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How To Control Addiction To Codeine Based Cough Syrup?
my brother was addicted to codeine based cough syrup since age 16 and after 3 years abuse he was in rehab for 6 months .he is also suffering from some mental illness where he hallucinates and hears voices and is sometimes etremely violent and negative.he is on oleanz 10 and skizoril25(clozapine) and also bexol dt(Trihexyphenidyl) prescribed by psychologist a year back.he is now back to using the cough syrup and is not able to fulfil daily and social obligations.Please suggest how i may help him .
Tue, 29 Nov 2016
Hi,
Thanks for writing to us,
Individuals with mental illnesses are prone to having substance addictions. The presence of an addiction in the past has a chance of relapse anytime during their life time. What your son is going through now is a relapse of his codeine addiction. Every relapse has to be dealt with as a new challenge. He would need to see his psychiatrist and undergo detoxification and rehabilitation as he did in the previous episode. Since he is also on antipsychotics like oleanz and skizoril, he also has a chance of having a relapse of the mental illness he is being treated for. You need to watch out for the hallucinations and violent behavior as well. It is advisable to see his psychiatrist at the earliest.
Hope your query is answered.
Dr Anjana Rao Kavoor
Thanks for writing to us,
Individuals with mental illnesses are prone to having substance addictions. The presence of an addiction in the past has a chance of relapse anytime during their life time. What your son is going through now is a relapse of his codeine addiction. Every relapse has to be dealt with as a new challenge. He would need to see his psychiatrist and undergo detoxification and rehabilitation as he did in the previous episode. Since he is also on antipsychotics like oleanz and skizoril, he also has a chance of having a relapse of the mental illness he is being treated for. You need to watch out for the hallucinations and violent behavior as well. It is advisable to see his psychiatrist at the earliest.
Hope your query is answered.
Dr Anjana Rao Kavoor
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