Prescribed cold or cough medicines can be more dangerous than over-the-counter medications. That’s true because they contain more potent ingredients, and their abuse may lead to serious problems. A prime example of such abuse is the mixture known as Lean. Lean contains an opioid drug as its main active ingredient. When you misuse this opioid, you have a significant chance of experiencing an overdose. You also run the risk of developing an opioid addiction.
Women’s Recovery is here to help you take your life back from prescription drug addiction. Contact us at 833.754.0554 for more information.
What Is Lean?
Lean is also known as Purple Drank. These names sound catchy and memorable. However, they don’t tell you much about the substance itself.
So, exactly what is lean? This illegal, recreational concoction is a mixture of two or more ingredients. In all cases, it contains a potent prescription cough syrup. This syrup provides the mixture’s main effects. Additional substances are also found in Lean. These substances may or may not produce their own significant drug effect.
What Are Lean Drugs?
What type of drug is Lean? There is no single answer to this question. That’s true because the ingredients of a given batch of Lean can vary.
Prescription cough syrup is always the main ingredient. The specific product used for this purpose contains two active substances: promethazine and codeine. Promethazine is an antihistamine medication. Doctors use it to help you cope with coughing, sneezing, and other cold or allergy symptoms. Codeine is an opioid medication. It helps relieve coughing by slowing down your central nervous system.
What other drug is in Lean? In some cases, codeine and promethazine are the only active substances present. However, any given batch may also contain alcohol. In addition, it may contain non-active ingredients such as soda or dissolved hard candy. These substances are added solely for taste.
Side Effects of Lean Drugs
No matter what added drug is in Lean, the use of the mixture comes with a long list of potential side effects. Some of these Lean drug side effects are codeine-related. You can trigger an overdose when you take excessive amounts of this opioid. Potential symptoms of a codeine overdose include:
- Slow, shallow, or disrupted breathing
- Extreme sleepiness
- Dizziness
- Uncontrolled, involuntary muscle movement
- Narrowed pupils
- A confused mental state
- Blue-tinged lips or fingernails
- Abdominal spasms
- Skin flushing
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Unconsciousness
You can also go into a coma or die.
Promethazine use or abuse also comes with risks for a variety of side effects. The most serious of these potential effects include:
- Breathing problems
- Muscle stiffness
- Elevated body temperature
- Hallucinations
- Extreme feelings of fear
- Face, tongue, lip, and throat swelling
You may also experience an irregular heartbeat or an unusually fast heartbeat.
Lean Drugs and Addiction
The codeine in Lean is addictive. When you take promethazine-codeine syrup as directed, your doctor can control your addiction risks. However, no such protection is available when you drink a Lean concoction.
Instead, repeated use of the mixture can lead to a physical dependence on codeine. If you also experience psychological dependence and compulsive drug-seeking behavior, you meet the basic criteria for addiction. To recover from opioid addiction, you need help from professionals who know how to treat your condition.
Getting Help
Professional help and support are the best and safest options for anyone looking to take their life back from addiction. Not only is it incredibly difficult to break an addiction on your own, but withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable, unpleasant, and dangerous. When enrolled in an addiction treatment center, professionals will monitor and manage your withdrawal symptoms through the detoxification process. You will receive therapy and care from there as you continue treatment.
Seek Help for the Effects of Lean Drugs at Women’s Recovery
Have additional questions about what type of drug is in Lean? The specialists at Women’s Recovery can answer them. We can also help you recover from the effects of Lean-related codeine addiction.
All treatment at Women’s Recovery is geared toward women’s unique needs. This not only allows us to address the direct impact of addiction. It also helps you recover from additional problems that may contribute to your substance-related symptoms. Call us today at 833.754.0554 or fill out our online form for more information.
