Codeine is an opioid drug that is often used to treat mild to moderate pain and stop coughing. The opium poppy is where it comes from, and it changes how the brain and nervous system react to pain. It also stops the cough reflex from working. Codeine is often found in medicines that are mixed with other drugs, like acetaminophen or aspirin, which make the pain-relieving effects stronger. Because it is an opioid, codeine can be abused and lead to addiction. This is why it is a controlled substance in many countries. Below we will discuss more on how long does codeine stay in the system.
How Does the Body Break Down Codeine?
When codeine is taken in, it is mostly broken down in the liver. It goes through a process called biotransformation, which changes it into morphine, norcodeine, and codeine-6-glucuronide, among other things. The enzyme is very important for this change, especially for turning codeine into morphine, which is what gives it most of its pain-relieving effects. Genetic differences can make this metabolic process very different between people, which can affect how quickly and effectively codeine is processed and how long it stays in the system.
How Long Does Codeine Stay in the Blood?
Within 15 to 30 minutes of taking it, codeine can be found in the blood. It only stays in the blood for about 2.5 to 3 hours, which is not very long. This means that the amount of codeine in the blood drops by half during this time. It takes about 24 hours for most people for codeine to leave their bloodstream. Its metabolites, especially morphine, can be found for a longer time, though. Because of this short detection window, blood tests are not usually the best way to find out if someone is using codeine.
How Long Does Codeine Stay in Urine?
Because they can pick up on more drugs, urine tests are the most common way to find out if someone has used codeine. Up to 48 hours after the last dose, codeine can still be found in urine. But its main byproduct, morphine, can be found for a longer time, sometimes up to 72 hours. These time frames can be changed by things like dosage, frequency of use, metabolic rate, and overall health. If you use codeine often or a lot, it may take longer for the drug to be found in your urine.
How Long Does Codeine Stay in the Mouth?
Saliva tests are a painless way to find out if someone has recently used codeine. If someone takes codeine, it can usually be found in their saliva within 30 minutes. It can stay there for up to 4 days, depending on their metabolism and how much they took. Saliva tests are often used when a sample needs to be taken quickly and easily, like when police test for drugs on the side of the road or when drug screenings happen at work.
How Long Does It Take to Find Codeine in Hair?
The longest time frame for finding codeine use is with hair follicle tests, which can find drug use up to 90 days or even longer after the last dose. As hair grows, it takes drug molecules from the blood and puts them into the hair shaft. Since hair grows about 1 centimeter a month, a standard 1.5-centimeter sample can show if someone has used drugs in the last 90 days. This method works well for finding drug use that happened a long time ago, but not so well for finding drug use that happened recently.
What Affects How Long Codeine Stays in the Body?
How long codeine stays in a person’s body depends on a number of things. Some of these are the person’s age, body mass, metabolic rate, liver function, and health in general. Changes in genes that affect the enzyme CYP2D6 can greatly impact how quickly codeine is broken down. The amount and frequency of codeine use are also very important; long-term use can cause accumulation in the body, which makes the detection window longer. How much water you drink and the pH of your urine can also change how quickly codeine and its metabolites leave your body.
Why Is It Important to Know How Long Codeine Stays in the Body?
It’s important to know how long codeine stays in the body for a number of reasons. For doctors, it helps them keep track of dosages and figure out how drugs might interact with each other. For patients, it lets them know how long the effects will last and what side effects might happen. In legal and employment settings, it helps people know how long codeine might stay in their system and how to prepare for drug tests. Also, knowing how the metabolism works can help you spot and deal with possible abuse or dependency problems. Now you have knowledge how long does codeine stay in the system.