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Therapeutic doses of codeine have no effect on acetaminophen clearance or metabolism

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Summary

In nine healthy volunteers, the clearance and metabolism of acetaminophen 1000 mg i.v. was evaluated with and without two concomitant oral doses of codeine in order to investigate a possible interaction. Plasma acetaminophen was followed for 720 min and urine was collected for 24 h after each dose for determination of metabolites.

When codeine was coadministered, the average total clearance of acetaminophen and its clearance by glucuronidation, sulphation and mercapturate formation were 0.58 to 1.12-times the control values.

It is concluded that therapeutic doses of codeine do not influence the clearance or metabolism of acetaminophen.

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Sonne, J., Enghusen Poulsen, H., Loft, S. et al. Therapeutic doses of codeine have no effect on acetaminophen clearance or metabolism. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 35, 109–111 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00555519

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00555519

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