Codeine Abuse

stomach bleeding
kidney damage
liver damage
"itchies"
constipation
nausea
hangover
tiny pupils
blurred vision
poor night vision
impair your ability to drive
lowered heart rate, blood pressure and breathing
disorientation
convulsions
hallucinations
depression
sexual problems
agitation
,tremors
seizures

Q) What are the symptoms of withdrawal?

A) The worst symptoms pass within a few days, but it can take months to feel normal.

runny nose
sweating
muscle twitching
muscle pain
headaches
irregular heartbeat
nausea and vomiting
high blood pressure
fever
insomnia
dehydration
yawning
weakness
stomach cramps

Q) What is Codeine addiction?

A) Addiction is a major risk with prolonged use (over 2-3 weeks) of narcotics. Even moderate doses of some narcotics can result in a fatal overdose. When increasing doses of narcotics, the person may first feel restless and nauseous and then progress to loss of consciousness and abnormal breathing. Other risks include withdrawal symptoms that may last for months.

Addictive drugs activate the brain’s reward systems. The promise of reward is very intense, causing the individual to crave the drug and to focus his or her activities around taking the drug. The ability of addictive drugs to strongly activate brain reward mechanisms and their ability to chemically alter the normal functioning of these systems can produce an addiction. Drugs also reduce a person’s level of consciousness, harming the ability to think or be fully aware of present surroundings.