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People who experience moderate to severe or chronic pain often find over-the-counter treatments insufficient. For this reason, and several others, it is not uncommon for doctors to prescribe a medication like codeine or Lortab, a blend of hydrocodone and acetaminophen.
Both medications are opioids, or narcotic, painkillers. This makes them Schedule II drugs, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Drugs in this category have a high potential for abuse, and may lead to physical or psychological dependence. For this reason, users who deviate from the prescribed use of the medications can become dependent or addicted to them.
However, opioids remain some of the most effective drugs to alleviate pain. They work by attaching to opioid receptors in the brain, spinal cord, and other parts of the body. Once there, they disrupt pain messages to the brain, thus reducing the pain sensations. For this reason, they have been a staple of medical therapy used by millions of people each year.
Lortab and codeine are not the same medication, despite having many similarities. To learn more about these medications and to find out about how to treat an addiction to them, call 800-291-1732 (Who Answers?) . If you are struggling with a dependence upon Lortab or codeine, you don’t have to continue this way. You can make a change.
Prescribing
Both codeine and Lortab require a prescription. This means that they are safe to use for a short period of time if used in accordance with a doctor’s instructions. However, people with a history of substance or alcohol abuse may be more sensitive to their habit-forming nature than other users and this information should be provided to the prescribing doctor.
Codeine should not be prescribed to people who:
Both Lortab and codeine have a high abuse and addiction potential.
- Are allergic to it
- Have an uncontrolled breathing disorder
- Have a bowel obstruction, called paralytic ileus
- Have frequent hyperventilation of asthma attacks
Lortab should not be prescribed to people who:
- Are allergic to it
- Have used an MAO inhibitor in the previous 2 weeks
Medical Use
It is important the people with a prescription for codeine or Lortab use the drugs medically. Deviating from the prescribed usage is called nonmedical use and, per the United Nation on Drugs and Crime, it is defined as “taking of prescription drugs, whether obtained by prescription or otherwise, other than in the manner or for the reasons or time period prescribed, or by a person for whom the drug was not prescribed.”
Examples of nonmedical use include:
- Seeking multiple prescriptions for the medication
- Using the medication in larger amounts than prescribed
- Using the medication more frequently than prescribed
- Using medication that was not prescribed to you
- Changing the form of the medication—crushing it or adding it to water and injecting it—to use it
- Using the medication in conjunction with drugs or alcohol
Nonmedical and recreational use are the cause of addiction to codeine and Lortab for most people.
Side Effects
Users of both medications are likely to experience some side effects; although there are some slight variations, both are opioids, so they have similar symptom profiles.
Both medications commonly cause:
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Constipation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Lightheadedness
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Itching
- Loss of appetite
The more serious side effects of opioids include:
- A hypersensitive reaction marked by a skin rash, a swelling of the tongue or throat, and difficulty breathing
- A respiratory depression marked by slowed breathing and difficulty breathing
- A decrease in blood pressure
Unlike Lortab, codeine can cause morphine conversion, when the body quickly processes codeine into morphine. This can cause morphine in the blood to increase to a high level and that’s dangerous.
Unlike codeine, Lortab has acetaminophen in it and that can be damaging to the liver. A normal dosage should be safe, but nonmedical use is risky. Drinking alcohol while taking the medication can increase the danger.
When a person develops a substance use disorder with either medication, the risks of negative outcomes increases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 14, 000 death in 2014 that involved overdose of prescription opioids. People with an addiction to these medications need treatment. Call 800-291-1732 (Who Answers?) to get the information needed for recovery. It’s time to get control back.
Brand Names -
Codeine is most often combined with other medications and then marketed under certain brand names such as Robitussin AC which contains codeine. There are many branded products on the market that include a combination of codeine and another drug such as Phenylephrine, Pyrilamine, Guaifenesin or Chlorpheniramine. Other combination products may also be found in the medical field ... 
Codeine Allergies -
Codeine is a commonly prescribed pain medication that is used to treat mild to moderate acute pain and can also be used to treat cough. Although rare, codeine allergies do occur and can lead to some dangerous symptoms. Typically, a codeine allergy will not occur with the initial or first exposure of the drug but will most ... 
Dangers of an Increasing Codeine Tolerance -
Codeine is one of the three main alkaloids extracted from the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum and although pure codeine can be extracted as a natural source, most codeine medications in United States and Canada are in the semi-synthetic forms of codeine sulfate or codeine phosphate which are processed from morphine. Like morphine, heroin, and other ... 
Why Codeine is a Popular Choice Among Addicts -
Codeine is often found in cough syrup and is less regulated than other opiate-based drugs, making it seem like a safer option. 
Accepted Medical Codeine Uses -
Codeine serves a wide variety of uses as a pain relief medication. According to the U. S. Food & Drug Administration, as a narcotic opiate drug, codeine works well as a treatment for mild, moderate and severe pain symptoms. It’s also an active ingredient in many over-the-counter cough suppressant drugs. This wide range of medical ...