The night started out with the acquisition of several Panadeine Forte prescription pills, each containing 30mg of codeine and 500mg of paracetamol (acetaminophen); having taken four I went downstairs, downed all four with a glass of water and went into my bedroom with the lights off to wait for the effects.
Codeine
Well-documented
Well-documented
Multiple authoritative sources agree on dosing and effects.
- 6 corroborating sources
- 1 ROA with full dose ladder
- duration data present
- 19 combo interactions documented
- PubChem toxicity data
Well-documented
Multiple authoritative sources agree on dosing and effects.
- 6 corroborating sources
- 1 ROA with full dose ladder
- duration data present
- 19 combo interactions documented
- PubChem toxicity data
Aliases: Act, Dmo, Dex, Lean, Purp
Summary
Codeine (also known as 3-Methylmorphine) is a naturally-occurring opioid substance of the morphinan class found in extracts of the poppy, particularly Papaver bracteatum. Members of this group produce effects such as sedation, cough suppression, and euphoria when administered. Codeine is the second most predominant alkaloid in opium (up to three percent).
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 50-100mg | 100-150mg | 150-200mg | 200mg+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Comeup | Peak | Offset | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 20-45 min | 30-60 min | 1-2 hrs | 2-4 hrs | 3-6 hrs |
Opioid MME Calculator
⚠ Citation & Disclaimer:
Conversion factors sourced from the
NIH HEAL Initiative MME Calculator (Adams et al., PAIN 2025),
the CDC 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain,
and the MDCalc MME Calculator.
These are approximate equianalgesic ratios for educational reference only.
Individual responses vary significantly based on genetics, tolerance, cross-tolerance, and route of administration.
This is not medical advice. Do not use these conversions to adjust opioid dosing without professional medical guidance.
mg
66.7
mg
Codeine
≈
—
mg
Morphine
| Substance | Equivalent Dose | MME Factor |
|---|
⚠ Equianalgesic dose ratios are approximations and do not account for genetic factors, tolerance, incomplete cross-tolerance, or pharmacokinetic variations. Methadone conversion is especially variable at higher doses. Always consult a healthcare provider before making any changes to opioid therapy.
Effect Profile
260 reportsScores (1–10) curated from multiple sources:
- Effect keyword matching from PsychonautWiki catalog
- Validated against 198 Erowid trip reports
- Weighted by importance: core (×3), major (×2), minor (×1)
Opioid
8.3
Intense
8/10
Strong euphoria, pain relief, itching/nausea, and sedation
Euphoria / Warmth
×3
10
physical euphoria
cognitive euphoria
euphoria
mood lift
Analgesia
×2
10
pain relief
analgesia
Sedation / Relaxation
×1
8
sedation
physical relaxation
Itching / Nausea
×1
10
nausea
constipation
dry mouth
Based on reports from:
Tolerance
Build-up
develops within days of regular use; analgesic tolerance faster than respiratory depression tolerance
Reset
7–14 days for partial reset; full reset may take weeks — tolerance loss greatly increases overdose risk
Tolerance Decay
Full tolerance
5d
Half tolerance
7d
Baseline
~14d
Acute tolerance: develops within a single session — the reset numbers above apply after sustained heavy use, not after one binge. Within-session tachyphylaxis usually resets largely overnight.
Opioid tolerance builds rapidly with near-daily use and decays over weeks. Loss of tolerance after short breaks markedly increases overdose risk if returning to prior ‘pour’ sizes. Data are approximate and largely based on general opioid patterns rather than promethazine/codeine–specific studies.
Cross-Tolerances
Effects
Aggregated from 198 Erowid and 62 Bluelight experience reports
Positive Effects 48
Contentment
58.0%
85%
Euphoria
46.4%
87%
Sedation
37.1%
88%
Anxiety Suppression
26.2%
85%
Heaviness
26.0%
85%
Warmth
26.0%
91%
Music Enhancement
25.8%
86%
Drowsiness
24.0%
85%
Thought Deceleration
22.0%
78%
Empathy
21.0%
78%
Time Dilation
20.0%
80%
Peace
20.0%
84%
Vivid Dreams
18.0%
83%
Stimulation
17.3%
70%
Body High
16.5%
88%
Numbness
14.0%
79%
Bliss
12.0%
88%
Relaxation
12.0%
89%
Focus Enhancement
10.9%
70%
Hypersomnia
10.0%
88%
Adverse Effects 40
Itching
42.0%
89%
Nausea
30.6%
85%
Dizziness
18.0%
81%
Dry Mouth
18.0%
81%
Tactile Enhancement
14.9%
83%
Confusion
14.1%
70%
Hot Flashes
14.0%
89%
Vomiting
12.0%
88%
Headache
10.1%
78%
Body Load
10.0%
74%
Stomach Cramps
8.0%
82%
Memory Suppression
6.1%
70%
Panic
6.0%
87%
Disrupted Sleep Architecture
6.0%
83%
Ataxia
6.0%
85%
Sweating
4.0%
86%
Flushing
4.0%
88%
Paranoia
4.0%
85%
Fear
4.0%
88%
Patterning
4.0%
78%
Combinations
Cross-Check Codeine with another substanceCommunity Trip Reports
Anecdotal first-person accounts from Reddit, Erowid, and Bluelight. Click a source to expand. Reports are harm-reduction context, not medical guidance.
Erowid 8 reports 3 positive 3 neutral 2 cautionary visit
Ah, codeine! What a beautiful drug it is. I realise that there are many people who look down on those who use codeine as a recreational drug because it is such a 'soft-core drug', but I'm here to say that it certainly does have potential to make for a very, very relaxing and euphoric high.
Let me say that my drug/s of choice have always been opioids. (At least since I discovered them) and my favorite amongst them has been codeine. (I live in India, the only other real choice is heroin, since they dont sell the oxycodones and hydrocodones here, though there are some milder choices like tramadol) But I lo...
Ive been using codeine recreationally for upwards of 13 years now on and off. My initial exposure to it was through my mother who happens to be a nurse, I was about 14 and had a pounding migraine nothing was touching and my mom, being the caring person she is, gave me a Tylenol 2 to help.
My younger brother got prescribed a bottle of Codeine Phosphate solution after he got his tonsils taken out, but my mother didn't give him any because she assumed he was too young to take it, being 6 at the time.
My story with opiates begins when I was 12. I had a hernia surgery, asked for a painkiller afterwards, and got morphine (IV)... I remember getting scared when I saw the label on the syringe...
A Feeling of Calm Background: I'm a fairly light 'drugs user' and drinker. I'm a 17 year old male and smoke roughly 10 cigarettes a week. Past experimentation has been with psilocybin (magic mushrooms), caffeine (over dose), marijuana and Hawaiian baby wood rose seeds.
This is the story of my experiences with my favorite drug, codeine, and in particular, my only serious overdose. I first experimented with darvocet after I got a prescription due to problems with my sciatic nerve and extreme lower back pain.
Bluelight 8 threads 7 neutral 1 cautionary visit
Well let me start by saying that this shit is fucking awesome. I got prescribed tylenol 3 for my wisdom tooth extraction and after seeing that it was a prescription for codeine I was thrilled. I am not a user of opiates so I had no idea what it would be like.
Yesterday, I had a very long dream about using codeine recreationally, as I have been very interested in opiates recently, and I'd like to see what everyone thinks about this.
A few months ago, a good friend from France sent me a message on Facebook and told me that he is gonna spend a day in the city where Im living. I was very glad to hear that because I havent seen him for quite a while.
Codeine ~ Semi-Exp ~ Everything In Its Right Place [kat's first trip report] Date of experience: 23/07/04 Substances consumed: Codeine - Pandeine Forte tablets x6 - total 180mg Also coming to the party - Nitrous Alcohol Phenergan (antihistamine) x2 I have used codeine on probably 6 - 8 occasions in the past, up to a do...
Codeine ~ Semi-Exp ~ Everything In Its Right Place [kat's first trip report] Date of experience: 23/07/04 Substances consumed: Codeine - Pandeine Forte tablets x6 - total 180mg Also coming to the party - Nitrous Alcohol Phenergan (antihistamine) x2 I have used codeine on probably 6 - 8 occasions in the past, up to a do...
Just sweet sweet Codeine (153.6mg ingested incrementally) I have tried all sorts of drugs and my only experience with opiates/codeine was having two Panadiene Forte tablets (60mg codeine) on one occasion when I had razors down my throat (not really, just a fucking sore throat).
Amount taken 3000mgs of codeine or 91 32 mg tablets pure codeine all broken in half and swallowed in one gulp Effects start happening around an hour i thought it was 20 minutes but now its later i realise it was more like an hour then i laid down felt quite good i put some music on and stupidly started dancing as i do...
Codeine - It truly takes 5 exp/times to enjoy My 5 th time tonite. What started off looking like my 4th time a bad trip, came out to be a fine sensation. The onset of a black out / paranoia about a loss of consciiousness as stated in the overdose section of the med booklet was taken under control by aproching the feeli...
Pill Identifiers
10
known pill identifiers on record — view imprints, colors, shapes, and images
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Codeine's nerd page
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Helpful Links
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