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Can someone please explain codeine tolerance to me?

Mr Blonde

Mr Blonde

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
13,811
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Ok, a little background info first:

I usually get affected more by psychoactives then other people. I have a relatively low BMI, not that much muscle mass (:( ), plus when it comes to codeine I have the suspicion that I might be in that small percentage of the population that has slightly more of the enzyme that converts codeine to morphine.

I was going through a bad place a while back, and picked up a codeine addiction. At the peak of this addiction, my tolerance was over 800mgs. I was only getting the effects I used to get at 240mgs, plus I was keeping withdrawal at bay.

However, codeine is supposed to have a ceiling effect; over a certain amount, your liver can't convert any more of a dose into morphine.

My question is: how did I get such a high tolerance when there is a ceiling effect? When I was increasing doses and my tolerance wasn't so bad, I was noticing better effects at say, 600mgs then at 400mgs.

Could my liver, adjusting to the physical addiction, have begun converting more of my dose into morphine?
 
It is possible that your liver is sending some of the codeine through your system without converting it to morphine in the first place - unless you are getting more of a buzz on the same amount there is no reason to think it is converting MORE of it. And everyone is different when it comes to any drug concerning their metabolism, reactions, tolerance, etc. - especially when it comes to codeine. Codeine tends to lose it's euphoria after a while anyway and that is most likely why you are not getting a buzz - that ceiling effect you are talking about, your body is probably used to the maximum you can get from codeine so you simply aren't getting enough of it converted to get you off, even though you may not have reached that yet. Don't keep increasing the dosage, as even though you may not feel it now you are taxing your liver *ESPECIALLY* if there is APAP (Tylenol) mixed with the codeine. It is not the safest drug to use in high doses.

EDIT: I also have my own theory on the ceiling effect - that it is BS. I believe you just develop a tolerance more rapidly than with other substances. Reading that you are more sensitive to psychoactives, consider yourself a lucky one that you have been able to have fun with what most people consider a weak opiate.
 
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Just to clarify, I gave codeine a break and went through all the withdrawals and everything. When I do use codeine now, it's usually around the 400mg mark, and I don't use it often enough any more to get a tolerance.

What I meant was, as I was beginning to develop a tolerance, I bumped up my dose and definitely noticed more euphoria. And these doses were way over 400mgs.
 
Sorry, kinda misunderstood there ... well, as with any substance still, YMMV, and like I said you may not have reached your maximum dosage yet, if there is one. The reason why I think there isn't is because you said you would bump your dosage from 400 to 600 - that is a relatively large increase in dosage ( 50% ), so while you are still getting an extra buzz from it you are already seeing the decrease in the breakdown of the codeine in your liver because it requires so much more substance to get the same high. I'm sure you remember the days when 30 or 60mg extra would make you feel nice, right?

So I guess I do think that the ceiling effect is in play a little, but it is different in everyone. Well this is all theory anyway, so take it for what it's worth. I'm just trying to sort this out using logic.
 
the amount of enzyme you have controls the ceiling dose for you.

so if your sensitive to opiates but have little enzyme, you may get high off 100mg originally but when u get a tolerance and start having more, your max effects will be reached at 350mgs (example)

or you may be tolerant to opiates and start off at 400mg, and when u start taking more u find that u get increased effects up to 700mg, where it tapers off.

so basically everybodys tolerances and effects are different, and so is their ceiling doses. make sense?
 
^^

Yeah, I think I understand. My 'ceiling dose' is quite possibly different to other people's and therefore my tolerance was able to increase within that range.

Cool. :)

Thanks for the replies!
 
There is a ceiling dosage ONLY for conversion to Morphine.
Above some level, it won't be converted to Morphine anymore.
But Morphine is not the only thing that gets you high with Codeine.

For instance I don't think there is a ceiling level for Codeine for conversion to codeine-6-glucuronide, which in high doses may get you high.

That's why you get higher even if you take more than the ceiling dosage.
 
damn 800 mg 600 wow.. when i fucked with codeine 3-4 t3's had my buzzing like an artichoke
 
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