DOSE:

oral

Codeine

(extract)

BODY WEIGHT:

200 lb

I've been taking codeine for a couple of years now. It started when my doctor prescribed Tylenol #4's after I hurt my back. I liked the effect they had, but I never took more than one at a time. (T4's have 60 mg of codeine in them.) More recently, I found myself taking AC&C for headaches at work. AC&C is the Canadian generic term for aspirins with codeine (and caffiene), each having 8 mg of codeine in them. (The headaches were from a combination of stress and the total lack of natural lighting where I used to work, as I find bright fluorescent lights uncomfortable. Thankfully, I have very large windows where I work now, and a lot fewer headaches.)

Along the way somewhere, browsing the web, I found a simple recipe for extracting codeine from AC&C tablets. This 'cold-water extraction' takes advantage of the fact that while aspirin dissolves very well in hot water, it dissolves very poorly in cold water; on the other hand, codeine dissolves well in water of any temperature.

I boil water in the kettle, let it cool for five minutes, then put about two ounces into a small glass. Into the glass, I put 20 AC&C tablets and stir, using the spoon to break up the tablets. I then put the small glass into a one-litre plastic container that has some ice water in it, and put it into the fridge. A half-hour later, the liquid in the small glass is cold. I filter it through an ordinary coffee filter that I have placed into a small funnel that I have set into an empty coffee mug. Once it's finished, I gently squeeze all the remaining moisture out of the filter into the funnel, taking care not to tear the filter.

The resulting liquid is clear... and is possibly the most vile-tasting substance I have ever come across. Even adding sugar and some flavouring doesn't mask the revoltingly bitter taste. I try to drink it in one gulp, as quickly as possible, to get it out of the way.

Then comes the nausea, which lasts only a few minutes; I try to sit still in my comfortable easy chair and let the nausea subside.

After about fifteen minutes, I start feeling the effects. It builds slowly. First, a feeling of peace and contentment. Over the next half-hour or so, it builds to a state of mild euphoria. A nice buzz that lasts for four to six hours.

For a while, I would feel a 'crash' about six hours after ingestion, once the drug has worn off, in which I would experience a brief (a few hours) period of depression. However, I no longer experience this, and am not sure why. On the other hand, I don't appear to be building a tolerance, as I do this no more than once a week, on the weekend, usually on a lazy Sunday afternoon when I am home alone. I've been on the same 20-pill (160 mg) dosage for a few months now, and I'm still getting the desired effect. I also do not get the 'itchies' that some people report.

I usually take my dose early in the afternoon. I have no trouble falling asleep that night, but the next morning I don't really feel rested. The next morning I have what I call a 'codeine hangover': very dry mouth, sluggish responses, and a general feeling like I've just come from the set of Night Of The Living Dead. (Fortunately, a hot shower and a cup of strong coffee later and I'm fine.)

I am a little worried about the possibility of addiction, but so far (after several months of doing the weekend trips), I don't see any sign of it. During the week, I still occasionally get headaches, but I now average two AC&C tablets a day, and some days I don't need them at all. (Before I changed jobs, I was averaging six or eight tablets a day.)

Exp Year: 2004	ExpID: 39580
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Feb 13, 2020	Views: 2,446
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Codeine (14) : Retrospective / Summary (11), Preparation / Recipes (30), Personal Preparation (45), Not Applicable (38)