Ridding Your Vocabulary Of Codeine Street Names

The most common codeine street names are T-threes (Tylenol 3), syrup (Phenergan) and empi (Empirin with Codeine). Codeine is an opiate used mainly for the treatment of mild to moderate pain and to suppress cough. It comes as a single-ingredient and in combination with other ingredients. It is commonly combined with paracetamol, aspirin, and ibuprofen as an analgesic. It is widely used in cough preparations in single form or as codeine salts ( codeine phosphate/ sulfate/ hydrochloride/ citrate). It is used in anti-nausea preparations in conjunction with promethazine in syrup form. It has also been used in the treatment of diarrhea, hypertension, anxiety and depression. It is not available in the United States as a codeine-only product but is marketed in Canada in other countries in tablet or syrup form

Recreational Codeine

Codeine is an opium derivative with narcotic effects and has been widely used as a recreational drug. This is the reason why there are codeine street names that refer to specific brands or preparations. In the early seventies when the US and most of the allied countries started a sweeping crackdown on the illicit trade of heroin and opium, codeine came out as an alternative for narcotic abuse. The use and abuse of cough syrups with codeine became very popular, most specially in the Southeast Asian region. Codeine served as a starting raw material and model for the creation of a number of opioids such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and dihydrocodeine. Some of these codeine-modeled opioids were then used to create compounds like dihydrocodone and dihydrocodeine bitartrate which were largely found in cough syrups. Common codeine street names then for cough syrups were:

• 1. "endo" for Endotussin,
• 2. "tikoy" for Trecodin,
• 3. "deka" for Deka Syrup,
• 4. "decaprin" for Mercodol Decaprin,
• 5. "c-plain" for Corex Plain,
• 6. "ac" for Robitussin AC
• 7. "tuss" or "tussio" for Tussionex.

The last 2 in the list are still available in the United States. The Tylenol series of codeine combined with paracetamol was a common choice, too. Through the years, the popularity of codeine has waned due to the emergence of new opioids with stronger euphoric effects. Laws concerning its distribution and use were subsequently relaxed in some parts of the globe. Codeine in low doses is now available over-the-counter in some countries like Canada, France and Hong Kong. It has also been said in reports released by some organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) that codeine is now the most widely-used opiate in the world.

Codeine Addiction And Treatment

Like other narcotics, codeine is an addictive substance and if taken regularly for a prolonged period of time can be habit forming. Adverse effects of overdosing, a common term for drug abuse, can be fatal. High doses of codeine can trigger respiratory depression and renal failure. Continued abuse can damage the liver since this is were codeine is broken down and metamorphosed into morphine inside our system. Physical dependency is not as quick to set in like morphine or oxycodone and withdrawal is typically the same although milder in its manifestations. Some of the withdrawal symptoms are hypertension or high blood pressure, anxiety and depression, muscle pains, fatigue and constipation. Treatment is basically patterned after stronger narcotic dependency programs like heroin and morphine but the use of holistic approaches to compliment the traditional treatment is given much importance.

Although physical dependency is milder and easier to handle, the emotional and spiritual aspect of the recovery program in codeine addicts bears more prominence since the damage to one's inner self is just the same as the other opiates. This is a vital part of the treatment since falling off the bandwagon is much easier in codeine addiction because of its relative availability. Immediate access to codeine preparations is the something every recovering addict has to deal with.

Final Thoughts

Codeine is a logical drug of choice for narcotic addicts because of its availability in the mainstream. Codeine street names are actually not warranted because they are readily available, after all. Back in the days when it was a popular substance of abuse, slang words abound referring to specific brands and preparations. Nowadays, addiction to codeine can be addressed with specially designed programs and approaches. If you are a person who still have codeine street names in your daily vocabulary, it is most important that you get professional care.