Codependency on Codeine
In recent years, figures have shown a substantial rise in the prescription and misuse of opioid medicines such as codeine, which are generally used to treat moderate to severe pain. Too much of any painkiller can be damaging to a person’s health, but the addictive potential of opioids like codeine, can ruin lives like an illegal drug. Article by Katie Tennant
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study* on opioid prescribing trends shows that between 1998 aand 2016, opioid prescriptions increased by 34% in England, and the Office for National Statistics notes that codeine deaths increased from 131 in 2016 to 156 in 2017; an increase of nearly 20%. In response to this rise, the Opioid Expert Working Group have begun a review that will look at the benefits and risks of opioid medicines, including dependence and addiction. How Does Codeine Work? Codeine is an opiate; a drug that is derived from opium, the chemical that originates in the poppy plant. It is used in prescription medicines, such as Codeine Phosphate and can also be prescribed or bought over the counter as a combination medicine, mixed with other substances like paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen.Codeine is first and foremost a painkiller, and whilst
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some people may take it for other purposes (medicinal or recreational), most users will initially take it to relieve pain that hasn’t been relieved by milder painkillers. Codeine works to relieve pain by reacting with the receptors in the brain that are responsible for pain and pleasure. This means that not only do they relieve pain, but they can also bring on intense pleasurable feelings of warmth, relaxation, sleepiness and a general sense of wellbeing. It may be these intense pleasurable feelings that can encourage people to take the drug again to replicate the experience. When people first start taking these medicines, they may be unaware of how prolonged use may affect them. Over time, the body can build up a tolerance to codeine, meaning a person may need to take a higher dose to get the desired effect. Even if the codeine
is taken as prescribed or directed, a person can find that they become dependent and need to take a certain amount of codeine just to feel ‘normal’. It may only be when the person tries to cut down their codeine use or tries to stop taking codeine altogether, that they experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, which are only suppressed by taking more codeine.
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Although not easy, it is important for clinicians and patients to recognise and address misuse and addiction and address this as soon as possible to avoid a pandemic of addiction.
People can find themselves in a cycle of misuse, dependence and addiction, just by taking a medicine that they have been prescribed or have bought over the counter.
