Health Tips
Codeine vs Promethazine: Which Drug Is Best For Cough Relief?
Doctors receive multiple appointments this season of patients dealing with coughs. Stronger medicines are administered when normal medications do not help a patient get rid of an excessive cough. Codeine and Promethazine provide that solution. Patients are prescribed these two medicines when other medications do not work. One can wonder which drug is more effective for cough relief and what the differences are between the drugs. Many even think that both medications can be the same, while that’s not true. So let us understand which of the two medicines is better, between Codeine vs Promethazine, and why a debate between Codeine vs Promethazine.
Codeine vs Promethazine: Understanding The Uses, Differences, And Side Effects
What is Codeine?
Codeine is an opioid analgesic drug that is used for suppressing cough and for pain relief. For cough relief, it is mostly a drug bought on prescription, but sometimes it is bought as an OTC (over-the-counter). Patients can find Codeine in liquid form and oral tablets for battling a cough. It works like any other opioid, binding with opioid receptors, mostly mu-opioid receptors, which help the medication in depressing the nervous system and releasing those neurotransmitters into the brainstem that is responsible for our cough reflex. This process reduces the irritating activity in the cough center, stops constant coughs, and makes the mucus thin enough to leave our body through the mouth.
What is Promethazine?
Promethazine is an antihistamine medication that primarily works to stop histamines and provides relief from allergies, nausea, and cold. When it is used for cough relief, patients will find Promethazine combined with Dextromorphan, which ensures the patient gets rid of an incessant cough and runny nose. Promethazine can be found in many forms for cough relief, such as oral tablets, liquid syrups, and rectal suppositories. Like Codeine, Promethazine is also found mostly as a prescription-only medicine, but some forms are allowed as OTC. It is advised to take this medication only after consulting a doctor, as it can have potency for dependence.
Is Codeine and Promethazine The Same?
There might be some similarities even if Codeine and Promethazine are not the same medications. One of the characteristics that is similar between them is that both can be very sedative. Codeine is an opioid, so it has that property by default. Promethazine shows sedative effects when it blocks histamines in the barrier between the brain and the blood. This makes both have a common side effect of drowsiness or dizziness. Other than that, both are combined at times when the cough is too severe to deal with, and other medications have failed to help the patient. This makes both drugs have high potential for abuse.
Difference Between Codeine And Promethazine
Being two different drugs, both Promethazine and Codeine have a significant number of differences. Spanning from their drug class to their mechanisms, it is easy to navigate the basic differences that we find between the two drugs.
| Categories | Codeine | Promethazine |
| Class of Drugs | Codeine is a narcotic, opioid analgesic used for pain and cough relief. | Works like an opioid by binding with opioid receptors and influencing the cough reflex. |
| Mechanism | Works by blocking histamine receptors that produce cough and a runny nose. | Found in the form of oral tablets, syrups, and extended-release tablets. |
| Combination Status | Used both individually and in combination for cough relief. | Mostly used in combinations with Dextromethorphan and Codeine. |
| Dosage Forms | Found as oral tablets, syrup, and rectal suppositories. | Found as oral tablets, syrups , and rectal suppositories. |
Codeine vs Promethazine Drug Interactions
A good number of drugs interact with Codeine and Promethazine. It is a long list, but we will take a look at some to make sure that when we take these two medications, we do not take any other powerful drug with them.
Codeine Interactions
Promethazine Interactions
- Benadryl
- Klonopin
- Diazepam
- Gabapentin
- Metoclopramide
- Potassium Chloride
- Tramadol
- Trazodone
Side Effects of Codeine and Promethazine
The two cough relievers, Codeine and Promethazine, have a lot of similar side effects. Both might have different mechanisms, but the effects those processes have on our bodies are almost identical. Let us know about their side effects thoroughly.
Common Side Effects
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dry Mouth
- Constipation
Serious Side Effects
- Breathing Problems
- Central Nervous System Depression
- Allergies
- Heart Issues
- Seizures
Which Is Stronger Between Codeine vs Promethazine?
Codeine is seen as much stronger than Promethazine as a narcotic opioid. It is also considered stronger than Promethazine because it has a direct influence on our nervous system. It is a CNS depressant, which means it can depress the nervous system and work more effectively, while Promethazine’s only job is to stop the histamines, which makes it less effective on our body. This is one of the reasons why Promethazine needs to be taken in combination with Dextromethorphan and Codeine itself to suppress cough efficiently. If there is still any doubt regarding this among the patients, then they should know that Codeine is a Schedule II controlled substance, and Promethazine is not.
Conclusion
Codeine and Promethazine are two of the best when it comes to cough relief, and together they can treat cough effortlessly. They work when drugs that are meant to treat mild to moderate cough fail to cure the cough. So, using Codeine and Promethazine as administered by the healthcare professionals is a wiser choice than inviting their dangerous side effects into our healthy bodies.