How much codeine phosphate can you take

If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. If you are not sure what to do after missing a dose, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Store this medication at room temperature, protect it from light and moisture, and keep it out of the reach of children. Do not dispose of medications in wastewater e. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medications that are no longer needed or have expired. Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is taken in normal doses.

Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent. The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time. Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome.

Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects. Although most of the side effects listed below don't happen very often, they could lead to serious problems if you do not seek medical attention. Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:. Some people may experience side effects other than those listed. Check with your doctor if you notice any symptom that worries you while you are taking this medication.

Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health.

These factors may affect how you should use this medication. Health Canada has issued new restrictions concerning the use of prescription codeine. Previous advisories on prescription codeine were issued on July 28, and June 6, Abdominal conditions: Codeine may make the diagnosis of abdominal conditions more difficult or it may worsen these conditions.

If you have an abdominal condition such as inflammatory or obstructive bowel disease, acute cholecystitis, or pancreatitis, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Asthma and other respiratory conditions: Codeine may cause increased breathing difficulty for anyone who is having an asthma attack or who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease chronic bronchitis, emphysema or other conditions that affect breathing.

If you have asthma or another breathing disorder, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Breathing: Codeine can suppress breathing. If you are at risk for breathing difficulties, such as asthma, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Constipation: Codeine can be very constipating. Eating a high-fibre diet and following good bowel habits will help to minimize this effect.

If you develop constipation easily, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Dependence and withdrawal: This medication contains codeine. Physical dependence, psychological dependence, and abuse have occurred with the use of codeine. People with a history of past or current substance use problems may be at greater risk of developing abuse or addiction while taking this medication.

Abuse is not a problem with people who require this medication for pain relief. If you suddenly stop taking this medication, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, trouble sleeping, shaking, pain, nausea, tremors, diarrhea, and hallucinations.

Talk to your healthcare provider immediately and ask for guidance if you think that you have an opioid addiction or call the U. Codeine may cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems, especially during the first 24 to 72 hours of your treatment and any time your dose is increased. Your doctor will monitor you carefully during your treatment.

Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had slowed breathing or asthma. Your doctor will probably tell you not to take codeine. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD; a group of diseases that affect the lungs and airways , a head injury, brain tumor, or any condition that increases the amount of pressure in your brain.

The risk that you will develop breathing problems may be higher if you are an older adult or are weak or malnourished due to disease. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment: slowed breathing, long pauses between breaths, or shortness of breath. When codeine was used in children, serious and life-threatening breathing problems such as slow or difficulty breathing and deaths were reported.

Codeine should never be used to treat pain or a cough in children younger than 18 years of age. If your child is currently prescribed a cough and cold medicine containing codeine, talk to your child's doctor about other treatments. Taking certain medications 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. Tell your doctor if you are taking or plan to take any of the following medications: certain antibiotics such as erythromycin Erytab, Erythrocin ; certain antifungal medications including ketoconazole; benzodiazepines such as alprazolam Xanax , diazepam Diastat, Valium , estazolam, flurazepam, lorazepam Ativan , and triazolam Halcion ; carbamazepine Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, Tegretol, Teril ; certain medications for human immunodeficiency virus HIV including indinavir Crixivan , nelfinavir Viracept , and ritonavir Norvir, in Kaletra ; medications for mental illness or nausea; other medications for pain; muscle relaxants; phenytoin Dilantin, Phenytek ; rifampin Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate ; sedatives; sleeping pills; or tranquilizers.

Your doctor may need to change the dosages of your medications and will monitor you carefully. If you take codeine with any of these medications and you develop any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical care: unusual dizziness, lightheadedness, extreme sleepiness, slowed or difficult breathing, or unresponsiveness.

Be sure that your caregiver or family members know which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor or emergency medical care if you are unable to seek treatment on your own. Drinking alcohol or using street drugs during your treatment with codeine also increases the risk that you will experience these serious, life-threatening side effects. Do not drink alcohol, take prescription or nonprescription medications that contain alcohol, or use street drugs during your treatment.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you take codeine regularly during your pregnancy, your baby may experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth. Tell your baby's doctor right away if your baby experiences any of the following symptoms: irritability, hyperactivity, abnormal sleep, high-pitched cry, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, vomiting, diarrhea, or failure to gain weight.

Do not allow anyone else to take your medication. Codeine may harm or cause death to other people who take your medication, especially children. Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet Medication Guide when you begin treatment with codeine and each time you refill your prescription.

Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Codeine is used to relieve mild to moderate pain. It is also used, usually in combination with other medications, to reduce coughing. Codeine will help relieve symptoms but will not treat the cause of symptoms or speed recovery. Codeine belongs to a class of medications called opiate narcotic analgesics and to a class of medications called antitussives.

When codeine is used to treat pain, it works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain. When codeine is used to reduce coughing, it works by decreasing the activity in the part of the brain that causes coughing.

Codeine is also available in combination with acetaminophen Capital and Codeine, Tylenol with Codeine , aspirin, carisoprodol, and promethazine and as an ingredient in many cough and cold medications. This monograph only includes information about the use of codeine. If you are taking a codeine combination product, be sure to read information about all the ingredients in the product you are taking and ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Codeine alone or in combination with other medications comes as a tablet, a capsule, and a solution liquid to take by mouth. It is usually taken every 4 to 6 hours as needed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.

If you have taken codeine for several weeks or longer, do not stop taking the medication without talking to your doctor.

Your doctor may decrease your dose gradually. If you suddenly stop taking codeine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, widened pupils black circles in the center of the eyes , teary eyes, irritability, anxiety, runny nose, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, yawning, sweating, fast breathing, fast heartbeat, chills, hair on your arms standing on end, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, muscle aches, or backache.

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. If you suspect that you or someone else might have taken an overdose of this medicine, go to the accident and emergency department of your local hospital. Take the container with you, even if it is empty. This medicine is for you. Never give it to other people even if their condition appears to be the same as yours.

Do not keep out-of-date or unwanted medicines.