Codeine NHS warning over ‘unpleasant’ side effect for more than 1 in 100 people View Image

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 a

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