You’re better off using acetaminophen or ibuprofen and other simple remedies, such as popsicles, after tonsillectomies, the doctors representing the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says. THE RISKS Codeine has often been prescribed for pain relief after tonsillectomies but the FDA has advised against this use. A different genetic variation makes the drug ineffective for pain relief in as many as a third of patients. An FDA review cited in the report identified 21 codeine-related deaths in children younger than age 12 years and 64 cases of severe breathing problems over 50 years.
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The authors of the report have observed that despite the life-threatening side effects of codeine in children, the drug is still available in nearly all the states in America and can be easily obtained over-the-counter with prescription.
The body turns codeine into morphine and experts say, depending on how fast the body breaks it down, some children get too much of the drug.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is urging doctors to think twice about prescribing medications containing codeine to children.
But the AAP discovered codeine metabolizes “ultra-rapidly” in some users, especially those who experience obstructive sleep apnea.
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Various organizations including the World Health Organization, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the European Medicines Agency have issued warnings about adverse effects of codeine on children. Now a new report is warning doctors and parents about some potentially deadly dangers. Sixty-eight per cent of the time the mistake is overdosing – when parents rely on the plastic cup that comes with the drugs, they’re four times more likely to give their kids too much or too little medication. Yin is a pediatrician and professor of pediatrics and public health at the university’s School of Medicine.
