Over the past two decades, Americans of ages, genders, social backgrounds, and demographics have been exposed to what has primarily become known as a nationwide epidemic. Opioid abuse, addiction, and overdose have mostly taken the country by storm, and nearly 130 American citizens currently lose their lives to opioid overdose every day. Heroin largely fuels the epidemic, but prescription opioid narcotics – like codeine – are also responsible for a significant number of overdose-related deaths.
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What is Codeine?
Codeine is an opioid narcotic most commonly used to treat moderate or severe pain or combined with other medications to treat severe coughs. Codeine can be extremely dangerous when abused – not only is the drug highly habit-forming and highly potent, but it can easily lead to overdose (this is especially true when it is combined with other chemical substances like alcohol). Men and women who take codeine in higher doses than prescribed can experience various physical and psychological symptoms, including fleeting feelings of euphoria, relaxation, general feelings of apathy and disinterest, and excessive drowsiness and fatigue. Because codeine is so potent, even individuals are taking it exactly as prescribed by a medical professional run the risk of developing an addiction over time.
Addiction to Codeine Requires Professional Help
If you or someone you know has been abusing codeine, seeking professional help is critical. Allure Detox is available to help you or your loved one take the first step on the lifelong road to recovery – medical detox. However, you might have a sneaking suspicion that someone you love has been grappling with codeine addiction, but you still might not be sure. If you are unsure, several signs will unquestionably indicate that your loved one needs treatment.
Codeine Cold Water Extractions Mean You’re Addicted to Codeine
How do you know that treatment has become a necessity? There are several ways to tell that treatment has become necessary and that codeine use has developed in substance abuse. One of the best ways to tell is to observe whether or not your loved one has been using the medication other than as prescribed – for example, crushing and snorting codeine in its tablet form or engaging in codeine cold water extraction. What is codeine cold water extraction? Essentially, this is one of many tampering with codeine to make it more easily abused and feel its effects more quickly. This is a popular method of tampering because it can usually be completed with several relatively basic household supplies.
Cold Water Extractions Are Not a Safe Way to Use Codeine
People who abuse codeine in this way extract the drug from over-the-counter cough syrup that contains codeine, either codeine/paracetamol 8/500mg or codeine/ibuprofen 12/200mg. Codeine cold water extractions increase the drug’s potency by removing all acetaminophen in the tablets, leaving pure codeine to abuse and get high on. This is absolutely an indication of a drug abuse problem – one that requires professional treatment. How do you tell if someone you love is using the cold water extraction method? The best way to tell is by looking through your loved one’s browser search history. Most people who use this method will need to research it extensively online because it is certainly not a straightforward – or safe – process.
Allure Detox and Codeine Addiction Recovery
If you or someone you love has been abusing codeine in any capacity, seeking professional help is necessary – and medically monitored detox is always an essential initial step. Allure Detox offers a comprehensive and unique program of medical codeine detox, seeing as we tackle the root cause of addiction along with the physical and psychological symptoms of codeine withdrawal. Call us today to learn more about our detox program or get you or your loved one started on a long-term journey of codeine addiction recovery.