What Does Codeine Do to Your Brain
In this post
Most people first meet codeine as a medicine for pain or for a cough. It is an opioid, a drug that acts on the brain to reduce pain, and in small doses under medical guidance it can be useful. But codeine also changes how the brain works in ways that have nothing to do with pain relief, and those changes are the subject of this article. Over days, weeks and months of regular use, codeine can dull thinking, slow reactions, weaken memory, cloud judgement and change mood. The changes are often gradual, which is why they are easy to miss, and easy to blame on tiredness, stress or age.
This article explains, in plain words, what codeine does to the brain: how it works, what it does to attention, learning and memory, why decisions can become hasty, what mental fog feels like, and what happens to the brain over months and years of use. It is general information only, not individual medical advice. It does not tell anyone how to use codeine, and it does not give medical guidance for any individual. If you are worried about codeine use in yourself or someone close to you, a qualified health professional is the right person to talk to.
How Codeine Works in the Brain
Codeine belongs to the opioid family, and like other opioids it works by attaching to docking points in the brain called opioid receptors. The body has its own natural chemicals that use these receptors to control pain and mood, and codeine fits into the same system, but far more strongly. When it attaches, it reduces the feeling of pain, and it also triggers the release of a chemical called dopamine, which is part of the brain’s reward system. Dopamine is the chemical that makes you feel good when something pleasant happens, and codeine pushes that system harder than everyday pleasures do, which is why it can feel calming, pleasant or even euphoric.
The brain adapts to this quickly. After regular use, it starts to expect the extra dopamine, and it produces less of its own. When codeine wears off, dopamine falls below normal, and the person feels flat, restless, anxious and low. That low feeling is what drives the urge to take another dose, and it is the engine of dependence. The brain is no longer working as it did before codeine. It is working around codeine, waiting for the next dose, and that waiting shapes thinking, mood and behaviour in ways that reach far beyond pain relief.
Codeine is also unusual among opioids because the body has to convert it before it fully works. An enzyme in the liver turns part of each dose into morphine, and the amount converted varies greatly from person to person. Some people convert very little, and codeine does almost nothing for them. Others convert a great deal, and a normal-looking dose can have a much stronger effect than expected, including severe drowsiness and dangerously slow breathing. This variation is one reason codeine is unpredictable, and why a dose that seems safe for one person can be risky for another. Children and teenagers are especially vulnerable to this variation, which is one reason health authorities have restricted codeine use in younger people.
The drowsiness codeine causes is not the same as natural sleep. It is a heavy, drugged sleepiness that dulls awareness and slows the brain’s processing, and it can last for hours after a dose. During that time, a person may find it hard to follow a conversation, hard to remember what was just said, and hard to make even simple decisions. The brain is not resting. It is being slowed down, and that slowing affects everything it does.
Thinking, Memory and Learning
One of the clearest effects of regular codeine use is on thinking. People describe it as a fog: thoughts move more slowly, words are harder to find, and ideas that used to come easily now take effort. This is not imagination. Opioids slow the brain’s processing speed, which means that the basic work of thinking, taking in information, holding it in mind, and using it, all takes longer. A task that once took a few minutes can take much longer, and the person may give up halfway through, not because they are lazy, but because the mental effort has become tiring.
Memory is affected in two ways. Short-term memory, the ability to hold something in mind for a few seconds or minutes, becomes weaker, so a person may forget what they were about to say, or why they walked into a room, or what someone told them a moment ago. Long-term memory, the ability to store new information and recall it later, also suffers, because the brain needs attention and alertness to form strong memories, and codeine reduces both. Learning new skills becomes harder for the same reason. A person trying to learn a new job, a new language or a new route may find that the information does not stick, and that they have to go over the same thing again and again.
This matters most for young people, whose brains are still developing, and for anyone whose work or study depends on learning. A student who uses codeine regularly may find that their grades fall, not because they have stopped trying, but because their brain is no longer taking in and keeping information as it should. A worker who needs to learn new procedures may make more mistakes, or take longer to become confident in a new role. The loss is quiet and gradual, and it is often blamed on lack of effort, when the real cause is the drug’s effect on the brain.
Over time, the memory problems can become a source of embarrassment and frustration. Forgetting appointments, forgetting promises, forgetting the names of people you have just met, all of these chip away at confidence. A person may start to avoid situations where their memory will be tested, such as social gatherings or work meetings, and that avoidance makes the problem worse, because the brain, like a muscle, needs use to stay sharp. The fog feeds on itself, and breaking out of it requires the fog to lift first.
Attention and Focus in Daily Life
Attention is the brain’s ability to pick out what matters and stay with it, and codeine weakens it in a very practical way. A person using codeine regularly may find that their attention drifts in the middle of a task, that they have to re-read the same paragraph several times, or that they lose track of a conversation when someone else is speaking. This is not a lack of interest. It is the brain struggling to hold a focus when its chemistry has been altered.
The effect shows up in ordinary life in dozens of small ways. Cooking a meal becomes harder, because the steps have to be held in mind in order, and the order slips away. Driving becomes riskier, because attention wanders from the road, and a hazard that should have been noticed is missed. Watching a child, operating machinery, or doing any job that needs steady attention becomes less safe. The person may not notice the lapses themselves, because the brain that is supposed to notice is the same brain that is dulled, and it is often family, friends or colleagues who see the change first.
Sleep makes the problem worse. Codeine disrupts normal sleep, even though it makes people drowsy. It reduces the deep, restorative stages of sleep and can cause vivid dreams or restless nights, so a person may sleep for many hours and still wake up feeling unrefreshed. Poor sleep then weakens attention further the next day, in a cycle that feeds on itself. The drowsiness of codeine and the tiredness of poor sleep combine, and the result is a person who is awake but not truly alert, going through the day in a half-awake state.
Children and teenagers who live with someone using codeine can be affected too, not by the drug itself, but by the loss of attention in the person who cares for them. A parent whose attention drifts may miss a child’s needs, forget a school event, or fail to notice a danger. That is not a judgement on the parent, who is struggling with a drug’s effects, but it is a real consequence, and it is one of the reasons the brain effects of codeine matter beyond the person taking it.
Reactions Slow Down
Reaction time is the gap between seeing something and responding to it, and codeine widens that gap. The brain takes longer to process what the eyes see and what the ears hear, and the body takes longer to act on it. In a laboratory test, this shows up as slower responses on simple tasks. In real life, it shows up as missing a step, dropping something, stumbling, or braking too late. The person is not being careless. Their brain is simply running more slowly than it should.
This slowing is dangerous in any situation where a quick response matters. Driving is the clearest example. A driver who is slowed by codeine may not react in time to a child running into the road, a car braking ahead, or a traffic light changing. The risk is similar to driving when very tired, and it is there even when the person feels awake enough to drive. Feeling awake and being alert are not the same thing, and codeine can create a false sense of alertness while the brain is still slowed. Health authorities in many countries warn against driving while using opioids, and the warning exists because the slowing is real and measurable.
Work is affected too. A person who operates machinery, works at height, or handles hot or sharp tools is at greater risk when their reactions are slowed. Even office work suffers, because a slowed brain makes more mistakes, takes longer to correct them, and finds it harder to keep up with a fast-moving discussion. Colleagues may notice that the person is slower to answer, slower to laugh at a joke, slower to pick up on a change of plan, and they may put it down to tiredness or disinterest, when the cause is the drug.
The slowing is worse when codeine is mixed with alcohol or with other drugs that also slow the brain, such as sleeping tablets or some medicines for anxiety. The effects do not simply add up. They multiply, and the combination can slow breathing as well as thinking, which is how overdoses happen. A person who has taken codeine and then drinks alcohol may fall asleep and not wake up, because the brain’s control of breathing has been slowed too far. That is the most serious risk of all, and it is why mixing codeine with alcohol or other sedatives is so dangerous.
Judgement, Planning and Risky Decisions
Judgement is the brain’s ability to weigh options, foresee consequences and choose wisely, and it depends on the part of the brain behind the forehead, called the prefrontal cortex. This is one of the areas most affected by opioids, and the result is that decisions become quicker, less careful and more driven by the moment. A person using codeine regularly may agree to things they would normally refuse, spend money they cannot afford, take risks with their health or safety, or say things they later regret. Afterwards, they may wonder why they did it, and the honest answer is often that their brain, in that moment, was not weighing the consequences as it should have been.
Planning ahead suffers in the same way. Planning needs the brain to hold a goal in mind, work out the steps to reach it, and keep those steps in order over time. Codeine weakens each part of that chain. A person may start a task with good intentions and then lose track of the steps, or forget the goal altogether. They may fail to plan for things that need planning, such as paying a bill on time, keeping an appointment, or preparing for a journey, and the consequences, missed payments, missed appointments, missed opportunities, pile up. To other people, this can look like laziness or lack of care, but it is the brain struggling to do a job that the drug has made harder.
Risky decisions are the most worrying part of this change. A person whose judgement is dulled may take risks they would normally avoid: driving when they should not, mixing codeine with alcohol, taking a larger dose than usual, or using codeine in a situation where it is clearly unsafe. They may also be less able to judge the risks of other things, such as crossing a busy road, or trusting a stranger, or making a financial decision. The danger is not that they want to take risks. It is that the part of the brain that normally says “stop, think, this could go wrong” is quieter than it should be.
Young people are especially vulnerable here, because the prefrontal cortex is still developing into the mid-twenties, and it is the last part of the brain to mature. Adding codeine to a brain that is still learning how to judge risk is a serious combination, and it is one reason health professionals are particularly concerned about opioid use in teenagers and young adults. The decisions made in those years, about driving, about work, about relationships, about money, can shape a life, and making them with a dulled sense of judgement is a risk that deserves to be taken seriously.
Confusion and Mental Fog
Confusion is a step beyond fog. Fog is when thinking is slow and effortful. Confusion is when thinking becomes unreliable: a person loses track of where they are, what day it is, or what they were doing, and they may not realise that they are confused. Codeine can cause this, especially in larger amounts, in older people, or when it is mixed with other drugs or with illness and dehydration. The confusion may come and go, worse at night, better in the morning, which makes it harder to recognise as a drug effect.
Family members are often the first to notice confusion. They see a loved one repeating the same question, getting lost on a familiar route, putting things in strange places, or saying things that do not make sense. The person themselves may be unaware, or may become upset when the confusion is pointed out, because it is frightening to be told that your mind is not working properly. That distress is real, and it deserves kindness, but the confusion itself is a warning sign that should not be ignored, because it can be a sign that the dose is too high, that the drug is building up in the body, or that something else, such as an infection or dehydration, is adding to the problem.
Mental fog also affects mood. A person living in a fog often feels frustrated, low and irritable, because the world keeps demanding clear thinking and they cannot provide it. They may withdraw from conversation, because following a conversation is exhausting, or from work, because work requires the very skills that are dulled. That withdrawal can look like depression, and indeed the two often go together: codeine use is linked with low mood, and low mood makes the fog feel worse. Breaking the cycle is hard while the drug is still being used, because the drug is part of what maintains the fog.
There is also a specific kind of confusion that comes when codeine is stopped suddenly after regular use. The brain, which has adapted to the drug, has to readjust, and during that adjustment a person may feel anxious, restless, sweaty and unable to sleep, with their thoughts racing and their mood low. This is withdrawal, and it is a sign of dependence, not of weakness. It is also a reason why stopping codeine should be done with medical support and a plan, rather than suddenly and alone, because a planned reduction is safer and more likely to succeed.
The Brain Over Months and Years
Over months and years, the brain changes caused by codeine can become more settled. The reward system, which should respond to everyday pleasures, a good meal, a laugh with a friend, a walk in fresh air, becomes less responsive, because it has been trained to expect the stronger reward of the drug. Everyday pleasures feel flat by comparison, and the person may lose interest in things they once enjoyed. This is not a character change. It is the brain’s chemistry adapting to a drug, and it is one of the saddest effects of long-term opioid use, because it takes away the very things that make life worth living.
The brain’s ability to learn and remember can also decline over time, especially if use is heavy and continuous. Studies of people who use opioids over many years find that they tend to perform worse on tests of memory, attention and planning than people of the same age who do not use them, and the gap grows with the length and amount of use. This does not mean that every person who uses codeine will develop serious problems, and it does not mean the damage is always permanent, but it does mean that the longer the use continues, the more the brain has to recover from when the drug is stopped.
Recovery is possible, and it is real, but it takes time. When codeine is stopped, the brain has to relearn how to produce its own dopamine, how to sleep normally, how to focus without the drug, and that relearning does not happen overnight. The first weeks can feel worse, because withdrawal brings anxiety, poor sleep and low mood, and many people worry that they have damaged their brain permanently. In most cases, thinking does improve over weeks and months, as the brain’s chemistry slowly returns towards normal. Memory, attention and mood usually get better, although the improvement is gradual, and it is helped by good sleep, regular activity, and support from other people.
The key point is that the brain is not a fixed machine that, once damaged, stays damaged. It is a living organ that can adapt and recover, given time and the right conditions. But recovery is much easier when the drug is stopped early, before years of heavy use have built up, and that is why early help matters so much. Every month without codeine is a month in which the brain can start to heal, and the sooner that healing starts, the more complete it is likely to be.
Mood, Sleep and Everyday Life
Codeine and mood are closely linked, and the link runs in both directions. People who feel anxious or low are more likely to use codeine, because it can feel calming in the moment, and people who use codeine regularly are more likely to become anxious or low over time, because the drug disturbs the brain’s chemistry. In the short term, a dose can feel like relief from stress. In the longer term, the cycle of doses wearing off and the mood dropping between them adds to overall anxiety, and the person ends up feeling worse, not better, even though each dose feels like it helps.
Sleep is part of the same story. Codeine makes people drowsy, but the sleep it produces is not refreshing. It reduces deep sleep, it can cause vivid or disturbing dreams, and it can make a person wake up often during the night. Poor sleep then makes mood worse, attention worse and judgement worse the next day, and the person may take another dose to cope with the tiredness, which makes the next night’s sleep worse again. It is a cycle that is hard to break while the drug is still being used, and it is one of the reasons people who use codeine often look and feel exhausted, even when they have spent many hours in bed.
Everyday life shrinks under these effects. Work becomes harder, relationships become strained, and the small pleasures of life, a conversation, a meal, a walk, lose their colour. A person may start to organise their day around codeine: when the next dose is due, how to get more, how to hide the use from others. That organisation takes time and energy, and it leaves less for everything else. Family members notice the change, and they may feel hurt or confused, not understanding why the person they love seems distant, forgetful or irritable. The truth is often simpler and sadder than they imagine: the person’s brain is busy coping with a drug, and there is less of them left for the rest of life.
The way out of this is not willpower alone. It is support, and a plan, and time. Talking to a doctor, or to a drug support service, can open the way to a safe reduction, to help with sleep and mood, and to the slow rebuilding of the brain’s normal chemistry. It is not easy, and it is not quick, but it is possible, and many people who have stopped codeine say that the return of clear thinking, of real sleep, and of interest in everyday life, was the most rewarding part of stopping. The brain, given the chance, wants to work properly, and it will, if the drug is taken out of the way.
My Take:
I want to be honest about what strikes me most about codeine, and it is how ordinary it looks. Codeine is not a drug that most people picture when they think of addiction. It comes in a packet from a pharmacy, it is given for a cough or for pain, and it has a respectable, medical feel to it. That respectability is part of the danger, because it makes the brain effects easy to dismiss. A person who is forgetful, foggy and slow to react does not look like someone with a drug problem. They look like someone who is tired, or stressed, or getting older, and that is exactly how the problem hides. I think that is why codeine deserves a plain, honest article like this one: because the harm is real, but the drug looks harmless, and that gap is where people get hurt.
The fog is the part I keep coming back to. I have tried to imagine what it feels like to live in a fog that never quite lifts, where every thought takes effort, where words hide just out of reach, where a simple plan feels like a puzzle. It sounds exhausting, and it sounds lonely, because the people around you cannot see the fog. They see you being slow, or forgetful, or careless, and they judge what they see. They do not see the effort you are putting in just to think clearly. I think that loneliness is one of the worst parts of codeine’s effect on the brain. It separates a person from their own mind, and then it separates them from other people, because the very skills they need to connect, attention, memory, clear speech, are the skills the drug has dulled.
Judgement is the part that worries me most, because it is the part that can cause harm to others as well as to the person using the drug. A slowed reaction while driving, a hasty decision about money, a risk taken without thinking, these are not small things. They can change a life in a second, and the person who made the decision may not even understand afterwards why they made it. I do not think people who use codeine are reckless by nature. I think their brains are being asked to judge risk with a system that the drug has quieted, and that is a dangerous combination. The part of the brain that should say “wait, this could go wrong” is the part that codeine affects most, and that is a fact worth knowing before anyone takes the drug regularly.
I am also struck by how codeine steals pleasure. The brain’s reward system is meant to respond to the small good things in life: a meal, a laugh, a walk, a child’s smile. Codeine pushes that system so hard that everyday pleasures stop registering. Food tastes flat, jokes are not funny, a walk feels like a chore. That is a terrible trade, and it is one that people do not expect when they first take codeine for pain. They expect the pain to ease, and it does, but they do not expect the rest of life to lose its colour as well. I think that loss of pleasure is one of the reasons people keep using codeine even when it is harming them: the drug has become the only thing that still feels good, and giving it up feels like giving up the last source of pleasure, even though the opposite is true. When the drug is stopped, the pleasures come back, slowly, but they do come back, and that return is one of the best reasons to stop.
Young people are the group I worry about most with codeine, because their brains are still developing, and because codeine is so easy to get hold of. A teenager who takes codeine for a cough, or who is offered it by a friend, may have no idea that it can change how they think, learn and judge risk. Their brain is still building the very systems that codeine affects, and the damage done in those years can be harder to undo. I think young people deserve clear, honest information about this, not a lecture, but a plain explanation of what the drug does to the brain, so they can make an informed choice. I also think parents and teachers deserve that information, so they can recognise the signs, foggy thinking, falling grades, poor judgement, and ask the right questions early.
The variation in how people process codeine is something I think more people should know about. The fact that one person’s body turns a normal dose into a strong dose of morphine, while another person’s body barely converts it at all, means that codeine is unpredictable in a way that many medicines are not. A dose that is safe for one person can be dangerous for another, and there is no easy way to know in advance which group you are in. That unpredictability is a good reason to be cautious, and it is a good reason to follow medical guidance closely, rather than taking extra doses when the first one does not seem to work. Taking more because you feel nothing is exactly how people get into trouble with this drug.
I want to say something about the people who use codeine and feel ashamed of it. Shame is a heavy burden, and it keeps people from asking for help. I do not think shame helps anyone. Codeine dependence is not a moral failing. It is a brain adapting to a drug, in exactly the way brains are built to adapt, and it can happen to anyone, including people who took the drug exactly as prescribed. The right response to dependence is not blame, but help: a doctor, a support service, a plan to reduce safely, and time to recover. I think anyone who has become dependent on codeine deserves that help, and deserves it without judgement, because the brain effects I have described are not a punishment. They are a medical problem, and medical problems deserve medical help.
Recovery gives me hope, and I think it should give hope to anyone reading this. The brain can recover from codeine, given time. Thinking gets clearer, memory improves, attention returns, mood lifts, and the small pleasures of life start to register again. The recovery is not instant, and the first weeks can be hard, with poor sleep and low mood, but it does happen, and it is worth the wait. I have heard people who stopped opioids describe the return of clear thinking as like a fog lifting, and that image stays with me. The fog is not permanent. It lifts, if the drug is stopped and the brain is given time to heal. That is a hopeful message, and it is one I want anyone who is worried about codeine to hear.
I also think about the families, because they are often the ones who notice first and who suffer most. A partner who watches a loved one become foggy, forgetful and distant, a parent who watches a child lose interest in school, a friend who watches someone they care about make hasty decisions, all of them are living with the brain effects of codeine too, even though they never took the drug. I think families deserve information and support as well, and I think they should be told that what they are seeing is real, that it is caused by the drug, and that it can improve when the drug is stopped. That knowledge does not fix everything, but it replaces confusion and blame with understanding, and understanding makes it easier to help.
Finally, I would say this to anyone who is considering taking codeine regularly, or who is already taking it: pay attention to your brain. Notice whether your thinking is slower, whether your memory is worse, whether your attention drifts, whether your decisions are hastier than they used to be. Those are not small things, and they are not just tiredness. They are your brain telling you that the drug is affecting it, and they deserve to be taken seriously. Talk to a doctor about what you notice, and do not be embarrassed to do so. A doctor has heard it before, and a simple conversation can lead to a change in dose, a change in medicine, or a plan to stop, any of which can protect your brain. Your thinking, your memory and your judgement are precious, and they are worth protecting. Codeine may ease pain, but it should not be allowed to quietly take away the very things that make you who you are.
I would add one last thought, about the simplest test of all. If you cannot remember what you did yesterday, if you cannot follow a conversation without losing track, if you cannot plan a simple day without forgetting the steps, then something is wrong, and it is worth finding out what. It may be codeine, it may be poor sleep, it may be something else entirely, but it is worth a conversation with a health professional. The brain is the most important thing you own, and it deserves care. Do not wait for the fog to become so thick that you cannot see your way out of it. Ask for help early, and give your brain the chance to clear.
There is one more thing I want to say plainly, about work and about the people who depend on clear thinking to earn a living. A driver, a machine operator, a teacher, a nurse, a shopkeeper, all of them need a brain that reacts quickly and judges wisely, and codeine takes the edge off both. I have thought about the driver who believes he is fine to drive because he feels awake, when his reactions are in fact slowed, and about the worker who makes a mistake with a machine because his attention drifted for a second. These are not stories about bad people. They are stories about good people whose brains were slowed by a drug they trusted, and who did not realise how much had changed until something went wrong. If your work needs a clear head, that is a reason to talk to a doctor about codeine, not a reason to hide the problem. A change in medicine, a lower dose, or a plan to stop, can protect not only your health but your livelihood, and the people who work beside you.
I also think about the student who sits in class and cannot keep up, not because the work is too hard, but because the drug has made learning harder. That student may be told to try harder, or to pay more attention, when the real problem is chemical, not a lack of effort. Trying harder does not fix a fogged brain, and being told to try harder only adds shame to the problem. What that student needs is someone to notice the change, to ask kindly what has changed, and to help them get medical advice. Learning is one of the most important things a young person does, and anything that quietly makes learning harder deserves to be named and dealt with, early, before a year of study is lost to a drug that looked harmless.
One last point, about asking for help. I know that walking into a doctor’s surgery and saying that a medicine you were given for pain or a cough has started to affect your thinking feels difficult, and I know that many people worry they will be judged, or that the medicine will simply be taken away without anything to replace it. A doctor can listen, can check what is happening, can change the dose or the medicine, and can arrange support for stopping safely, with a plan that takes account of the pain or the cough that codeine was treating in the first place. You do not have to have all the answers before you go. You only have to describe what you have noticed, honestly, and let the professional help you work out the next step. That first conversation is often the hardest part, and it is also the part that makes everything else possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if Codeine is causing weaker problem solving?
Speak to a qualified health professional and describe exactly what you have noticed, such as finding it hard to solve problems, follow steps or remember instructions. Do not stop codeine suddenly on your own, because withdrawal can be unpleasant and unsafe; a doctor can plan a safe reduction, review whether another medicine would suit you better, and check for other causes. Support services can also help with stopping and with rebuilding concentration over time.
How soon can poor judgement in risky moments appear after using Codeine?
Poor judgement can appear within days of regular use, because codeine slows thinking and dulls the brain’s ability to weigh consequences from the first doses. The effect is usually strongest in the hours after a dose, when drowsiness is at its peak, but with regular use it can become a more constant background problem. The longer and more heavily codeine is used, the more likely hasty, risky decisions become.
Who is most at risk of poor judgement in risky moments from Codeine?
Teenagers and young adults are at high risk, because the part of the brain that judges risk is still developing. Older people are also at risk, because they are more sensitive to drowsiness and confusion. People who use larger amounts, who mix codeine with alcohol or other sedatives, and people who are tired, ill or dehydrated face extra risk, because all of these make the brain’s judgement weaker.
Can Codeine really cause decisions made too quickly?
Yes, it can. Codeine slows the brain and weakens the prefrontal cortex, the area that helps you pause, weigh options and foresee consequences. When that area is dulled, decisions are made more quickly and with less thought, and the person may agree to things, spend money or take risks they would normally avoid. This is a recognised effect of opioids on the brain, not a lack of character.
Is attention that drifts easily from Codeine dangerous?
It can be, especially in situations that need steady attention, such as driving, operating machinery, looking after children or working at height. A drifting attention means hazards are missed and mistakes are made, and the person may not notice the lapse themselves. If attention problems are affecting work, driving or safety, that is a clear reason to speak to a health professional promptly.
Does trouble planning ahead from Codeine go away after stopping?
In most cases it improves, though it takes time. When codeine is stopped with medical support, the brain gradually relearns how to focus, hold plans in mind and work through steps in order. Thinking is often worse in the first weeks because of withdrawal and poor sleep, but over weeks and months most people find their planning and concentration get better. The earlier codeine is stopped, the more complete the recovery is likely to be.
Sources
- National Institute on Drug Abuse — https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/opioids
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration — https://www.dea.gov/drug-information
- Mayo Clinic, Drug addiction — https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-causes/syc-20365112
- World Health Organization, Substance abuse — https://www.who.int/health-topics/substance-abuse
- NHS, Drug addiction: getting help — https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/drug-addiction-getting-help/
This article is general information only. It is not medical advice. If you are worried about your health or about someone else, speak to a qualified health professional.
