page_title: Codeine
section_title: Recreational use
hierarchical_section_title: Codeine / Society and culture / Recreational use
caption_attribution_description: English: Promethazine-codeine cough syrup
context_page_description: Codeine is an opiate used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea. It is typically used to treat mild to moderate degrees of pain. Greater benefit may occur when combined with paracetamol or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Evidence does not support its use for acute cough suppression in children or adults. In Europe, it is not recommended as a cough medicine in those under 12 years of age. It is generally taken by mouth. It typically starts working after half an hour, with maximum effect at two hours. Its effects last for about four to six hours.
  Common side effects include vomiting, constipation, itchiness, lightheadedness, and drowsiness. Serious side effects may include breathing difficulties and addiction. Whether its use in pregnancy is safe is unclear. Care should be used during breastfeeding, as it may result in opiate toxicity in the baby. Its use as of 2016 is not recommended in children. Codeine works following being broken down by the liver into morphine; how quickly this occurs depends on a person's genetics.
  Codeine was discovered in 1832 by Pierre Jean Robiquet.
context_section_description: A heroin (diamorphine) or other opiate/opioid addict may use codeine to ward off the effects of withdrawal during periods where their preferred drug is unavailable or unaffordable.
  Codeine is also available in conjunction with the anti-nausea medication promethazine in the form of a syrup. Brand named as Phenergan with Codeine or in generic form as promethazine with codeine. In the 1990s it started to be mixed with soft drinks to be used as a recreational drug and was called 'syrup', 'lean', or 'purple drank'. Rapper Pimp C, from the group UGK, died from an overdose of this combination.
  Codeine is used in illegal drug laboratories to make morphine.
caption: The recreational drug purple drank can be created with codeine syrup (pictured).
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