How long does codeine take to work

It's used to treat pain, for example after an operation or an injury. It's also used for long-standing pain when everyday painkillers, such as paracetamol , ibuprofen and aspirin have not worked.

Codeine is also used to treat diarrhoea. Codeine is available on prescription. It comes as tablets, a liquid to swallow and as an injection. Codeine injections are usually only given in hospital.

You can buy lower-strength codeine from a pharmacy. It comes mixed with paracetamol co-codamol or with aspirin co-codaprin or with ibuprofen Nurofen Plus. You can also buy codeine from a pharmacy as a syrup linctus to treat dry coughs.

Take our survey. Only give codeine to children aged 12 to 18 years if everyday painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen haven't worked. Codeine is not suitable for some people. Tell your doctor before starting the medicine if you have:.

Do not give codeine to children who are under 18 years old and have had their tonsils or adenoids removed because of a sleep problem called obstructive sleep apnoea.

Codeine is not generally recommended in pregnancy. Tell your doctor before taking codeine if you're trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or if you are breastfeeding. Follow your doctor's instructions about how to use this medicine. This is particularly important because codeine can be addictive. Take codeine with, or just after, a meal or snack so it's less likely to make you feel sick.

You can take codeine at any time of day but try to take it at the same times every day and space your doses evenly. If you're taking codeine as a liquid, it will come with a plastic spoon or syringe to help you measure the correct amount. Ask your pharmacist for one if you don't have it. Do not measure the liquid with a kitchen teaspoon because it won't give the right amount. If your symptoms don't go away, your dose might go up or you may be prescribed a different medicine.

Talk to your doctor if your pain or diarrhoea isn't relieved by the dose of codeine prescribed for you, or if side effects bother you or don't go away. Sometimes, you may need to take codeine for longer. But usually a different medicine will be prescribed for long term pain or diarrhoea, especially if you have side effects like constipation. If you forget to take a dose, check the information on the patient information leaflet inside the packaging or ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice on what to do.

If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to remember your medicine. If you need to take codeine for a long time your body can become tolerant to it. This isn't usually a problem but you could get unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it suddenly. If you want to stop taking codeine, talk to your doctor first.

Your dose can be reduced gradually so you don't get unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. If you stop taking it suddenly it can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as:.

If you have been taking codeine for more than a few weeks do not stop taking it without speaking to your doctor first. It's important not to take more than your prescribed dose, even if you think it's not enough to relieve your pain. Speak to your doctor first, if you think you need a different dose. If you've taken an accidental overdose you may feel very sleepy, sick or dizzy. You may also find it difficult to breathe. In serious cases you can become unconscious and may need emergency treatment in hospital.

The amount of codeine that can lead to an overdose varies from person to person. Take the codeine box or leaflet inside the packet plus any remaining medicine with you. If you've been prescribed codeine, it's particularly important that you:.

It's safe to take codeine with paracetamol , ibuprofen or aspirin aspirin is suitable for most people aged 16 years and over. Some painkillers that you can buy without a prescription from pharmacies contain codeine. They include co-codamol , ibuprofen and codeine such as Nurofen Plus and Solpadeine.

Do not take painkillers that you buy with codeine in alongside prescribed codeine. You'll be more likely to get side effects. Like all medicines, codeine can cause side effects in some people - but many people have no side effects or only minor ones. The higher the dose of codeine the more chance that you will get side effects.

Common side effects happen in more than 1 in people. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the side effects bother you or don't go away:. Serious side effects happen in less than 1 in people. Call a doctor straight away if you:. In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to codeine.

These are not all the side effects of codeine. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicine packet. In early pregnancy, it's been linked to problems in the unborn baby. If you take codeine at the end of pregnancy there's a risk that your newborn baby may get withdrawal symptoms or be born addicted to codeine.

However, it's important to treat pain in pregnancy. For some pregnant women with severe pain, codeine might be the best option. Your doctor is the best person to help you decide what's right for you and your baby. Codeine isn't usually recommended if you're breastfeeding. Small amounts of codeine pass into breast milk and can cause breathing problems in the baby. Speak to your doctor as they may be able to recommend a different painkiller.

Some medicines and codeine interfere with each other and increase the chances of you having side effects. It's not possible to say that complementary medicines and herbal remedies are safe to take with codeine. Skip to main content. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again.

Listen Focus. What is the medication. What is codeine? Before giving the medication. Before giving codeine to your child Tell your doctor if your child has a severe allergy to codeine or other narcotic pain relievers morphine , oxycodone, hydrocodone. Precautions may need to be taken with this medicine if your child has: lung or breathing problems, such as asthma kidney or liver disease colitis inflammation of the bowel heart disease underactive thyroid history of seizures. How to give the medication.

How should you give your child codeine? Follow these instructions when giving your child codeine: Give your child codeine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you. Do not change, increase, or decrease the dose. If you do not feel that it is working properly, talk to your doctor.

The medicine may be given on an empty stomach or with a meal. If your child experiences an upset stomach, try to give the doses with food or milk to reduce the chance of an upset stomach. If your child is taking the liquid form of codeine, measure the dose with the special spoon or syringe that the pharmacist gave you.

If your child is taking the long-acting tablet, it should be swallowed whole. Do not break, chew, or crush the tablet. You should also encourage your child to drink plenty of water or fluids each day, to prevent constipation from codeine. What to do for a missed dose. What should you do if your child misses a dose of codeine?

Give the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose. Give the next dose at the regular time. Do not give your child two doses to make up for one missed dose.

How long does it take to work. How long does codeine take to work? Your child may start to feel better within half an hour of starting codeine. It is used to treat mild-to-moderate types of pain.

It can be particularly useful when painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen have not been effective. It works by binding to certain tiny areas, called opioid receptors, in your central nervous system brain and spinal cord.

This leads to a decrease in the way you feel pain and your reaction to pain. Codeine is available on a prescription from a doctor. Codeine is also contained in a number of combination medicines, some of which can be bought over-the-counter, without a prescription, in pharmacies.

In particular, it is available in combination with the painkiller paracetamol in a medicine called co-codamol. There is a separate medicine leaflet called Co-codamol for pain relief which explains about this medicine. Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken.

For these reasons, before you start taking codeine, it is important that your doctor knows:. Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them.

The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with codeine. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome. Important : people taking opioid medicines, and their family and friends, should be aware of the risk of accidental overdose and know when to seek medical help.

The risk is higher if you also take other medicines that make you feel drowsy. Signs you have taken too much medicine include:. If you have taken more codeine than you should or someone else accidentally swallows your medication, call for an ambulance and tell them the name of your medicine. If you experience other symptoms which you think may be due to codeine, speak with your doctor or pharmacist for further advice.

Never take more than the prescribed dose.