Lean Addiction Treatment

What is lean?

Lean is a drug consisting of the following chemical concoction:

• Cough syrup
• Codeine
• Soda (usually Sprite)
• Jolly ranchers (or any hard flavored candies)
• Alcohol (in some cases)

Lean was popularized with young people in Houston’s “chopped and screwed” southern rap music scene. The drug was widely used at parties and sometimes utilized to enhance creativity in the music studio.

People who drink lean are more susceptible to codeine addiction because the drug delivers a heroin-like effect. It removes pain like an opioid, creating fertile ground for addiction and leading to dependency.

What Lean Does to the Body

Codeine turns into morphine when it gets to the liver. The morphine goes to the pain-controlling nerves where the chemicals related to happiness, relaxation, and euphoria activate. 

The drug affects the nervous system, usually taking only thirty minutes to kick in, unlike other drugs like marijuana that travel slower to reach the brain. The dextromethorphan (DXM) in codeine is responsible for this effect.

Adding addictive drugs to the codeine, like in the case of lean, sends the body into overdrive that amplifies the euphoria. Doing this also decreases oxygen to the brain which hinders the communication between the body and the brain. Therefore, the body breathes slower and deeper. In some cases, the brain can forget to breathe, and death occurs.

Codeine converts into morphine and has the capability to affect the brain’s reward centers, which can lead to an addiction. When the cravings are there, tolerance develops.

Effects of drinking lean:

The codeine is an opiate that delivers a “relaxed” or “calming” effect. This feeling is a direct result of the sedative promethazine.

Short-term risks of codeine abuse:

• Seizure
• Breathing problems
• Dizziness
• Increased heart rate
• Impaired vision
• Slowed heart rate
• Enamel breakdown
• Constipation

Long-term risks of codeine abuse:

• Tolerance
• Memory loss
• Loss of balance
• Hallucinations
• Overdose
• Faint
• Kidney or liver damage
• Death

Services for lean substance abuse treatment:

• Inpatient 
• Medication assisted therapy
• 12 step programs
• EMDR
• Cognitive behavioral therapy

Withdrawal Effects from Lean

A person consumes 20 times the recommended dosage of codeine when they drink lean. Therefore, withdrawal feels similar to heroin. These side effects trigger quickly when overdose is imminent:

• Muscle aches
• Insomnia
• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Nausea

Find an Addiction Treatment Center for Lean Dependency & Codeine Recovery

Finding an addiction treatment center dedicated to lean addiction treatment is easy with the help of this list.

Many of these facilities has opioid addiction treatment, and lean addiction falls under that umbrella.

Contact someone and save a life now!