Drug interactions
Codeine + Orphenadrine
Severity: Moderate
Codeine and Orphenadrine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Orphenadrine has sedative and anticholinergic effects that add to opioid central nervous system depression. The combination can also worsen constipation, urinary retention and confusion, especially in older adults.
What this interaction means in plain words
Codeine and Orphenadrine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression and anticholinergic effects.
What to do
Monitor for excessive sedation and anticholinergic effects, and reduce doses in older patients.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Codeine
- Alvimopan + Codeine Contraindicated
- Codeine + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Codeine + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Codeine + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Codeine + Tranylcypromine Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Codeine Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Codeine with Orphenadrine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Codeine and Orphenadrine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Orphenadrine has sedative and anticholinergic effects that add to opioid central nervous system depression. The combination can also worsen constipation, urinary retention and confusion, especially in older adults.
How serious is the interaction between Codeine and Orphenadrine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor for excessive sedation and anticholinergic effects, and reduce doses in older patients.
What other medicines interact with Codeine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Codeine with, for example, Alvimopan, Isocarboxazid, Olanzapine / samidorphan. The full list is on the Codeine page.
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