Oh, how the UK rocks sometimes... (Codeine-related)

[darkglobe]

This thread won't be much use to those outside the UK.

SWIM slipped a disc in his back a year ago, and still gets baaaaad pain from it. Hence SWIM's prescription painkillers

SWIM gets 30mg Codeine/500mg Paracetamol (Acetaminophen in US). Now, SWIM only began playing with codeine a month ago, but has been doing it every night (I know, I know... not good).

SWIM's question is this: Why the hell isn't he noticing even a slight tolerance?

SWIM usually takes 300mg Codeine (Orally, after performing CWE with lab grade filters... He likes his liver!), sometimes slightly more/less. Surely by now he should notice the required dosage creeping up?

I've done quite a lot of research into Codeine, but cannot determine why SWIM isn't rapidly developing a tolerance.

Any help?


~dark

[mickenator]

Swiy might be one of those lucky people who don't see any adverse affects from there meds, but swiy should be aware of the risk of addiction. After taking these for so long swim is surprised that swiy hasn't built up a tollerence to the medication. Swiy should try and do these meds in moderation.

[Forthesevenlakes]

It seems that for some people tolerance builds more slowly when there is a medical need or the painkillers. However at the same time, this is often coupled with a lack of euphoria with the drugs, which SWIY does not seem to be experiencing! SWIY should be careful about using these drugs recreationally when he really needs them. Like mick says, perhaps SWIY's tolerance builds more slowly than most people, and the fact that codeine is a weaker opioid than most could be part of the issue here (although 300 mg is more than most entry-level opioid users should take). But use caution, addiction can develop even if SWIY does not seem to notice it growing, and eventually SWIY will probably begin to notice tolerance, even if it comes about slowly.

[thegoodfight]

When swiy uses opiates for legitimate pain, tolerance builds much slower. Also, addiction and tolerance are sneaky things as swiy doens't think swiy is feeling any advers problems, when they are actually affecting swiy..

Swiy should be careful when using opiates for pain and rec use. Also, codeine is a very weak opiate (in swim's opinion), but it can lead to much stronger opiates..

[ducky]

Well, swim has been taking about 200-300mgs of codeine every day for many months and it does take quite awhile to build up a tolerance. Trust me though, the tolerance will eventually happen. However, it's really easy with codeine to just play around with the dose (if swiy feels the start of a tolerance, swiy should simply lower the dose for a while and then it gets better). that is basically what swim has been doing for months and it's been working pretty well. As others have mentioned, codeine is a very weak opiate but swiy should still be careful with it.

~ducky

[thaprepster82]

If swin has pain and is taking the meds for pain it will take alot long 2 build up a tolerance. Yes codeine is a weak drug compared 2 hydrocodone or oxycodone.

[monkeygone2heaven]

swim doesn't get what this has to do with UK. because you can get codeine OTC legally?

one thing taht came to my mind is that about 15% of people cannot metabolise codeine properly due to an enzyme not functioning properly. but swiy is feeling the effects?

recreational use of pain meds in chronic pain is a real beast swim would not recommend to anyone... swiy will already build tolerance. swim has chronic pain and would use her pain meds "for fun" here and there. but she is now scared, having seen someone she knows die in pain in late stages of pancreatic and liver cancer writhing in pain. she had completely uncontrollable pain even eith near lethal doses she was in pain. the pain clinic could not relieve her pain. all beause she had raised her tolerance so high due to chronic back pain and years of pill use... swim imagines one day when she may need pain relief and it cannot be achieved due to lifetime painkiller use...

swim doesn't mean to alarm swiy as one would have to take a lot of codeine for a very long time for something like this to happen. by then swiy would probably have switched to using something else

[Nature Boy]

How does SWIY know he can tolerate this daily dose of codeine without stopping for a day and seeing what the withdrawal is like? SWIM has used codeine recreationally on several non-consecutive occasions and finds that he feels a slight withdrawal the next day - agitation, sweats, restlessness. Eaten cannabis is a much more enjoyable experience in comparison so this will be his focus in terms of sedative pleasure from now on.