Codeine abuse.

I don't know why this is in Politics - I meant to put it on the Health thread.

I had no idea about this. It's truly dreadful. Is there any sort of campaign to make it prescription only?

Don't worry greatnan, about putting it in politics instead of health.
It is your age .
Have not read the link yet, will do in a minute.
All I can say is that I was prescribed codeine by the GP last February for a very bad back. The very mildest dose three times a day. I had no choice but to take it ,due to having to go on a long flight.
I was stunned by the power of the medication..... meaning I could have flown the plane myself!!!!!!!
A medic friend of mine told me that codeine is still the medication of choice because it is not a psychotic.

Greatnan I hardly know what to say, it's a very hard hitting article. If that is your daughter's life then my heart goes out to her and to you.

Addiction is a living hell, may she one day realise that it doesn't have to be that way forever.

Just read your link greatnan.
Nurofen Plus has 12.8 mg. of Codeine Phos. in it.
That is unbelievable, only half of the lowest prescription dose.
I had no idea. That is criminal.
As I said on the CFS thread lets all treat ourselves to Ben Goldacre's latest book: Bad Pharma.
Might be an eye opener.

Bye the way is it true that the results of the research into ME/CFS cannot be made public yet? For some strange reason?

Addiction to over-the-counter and prescription drugs is an emerging trend as world wide and rising. In the UK (and elsewhere), all the Nurofen varieties, Solpadeine etc are easily bought online. Here's a link to a report from last year re the UK situation, for info and interest. So sorry greatnan that you live with, as I think you called it before 'this great sorrow'. www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/addictiontomedicinesmay2011a.pdf

I have a pack of prescription strength (30mg) co-codamol in my bathroom cabinet. I refused it in hospital after my shoulder replacement so I don't know why they gave it to me to bring home. Opiates, including morphine) make me sick so I am not in danger of addiction. I suppose I should have taken these to the pharmacy for disposal.

I was hounded off one expat forum because I said that sleeping tablets could become addictive - members were recommending different brands to each other. The immediate reaction was anger, resentment and denial, which I have now discovered is typical of all addicts and potential addicts. I am well aware that some people need prescription drugs for chronic pain, but it is the 'topping up' that is so dangerous. The truth is that codeine does give a feeling of euphoria in some people and they are very reluctant to forego that feeling, especially if their life is unsatisfactory in some way. The body becomes habituated to a certain dosage, and higher and higher dosages are needed to get the same 'happy' effect. The damage to liver and stomach is cumulative and one packet too many can be fatal.

When I was a child my mother often took two veg (veganin) with a cup of tea. I'm not aware of her having any condition that caused her pain, I think they were just 'mother's little helpers'. A friend has told me her mother was the same, guzzled them like smarties.

I believe the majority of addicts in the UK are hooked on prescription drugs. I suppose people think that if a doctor prescribes it, there can't be much danger.

I remember years ago my mother advised me that if I was feeling 'down' I should take a paracetamol because they perk you up. Also I think I might have noticed a similar effect with Benylin (wrong spelling but I am in bed and too lazy to get out to check)

Yes, my daughter has drunk bottles and bottles of Benylin. It is amazing how good addicts become at finding anything that will give them a 'high'.

Last week I had bad aches and pains..I ahd no paracetomol but remembered I had some solpadeine..so took 2 of them, yak !! tasted horrible, but!!!! within 15 mins I was on cloud 9 ! and within the hour, I felt happier that I have done for yrs,, I couldn't wait for the next 4 hours to pass (seriously) so that I could take another dose! but then they seem to make me fele a little sick so I didn't take any more..I didn't realise they were so powerfull!

It is a good idea to check the contents of all painkillers and avoid those with any codeine content and the same applies to cough mixtures and sleeping pills. In Victorian times, mothers gave their babies laudanum, which was a morphine derivative. We don't seem to have moved on very much, although I think doctors are much more aware now of the potential addiction risks of tranquillisers and other drugs.

Calpol used to be recommended (unofficially by some mothers) for children who were restless and wouldn't sleep.

Petallus that is so true, I used to hear mothers discussing the best dose at play group. Absolutely terrifying.

Codeine is powerful stuff - I was prescribed it for my constant squits from IBS and used to take it every evening. I rapidly realised that I liked it too much! - so stopped taking it. It really makes you feel euphoric - nice but dangerous.

Nurofen used to make capsules that were half codeine and half something else,and addicts used to break them in half to get the codeine. Also, you can only buy so many tablets over the counter now [I think] but there's nothing to stop people from going to other shops for them. Prescriptions for codeine have to be reviewed on a regular basis and the minimum amount is prescribed for acute problems. I remember having some codeine for a tooth problem a few years back and found that after the problem had gone the tablets still 'called' to me. Think Benylin has a different format now? I know [again years ago] I found myself wanting to take more of it than I needed. Strangely enough, I am someone that has a house full of acohol left over from Christmas etc and would never dream of drinking it; not even a glass of wine at weekends these days.

My daughter has been teetotal for many years. Why would she need alcohol when she can get the same hit with a prescription from her doctor? She is prescribed the maximum recommened dose of 360 mg per day. If the doctor cut it down, she would drive even further afield to find pharmacies that did not know her. There are certain types of pharmacist who ask no questions.

Crikey; I've just read part of that article and combining it with ibuprofen is making it an bigger problem than when it could be separated. I hadn't thought of that, as I'm very wary of ibuprofen.

Having worked in pharmacy,we had all sorts of regular people hooked on all sorts of medications,phensydyl ,Benylin,codeine ,codeine linctus,phil codeine linctus,veganin,and dr collis brownes ,full of morphine for stomach upsets,kaolin and morphine,we even
N had pharmacists hooked on ether,some liked the buzz of ephedrine,some liked stipple of cholorodyne,and some helped themselves to the methadone,even the methylated spirits white and purple had their uses.

I have been taking paracetamol and codeine for migraine for over 30 years. It is the only thing that kills the pain. My migraines are not frequent so on average on one day every month or so I take 2 to 8 of these tablets over 24 hours. I have never been remotely tempted to take more, or to use them for any other purpose. I have had no after affects. I do not feel 'up' or 'down' either when I take them or afterwards. They just kill the pain where aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol alone don't

The problem is not the drug but the addiction. Many addicts weaned off one addictive substance move to another, they don't take hard drugs, they become chain smokers instead. Tony Benn, I understand, is addicted to drinking tea, sufficient for it to made made him ill some years ago.

The majority of people go through life consuming all sorts of potentially addictive substances, alcohol, painkillers of all sorts, laxatives, cough medicines, coffee, tea, carrot juice, water, without ever becoming addicted and we cannot ban every substance that anyone ever became addicted to. We need to concentrate instead on those with addictions and what does or does not predispose them to the problem and how to deal with it. Banning everything that people get addicted to is just avoiding the real problem.

What do you suggest we do about people with repeated addictions, Flickety?

I deo not know, it is not a field in which I have any expertise, but I cannot see that constantly banning substance after substance in some belief that if we ban enough of the substances people become addicted to we can cure the illness has got us anywhere. A significant number of people have died from drinking too much water and many others have suffered medical problems from the over zealous over consumption. Should we ban the sale of bottled water? Stop restaurants putting jugs of water on tables? reduce the number of taps in houses?

In the last month research has been reported that showed that many people wih addictions have chemical imbalances in their brains and drugs could be developed that would help remedy this, just as L-dopa is given to people with Parkinson's disease. This seems a more practical way of helping addicts, rather than chasing them through serial addictions and banning whatever they are addicted too,even though the bans causes considerable inconvenience to many more people than those whose addiction has led to its banning.