Codeine is an effective analgesic that will get you rid of acute and chronic pain of mild to moderate severity. It is often used in the combined analgesic therapy with other painkillers. You may buy Codeine without a prescription in various online pharmacies.
Indications for Codeine use are:
- pain symptoms (including migraines, toothache, injuries of the musculoskeletal system, neurology, etc.);
- cough in respiratory diseases – flu, colds and other.
Codeine is an opioid analgesic. When penetrating into the body, Codeine is converted to Morphine, which acts on opioid receptors of the central nervous system. These receptors are responsible for the pain signals transmission into the brain. Codeine activates the opioid receptors, making them inhibit the enzymes that cause pain.
To facilitate major pain symptoms, adults are advised to take 30-60 mg of Codeine every 4-5 hours. This analgesic is used as needed, and the maximum daily dose is 240 mg. To eliminate cough, take 15-30 mg of Codeine several times a day.
When buying Codeine without a prescription, remember that it is an opioid of average analgesic activity. For the treatment of severe pain, Codeine may be used in combination with other groups of drugs, including:
- barbiturates – Butalbital;
- muscle relaxants – Carisoprodol;
- non-narcotic analgesics – Paracetamol;
- antihistamines – Promethazine;
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) – Ibuprofene.
Combined drug Fioricet, which is sold in the USA, is used to relieve physical stress and headaches. Fioricet active ingredients are the barbiturate Butalbital and opioid analgesic Codeine. Butalbital slows the nervous system and helps relieve stress. Codeine eliminates the headache.
In combination with the muscle relaxant Carisoprodol, Codeine is used to eliminate pain symptoms in injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Carisoprodol eliminates muscle spasm that occurs in injury or tension, while as Codeine relieves pain.
Equally popular are Codeine and Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) based combined analgesics. Clinical trials have shown that the combined drugs, containing Codeine and Acetaminophen, are more effective, than monotherapy with Paracetamol.
Antitussive effect of Codeine is expressed much more than the anesthetic one. The drug is able to inhibit the activity of the cough center in the brain. Most popular are cough syrups, which contain the opioid Codeine and the antihistamine Promethazine. The syrup is used for getting rid of cough and breathing problems, caused by a cold or an allergy.
Children aged 6 and older may drink 1 teaspoon of cough syrup every 4 or 6 hours. Precise measuring instruments should be used for dosing, when you use Codeine and Promethazine based cough syrup. The slightest dose excess may cause respiratory depression.
In the New Zealand, you may buy Codeine without a prescription in combination with the NSAID Ibuprofene. The drug is sold under the well known name Nurofen Plus. The drug is used for relieving pain and inflammation. The analgesic Ibuprofene effect is enhanced by the action of Codeine.
Most medicines contain Codeine Phosphate, because it is less toxic than pure Codeine. Codeine Sulfate may be an active ingredient of analgesics, but it is absorbed into the body more slowly in this form than Codeine Phosphate. In addition, Codeine Sulfate inhibits intestinal peristalsis and causes constipation.
The advantages of Codeine:
- it may be used to relieve pain symptoms in both children and adults;
- It does not violate the gastrointestinal tract functioning;
- contributes to respiratory depression to a lesser extent than other opioid analgesics, such as Morphine.
Codeine sales are regulated by law in different countries of the world. For example, in Australia, Canada or New Zealand, you can buy Codeine without prescription, but only under the condition that the product contains no more than 15 mg of Codeine.
In the USA, Codeine without prescription may be purchased on various online pharmacies. The opioid analgesic may be found as part of the combined drugs: Tylenol, Tuzistra XR, Synalgos-DC, Trezix, Triacin-C and others.
As part of some drugs sold in the USA, you may also find Codeine derivatives, like Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, and others. These derivatives have the same properties, and generally do not differ from Codeine.
In the UK, you may buy Codeine without prescription only in combined drugs, in which a single Codeine dose is less than 12,8 mg. Pure Codeine and Codeine Phosphate are available only by prescription.
At present, Codeine is used in clinical practice most frequently compared to other opioid analgesics. Codeine is the safest and the most effective opioid for pain symptoms relief. However, analgesic safety does not imply its uncontrolled use at high dosages.