abuse or addiction while taking this medication.

Abuse is not a problem with people who require this medication for pain relief. If you suddenly stop taking this medication, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, trouble sleeping, shaking, pain, nausea, tremors, diarrhea, and hallucinations. If you have been taking this medication for a while, it should be stopped gradually as directed by your doctor. Dizziness: Codeine can cause severe dizziness, especially when rising from a sitting or lying position.

This is more likely to occur when other medications with similar side effects are being taken. People taking medications that can cause dizziness should rise slowly from sitting or lying down to reduce the possibility of severe dizziness or fainting. Avoid activities requiring alertness such as driving, operating machinery or performing dangerous tasks until you have determined how you are affected by codeine. Head injury: If you have a head injury or increased pressure in the head, you may have a higher risk of experiencing side effects breathing problems or worsening of their condition while taking this medication.

Discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Heart rhythm: Codeine can cause changes to the normal rhythm of the heart. If you are at risk for heart rhythm problems e. Inflammatory bowel disease: If you have a condition affecting the digestive system, such as inflammatory bowel disease, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Kidney disease: If you have kidney disease or reduced kidney function, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Codeine should not be used by people with severely reduced kidney function. Liver disease: If you have liver disease, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Other medical conditions: If you are about to undergo surgery of the biliary tract, approach taking codeine with caution, as it may worsen your condition. Codeine will worsen the effects of acute alcohol intoxication and delirium tremens. As well, if you have hypothyroidism low thyroid , Addison's disease, benign prostatic hypertrophy enlarged prostate , gallbladder disease, urethral stricture, decreased function of the adrenal glands, or porphyria, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Seizure disorders: Codeine may increase the risk of seizures for people who have a seizure disorder. If you have a seizure disorder or a history of seizures, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Pregnancy: This medication should not be used during pregnancy unless the benefits outweigh the risks. If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately.

Breast-feeding: This medication passes into breast milk. Some of the codeine dose is converted into morphine by the body, once it has been taken. For some people, this change happens much faster than for others. If this happens to a nursing mother, the baby is a risk of receiving a morphine overdose through the breast milk, which could be fatal. If you are a breast-feeding mother and are taking codeine, it may affect your baby.

While taking codeine, discuss with your healthcare provider your pain treatment goals, length of treatment, and other ways to manage your pain. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family drinks or has ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, uses or has ever used street drugs, or has overused prescription medications, or has had an overdose, or if you have or have ever had depression or another mental illness. There is a greater risk that you will overuse codeine if you have or have ever had any of these conditions.

Talk to your healthcare provider immediately and ask for guidance if you think that you have an opioid addiction or call the U. Codeine may cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems, especially during the first 24 to 72 hours of your treatment and any time your dose is increased. Your doctor will monitor you carefully during your treatment. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had slowed breathing or asthma. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take codeine. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD; a group of diseases that affect the lungs and airways , a head injury, brain tumor, or any condition that increases the amount of pressure in your brain.

The risk that you will develop breathing problems may be higher if you are an older adult or are weak or malnourished due to disease. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment: slowed breathing, long pauses between breaths, or shortness of breath. When codeine was used in children, serious and life-threatening breathing problems such as slow or difficulty breathing and deaths were reported.

Codeine should never be used to treat pain or a cough in children younger than 18 years of age. If your child is currently prescribed a cough and cold medicine containing codeine, talk to your child's doctor about other treatments.

Taking certain medications during your treatment with codeine may increase the risk that you will experience breathing problems or other serious, life-threatening breathing problems, sedation, or coma. Tell your doctor if you are taking or plan to take any of the following medications: certain antibiotics such as erythromycin Erytab, Erythrocin ; certain antifungal medications including ketoconazole; benzodiazepines such as alprazolam Xanax , diazepam Diastat, Valium , estazolam, flurazepam, lorazepam Ativan , and triazolam Halcion ; carbamazepine Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, Tegretol, Teril ; certain medications for human immunodeficiency virus HIV including indinavir Crixivan , nelfinavir Viracept , and ritonavir Norvir, in Kaletra ; medications for mental illness or nausea; other medications for pain; muscle relaxants; phenytoin Dilantin, Phenytek ; rifampin Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate ; sedatives; sleeping pills; or tranquilizers.

Your doctor may need to change the dosages of your medications and will monitor you carefully. If you take codeine with any of these medications and you develop any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical care: unusual dizziness, lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slowed or difficult breathing, or unresponsiveness. Be sure that your caregiver or family members know which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor or emergency medical care if you are unable to seek treatment on your own.

Drinking alcohol or using street drugs during your treatment with codeine also increases the risk that you will experience these serious, life-threatening side effects.

Do not drink alcohol, take prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or use street drugs during your treatment. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you take codeine regularly during your pregnancy, your baby may experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth.

Tell your baby's doctor right away if your baby experiences any of the following symptoms: irritability, hyperactivity, abnormal sleep, high-pitched cry, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, vomiting, diarrhea, or failure to gain weight.

Do not allow anyone else to take your medication. Codeine may harm or cause death to other people who take your medication, especially children. Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet Medication Guide when you begin treatment with codeine and each time you refill your prescription.

Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Codeine is used to relieve mild to moderate pain. It is also used, usually in combination with other medications, to reduce coughing. Codeine will help relieve symptoms but will not treat the cause of symptoms or speed recovery. Codeine belongs to a class of medications called opiate narcotic analgesics and to a class of medications called antitussives. When codeine is used to treat pain, it works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain.

When codeine is used to reduce coughing, it works by decreasing the activity in the part of the brain that causes coughing. Codeine is also available in combination with acetaminophen Capital and Codeine, Tylenol with Codeine , aspirin, carisoprodol, and promethazine and as an ingredient in many cough and cold medications.

This monograph only includes information about the use of codeine. If you are taking a codeine combination product, be sure to read information about all the ingredients in the product you are taking and ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Codeine alone or in combination with other medications comes as a tablet, a capsule, and a solution liquid to take by mouth. It is usually taken every 4 to 6 hours as needed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.