What is Codeine and Can I Get Hooked?

You notice that your prescription cough syrup contains codeine. You remember someone mentioning something about mixing the medicine with a soft drink to get high. What is codeine? Does it pose a risk for addiction?

What is Codeine? Is It Legal? Is There an Addiction Risk?

Codeine is a morphine derivative. It’s a prescription painkiller that also helps you sleep. When you’re struggling with a cough that’s keeping you awake, the medicine ensures you get the rest you need. But when you take the codeine in an off-label manner, it’s a narcotic that can lead to addiction.

When you use prescription-strength cough syrup with codeine, it’s entirely legal. You typically only take the medication for a few days. Therefore, the odds of falling victim to its habit-forming qualities are unlikely. However, its close relationship to morphine makes it a member of the opiate family, which can cause addiction.

Off-Label Use of Codeine

Case in point is the concoction known as purple drank or sizzurp. It’s a favorite topic in hip-hop music. Participants mix codeine cough syrup with soda to mask the taste. You drink it until you feel high.

Overdosing is easy because there’s no way to tell how much you drank. You increase the risk of an accidental overdose by taking other nervous system depressants. Examples include alcohol or benzos. The combination of substances may cause your breathing to slow and eventually cease altogether.

Overcoming an Opiate Addiction

Don’t misjudge the danger of an opiate addiction just because it involves codeine cough syrup. The substance is just as dangerous as oxycodone or hydrocodone. If you realize that you’re using the drug in an off-label way and can’t stop, there’s help. Your first step is detox.

At this stage, you allow your body to shed the drug’s toxins and regain equilibrium. Withdrawal symptoms may include gastrointestinal upset, severe cramping, muscle aches, and anxiety. Don’t try to white-knuckle it alone at home. Medical detox at a facility that’ll protect your health and keep you pain-free with medical support.

Next, you undergo rehab for the psychological dependence. By seamlessly transitioning into the treatment, you ensure that you don’t relapse at this critical point. You will work with a counselor to determine the right treatment delivery setup. Examples include:

• Residential drug rehab treatment, which provides for living at the facility and immersing yourself in the therapeutic atmosphere
• Extended care for program participants who need a little extra help with overcoming an addiction
• Partial hospitalization program, which provides access to all types of treatments but lets you return home at night
• Intensive outpatient program treatment that offers a part-time approach to rehab
• Sober living program participation, which creates a gradual step-down from inpatient care to independent living

All these programs allow you access to customized treatment for your opioid addiction. Possible therapeutic approaches may feature individual and group therapy, experiential therapies, and nutritional counseling.

Call Beaches Recovery to ask, what is codeine? You’ll find out what it is and how to recover from an addiction. Contact our addiction specialists by dialing 866-605-0532 today.