call 800-291-1732 (Who Answers?) for a free referral.
Taking codeine while being a nursing mother can come with consequences.
Very small amounts of codeine can be excreted in human breast mil which can pose a risk to a nursing infant. The Food & Drug Administration issued a Public Health Advisory pertaining to a severe (but very rare) side effect that can occur in nursing infants whose mothers take codeine. Because codeine is metabolized as morphine, and because some people metabolize the drug much more rapidly than others, there is a risk that some infants (those who are ultra-rapid metabolizers of codeine) can suffer from apnea, bradycardia, and cyanosis during their first week of life if their mother is nursing and taking codeine.
The potential risk for hazardous problems to occur when using codeine while nursing is actually rather small which is why the American Academy of Pediatrics considers codeine compatible with breast-feeding. In most cases, though very small traces of codeine can be passed down to the baby through breast-feeding, the effects are not highly dangerous to the baby. The primary risk is in the rate at which a person metabolizes the codeine into morphine. For ultra-rapid metabolizers, there is severe risk but this is not typically known until the drug is already in the system.
Doctors who prescribe codeine containing drugs to nursing mothers are encouraged to recommend the lowest possible dose and for the shortest possible period of time to ensure the safest use of the drug by these patients. Patients should also be very closely monitored to ensure the safety of both the mother and the nursing infant while codeine is being used.
There is a test that has been cleared by the FDA to determine a patient’s CYP450 2D6 genotype which has been connected with ultra-rapid metabolization of codeine. Though the test is not routinely used in clinical practice, it can be used in labs to determine a patient’s risk of ultra-rapid metabolization of codeine and to subsequently make better decisions regarding the prescribing of such a medication to a nursing mother. Some are at a higher risk than others and this too can be addressed by doctors prior to prescribing the medication.
Codeine Side Effects -
Generally, the side effects associated with codeine use are mild and do not require immediate medical attention. In some cases, if the side effects do not go away in time or with discontinued use of the drug, or if you suffer from certain side effects while taking codeine, medical attention will be required. Codeine is an opioid ... 
Potentially Serious Long-Term Effects of Codeine -
Codeine is a narcotic, an opiate-based drug used to relieve a patient’s moderate or mild pain. It is a prescription drug and can also be found in combination with other medications to reduce coughing. Codeine is a very beneficial medication for treating a variety of pain symptoms, but it can have many serious effects in the ... 
Health Risks of Codeine Abuse -
Contrary to popular belief codeine can be dangerous if it is abused. Codeine abuse has been on the rise in the United States and is widely used by teenagers and young people because it is so easily accessible. Codeine is prescribed for pain but it may also be prescribed to treat diarrhea and coughs that ... 
Dangers of Snorting Codeine -
People who use codeine on a regular basis often find themselves ingesting increasingly larger doses of the drug over time. Like all opiate-type drugs, the brain develops an ongoing tolerance of codeine’s effects, so more of the drug is needed to produce the desired “high” effects. After a certain point, codeine in pill form can ... 
Signs of Codeine Overdose -
Codeine exists as a powerful narcotic drug and an over-the-counter pain relief medication. This apparent versatility in usage purposes does not discount the potentially dangerous effects of codeine when used for nonmedical purposes. Codeine’s classification as an opiate drug puts it in the same class of drugs as morphine and heroin. Though it’s less potent ...