The innocuous Cough syrup that usually acts immediately when one has a common cold or bad cough in providing relief to us , can  also become addictive if taken in unnatural amounts for a long enough period time.

The addictive component is the derivative of codeine or of opioid origin.

This requires a doctor’s prescription to obtain from the pharmacy.

The normal medical dose is 5-10ml a day about two or three times as advised by the physician.

Common brand names- Phensedyl, Corex etc.

If taken in large quantities it gives a drowsy feeling , buzzed out throughout the day which is then enjoyed by the person who is using it.

Quantities taken can be several bottles of 100ml or 50ml orally per day.

Side effects- Perspiration, insomnia, dryness of mouth, weight loss, lack of appetite, overt drowsiness, respiratory depression, pain in stomach, constipation, headache, dizziness, nausea , vomiting, anxiety, pancreatitis, Itchiness of skin, lowered blood pressure.

Long term effects of addiction – Insomnia, anxiety, nightmares, liver damage, physical pain, seizures, motor tremors, coma, death, multiple organ damage

Overdose– can result in – Pin point pupils, heaviness in chest, Unconsciousness, cyanosis (blueness around the lips and nail beds) , difficulty in breathing due to respiratory distress, Chest pain, sluggish pulse rate, vomiting, fatigue that is extreme.

Treatment

This involves stopping the substance to begin with . This can give rise to withdrawal symptoms that can be as follows-

Insomnia, stomach cramps, headaches, muscle pains, diarrhea, lack of appetite, rapid heartbeat, lachrymation, runny nose, yawning, heaviness in head, nausea, vomiting.

The period of Detoxification enables the individual seeking help to get beyond the withdrawals.

Treatment involves residential stay at a rehabilitation center  for about 8-12 weeks in an accepting loving compassionate ambience. Treatment is of the addictive traits in the person and the inability to manage and deal with emotions that make the person doing the only thing they know to cope  ie of using

Meditative techniques that are psychotherapeutic enable the client to relax, calm own, and bring to the fore suppressed and repressed emotions stored in the cellular memory. Counseling , sharing, writing and various alternate therapies facilitate in helping the client go beyond using to understanding oneself and living life fully without finding the need to use.

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