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Original poster

Codeine, how does it make you feel?

128 replies

Absentmindedwoman · 29/04/2022 20:23

I sometimes need to take this on the first day of my period (I have adenomyosis, and possible endometriosis) as I did yesterday.

It makes me feel so yuck though, in a hard to describe way. Don't get me wrong - I'm really grateful it stopped the pain yesterday, but it makes me slightly queasy and off colour, and my muscles feel unnaturally slack and floppy Confused I find it really unpleasant and just all wrong. Better of course that writhing in menstrual agony, but not quite myself.

Obviously, there are people who develop a codeine habit and become addicted. Am curious how they feel if they take it? What kind of pleasant feeling do they get that makes them want more of it - is it a mental buzz?

It must be to do with individual neurochemistry/ brain receptors as to why some people find it enjoyable and others don't.

OP posts:
SoManyTshirts · 29/04/2022 20:51

I get the sick headachy feeling you describe from paracetamol. Afraid to take codeine now! Fortunately seem to have dodged an anticipated level of post-op pain.

Williamshatnershorses · 29/04/2022 20:52

I had the strongest version from the GP and it just made me sleep all the time- like I would wake up, have a look around and fall back to sleep. I realised after a couple of days it was the codeine rather than the illness and had to stop taking it.

AlasEarwacs · 29/04/2022 20:53

Itchy

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Happierthanever91 · 29/04/2022 20:53

The last time I had it, I fainted for the first time ever and threw up all over my boots and legs in front of my relatively new boyfriend at the time, outdoors.. in a public train station. It was a great moment for me Smile

Roystonv · 29/04/2022 20:55

I also find heavy duty painkillers have little effect.

MrOllivander · 29/04/2022 20:55

Antihistamines don't make me sleepy either which people have said make them tired
I've had 2 fexofenadine today and 4 cetirizine

Caulidop · 29/04/2022 20:56

It makes me feel rubbish. Out of it initially then lots of being sick, followed by tired. I just can't tolerate it. Seems to vary greatly for others I've asked about it though.

DemBonesDemBones · 29/04/2022 20:57

When I was prescribed codeine I truly believed I was a reindeer and that my antlers growing out of my head were causing me excruciating pain. An ambulance was called. Everyone (apart from reindeer me) laughed a lot. I'm not allowed codeine again.

Mollyplop999 · 29/04/2022 20:59

Makes me feel spaced out and I itch all over.

Badger1970 · 29/04/2022 21:02

Makes me feel horrible, sleepy and dry mouthed. I only ever take it if I've got a nasty cough at night as it suppresses it - it was a godsend when I had Covid even though I was constipated as hell.

Saucery · 29/04/2022 21:03

Love it. Swirly feeling spreading out from my stomach, pain stops, sleepy and floaty. It’s quite moreish 😀
Only had it a few times for acute pain and never had to work through it, but I can see how some people can become addicted to it. If I needed something long term I would avoid it.

Justkeeppedaling · 29/04/2022 21:04

The last time I took it I was sick, and then I fainted.
Never again

megletthesecond · 29/04/2022 21:11

Totally wasted then asleep. Even a small amount.
I've had it a couple of times. Never again.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 29/04/2022 21:11

I can only take one Solpadeine tablet, even though the dose is two. The one time that I did take two I was dopey-happy and functioning at a much slower speed than normal. I'm not convinced that the codeine really takes away the pain, more that it makes not care about or notice the pain.

ABitOfAShitShow · 29/04/2022 21:12

MuchTooTired · 29/04/2022 20:25

It doesn’t make me feel anything different, just stops the pain and that’s it.

Same. I wish I got the good feeling people claim to get because there’s a fuck ton in the cupboard. I find it quite a mediocre painkiller too! 🤷🏼‍♀️

Likeli · 29/04/2022 21:12

Also, medication which makes most people sleepy/relaxed makes me extremely hyper. I just a get bit of a buzz from codeine but tramadol gets me bouncing off the walls. Even antihistamines (the type bad parents will use to send their kids to sleep) will have me running in circles.
I have adhd and I really wonder that the mechanism behind this is.
I guess everyone is slightly different so everyone will have different reactions. Results of clinical trials are interpreted by the averages of the effects being compared statistically, so there may be a big variance in the results and anomalies always arise.

Ameanstreakamilewide · 29/04/2022 21:13

Constipated, usually.

NormalForNuneaton · 29/04/2022 21:14

I was given it by A&E when I broke my ankle but after 2 doses I stopped taking it as it made me feel lighthearted (but not in a nice "glass of wine" way) and queasy. I just took ibuprofen and paracetamol instead.

Cakemumma33 · 29/04/2022 21:14

I take it every day for a back injury. I don't feel any different but I have to take it with food or I do feel a bit floaty. I take lactulose to help if i get a bit constipated. But I'd be in bed all the time in pain if I didn't take it

Hohofortherobbers · 29/04/2022 21:15

Absolutely wretched. It gives me dysphoria, an immediate crashing low mood. I was prescribed it once, I felt despair as soon as it hit, never again.

Noisyprat · 29/04/2022 21:18

It makes me feel very ill. I have to lie down and I feel very very dizzy and sick. I will never take it again,

Snowiscold · 29/04/2022 21:19

I don’t notice anything. I don’t think painkillers have any effect on me. Definitely not moreish or floaty or anything.

GillyGumbo · 29/04/2022 21:19

If it's what the hospital gave me for a kidney stone once (I'm not sure, I just swallowed them), it made me feel amazing - very light and "drifty", on a high because the pain had gone! I can see how it might be tempting to regain that floaty feeling.

But I've had my gallbladder out since, and I believe codeine makes your bile duct contract - last time I took something with a bit of codeine in it it was white hot agony in my gut, so I don't think I'll try it again.

SadHippy · 29/04/2022 21:20

I took dihydrocodeine while waiting for a hip replacement operation, and it didn't do much at all. The GP said addiction is never a problem with people who use it purely for pain relief; it sort of slightly took the edge off the pain, but had no more effect than that. I also combined it with alcohol (not advised) because I was in so much pain. Again, it didn't have much effect. I sometimes took it with Oramorph and, again, it wasn't very effective for severe pain. The GP was right about addiction: I stopped taking everything several days post-op and never missed them. The only thing that has ever had a nice effect on me is actual morphine, which was all floaty and lovely (still didn't take the pain away, but definitely took my mind off it).

SilverGlassHare · 29/04/2022 21:20

It’s just a strong painkiller for me. Tbh I never find it particularly stronger than paracetamol or ibuprofen. I don’t have any side effects. My mum and my DH both feel ‘odd’ when they take it though.

As an aside, when I was young I tried a few different illegal drugs - nothing class A - and never really felt anything from them either.

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