Codeine with paracetamol

[Golf123]

I am suffering from sciatic pain which started back in June. I managed to get a GP telephone consultation, and have been prescribed 10 mg Amytripteline , along with a combined cedeine and paracetamol. The latter has helped,but only when I take it. I would like to know if anyone has taken codeine with paracetamol long term and had any side effects due to duration. Many thanks.

[Fruitandnutcase]

I have taken codeine and paracetamol combined but it is addictive so doctors and pharmacists aren’t keen on that. It is also constipating which may not help your sciatica.

It might be a help to see a good physio with experience in treating osteoporotic patients as there are several exercises you can do to reduce the pain of sciatica but it would be best to have physio to start you off - you’ll probably have to pay because the waiting lists for physio tend to be very long.

If all else fails I had a steroid epidural back in the 1980s - I had two, the first one worked right away but wore off after a while - the second one didn’t seem to be working and then I realised that it was and the effect of that lasted until a year or so ago. Sciatica is a horrid condition and the pain is in a class of it’s own so good luck, I hope you can find s9mething that relieves it.

[waylay in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Codeine is the weakest opioid. It's not terribly addictive. US docs are very paranoid about opioids.

[fraid]

Sciatica is vile!I often get it all way down to my foot,even now & with Fentanyl patches etc.My back is totally shot but nerves are still irritated.Would be wary of mixing drugs,ask gp advice.Plus tbh I find physios just push exercises which can further damage injuries,always made me worse.Osteopathy always best to my mind,and back! Good luck finding respite.X

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to fraid]

I’d be really nervous of an osteo or chiropractor manipulating my spine at least with physio I’m sort of in charge of what I do.

I am really lucky to have access to two great physios. One is my Pilates teacher who I see (once in person and twice on Zoom) every week specialises in osteoporotic patients and is terrific - she starts every session with ‘ remember, don’t do anything that causes pain, even if you’ve done it before with no problems and even if it’s something I told you to do, if anything hurts stop doing it.’ The other physio I use specialises in spinal / neurological problems and it was he who referred me for my fractured sacrum when my GPs didn’t want to know.

[MaggieSylvie in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

My chiropractors have never manipulated anything - just pressure and massage.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to MaggieSylvie]

must be osteopaths who manipulate then - apologies ti your chiropractor 😊

[MaggieSylvie in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Osteopaths do manipulate. Chiropractors may manipulate but my recent and regular experience is very gentle.

[fraid in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Osteopathy is much more gentle than chiropractic as I have found.Osteos only manipulate if required,more deep tissue massage etc. Chiropractic & physios have always made me worse,esp.latter as they mostly get you to use muscles,but when you have an injury that can cause further damage.Good you have found what suits you.X

[Met00]

I slipped a disc many years ago and suffered considerable pain for a long time following it. The doctor prescribed co-codamol (paracetamol with codeine), but suggested I might only need to take one co-codamol with one paracetamol (which gives the same amount of paracetamol as 2 co-codamol, but of course half the codeine). That dose worked for me and as I also had IBS-D the constipating effect wasn't a problem! I took them at night for years, because they ensured a good night's sleep, which meant everything fully relaxed during the night, which in turn reduced the pain the following day. I would also take them during the day as needed, which varied enormously, but tried to limit that as far as possible. I had no trouble stopping them when they finally were no longer necessary!

[Golf123 in reply to Met00]

Thank you for your reassurance. My dosage is 15 co codamol to 500 paracetamol. I am finding one tablet during the day, eases any discomfort. Luckily I have no pain when lying in bed. I do feel I may need to take them long term. Your reply has really helped to alleviate my worries.

[Met00 in reply to Golf123]

Yes, that was the dose of tablet I was prescribed, but I could take 2 if needed, or, as my doctor recommended, 1 co-codamol plus 1 paracetamol.

[strongmouse in reply to Met00]

I take codeine and paracetamol at night and in the morning. This mostly helps manage the pain along with nortryptaline at night. I have squashed lumbar discs pressing on spine with pain down my right leg. I only take it during the day if I really need to. I do get constipation with it but take movicol which helps prevent it.

I've been on it a number of years and not needed to take more. As you are aware of the possible side effects then simply being careful and taking only what you need to manage the pain is the best way of having a reasonable quality of life.

My husband can't tolerate codeine at all. We are individual in the way we react to medication. Any list of side effects can be off putting but remember that those are not what most people get.

[Met00 in reply to strongmouse]

I think maybe you meant this reply for Golf123?

[Fruitandnutcase]

When I took co codamol year for my fractured sacrum and very dodgy lumbar spine I found pharmacists and medics seemed to be very cautious (over cautious?) about taking it - the list of precautions that came with it is massive - even though the OCT version you get doesn’t seem all that strong, but I found it a bit off putting

medicines.org.uk/emc/produc... - so I didn’t take it for very long - I’ve got IBS too but I tend to lurch from B to D for no real reason

Considering I was given unlimited Naproxen which really upset my system I’m not sure why cocodamol was frowned upon but it did put me off cocodamol - I’m old enlugh to remember when it was quite common for people to take a couple of codeine for a headache. How thoughts change

Have to say, it was effective though.

[HeronNS in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

My father (a doctor) took codeine for his headaches. I always like to have a supply on hand for the rare times I could use one instead of more aspirin. I think the dosage has changed though. It used to be 15 mg I think, and now it's only 8, and with acetaminophen instead of aspirin, and if I've already taken acetaminophen I can't take the codeine because too much acetaminophen. Wish the codeine was by itself then I could choose the other med to take with it. Don't have any right now anyway because I only want a small amount on hand as I use it so slowly and it goes out of date. Last time I asked for it at pharmacy they wanted to sell me a bottle that was going to expire in a couple of months. I was amused by this as the one I'd just finished I'd had for more maybe three years (30 tablets) and it was the same expiry date.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to HeronNS]

it’s very strange isn’t it. In the good old days when I was a child (I’m 73 now) codeine use was fairly common. I can remember my grandmother and aunt taking the occasional codeine. I’m sure their bottle hung around for ages. There wasn’t anything about it being addictive back then - I suppose it was either that or aspirin for a headache or whatever - but I’m pretty sure my gran and aunt were not addicted.

All I know is that when I was in colossal pain with my fractured sacrum and the Naprixen I was prescribed didn’t agree with me I was offered co-codamol but it came with endless warnings about how addictive it was and also that it could cause constipation but then paracetamol comes with an anxious looking pharmacy assistant asking ‘Have you taken them before?’ And a string of warnings.

[HeronNS in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Given that acetaminophen can cause liver damage I'd heed warning re that more than warnings about an occasional dose of codeine! It used to be you could pick it off the shelf, next to other non-prescription painkillers. Now you have to ask the pharmacist. A few years ago, when they really got this kind of gate-keeping underway, I was puzzled because I could not find a bottle with fewer than 50 tablets in it for the longest time. I refused to buy that quantity and eventually someone got the 30 count, probably in response to my asking.

When I was in the hospital being patched up for an injured leg (turned out to be a tibial plateau fracture) I was going to be sent home with 50 (yes, FIFTY) oxycontin. I just looked at the prescription aghast and said I wasn't having that in my house. An hour later another doctor came in, astonished that the previous one would prescribe such a large amount, and gave me one for 20 Tylenol 3 (which might be like your co-codamol) and is stronger than the behind the generic counter one I buy. I only took about 3 for the leg as it didn't hurt if I didn't move it, mostly to help me sleep the first couple of nights. And they wonder why ppl get addicted to prescription painkillers. 🙄

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to HeronNS]

it’s shocking really isn’t it. So many people become addicted to prescribed prescription drugs. It’s quite worrying - we’ll it’s very worrying. It’s one of those things that is so easy to get into and so difficult to get out of.

I rarely take painkillers now because like you I worry about liver and kidney damage. When I fractured my sacrum I found out about PEMF mats and bought one - I was fortunate that a) I’m able to lie on my back on the floor and b) I don’t have any of the contraindications to using it. It wasn’t cheap but by lying on it twice a day for 20 minutes or so I was able to pretty much cut out painkillers altogether.

When I met up with my rheumatologist last year and showed her my MRI scan reports she read them and all she said was ‘Oh’ (in fact it makes grim reading and every health professional who has seen it just says ‘Oh’) The rheumy went on to say ‘and you’re only taking paracetamol?’ She said she could refer me to their pain clinic if I felt I needed that - but she didn’t follow it up 🤔

[wellness1 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

What setting do you use on your mat?

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to wellness1]

So far I’ve just been using it at 2 in the morning and 1 at night - a whole year + and I haven’t used it on 3. I lie on it for 20-30 minutes morning and evening and sometimes I read a book - sometimes I just ‘meditate’.

[jimister in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Hi can I ask what PEMF mat you have, and where you purchased it.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to jimister]

Yes, I use this one

newmedltd.co.uk/collections...

I’m shocked when I see how much the price has increased since I bought mine. I’m sure I paid under £400 for it back when I got it - I think that was in 2020 and I also got a free portable mat with it.

I’ve found though that it on.y eases pain if you use it - if I get up in a rush and don’t use it I can feel my body start to ache by about lunch time - then I realise why. I’ve also started to look through the various timings and use different programmes to ‘fine tune’

I ordered it from the company online.

[jimister in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thank you for the info. I'm getting terrible Sciatica pain. It is very expensive which I would pay to get relief, but I'm worried it won't make much difference. It is a lot of money if it doesn't help.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to jimister]

It is isn’t it. I was shocked at how much the price has increased since I bought mine. I doubt if I would have invested if it were the price it is now.

Sciatica is horrible. Mine was caused by herniated discs and in the end I had two steroid epidurals and they were effective for many years.

It might be worth trying finding a good physiotherapist and learning some physical therapy exercises/stretches first - I discovered by doing these exercise I could relieve my pain very quickly. You’ve got to be able to get into the positions and I appreciate some people can’t do that sometimes because their pain is too great. That would be a lot cheaper than the mat and you would know if it was working.

baycare.net/media/1473/stre...

I discovered that I could also do them discretely while sitting in a chair - shows you here

orthoindy.com/UserFiles/Fil... and a lot of the exercises shown here - hip extension / abduction etc - are what we do in my Pilates class

[Golf123]

Thank you for your reply. I find one tablet 15 co codamol and 500 paracetamol does ease my discomfort during the day. Whether my body will get used to this dose and then not help unless I increase the dose, remains to be seen. I have no discomfort when bed and have a high fibre diet so no constipation. I just hope things will gradually improve.

[fairgo45]

i take paracode which is 500mg paracetamol+8mg codeine it's for a condition I'm waiting to have an operation for so won't be on it forever but I did ask my doctor if it was addictive she said not at that dose. I also take them at night to get a good night's sleep.

For all those with bowel issues try kefir.

I make my own and it's wonderful it taste likes yoghart only drinkable I mix mine with fruit tinned peaches are great in juice not syrup.

google mad millie

[Thanksnhs]

hi I have been taking co codamol 30/500 for many years and now my Dr has prescribed amitriptyline 10g up to three a night if I need them, I usually take two, I have athritis and peripheral neuralgia in my feet. They really work. Constipation is the only side effect I have had. Char

[MCW22]

I've just had a couple of weeks of bad sciatica which finally eased after doing leg stretch exercises I found online and by applying a microwave heat pad to my hip and buttock. Oh what relief.

[Golf123 in reply to MCW22]

I will look on the web for some leg stretch exercises to see if this helps along with some form of heat. How I feel at the moment makes me willing to try anything. I have just started taking one co codamol with paracetamol, which does is my sciatica but gives me a terrible headache. Very annoying

[lgd333]

I cannot take codeine due to epilepsy, but take paracetamol for neck and back pain. It's the only one that works.

[Musicl]

I have recently come off cocodamol (codeine and paracetamol) after being on it for two and a half years, due to chronic hip and knee pain pre surgery. It gave me constipation to the point that I was taking laxatives around three times a week. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, but I still suffered from constipation. Now that I am off the medication, my bowel habits have returned to normal. I did have to wean myself off the cocodamol, as it is habit forming if taken for long periods. I hope that this helps in some way and good lu ck.

[waylay]

I did. The codeine was fine, but be very careful with the paracetamol - it can cause liver damage in the long term. I woke up with jaundice and acute liver failure after about a year of taking it every day!

Never take more than 3g/day, never drink alcohol while you're on it, take breaks from it every so often

You can get codeine without paracetamol

Personally, codeine only helped a bit, and it gave me nausea. I get on much better with tramadol, but we all react differently.

[Catseyes235]

I take one co-codamol and one paracetamol when I’m due to do something like a walk or a long day out. Seems to keep off the worst pain but I’d never have two co-codamol together as it’s constipating. After that I may take two paracetamol. So basically I take only when really needed and not regularly as there are days when I experience less pain.

[Itsworkedforme]

hello Golf123

Codeine already has paracetamol in it so you will in effect be overdosing on paracetamol if you take for instance, 2 Cocodamol 30/500 and 1 paracetamol

Although it’ll probably work for you I would recommend you not mixing codeine with anything else but I’m no expert