A well-known and widely used pain relief medication, Paracod is also known as Paracetamol or Codeine. Paracod works by blocking the signals in the brain that create feelings of pain and is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is also used to treat severe cough as it can suppress the cough reflex in the brain.
Paracod is often prescribed as a substitute for morphine or codeine. When it is used as a painkiller, Paracod is known to be nearly as potent as morphine. If used to treat cough, Paracod can deliver even stronger relief than codeine.
Abuses of Paracod
As an opiate, Paracod is a Schedule II controlled substance as it has a high abuse liability. Despite its similarities to morphine, codeine and other related opiates, Paracod is structurally distinct. It alters the perception of pain in the spinal cord and central nervous system, but has no effect on nerve endings. It does trigger the brain’s pleasure centers while blocking the pain, which intensifies its ability to generate an addiction.
Patients and other users of Paracod can quickly build a tolerance for the drug and require more to achieve the desired effect. Signs of dependency and abuse include a strong desire or need to continue taking more of the medicine; a need to increase the dose to maintain the effects of the medicine; and withdrawal symptoms occurring after the patient stops taking the medication.
Effects of Paracod
As with any medication, Paracod can produce specific side effects, which can be apparent within 10 to 15 minutes after it is ingested and will typically last anywhere from two to four hours. Effects are similar to that of morphine and codeine, although Paracod tends to deliver sedation, respiratory depression and euphoria that are less intense than morphine.
Paracod is known to produce specific effects in individuals, including, shallow breathing, slow heartbeat; feeling light-headed, fainting; confusion, fear, unusual thoughts or behavior; seizure (convulsions); problems with urination; or nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools and jaundice.
Withdrawal of Paracod
The abrupt cessation of Paracod, especially for an individual who has taken the medication for a long time or in excessive doses, can cause a range of unpleasant and dangerous symptoms. Cessation of Paracod will immediately lead to withdrawal, which is similar to heroin withdrawal.
The symptoms associated with the withdrawal from Paracod can include but are not limited to:
Treatment of Paracod Addiction
Paracod withdrawal has been known to deliver potentially dangerous and uncomfortable symptoms, making it important that an individual never try to stop the medication on their own. Instead, addicts should seek care from a board-certified physician and board-certified addiction psychiatrist to ensure the individual rids their body of the drug completely and has a better chance of staying off the drug in the future.
A center that offers 24/7 treatment with comfortable detox is highly recommended. A quality center will use withdrawal medications during comfortable detox for those suffering with a Paracod addiction. This method is used to correct the chemical imbalances in the individual and should be combined with psychological evaluations and other medical care.