Taking codeine recreationally while on nortriptyline

[SL107]

Hi everyone. I have taken small doses of codeine recreationally a few times in the past and really enjoyed the buzz. Since then I started getting bad migraines (I'm not suggesting there's any connection, by the way) and my doctor put me on 50mg per day of nortriptyline (a tricyclic antidepressant) as a migraine preventative. Lately I have started to fancy a codeine buzz again but can't find any information on what affect, if any, the nortriptyline will have on the codeine. I am normally quite susceptible to drugs and used to get a nice buzz of as little as 30mg of codeine. Does anyone know whether the slightly sedative effect of the nortriptyline in my body means that I should drop the codeine dose even lower, or not. I don't want to just fall asleep and miss the buzz! Would there be any interaction between the two?

I also have a quantity of naratriptan hydrochloride 2.5mg (also on prescription for migraines) and would be interested to know if there is a recreational use for them as well as their "legitimate" use.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Oxide]

Welcome to Bluelight SL107, we don't use SWIM or other acronyms here, someone's probably going to come along and ask you to edit that out.

Anyway, as far as an interaction the only indication I've found with a basic google search is that the sedation is the problem, so it definitely won't hurt to start with a lower dose than you might usually use until you know just how sedated it's going to make you.

 

[SL107]

Thanks, Oxide. Edited.

 

[Jrhguitarist1]

Your soure of buzz would come from your codeine I don't see much or any recr use of nortriptline

 

[paranoid android]

I was taking amitriptyline (of which nortriptyline is a metabolite of but nortriptyline is less sedating usually) at the same time that i was taking various opiates for pain which back in those days would have been codeine, Demerol (not a good combo with tricyclics due to the seizure risk and cardiotoxicity), oxycodone and morphine. I was on 150mg's of amitriptyline which is the highest recommended outpatient dose so i know a thing or 2 about interactions with tricyclics. Sedation is the biggest worry by far and some tricyclics have more of a anti-cholinergic effect then others so some are worse then others for causing added sedation. I used to make sure not to take too much of a opiate before bed because if i took too much with amitriptyline the sedation caused by the combo was sometimes unpleasant. Even though codeine is not that strong mixing it with a tricyclic can increase the sedation alot and i found the sedation caused by amitriptyline to be alot stronger then the sedation caused by say seroquel.

I think some tricyclics can inhibit cyp2d6 which is the liver enzyme responsible for converting codeine into morphine but I'm not sure if nortriptyline is one of them. If it is it may diminish the high from codeine by abit or alot depending on who you ask.