What Is Dihydrocodeine?

Dihydrocodeine is a combination medication used to treat pain, fever, and swelling. Specifically, the medication is composed of opioid pain reliever, aspirin, and caffeine to give patients the desired effect. The opioid pain reliever is responsible for interacting with the brain while aspirin decreases fever and swelling and caffeine increases the effectiveness of the aspirin.

Just like starting treatment with any new medication, dihydrocodeine patients may notice side effects in the early stages of their treatment. Common side effects of using dihydrocodeine are nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, tremors, constipation, dry mouth, lightheadedness, dizziness, and drowsiness. These common side effects should go away over time. If they persist or worsen, talk to your doctor about any issues you are having.

Although uncommon, serious side effects of using dihydrocodeine are possible. These include agitation, hallucinations, mood changes, irregular heartbeat, increased thirst or urination, ringing in the ears, easy bruising or bleeding, signs of infection, persistent sore throat, fever, heartburn, discomfort when swallowing, dark urine, yellowing of the skin or eyes, signs of kidney problems, difficulty urinating, loss of appetite, unusual tiredness and weight loss. Let your doctor or pharmacist know right away if you notice these serious dihydrocodeine side effects.

If you notice the following after using dihydrocodeine, get medical help as soon as possible: fainting, seizure, black stool, severe stomach or abdominal pain, vomit that resembles coffee grounds, slurred speech, and weakness on one side of the body.

Dihydrocodeine Withdrawal and Detox

If you no longer want to continue your dihydrocodeine treatment, set up a meeting with your doctor before adjusting your treatment schedule or dosage levels. These should never be changed or adjusted without explicit instruction from your doctor. Never stop taking dihydrocodeine cold turkey, either, as this can produce enhanced, unwanted withdrawal symptoms.

Once you let your doctor know you do not want to take dihydrocodeine any longer, they will normally lower your dihydrocodeine dose gradually over time to give your system ample time to adjust to less and less of the medication.

What Are Common Dihydrocodeine Withdrawal Symptoms?

Common dihydrocodeine withdrawal symptoms are nausea, vomiting, headaches, sweating, chills, diarrhea, irritation, anxiety, nervousness, dizziness, strong drug cravings that don’t subside unless more of the drug is taken, restlessness, insomnia, body shakes and palpitations.

Dihydrocodeine Withdrawal Timeline and Symptom Durations

Each patient going through dihydrocodeine withdrawal will experience symptoms and timelines differently. This is due to every person’s unique physiology which determines how quickly dihydrocodeine can be removed from the body. Factors that influence a patient’s physiology are age, metabolism, organ function, and more. The amount of dihydrocodeine you are accustomed to taking and how long you have been using the medication will also affect your withdrawal symptom timeline.

The risk of a prolonged timeline or more severe dihydrocodeine withdrawal symptoms increases if you stop taking the medication cold turkey.

Managing Withdrawal Symptoms of Dihydrocodeine

If you are having trouble managing withdrawal symptoms after you have stopped taking dihydrocodeine, you may need to enter a medically assisted detoxification program to support you during this potentially difficult time. In this program, patients can access professionally trained staff to help them understand or cope with their individual withdrawal struggles.

Dihydrocodeine Medications and Detox

Always keep an updated list of your current medications and share this with your doctor. Make sure you include herbal products, over the counter drugs, or substances you use recreationally, as these can all interact with dihydrocodeine.

Products that may cause an interaction with dihydrocodeine are acetazolamide, antacids, anticholinergic medications, certain antibiotics, anti-seizure medications, drugs used to treat gout, disulfiram, lithium, isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, safinamide, selegiline, tranylcypromine, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate, mifepristone, naltrexone, pentazocine, nalbuphine, morphine, vemurafenib, and zidovudine.

How to Choose a Dihydrocodeine Center

Choosing a dihydrocodeine center to fit your needs is a major step in each patient’s road to recovery. To make the most informed decision possible, you may want to set up a meeting with your doctor to discuss what you need in a dihydrocodeine center.

If you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction to dihydrocodeine or another form of a substance use disorder, get help as soon as possible. The Recovery Village has many resources and treatment options available for those looking to live a happier, healthier, substance-free life.

Visit the following websites to learn about The Recovery Village’s network of drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities. Call today for admissions. Each center is ready to help people learn how to cope with their addiction and uncover the root causes for their substance use disorder.

  • Orlando Recovery Center: A premier rehabilitation facility in Orlando, Florida that helps individuals recover from addiction and substance use disorders. The center also offers the opportunity to treat co-occurring disorders.
  • The Recovery Village Columbus: Located in Ohio, this facility provides inpatient, outpatient and aftercare treatment for people looking to begin detox. The center provides individualized plans to help patients through recovery while addressing their unique co-occurring disorders or any setbacks that may happen during recovery.
  • The Recovery Village Palmer Lake: In Colorado, this facility offers inpatient, outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment for individuals looking to kick-start their journey to recovery.
  • The Recovery Village Ridgefield: Located right in southern Washington, this facility provides patients with outpatient and aftercare programs. Just 20 minutes outside of Portland, this facility assists individuals who are ready to begin treatment.
  • The Recovery Village: In Umatilla, Florida, this is a rehabilitation facility that provides resources for individuals seeking drug and alcohol treatment. There are inpatient, outpatient, intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization treatment programs available for those suffering from Ambien addiction.
  • IAFF Center of Excellence: Specializes in assisting firefighters who struggle with behavioral health problems and addiction. Members can enter the recovery process sooner so they can return back to work as quickly as possible. Inpatient, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs are all available at this facility, where patients can address their Ambien addiction in a safe, supportive environment.
  • Denver Mental Health & Counseling: Denver Mental Health and Counseling by The Recovery Village is a physician-led outpatient center specializing in evidence-based addiction and mental health treatments, offering services such as TMS, IOP, and personalized care for both ongoing and new patients, dedicated to fostering long-term recovery and overall well-being.
  • The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health: The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health is a premier physician-led treatment center in South Florida, offering a comprehensive spectrum of services from medical detox to outpatient programs for alcohol, drug, and co-occurring mental health conditions, with a commitment to rejuvenating lives, families, and communities, and facilitating same-day admissions.
  • The Recovery Village Atlanta: Located in Roswell just outside downtown Atlanta, is a 62-bed physician-led treatment facility offering a comprehensive range of services, from medical detox to outpatient care, specializing in alcohol, drug, and co-occurring mental health conditions, dedicated to transforming lives, families, and communities throughout Georgia.
  • The Recovery Village Kansas City: The Recovery Village Kansas City, an 80-bed facility in Raytown just 10 miles from downtown, offers a comprehensive range of evidence-based treatments for addiction and mental health conditions, overseen by physician leaders, and is dedicated to revitalizing lives, families, and communities throughout the Midwest.
  • The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper Health: The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper, situated just 20 minutes from Philadelphia, is a leading rehab facility in South Jersey providing comprehensive, evidence-based addiction and mental health treatments, ranging from medical detox to teletherapy, with a dedicated team committed to guiding adults on their path to lifelong recovery.
Medical Disclaimer

The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.