“How long does codeine stay in your system?” is a question anyone taking this medication should know the answer to. Knowing it can help you prevent potentially dangerous codeine interactions with other drugs, understand how long it can show up on drug tests, and reduce the risk of opioid toxicity and overdose.
However, there’s no straightforward answer to “How long does codeine stay in your system?” since it can vary from person to person and depends on many factors.
Keep reading to learn more about codeine and its effects, gain insight into the key factors that determine how long codeine stays in your system, and find out its detection windows in different types of drug tests.
What Is Codeine?
Derived from the opium poppy, codeine is an opioid prescribed to treat mild-to-moderate pain and reduce coughing.
Codeine is available as a single-ingredient drug and a combination medication, usually containing aspirin (Aspalgin®) or acetaminophen (Tylenol® #3 and #4, Panadeine Forte®). Although it can be found in some cough syrups, the antitussive effects of codeine lack scientific evidence; studies show that it is no more effective than a placebo in suppressing cough.
Codeine comes in the form of:
- Injections
- Oral solutions
- Immediate- and extended-release tablets
Codeine is also a common street drug, with people frequently misusing it by mixing codeine cough syrup with alcohol, soda, or other substances. This polysubstance drink is known as “purple drank,” “lean,” and “sizzurp.”
Although codeine is relatively weak compared to other opioids, it doesn’t make it any less dangerous. Prolonged codeine use carries the risk of opioid abuse, codeine dependence, and prescription drug addiction. For this reason, it should only be prescribed for pain that cannot be managed with non-opioid medications and taken strictly as prescribed.
Before we answer “How long does codeine stay in your system?” let’s learn more about the effects of codeine.
How Does Codeine Affect Your Body?
Codeine affects the body by binding to opioid receptors, blocking them and altering the perception of pain. The onset of its effects is fairly rapid—most people begin to feel pain relief within 30 minutes following administration. The effects reach their peak in about an hour or two and dissipate in about four hours.
Furthermore, codeine can also bring about feelings of euphoria by stimulating dopamine release, which can entice some people to misuse the drug. Since humans are naturally wired to seek and repeat dopamine-boosting activities, this only enhances codeine’s potential for addiction.
Codeine Half-Life
Codeine’s half-life is around three hours, meaning half a dose of this drug will be eliminated from your system within a few hours after consumption. Even though it has a short half-life, codeine can stay in your system and be detected by various drug tests for much longer than that.
Let’s get to the bottom of the question, “How long does codeine stay in your system?” and find out how the detection window for codeine varies between different drug tests.
How Long Does Codeine Stay in Your System?
Codeine stays in your system for about 15 hours; while it may take just a few hours for your body to reduce its concentration by 50%, it takes 5 half-lives on average to fully clear it out.
Nonetheless, “How long does codeine stay in your system?” and “How long can codeine show up on a drug test?” are two different questions. Certain drug tests may detect traces of opioids even months after the last dose.
Let’s discuss how long codeine stays in blood, hair, saliva, and urine.
How Long Does Codeine Stay in Blood?
Codeine stays in the blood and remains detectable in blood samples for about 24 hours after the last dose. Since blood tests have the shortest detection window, are usually performed in laboratory settings, and can be quite expensive, they aren’t frequently used to test for codeine.
How Long Does Codeine Stay in Hair?
Codeine stays in hair and can be detected in hair follicles for at least 10 weeks after consumption—even if you’ve only taken a single dose. However, a study conducted by D. E. Rollins, D. G. Wilkins, and G. G. Krueger from the University of Utah Health Sciences Center found that it may take three weeks for codeine to show up on a hair test.
How Long Does Codeine Stay in Saliva?
Codeine stays in saliva for about 24 hours after taking the last dose. Although codeine tests are non-invasive and can detect codeine in as little as 15 minutes following ingestion, they have a relatively short detection window.
How Long Does Codeine Stay in Urine?
Codeine stays in urine for up to 48 hours, though some tests might detect it for up to four days after ingestion. Urine tests are commonly used to detect codeine, as they are non-invasive, fairly affordable, and quite reliable.
Factors That Determine How Long Codeine Stays in Your System
The major factors that determine how long codeine stays in the system include metabolism, liver health, polydrug use, and the extent of codeine use.
Let’s discuss each of these factors in greater depth:
- Metabolism. The quicker your metabolism is, the less time your body will need to clear codeine. Age, gender, diet, and so forth also play a key role in determining how long codeine stays in your system, as these factors can increase or decrease your metabolic rate.
- Liver health. Codeine is primarily metabolized in the liver by the CYP2D6 enzyme, which is why poor liver function can slow down the elimination of codeine. Impaired kidney function can also interfere with your body’s ability to break down and eliminate opioids.
- Polydrug use. Some drugs, including alcohol, prescription medications, and illicit drugs, can alter the way your body metabolizes codeine. Never mix it with any substances—even supplements and herbal medicines—without your doctor’s approval, as it can lead to negative outcomes, such as codeine side effects.
- Extent of codeine use. If you take codeine in large doses, frequently, or for a prolonged period, you may need more time to process and eliminate it. This can also put you at an increased risk of opioid toxicity, dependence, addiction, and overdose.
Codeine Addiction vs. Codeine Dependence
Codeine addiction and codeine dependence aren’t the same, even though these conditions often co-occur.
However, it is possible to be dependent on opioids without being addicted to them, and anyone taking these drugs—including those who follow their doctor’s instructions to a T—risk developing opioid dependence.
Codeine dependence is caused by the neurochemical changes that occur in the brain with prolonged medication use. Since repeated opioid exposure stimulates the production of opioid receptors, continuous codeine use will eventually lead to tolerance. This is a sign that your body has become physically dependent on codeine.
Once you become dependent on codeine, you can’t simply stop taking it—it will induce distressing opioid withdrawal symptoms. This is why so many people continue to take it, even when they no longer need it for medical purposes.
If left untreated, codeine dependence can develop into an addiction, also known as opioid use disorder (OUD). Unfortunately, those addicted to codeine can’t help but take it, even when it affects their physical, social, and psychological well-being.
Luckily, both codeine dependence and codeine addiction are treatable. Regardless of how long you’ve been struggling with either of these conditions, know that help is available.
Codeine Withdrawal Symptoms
Codeine withdrawal symptoms occur when people attempt to quit codeine or reduce their dosage after becoming dependent.
Typical codeine withdrawal symptoms include:
- Chills
- Fever
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Yawning
- Diarrhea
- Joint pain
- Headache
- Depression
- Pupil dilation
- Goosebumps
- Muscle aches
- Opioid cravings
- Increased sweating
- Nausea and vomiting
- Runny nose and watery eyes
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
These symptoms usually begin within the first 24 hours after the last dose and last a couple of weeks. However, some people may continue to battle codeine withdrawal symptoms for weeks and even months after drug discontinuation, making them vulnerable to relapse, which can lead to a potentially fatal opioid overdose.
To get off codeine safely and successfully, seek professional opioid addiction treatment. Never quit codeine “cold turkey,” as this may lead to severe withdrawal symptoms, complications, and even death.
ANR Opioid Dependence Treatment
With an average hospital stay of just 36 hours, Accelerated Neuro-Regulation (ANR) is an innovative opioid dependence treatment that can help you break free from codeine dependence quickly, safely, and effectively.
The ANR treatment resolves the root cause of opioid dependence rather than merely treating its symptoms, resulting in an exceptionally high success rate. By re-regulating the endorphin-receptor system, ANR restores the brain to its pre-addiction state, eliminating the risk of ongoing withdrawal symptoms and relapse.
Most importantly, the ANR treatment is very safe. Unlike outdated therapies, it doesn’t involve any opioid-replacement drugs, such as methadone, that expose you to the risk of swapping one addiction for another.
We also tailor the treatment to each patient individually, allowing us to safely treat even those with complex medical conditions. Moreover, ANR is performed in an ICU setting of accredited hospitals by highly experienced board-certified medical professionals, maximizing its safety.
Contact us today to learn more about ANR and schedule a free, 100% confidential consultation!
Key Takeaways
Hopefully, this article helped you better understand how long codeine stays in your system and what determines this.
Here’s a brief overview of the key points we covered today:
- Codeine is an opioid used to control mild-to-moderate pain and suppress coughing.
- How long codeine stays in your system depends on individual factors like metabolism and the extent of codeine use, but most people will process it out within around 15 hours.
- The detection window for codeine is longest in hair follicle tests (at least 10 weeks) and shortest in blood tests (up to 24 hours).
How Long Does Codeine Stay in Your System FAQ
It takes 15 hours on average to get codeine out of your system. However, it may take longer if you have a slow metabolic rate, suffer from liver or kidney disease, or take other drugs that may interact with the metabolism of codeine. If you’ve been taking codeine in large doses over an extended time, your body might also need more time to clear it.
Codeine is predominantly eliminated from the body via the kidneys, with as much as 90% of it being excreted by the kidneys in urine. Before elimination, it is metabolized in the liver into several metabolites, such as codeine-6-glucuronide, norcodeine, and morphine.
After taking codeine, you may feel pain relief, euphoria, and deep relaxation. You might also experience unpleasant side effects, such as drowsiness, dizziness, and nausea. Inform your doctor about any side effects you experience while taking codeine, especially if they are severe (e.g., allergic reactions, such as hives or tongue swelling) or do not resolve quickly.
Codeine’s effects last for around four hours. However, this also depends on the dosage, drug formulation, etc. Your metabolism and other individual factors may also impact how long codeine stays in your system and how long its effects last.
Codeine is not the same as Tylenol, though some Tylenol products, namely Tylenol #3 and #4, contain codeine. However, while codeine is an opiate, Tylenol is the brand name for acetaminophen, an over-the-counter analgesic.
Codeine is addictive, which is why it is generally treated as a Schedule II controlled substance. Some medications containing codeine, such as Tylenol with Codeine, fall under Schedule III controlled substances. Nonetheless, due to the high potential for addiction, you can only obtain codeine products—including codeine cough syrups—by prescription.
