General Chat

anyone on here taking or taken it? Oh just been put on them for a week, wondering if anyone recommends them or otherwise as I have not heard anything good about them. He has headache and awful back pain and I read that if they are taken for more than 3 days for headaches they make them worse.

I think if he was prescribed them, rather than buying them over the counter, he should be ok. - except for constipation!!!!
Have you read the leaflet that comes with them?
If you are worried you should really speak to the pharmacist or gp.

I was on them for ages with my knee problems. Just make sure he eats something when taking them and as namelessone says constipation is a side effect

As it was only a part box there was no leaflet but I have printed one off from the internet (patients' information leaflet. Lots of unpleasant side effects but I am hoping he won't suffer from them It was the hospital that prescribed tehm, if he is worried he will try and speak to his GP on Monday. He has taken two lots so far with no problem so we will see.I had intended that we speak to the pharmacist when we collected them but our pharmacist wasn't there and there didn't seem to be much order when we wee in there, couldn't even work out who was the relief pharmacist so we didn't bother.

Thanks LG He had a biscuit with them at 4pm.

I hope he feels better soon Ann

Ann, Co-codomol come in different strengths. I have had the strongest one on repeat prescription for 18 years now and swear by them. It’s true I only take them when I need them, not every day. Any pain killer used for headaches will cause more headaches if too many are taken or over too long a period - I think it’s called a rebound headache - but taking them as prescribed for just a week shouldn’t cause any problem. Not everyone can take codeine but I hope they help your OH.

It’s strange how different things affect us. I recently tried Nurofen for the first time. After 3 doses I gave up as it did nothing at all for the pain but made me feel sick.

which dosage is he on???

Everyone is concentrating on the headache, but you say he has "awful back pain". That needs controlling as well.

Your co-codomol is, I believe, somewhat equivalent to our Tylenol 2 but with more paracetamol

Tylenol 2 is 200 mg acetominophen (= paracetamol) + 15 mg coedeine phosphate + 15 mg caffeine

Caffeine increases the effects of the acetominiphen and codeine.

I take Tylenol 3 which is 300 mg acetominophen, 30 mg codeine phosphate and 15 mg caffeine, and have done for at least 25 years, on a basis of take 1 or 2 tablets every 4 hours as needed, up to a maximum of 8 in 24hours. Needless to say I am exceedingly careful, and have only taken the maximum of 8 on a couple of occasions. I had to take the full dosage of 8 for about 8 days after I had my last mastectomy. I usually have to take them only for 2 or 3 days, but have taken 3 or 4 a day for as long as 2 weeks.

What I can say is ................

if prescribed by a doctor or the hospital (and presumably that was by a doctor) then it is safe. It has probably been prescribed to deal with both the headache and the back pain. It WILL do so!

Take ONLY as prescribed.

Don't panic!

Drink loads of water to overcome the constipation ..... between 8-10 8 oz glasses of water per day, plus other liquids. Increase water if necessary.

EAT before taking the pills, one biscuit is not enough to protect your stomach. If taking the dose does not time with lunch or tea, he should eat several biscuits or even a slice of bread and jam!

I hope he feels better soon.


BTW ............... I get several pages of patient information every time I get a prescription filled, and that is provided by the pharmacist. You could call your pharmacy and see if they have such a thing. It's far more informative than online!

My OH was on coco. after her cancer opp and then again cos of double herniated disk. Strong.
For the cancer about 3 months - they made her sick.
'cos of side effects and dereasing effectiveness she moved onto something else for the disks which works fine few side effects. Major fight with her GP to make the change though.
Coco. esp strong ones are addictive and taking them for very long is not a good idea though there are always exceptions.
They are very, very cheap which endears them to health practioners everywhere.

I think that lists of side effects can be a bit scary - bear in mind that they have to include everything, even if a very small percentage of people may experience it. My sister has had them, constipation seems to be the main problem. Plenty of fluids, fruit and veg.

Thanks, he is on 500mg dosage.

As he has lost his appetite it is difficult to get him to eat much at all but I will nag when he takes them. He is drinking lots of water.

Ann, 500 mg is the paracetamol. There should be a figure in front of that e.g 8/500, 15/500. The first figure is the amount of codeine.

Edit: I have sent you a pm

Ann, several years ago when I twisted my sciatic nerve, after about four weeks and after a couple of other types of tablet that weren't suitable, the doctor prescribed paracetomol and codeine and told me to keep doing the exercises the physio had given me and as soon as I felt a little ease, stop the codeine and only take the paracetomol. The codeine is the addictive part of cocodomol, of course, for some people.

It was extremely painful doing the exercises (or trying to do them, at the beginning) but I got there in the end. It took six weeks before I was able to hobble around with a walking stick then another couple of weeks before I could ditch the stick.

I have been left with soft tissue damage in my left ankle so it is permanently bigger than the right.

Good luck to your OH.

Thanks all.
Vera it is 30/500

I was on codeine phophate high dosage for 8 years until both my knees were replaced I had no trouble stopping taking them,one of the lucky ones

Gosh you were lucky LG as that was a long time to be on it.

I couldn't stand the pain day and night so had no choice Ann

codeine is of course an opiate .......... like heroin.

It IS addictive, which is why over here you are not allowed to have repeat prescriptions, and can only actually be prescribed a certain number each time.

You have to see a doctor every time you need a new prescription, and are questioned very carefully about how you are taking them, when and why.

The best a doctor can do if he or she thinks that you are handling the dosage well is to write a prescription, for example, for 180 tablets with 90 to be handed out now and 90 when required.

The prescription is also duplicated (at one time there were 2 carbon copies, with the copy/ies sent to different authorities.

In one sense, the paracetamol is nothing compared with the codeine ................. all you have to do with the paracetamol is to remember to keep your daily total dosage intake to less than 4000 mg or you face liver damage.

Do not try to commit suicide by taking an overdose of paracetamol ............... if they manage to save you, then you will b eleft with permanent liver damage.

I have a niece who tried that about 15 or so years ago. I think she has managed to get about 30-40% of her liver function back.

Lesser dosages of paracetamol can damage the stomach lining leading to ulcer(s) if taken without food, although the usual sign is nausea. That's why food must be taken before you take the dose.


Ann ........ what about soup? Will your OH take tomato soup, chicken noodle, any kind, with some crackers or bread? Toast and jam/marmalade, cheese and crackers, cereal, porridge??

Sylvia he is not actually refusing food, just doesn't fancy it but does eat a meal albeit about a third the quantity of normal. (he has always been a quite big eater). so yesterday he had eggs on toast for breakfast, a biscuit halfway through the morning. a banana for lunch, biscuit with a cup of tea at 4pm and a smallish portion of prawn and mushroom curry and rice for evening meal

He will still eat two weetabix for breakfast and sometimes a sandwich for lunch. Yes he would eat soup and he will eat toast. Part of the problem is, for as long as I have known him (64 years) he has had a tendency for something to catch in his throat occasionally when eating which 'goes the wrong way' and makes him cough. At the moment coughing is excrutiatingly painful on his back, almost unbearable. I think it is partly fear of that makes him not want to eat. Oh, a drink can cause that as well. I think it is his tonsils, he should have had them removed when young in my opinion.

Ann, I think your OH is doing well as far as eating is concerned.

I lost over a stone when I twisted my sciatic nerve. I did not feel like eating at all and I suffered dreadful nausea each time I tried to move.

The advice I was given about exercise then was the same as I was given more than 30 years earlier when X-rays showed arthritis in my neck and I was unable to turn my head at all.

My, then, doctor told me to take the tablet and exercise my neck when the tablet kicks in so the pain is less severe. As soon as my neck was 'looser' (for want of a better word) I was instructed to stop taking the tablets but keep up the exercises. (No great deal for me as I have always been fairly active - probably the reason I stuck to stretch exercises which I have always done, before a dance class.)

My arthritis has spread but it is manageable now without any tablets as I still do stretching exercises regularly and I'd recommend them wherever possible.