Extraction of opioids from painkiller products
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This guide is provided for informational and educational purposes only. We do not encourage you to break the law and are not responsible for your actions. |
Items needed
- Desired quantity and variety of opioid painkiller
- Coffee filter paper or cloth/tightly meshed material
- Syringe or dropper
- Several large glasses or containers
- Water
- Freezer
Comparison of available products
In the UK there are two opioids available over-the-counter at pharmacies; codeine and dihydrocodeine. There are many branded and generic preparations of each, but the law requires that opioid painkiller products must contain very little opioid content in comparison to the larger fraction of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID), controversially included to boost the efficiency of the product, though more realistically as a toxic abuse deterrent.
Codeine and paracetamol (co-codamol)
The cheapest most available preparation is the generic pack of 32 tablets, each containing 8mg codeine phosphate and 500mg paracetamol, usually for under ~£3 from practically any pharmacy. A single box of 32 tablets will yield up to 256mg codeine phosphate and a massively toxic 16g of paracetamol in total.
There are several popular brands like Solpadol, which are priced higher but contain no extra codeine. There are also effervescent forms of the product, which are not desirable for extraction purposes due to the increased solubility of the paracetamol, and other contaminants included in high quantity such as sodium.
Codeine and ibuprofen
There are many preparations of codeine and ibuprofen available over the counter in the UK. Perhaps most well known is Nurofen+, which contains 12.8mg codeine phosphate and 200mg ibuprofen per tablet and comes in packs of 12, 24 and 32. The largest pack size can yield up to 409.6mg codeine phosphate and 6.4g ibuprofen, costing below ~£8.
There are generic versions available in some pharmacies, but these may have reduced codeine content and may not be much cheaper per mg.
Dihydrocodeine and paracetamol (co-dydramol)
Also available in the UK is the branded product Paramol in pack sizes of 12, 24 and 32 tablets, each containing 7.46mg dihydrocodeine tartrate and 500mg paracetamol. The largest pack size can yield up to 238.72mg dihydrocodeine and 16g of paracetamol in total, for around ~£6.
Dihydrocodeine is reportedly ~1.5x more potent than codeine per mg, has a longer duration but a lower oral bioavailability.
Prescription varieties
A range of preparations can be prescribed, containing a higher dose of the opioid fraction per tablet or capsule. It is uncommon for doctors to prescribe opioid drugs due to the risk associated with dependence, but they can offer a number of medicines containing, for example; 30+mg codeine phosphate, or 10mg+ dihydrocodeine tartrate along with usually 500mg paracetamol or 200mg ibuprofen. Dihydrocodeine (30mg+ tablets) and tramadol (50/100mg capsules) are also prescribed without any contaminants in some circumstances.
Since less starting material will be required, prescription preparations are much easier to extract from than over-the-counter varieties.
Toxicity
Paracetamol
Paracetamol (acetaminophen, APAP) is well known to be toxic at doses above 4g per day. It is accepted that careless overuse of paracetamol can result in liver failure and likely death. For this reason it is essential for the paracetamol portion of the product to be removed prior to ingestion of recreational doses of over-the-counter painkillers.
Ibuprofen
Ibuprofen is not as toxic as paracetamol and can be tolerated below 6g per day in healthy individuals; however, it can still cause gastrointestinal bleeding and other digestive issues in those who are susceptible. Because of the risks, it is beneficial to remove the ibuprofen fraction prior to consumption of recreational doses of over-the-counter painkillers.
Chemistry
Opioids
Opioid salts are very soluble in even near-freezing water, allowing for its dissolution from pressed tablets and capsules. Opioids will begin to decompose at temperatures above 60°C, so boiling water should not be used during extraction.
Paracetamol
Paracetamol is soluble in water at room temperature, but much less soluble in water that is close to 0°C. This means that the paracetamol portion of the product can be precipitated out of solution by refrigeration, then removed by filtration almost in its entirety.
Ibuprofen
Ibuprofen is practically insoluble in water at room temperature, which allows for a very simple extraction process. The product is simply dissolved in water, mixed thoroughly, then the aqueous layer containing the extracted codeine is harvested simply by decanting using a dropper or syringe. Filtration is possible but the ibuprofen is likely to cause frustration as the filter can clog easily.
Procedure
Removal of paracetamol
In this example my starting material is a generic box of 32 tablets, each containing 8mg codeine phosphate and 500mg paracetamol. The tablets are removed from the packaging and dissolved in as little warm water as is possible to cover the pills. Once thoroughly dissolved, and when working with such a large number of tablets it may be worth adding a little extra cold water to reduce the temperature and increase the total volume. Please be aware that the more water that is used in the extraction process, the more paracetamol will remain in the final product. However, using too little water will make it very difficult to filter without a vacuum.
The solution is stirred and placed in a freezer for about 30 minutes, which should be enough time to reach close to freezing point and for the paracetamol to visibly begin to precipitate out. Once a suitable temperature is reached, the solution is quickly stirred before being poured through a coffee filter or tightly meshed material (a shirt or sock can be used, for example). It is advisable when working with such a large number of tablets to use multiple filter rigs as to avoid clogging and speed up the process. Once the solution has passed through the filter it would be a good idea to wash the precipitate with a small amount of cold water to dissolve and harvest any codeine caught by the filter.
The resulting solution will now be mostly clear and contains up to 256mg codeine phosphate with very little paracetamol. Refrigeration and filtration can be repeated if a clearer solution is desired, but this is usually unnecessary and wasteful, as each successive filtration will reduce the opioid content as it is absorbed by the filter material.
Removal of ibuprofen
The process for extracting opioids from products which also contain ibuprofen is much easier than that of paracetamol, but the products are usually more expensive per mg of codeine. The starting material in this example is a box of the popular brand Nurofen+, using 32 tablets each containing 12.8mg codeine phosphate and 200mg ibuprofen. The tablets are removed from the package and dropped into a small amount of warm water. Once the tablets have absorbed the water, they will swell up and can now be easily mixed with a fork. At this point, the product is ready for extraction.
The container is topped up with cold water and the mixture is agitated to help dissolve the codeine. It is not essential to use a freezer to cool the mixture, but it will certainly speed up the separation process. After around 30 minutes the mixture will have settled, leaving the insoluble ibuprofen and binders at the bottom, and the aqueous codeine solution at the top of the container. A white skin may form above the aqueous layer; this skin is not toxic but can be removed with a spoon if preferred.
Using a syringe or dropper, the aqueous layer is harvested into another container. A second pull using half the original volume of water is then carried out in order to retrieve any remaining codeine. The resulting solution will not be very clear, but will contain very little if any ibuprofen along with up to 409.6mg codeine phosphate.
Legality
- U.K.: Please be aware that possession of codeine in its extracted form is illegal without a valid prescription. Pharmacies may only sell one box of any product containing codeine or dihydrocodeine per customer, and will likely question or refuse sale to any individual suspected of abusing the product.