Codeine Dose for Pain: Oral Tablet Guide
Codeine guidance for short-term moderate pain treatment, with dependence and respiratory depression precautions.
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Source reviewed
October 2024
Guide category
Oral drugs
Safety boundary
Prescription medicine information for clinician-guided use.
Kenza Health Hub presents this medicine page as structured health education. Check dose, route, interactions, pregnancy or breast-feeding considerations, and local protocol with a qualified clinician or pharmacist. Read our medical editorial policy.
Quick clinical summary
| Item | Summary |
|---|---|
| Drug | Codeine |
| Class | Opioid analgesic |
| Common form | 30 mg codeine phosphate tablet |
| Key use | Short-term moderate pain, alone or with a non-opioid analgesic |
| Duration principle | Use for the shortest clinically appropriate time |
| Major cautions | Respiratory depression, sedation, constipation, dependence, and opioid combinations |
| Monitoring | Breathing, alertness, constipation, renal or hepatic impairment, and breast-fed infants |
Clinical context from Kenza
The sections below add practical explanation around the source-derived monograph. They are educational context and do not replace local protocols or clinician review.
Why codeine is short-term medicine
Codeine can help some patients with moderate pain, but it is an opioid. The source guidance highlights dependence, tolerance, sedation, constipation, and respiratory depression, so repeated or prolonged use needs careful review.
Respiratory depression is the key safety issue
The most serious codeine risk is slowed or ineffective breathing. Risk increases with other sedating medicines, alcohol, higher doses, frailty, respiratory disease, and renal or hepatic impairment.
Constipation and opioid planning
Constipation is common with opioids. If opioid treatment continues, clinicians often plan bowel care rather than waiting until constipation becomes severe.
Therapeutic action
Opioid analgesic.
Indications
Use for short term treatment because of the risk of dependence and tolerance.
Due to the numerous and potentially severe adverse effects of codeine, patients should be kept under close surveillance.
- Moderate pain, alone or in combination with a non-opioid analgesic.
Forms and strengths
- 30 mg codeine phosphate tablet.
Dose
- Child over 12 years and adult: 30 to 60 mg every 4 to 6 hours, maximum 240 mg daily.
Duration
According to clinical evolution; as short as possible.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not administer to patients with acute respiratory depression or asthma attack.
- May cause constipation, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and dizziness.
- Rarely, may cause respiratory depression, allergic reactions, dependence, and withdrawal syndrome.
- Do not combine with other agonist opioids such as morphine because of the increased risk of respiratory depression.
- Do not combine with agonist-antagonist opioids such as buprenorphine, nalbuphine, or pentazocine because of competitive action.
- Reduce dosage in patients with renal or hepatic impairment and in elderly patients.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication, but the newborn may develop withdrawal symptoms, respiratory depression, and drowsiness in the event of prolonged administration of large doses at the end of the 3rd trimester. In this event, closely monitor the newborn infant.
- Breast-feeding: use with caution, for a short period of 2 to 3 days, at the lowest effective dose. Monitor the mother and the infant and stop treatment if excessive drowsiness occurs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Codeine oral dose and administration questions
What is codeine oral used for?
This guide lists codeine for short-term treatment of moderate pain, alone or with a non-opioid analgesic.
What is the oral codeine dose for pain?
For children over 12 years and adults, the listed dose is 30 to 60 mg every 4 to 6 hours, with a maximum of 240 mg daily.
How long should codeine be used?
The guide says duration should follow clinical evolution and be as short as possible because of dependence and tolerance risk.
What serious precautions matter with codeine?
The page warns against use in acute respiratory depression or asthma attack, notes respiratory depression and dependence risks, and recommends close surveillance because adverse effects can be numerous and severe.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.
Additional medical references
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