Codeine, << KOH deen, >> also called methylmorphine, is a drug used to relieve pain and coughing. It is manufactured from morphine, a drug obtained from the opium poppy plant. This plant also contains some pure codeine, but not in quantities large enough to provide the amounts required for use in medicine.
Codeine is used to relieve pain of moderate severity. It is a much less powerful drug than morphine, which is generally used to ease extreme pain. Codeine provides cough relief at lower doses than those required for pain relief. The drug is usually taken by mouth and often combined with other painkilling medications, such as aspirin and acetaminophen.
People who use high doses of codeine for an extended period may become addicted to it. However, individuals who become addicted to painkillers rarely start their addiction with codeine. In addition, people addicted to codeine who then stop using the drug have much less severe withdrawal symptoms than people addicted to morphine.
See also Opioid.
