Find patient medical information for Codeine on WebMD including its uses, side effects and safety, interactions, pictures, warnings, and user ratings Codeine pills come in a variety of strengths, ranging from 15 mg to 60 mg in immediate-release pills and from 50 mg to 200 mg in extended-release pills. [1] Codeine typically comes in the form of tablets, capsules or syrup. [1] It can also be crushed into a powder if being sold illegally. Compared to other opioids, codeine isn’t especially potent but can still be dangerous and even life. Codeine appears in dozens of prescription medications, most of them combination products that pair codeine with a pain reliever, antihistamine, or decongestant. You’ll find it in pain tablets, cough syrups, headache capsules, and in some countries, certain over-the-counter preparations. Here’s a breakdown of the most common ones and what’s actually in them. Pain Relievers With Codeine. Acetaminophen and codeine combination oral solution or tablet can cause serious unwanted effects or fatal overdose if taken by children, pets, or adults who are not used to strong narcotic pain medicines. 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. [6][8] It is typically used to treat mild to moderate degrees of pain. [6][failed verification] Greater benefit may occur when combined with paracetamol (acetaminophen) as codeine. Codeine can cause serious unwanted effects if taken by adults, children, or pets who are not used to strong narcotic pain medicines. Make sure you store the medicine in a safe and secure place to prevent others from getting it. Drop off any unused narcotic medicine at a drug take-back location right away. Codeine is used to manage mild to moderate pain, where treatment with an opioid is appropriate, and when other pain treatments such as non-opioid pain medicines do not treat your pain well enough or you cannot tolerate them. It is available as codeine sulfate tablets. Includes codeine side effects, interactions, and indications. Easy-to-read patient leaflet for Codeine Tablets. Includes indications, proper use, special instructions, precautions, and possible side effects. Codeine is a narcotic pain reliever (analgesic) used to treat mild to moderately severe pain frequently combined with Tylenol or aspirin. Common side effects include itching, rash, stomach pain, constipation, shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadedness, and dizziness. Codeine is a controlled narcotic and it has the potential for abuse. Dependence and addiction can occur with codeine, even at. Store codeine in a safe place so that no one else can take it accidentally or on purpose. Taking certain medications, drinking alcohol, or using street drugs 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.