Co-codamol/Codeine

[Rosie]

Hi midnightangel

I have taken DF118s in the past and I think the DH118s must be similar. If I remember OK DF118s are dihydraocodeine sulphate and I tolerate these quite well, although they can make me a bit spaced out. They are often given for bad toothache (root pain).
I am allergic to aspirin and cannot tolerate any of the NSAIDs, so I rely on other types of pain relief. I was fine on the DF118s, and found them to be effective, but I had to be careful driving etc.

Hope this helps

Rosie

[midnightangel]

Duh!!!...silly typing...it is DF118 that I was given. Hit the H by mistake!
Have just edited myself!

Thanks for the info Rosie.

[Rosie]

Hi again midnightangel

And there was me thinking I won't show my ignorance by admitting I had never heard of DH118s! Although I found them quite good, I am not sure about any addictive/dependency issues they may have. But if your GP has prescribed them, they will already have taken this into account.


Rosie

[midnightangel]

Rosie!
Guess they must be affecting my typing!!!

I have been on dihydracodiene for a while now, so am probably already hooked...I can't imagine not taking them so I guess its not much of an issue. I got tolerant to the lower dose. I think my GP's main focus is pain control right now, in the hope it will help with the rest of my problems (depression caused by the pain etc!)
I did have to go back to bed this morning as I felt so wiped out, not sure if thats the DF118 or just me being tired!

[Rosie]

I would not chose to be taking tramadol as I do, but at least it enables me to keep the lid on the pain. For the time being I am happy to carry on taking them. I am waiting to attend a pain management course, and I am hoping this will help. In the meantime I take the painkillers I need, and they keep the pain to a manageable level, I only wish I could get the fatigue under some sort of control.

Hope the DF118s are helping you.

Rosie

[sallyinlancs]

I'm back on Codeine again (been to a new pharmacist for my medi review). I had it before but found the pain relief it gave me was not that brilliant and it makes me REALLY drowsy - I am falling asleep all over the place and feel like the living dead! Not to mention the fact that I get so bunged up I look like I swallowed a football! I really don't get on with the stuff - don't know why I agreed to give this a go.

On second thoughts, I agreed because I've become so sleep-deprived I'm willing to try anything and was in no frame of mind to argue with the pharmacist.

My trouble is that I wake up after a maximum of 4 hours so I just can't get any deep sleep. Is there any such thing as a slow-release Codeine?

[Sandy L]

Codeine does not stay in the body long at all. You may find that taking half doses twice as often (for the same daily total) neither makes you as drowsy nor quits working as much. If it has been manyhojurs since a dose, take a full tablet to bring the blood concentration up to a therapeutic level, then take half doses twice as often.

[Retro]

Disclaimer - Please do not adjust your medication without first speaking to your own medical practitioner or pharmacist - Site Admin

[lil_miffy]

my gp has given me codiene for pain.
i dont like taking pain killers for personal reasons so will only use it when real bad.

whats the best way to take it cos my parents say its addictive and can also really slow your bowel down which aint good for my flexible belly.

[EmilyG]

My personal preference with painkillers is to take a low dose regularly and when things get bad to increase the dose. I find that way the effects to be better and quicker than just taking one when things get bad. However, it's obviously a completely personal choice. If your doctor recommended a particular number of tablets a day or anything, maybe you could try that? With regards to slowing the bowel, you might find you have no problems, and if you do, you could go back to your doctor and ask to try something else? It's just a case of trial and error unfortunately xx

[Eloise]

As long as you can tolerate paracetamol, it is always much better to take codeine with paracetamol, as alone codeine is only a weak pain killer, but the additional benefit of codeine plus paracetamol is greater than the sum of the two parts (i.e. 2 plus 2 does equal 5 possibly 6). This is still true even if you think paracetamol alone does nothing at all. (Also, paracetamol usually for most people has no side-effects, so it means you can take a lower dose of the codeine, get more pain relief and less of the codeine side-effects). Obviously always make sure you don't take more than the recommened dose of paracetamol - and check you are not on other medication containing paracetamol (it hides in lots of over the counter medicines).

Codeine is a weak opioid and so does have many potential side-effects - not to say you will get them - everyone is different, some people get them all really badly and can't tolerate it, whereas others get hardly any side-effects. (Also pain relief effect is varied - for some people it is wonderful (me) and for other people it does noting).

Most people do get constipated with it, but this is dose dependant, and if only taken when needed, then your bowels can recover on days you don't need to take it. Obviously you may need to increase the normal measures you use when you get constipated (i.e. increase fluid intake, fibre, laxatives etc).

Drowiness is also an issue as well, so if you drive make sure you know the effects fully. I only ever take my codeine at night. If I do need to take it during the day - I don't drive - but these are normally the days I am in that much agony I would never get to work anyway.

When taken for pain it is rarely addictive as in how an addict becomes addicted. However, when used for pain, your body may develop a tolerance and so you need to take higher and higher doses to get the same pain relief. This is usually if you are taking it a few times a day for a few weeks. I normally force myself to have an "opioid" free weekend every now and again and use other pain killers (paracetamol, ibuprofen) just to check that I am not becoming tolerant to it, and also allow my bowels to clear (sorry if TMI).

So this is half my Pharmacist opinion, and half my own experience, as a combination of paracetamol and codiene is what I have worked out is my best pain killer regimen. (plus ibuprofen when active inflammation)

[lil_miffy]

thanks for the advice
im limited on painkillers cos of medication i take for bipolar. i cant take anything with asprin or anything like ibuprofen. im ok with heat patches but cant use pain relief rubs, lotions sprays etc cos they contains painkillers i cant take.



im gonna use heat patches and my tens machince unless pain is real bad then il take the codiene.

[Sandy L]

Codeine has a very short half-life--2.9 hours. If you take one (of any strength) every six hours, the lowest concentration in you blood (just before you take the next dose) will be about 29% of the peak. If you take a full tablet the first time, then 1/2 tablet every three hours, the blood concentration will remain in a more therapeutic range. Ask your physician if that would be all right.

[Eloise]

Sandy - that is a very good idea for if the pain is chronic throughout the whole day, and so stops the peaks of side-effects (drowiness) and troughs of break-though pain.

I use my codeine the opposite way as the time I can't cope with the worst pain is during the night, and so I take it before bed, where the drowiness also helps me sleep. I am then clear of the drowiness and fuzzy head during the day, where I can deal with my pain in other ways (distraction, TENS etc).

[naama]

I've been given co-codamol again. Yuck, I hate the way they make me feel so much! They are on top of my butrans patches to deal with the flare up (which feels more like the norm than an exception!). Why does the drug of choice have to make me so blurgh that I don't take it! I know they won't give me anything different though until I'm taking the max dose of co-codamol.