384 Pholcodine
of cough medicine, a characteristic that can cause positive opiate results for
persons undergoing drug screens from employers. Body chemistry slowly
breaks down pholcodine into several substances. Some studies find tiny
amounts of morphine in breakdown products, but other studies do not. Phol-
codine has been described as unable to cause euphoria, a lack that reduces its
abuse potential. No tolerance has been observed among patients using the
substance every day for months. Experiments looking for dependence find
none. Tests for cross-tolerance with morphine produce negative results in hu-
mans. One scientific review of pholcodine describes it as having no addiction
potential, a view supported by UN drug control authorities. A World Health
Organization committee characterizes the drug as having no more addiction
potential than codeine. U.S. government officials have ruled that pholcodine
is extremely prone to abuse and list the drug as a Schedule I controlled sub-
stance.
Drug interactions.Not enough scientific information to report.
Cancer.Not enough scientific information to report.
Pregnancy.Birth defects have not been associated with the substance. A
study of women who used pholcodine during pregnancy found no impact on
infants. In Europe the drug has been classified as safe for use in pregnancy,
but in the United States the drug is not recommended for pregnant women;
safety for use during pregnancy has not been established. The substance
passes into human milk, and nursing infants are supposed to be watched for
signs of drug effects.
Additional scientific information may be found in:Cahen, R. “The Pharmacology of Pholcodine.”Bulletin on Narcotics13 no. 2 (1961):
19–37.
Findlay, J.W. “Pholcodine.”Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics13 (1988):
5–17.
“Pholcodine.” InTherapeutic Drugs, ed. C. Dollery. 2d ed. New York: Churchill Living-
stone, 1999. P115–P116.