Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Codeine/paracetamol
Compound medication From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Codeine/paracetamol, also called codeine/acetaminophen and co-codamol, is a compound analgesic, comprising codeine phosphate and paracetamol (acetaminophen). Codeine/paracetamol is used for the relief of mild to moderate pain when paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen) alone do not sufficiently relieve symptoms.[2][3]
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2012) |
Remove ads
In 2022, it was the 166th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 3 million prescriptions.[7][8]
Remove ads
Side effects
The most common side effects include constipation, nausea and drowsiness.[9] Others include coughing up blood from the lungs, skin rashes, dizziness, sedation, shortness of breath, hypersensitivity reaction, fainting (syncope or near syncope), confusion, loss of short-term memory, changes in blood, allergic reactions, euphoria, dysphoria, abdominal pain, itchiness, easy bruising, bleeding gums, vivid dreams, dry mouth and addiction.[10]
Genetic differences between people cause differing rates of metabolism of codeine to morphine. In about 5 percent of people this may happen particularly fast, causing morphine to be passed through breast milk in amounts that may cause fatal respiratory depression in a breastfed baby.[11]
Remove ads
Society and culture
Availability
Of the European Union member states, eleven allow over-the-counter sale of solid dosage forms of codeine, including codeine/paracetamol: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, and Slovenia.[12]
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads