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Opioids Isnt combining more opiates the same as taking more of just 1 opiate..?

EEhouseEE

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 20, 2010
Messages
425
Location
Canada
Ive always read that people say combining say 2 opiates like oxycodone and codeine is alot more dangerous and is not a smart thing..but when you think about it, wouldnt combiining 2 didffetent opiates be the same bad as just taking a higher dose of just 1 opiate. Say your usual oxy dose was 20mg and you decided to do that 20mg along with 300mg codeine. Now wouldnt this just be the same bad and equivalent as taking just like 30mg of oxycodone. All im trying to say is its not really a big deal if you combine opiates as long as you do less doses with each, recently ive seen people wayy overexgaerrate about how dangerous when you combine opiates no matter the case, they just say its dangerous and should never be done...I really dont think its thaat dangerous, anyone else agree? as long as of course you do a smaller dose.

And the main reason iam asking this is because tomorrow I plan on doing both oxycodone and codeine. Usual oxy dose is 30mg and codeine 200mg. Tomorrow I will try 20mg oxycodone with 200mg codeine i doubt it will be anything dangerous...hopefully going to get a niceee nod though haha
 
I have never heard people saying that it's more dangerous to combine 2 different opiates.

Also, most chronic pain patients are prescribed multiple opiates. MsContin and oxycodone is a common combination for pain patients, as is Opana and oxycodone, HydromorphContin and oxycodone, etc...
 
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Maybe the context in which it can be dangerous is if people don't really realize there is an additive effect and might think that they can take their maximum amount of one opioid and then add another opioid on top (which I have seen posts about). That's the only real danger, that they are both opioids so it's not like taking 2 different drugs means you can safely take more total. When taking 2 different opioids at the same time you'd want to sufficiently reduce your normal dose of one or both.

Different people are affected very differently by different drugs, the published conversions are just averages, so I think it would be wisest to try an even smaller dose your first time combining these drugs. If separately you would normally take oxy dose is 30mg oxycodone or 200mg codeine, do you feel anything from 200mg codeine?
 
Combining 2 opioids is not always the same as taking more of one opioid.

The problem you run into is some opioids will potentiate each other (because they either slow the metabolism of each other, or because they bind to other targets that produce other effects). Taking 10mg of oxycodone and 100mg of codeine won't be the same as taking 200mg of codiene or 20mg of oxycodone. It may be closer to 25mg of very itchy oxycodone, or it could be equivalent to only 17.5mg worth.

Basically, effects from combining multiple drugs are not always additive. Unless you would be OK with getting sick or uncomfortably high, try to err on the side of taking less, not more. And do not forget to account for the fact that some opioids like codeine are very prone to side effects (itching, rashes etc) than other ones.

The reason opioid "cocktails" are discouraged is because individual variability is too much of a factor. Everyone resonds differently to drus, so by intrioducing more drtugs you simply introduce more possibility for error.
 
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