cocodamol

[bubbles4920]

can 500mg cocodamol tablets become addictive? i was given them after a knee operation and now that ive discovered that i can buy them for almost peanuts when i go on holiday abroad, i stock up. i use them for headaches and period pains. i find that anadin extra doesnt seem to do much anymore.

[Ice.Maiden]

Any pain killer can be addictive - if not physically, then psychologically, but cocodamol have been said to have an addictive effect by some people.

[bednobs]

its got codiene in it - an opioid so yes, they can be addictive

[ethandron]

i do the same as you bubbles. i'm surprised they let me into other countries because of the amount of medication i take with me! co-codamol are the best over the counter painkillers i have found, i take them for arthritis generally, and also headaches. i have found they are great for getting a good night's sleep too, although, as you are probably aware, they can make you constipated.
as has already been said, any pain killer can become addictive, but if you're sensible and only use them for what you've mentioned, i wouldn't see that as a problem. if you were taking the maximum dose, everyday, then maybe that would be a cause for concern.

[jake-the-peg]

http://www.doctoronline.nhs.uk/masterwebsite1A sp/targetpages/drugs/cocodamo.asp

They are being withdrawn in the UK for safety reasons

[LoftyLottie]

They are mildly addictive and not recommended for long term use. I can't take them at all as anything with codeine in makes me hallucinate. Codeine is a narcotic.

[Bathsheba]

You need to read the labels with co-codamol- some are 8/500, which means they are 500mg of paracetamol with 8mg of codeine, some are 30/500.Either way, you can become addicted, as I know to my cost!

[McNoodle]

Neurofen Plus have more codeine in each dose than cocodamol...

[daffy654]

Co-codamol aren't being withdrawn are they? I thought it was just co-proxamol that had been due to the fact they are/were so easy to overdose on-accidentally or deliberately.

[jackthehat]

Unfortunately, I believe myself to be a 30/500 addict............I get very twitchy and feel quite odd first thing in the morning until I have my first lot of pills................:o{

However, for regular aches and pains and 'monthlies' I still have to use Ibuprofen as the Co-Codomol have no effect on these..............

[tigwig]

yes they are very addictive. my sister in law took them every day a while ago and couldn't function without them, they helped her to stay calm, even now if she is stressed she still has them. You will find that if you wean yourself off painkillers altogether and only use them when absolutely necessary they will work again, just stick to the recommended dose

[theprof]

Just to clarify,

In the UK, there are two basic strengths of co-codamol available. These are the 8/500 which is 8mg of codeine phosphate combined with 500mg of paracetamol. The other is 30mg of codeine phosphate combined with 500mg of paracetamol.

So is one more addictive than the other? Not really. There are many recorded cases in the medical literature of patients addicted to the 8/500 strength. Treatment with the higher strength is not necessarily required for a patient or abuser to become addicted to the codeine content.

The 8/500 strength remains an OTC product in the UK,. This means that it can be sold to the general public in minimal quantities for treatment of mild to moderate pain. The sale is only allowed in pharmacies and has to be overseen by the pharmacist present in order for him/her to be satisfied that there is no potential for abuse of the tablets. A pharmacist's assistant or dispense is not qualified to sanction the sale without the approval of the pharmacist in attendance and even though the pharmacist may not approach or question the potential purchaser in person, the sale will be refused if the purchaser looks dodgy or is known to try to purchase the tablets too frequently in the area. This also means that if the the pharmacist has gone to lunch for example, the tablets cannot be sold.

The 30/500 strength can only be supplied to a patient via a doctors prescription. It cannot be sold to a patient by a pharmacist, not least because of the increased risk of addiction at this strength.

(continued)

[theprof]

Co-codamol is NOT being discontinued in the UK and . OTC requests for the 8/500 strength remain at the discretion of the pharmacist as I indicated above.

Co-proxamol, a synergistic mixture of paracetamol and dextroproxyphene has been discontinued in the UK. Dextroproxyphene is an opioid analgesic similar to codeine but with marginally less strength to abate pain.. However, in the event of overdosage or suicide attempts, codeine can be deactivated in the body much more easily than dextrroproxyphene. Co-proxamol is invariable lethal in high dosage and this is the principal reason why it has been withdrawn.

[cybil2403]

I believe Co-codamol can also make you consitpated.