By Kieran Isgin

Copyright manchestereveningnews

In the UK, over 74 million controlled drugs were prescribed in England alone in 2024. Among these controlled substances, over 25 million were Schedule 5 drugs, which include codeine, according to data from the Care Quality Commission. While being a regularly prescribed painkiller, codeine comes with a wide array of side effects that could affect your personal health. Codeine is classified as an opioid drug, which means it targets the opioid receptors in the brain and other organs to produce morphine-like effects, the most important being significant pain relief. According to the NHS , codeine is often used to treat pain after a patient has undergone an operation or suffered an injury. It can also be given when other painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen are not working. Generally, codeine is provided through prescription and can be taken as a tablet, liquid, or injection. However, you can also buy lower-strength codeine from a pharmacy, where it is usually mixed with paracetamol as co-codamol or with ibuprofen, such as with Nurofen Plus. Despite its benefits as an effective pain relief medicine, codeine can be a bit of a double-edged sword, especially when taken for long periods of time. NHS guidance highlights that more than one in 100 people could suffer from symptoms such as constipation, feeling sick, confusion, tiredness, dizziness, and headaches. The NHS website states: “Like all medicines, codeine can cause side effects in some people. But many people have no side effects or only minor ones. “The higher the dose of codeine the more chance that you will get side effects.” However, some people can experience more severe side effects. According to data from the NHS, less than one in 100 people may experience symptoms such as muscle stiffness and symptoms associated with low blood pressure, such as feeling dizzy or tired. How long you take codeine will vary widely depending on how long you need pain relief for. In some cases you may only need to take codeine for a few days, and thus be less likely to experience any symptoms. However, you may also need to take it for longer but keep in mind that a different medicine may be prescribed, especially in the case of long-term pain. NHS guidance highlights that this is especially the case if you begin to experience side effects like constipation. While constipation can be irritating, it will likely only be temporary, especially if it’s related to codeine use. The NHS advises people to try to get more fibre into their diet, which can aid in bowel movement. It is generally recommended that adults have between 18g and 21g of fibre per day. Fibre can be found in generous amounts in a wide variety of foods, including: Further guidance on taking codeine can be found on the NHS website here . You can also receive further guidance on geting more fibre into your diet here.