I have been prescribed co codamol for pain relief .
It’s an OTC medicine .
( I had never heard of it )
It has a huge list of side effects .
Two of which sickness and sleepiness have effected me almost immediately .
It’s contains codeine which is a derivative of morphine .
It’s says it’s addictive ( I read the literature that comes in the packet)
I am surprised that such a potentially dangerous drug is OTC .
Is this due to NHS cutbacks ?
I know several drugs had been taken of the subscribed list .
Surely this is an easy option for drug addicts ?
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Over the counter???
Maybe this is a reduced strength version?
Just checking the packet
It’s 8mg/500mg per tablet .
Ie 8mg codeine /500 mg paracetamol.
Says can cause addiction for three days use only.
Only last week I enquired of a pharmacist about co-codamol as I have been taking paracetamol as though they are Smarties for a painful back and hip. I hate taking tablets anyway so wanted something stronger than paracetamol that might save me taking so many tablets.
They are available over the counter, the advice I was given was that they are alright short-term but to ensure paracetamol was not taken at the same time.
As yet I haven’t tried them as fortunately the pain is subsiding as each day passes.
Information, including that co-codamol is available over the counter, can be found on the link below:
Mine are 30/100.
I only take half a tablet if absolutely necessary.
I have a bit of a phobia about medication because of my past job.
Try distracting yourself if in pain Muddy, you may find that it disappears into the background. You also have to keep moving or you get stiff and more painful.
I always read the bumf in the packet. If the common side effects are worse than the illness I don’t take it.
I often tell the GP that I want to know what exactly is wrong and what the cause is rather than take pills. It seems to make them send me for scans etc. rather than Googling what it might be or just handing me a 'script.
I’m not saying don’t take medicines if you really need them, just what I do.
I have steroids for a couple of reasons but only for short term treatment.
Co-codamol can actually cause pain if taken too long, which results in people taking more.
Muddy 
I take over the counter Codamol for pain because I an not allowed to take Ibuprofen,it conflicts with my other medication in particular anticoagulants . I can also get it on prescription if need be.
I have been prescribed it in the past on condition that I do not take it for more than 3 consecutive days because it is addictive.
I reserve it emergencies and have learnt to control pain with relaxation and breathing techniques.
These come in various disguises various strengths and various names. When I was first prescribed them, they didn’t even have a brand name but were known as DF118. Now the most common one is Zapain.
As Tessa says it is 30 Mg Codeine & 500 Mg Paracetomol.
Yes they are addictive, yes they cause dowsiness, yes they cause digestive problems too. Even taking them for just short periods, you’ll need to counteract the digestive problem by taking Sennacot tablets, or plums or Nectarines.
Oh my goodness thanks everyone for the info.
The ones I have seem pretty low dosage then and they are bad enough !
I will stick them out for the three days if I can !
So but a post of total rubbish as was the artical in yesterdays mail.
Co-Codomol contains just 8mg of codeine and 500mg of paracetamol. Hence 8 pills a day equals just 80mg and 4000mg respectively. Plus Co-codomal is not a prescription medication. Taken in larger amounts the small quantity of Codeine will harm you not, however, the paracetamol dose will kill you slowly over a few days.
Next up is Co-Dydromol 10mg of Codeine and 500mg of Paracetamol, that is on prescription only and still a very minor Codeine intake.
In short, you are not taking a 50mg Codeine tablet and how can junkies take enough of your tablet to obtain the benefit of Codeine without being killed long before by ingesting enough paracetamol to kill several horses.
The benefit, if any of your tablets is close to zero and the perceived effect on your mind seems very high, so chuck them in the bin.
What about the oxycodone I’ve been on for 6 months or so now. Is that adddictive? I know my weekly oxycodone liquid never lasts me a week so I suspect the answer is yes.
Davey thanks for you’re imput now BO back under the bridge please .
Flosse sorry your post came inbetween .
The drug of choice by GP’s if you can’t get relief from paracetamol . Out of a dozen of your neighbours and acquaintances probably half of those have been prescribed it .
The elderly imo should never have access to it for the simple reason they use it because like one of my neighbours to ensure getting off to sleep . She probably doesn’t know she’s addicted .
NHS cutbacks have nothing to do with OTC withdrawal of this medication .
Widely available like anything else on the internet .
Don’t be worrying about drug addicts fhs ! They’ ll take whatever .
Sorry, you asked for an opinion and were given a professional opinion. Sorry if the contents of my post confused you.
I hope you are not a medical professional !
I usually reckon that generally painkillers should only be taken for as short a time as possible. Definitely as the recommended dosage too, especially in the case of paracetamol as there is no known antidote for any accidental overdose.
The link below gives a lot of information on all types including oxycodone, possibly well worth checking out as it is a recognised NHS website:
I have got the dosages right thank you. You take Dihydrocodeine tartrate in the form of Co-codomol 8mg/500mg available from any chemist.
Yes I see that which is why I edited my post .
Perhaps you would tell me why you were so discourteous about my post ?
It’s wasn’t rubbish and blathering on about the DM was nothing to do with anything .
Do you have a problem with people simply asking for informational or just civility generally?
Thanks Baz
I have no intention of taking them any longer than necessary .
Maximum daily dose of codeine should not exceed 240 mg for children over 7 years of age. That equals 30 of your pills a day. However, it also equals, using your pills ,15000mg of Paracetamol, which could kill a person. Just think it through in respect of your little dose of 8mg tablets.