Co Codamol

DH tries high dose co-codamol now and again but can't take it much because of the constipation. I tried it when I had a bad back but couldn't take it at all. I can't take morphine and the co-codamol made me feel just as sick.

Spot on thatbags, about the pain killing properties of coproxamol. My GP was sorry she wasn't able to prescribe it after its use in some suicides.

Co-codamol (the codiene part) can be addictive. It's wrong to state categorically that it is addictive.

I'm not sure it changes into morphine in the blood but it is supposed to act in the same way. As galen says, co-proxamol, which actually contained an opium-derived painkiller, was much more effective. Co-codamol 8/500 is supposed to be the equivalent in painkilling properties of co-proxamol. It isn't. galen and I speak from experience.

Reading this thread I have enormous sympathy for you all. I have aDH who has been having a painful time recently. But is there some dark room with people with ice packs on their heads thinking up these unpronounceable and unspeakable names? Is there no way they can be made simpler?

Co-codamol is, as its name suggests, a combination of codeine and paracetamol.

I have Meloxicam for ankolosing spondylitis. It works very well and after years of being on all sorts of differing medication it made such a change in my life to have a drug that works. I still have problems if not careful but on the whole it's great. Flare ups are treated with acupuncture. I can't take any other neurogenic based drugs so have paracetamol only if dire need.

Someone told me that Codein turns to morpine in the blood which is why it is such a good pain killer. I was prescribed it for a slipped disc but felt sick and dizzy at the beginning but was able to go back to paracetamol later as the pain receded. While taking it, it controlled the pain and I lost a lot of weight through not eating but thankfully it passed over- as most slipped dics pain does evenually go away after 4 months.
I don't know what is in this Co Codamol, but imagine it is the same as the German drug of a similar name. Or does it have Cortison in it?

For many years I used Arthrotec which combined Diclofenac with Misoprostol to prevent damage to stomach. However, for the past 2.5 years on prednisolone I haven't been allowed to take any anti-inflammatories. On the higher steroid dose, I felt great, because it dealt with arthritic joints as well as the polymyalgia, but as the dosage has been gradually reduced, so the joints have begun to complain again. Can't b****y well win.

I used to use co proximal. It was much better than co codamol. I use paracetamol and amytryptolline as well. I find the most useful thing is volt arol emugel which I use on my ankle. I suspect I've algodystrophy of the ankle as it's unreasonably painful.

I have co codamol on prescription for arthritic pain, but have to limit them because they definitely make me sort of spaced out, and I don't like that these days But they work, along with anti inflammatories (also prescribed)

Dried apricots work well with the other problem!

Thatbags - I agree, co proxamol was a great pain killer, and I didn't seem to have the problems associated with co codamol. The real B is needing pain relief so persistently, over long periods. It's very easy to list the potential side effects of all medications. It's good to see this thread where the pros and cons are being discussed without the advice to 'use chinese herbs' or 'oh I'd never take xxx prescription drugs, the side effects are awful'. I may one day just respond with a comment "walk in my shoes for several years, then tell me what I should and shouldn't do about the pain/mobility issues if I don't follow medical advice". Grump. Soutra, I hope your husband's pain relief can be sorted. My mother couldn't take any codeine products, as they really upset her stomach instantly. The GP prescribed amytriptiline (I can't spell it either bags) to take at night. During the day, she alternated anti inflammatories with paracetamol. Pain, what a larf eh

Co-codamol is good at what it is prescribed for but is also quite addictive, I believe, and trying to stop taking it can also cause severe problems. So short term use only is recommended.

Co-Codamol prescribed for my frozen shoulder certainly helped the pain, but made me woozy and TERRIBLY constipated, after only having had 4 over 2 days, despite prunes, dates etc which I have in my diet every day anyway. Brother-in-law has MND and is now in hospital with impacted bowel after having been prescribed and given Co-Codamol over a two week period. It did reduce his pain considerably, but he has a gastrostomy due to his inability to swallow and the appropriate (and obviously necessary) laxatives hadn't been given with his tube-feed to counteract the problem of constipation.
Bags, there's also another over-the-counter preparation which is good - Ortisan? Figs, dates, prunes in that, I think!

Yes, constipation can be a problem if you don't watch your diet, but dates and prunes soon sort that out if it gets out of hand. Or you can get some fibrous prescription; I've forgotten the name of the stuff... oh wait, Fibogel or something.

Sorry Soutra but I misunderstood your original post and thought your husband took the cocodamol without GP consultation.

I agree about its effect though - my daughter also suffered great lethargy whilst on it. Perhaps unsurprising as its main purpose is to suppress pain.
She went back to paracetomol.

Personally, although it's been ages since I had to take them, I love the way they make me feel, was quite happy when prescribed dihydrocoedine for bad sciatica too.

I'm also badly affected by co-codamol. I still have a pack of the 30mg ones which I was given after my hip job, but I couldn't cope with the way they made me feel. I made do with paracetamol, but if the shoulder pain has been really bad, I've tried one co-codamol with one paracetamol at night. It didn't make me sick but nor did it make much difference. I hope your GP has the answer to your DH's pain, Soutra. He's had more than enough to put up with.

Can't take anything with coedine. Get severe and immediate stomach cramps, same pain as I had with gallstones. Not nice! Definitely a return trip to your GP is called for Soutra and I hope your DH feels better soon.

Lucyinthesky I don't think I ever suggested DH was self-medicating! The co-codamol were prescribed by his GP 5 days after his op with a daily dose of up to 8 including any paracetamol he chose to take instead. Because he is on a complicated drug regime including mycophenolate, prednisolone, omeprazole, Mesalazine, ursodeoxycholic acid, enalapril, didronel, digoxin and warfarin not counting his asthma drugs, he is scrupulous about what he takes and the choice of analgesics seems to be limited.
We are just hoping that the post-operative pain starts to ease soon so that he can cut back altogether as even paracetamol has to be watched carefully becuse of potential liver damage.
It is also possible that the feeling of total lassitude might have another more sinister cause but the coincidence with the co-codamol seemed too close to be ignored.

When I took it I found it really "trippy" - bit scary really so stopped it.

I can't take it either, it made me feel terrible and I couldn't function until I slept it off. It didn't get easier after a couple of weeks so I gave up.

DH was prescribed Co-codomal a few years ago and suffered dreadful constipation.

My mum was prescribed Co-codamol when she had a terrible bout of shingles. Unfortunately it didn't help as it made her feel really sick. It has the same effect on me. Paracetamol, though not as strong, did help a bit and is much easier on the stomach.

Sorry, late nineties.

The stronger one is hardly powerful enough for me. It just about does the job. That's taking six or eight a day, as i have been doing for over thirty years. People are always talking about co-codamol as something awesome and awful. It is both in the best possible meanings of both words – inspiring awe and awe-inspiring – makes constant pain liveable with.

But if it doesn't agree with you, go back to the GP.

Actually, until it was banned I took the opiate equivalent painkiller, co-proxamol, but that was banned in the late eighties because people kept deliberately overdosing on it apparently.

I also take a low dosage of Amitryptilline (prob wrong spelling) at night which also works as a painkiller.

I think the whoozy feeling wears off after a while if you need to keep taking co-codamol. It did with co-prox too but i've been taking them so long i've forgotten. No noticeable effects now except pain relief.