Acetaminophen-Codeine Side Effects

Possible side effects of acetaminophen and codeine are listed below. Call your doctor for medical advice if they are severe or last more than a few days.

• Constipation
• Urinary difficulties 

Some of the adverse effects of acetaminophen-codeine are more serious. Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical help if you develop the following serious symptoms:

• Nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, dizziness, weakness
• Fever, sweating, shivering, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, fast heartbeat, loss of coordination, severe muscle aches, stiffness, or twitching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Severe skin reaction with a red skin rash, peeling or blistering skin, hives, itching
• Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, hands, feet, lower legs, or ankles
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Hoarseness
• Erectile dysfunction (difficulty achieving or keeping an erection)
• Irregular menstruation
• Low libido (decreased sexual desire)

The above list may not include all the potential side effects of acetaminophen-codeine. Contact your healthcare provider if your side effects are unusual or severe or if they do not get better over time. You can also report unusual side effects to the Food and Drug Administration at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Acetaminophen and codeine Overdose: In case of an overdose of acetaminophen-codeine, call your doctor immediately. You can also call your local poison control center, provincial poison control center, or the national poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. 

Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, unusual bleeding or bruising, upper stomach pain, yellowing of the skin or eyes, difficulty breathing, slow or shallow breathing, slow heartbeat, sweating, severe drowsiness, unresponsiveness, loss of muscle tone, pinpoint pupils, cold and clammy skin, and fainting. 

Talk to your healthcare provider about having naloxone (Narcan) accessible to you if you or someone in your household takes an opioid medication such as acetaminophen-codeine. This is a rescue medication that can reverse the potentially fatal effects of an opioid overdose.

Source: FDA