Does codene cause hives

Answer 1

Medications can sometimes cause unpleasant, unwanted effects beyond their intended ones. Although people may describe themselves as being allergic to the medication they are taking, most of the problems people experience with medications are not true Allergies. In fact, allergy to medication accounts for less than 13 percent of adverse reactions. The remainder of the problems fall into the category of side effects or idiosyncratic reactions (an unusual response that is peculiar to that person) to medication. For example, hives are a common side effect some people may suffer when taking narcotic pain relievers like codeine, but it is not an allergy. Certainly hives are unpleasant, perhaps unpleasant enough that you would not wish to take the medication again, but codeine does not stimulate the immune defense system to produce antibodies against codeine, so the hives and itching are not due to a true allergy. However, if the hives are unpleasant, you can go to your family doctor so he may be able to change/prescribe other types of medication or even something to counter those hives.