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What pain killers are stronger than co coda mol ?

XmarciaX profile image
16 Replies

I am on 30/500 cocodamol but not really taking pain away at night. what could anyone recommend ?

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XmarciaX
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16 Replies
ladymoth profile image
ladymoth

That's pretty much the strongest pain killer you can get before you move up to the opiates, like Tramadol and Oramorph.

Tramadol plus paracetamol seems very effective for Fibro sufferers, and many people find that Dosulepin, which is one of the older antidepressants, is very effective against night time pain.

If you aren't having good pain relief, you need to toddle along to your GP and get him to review your medication.

Moffy x

Ozzygirl64 profile image
Ozzygirl64 in reply toladymoth

Oh I so wish Tramadol and paracetamol did it for me Moffy lol xxxxx

LindseyMid profile image
LindseyMid in reply toladymoth

To clarify, codeine is itself an opiate and Tramadol is an opioid but not an opiate (reflecting that it is made in the lab not from the opium poppy). The opioids run all the way in strength from codeine (a mild opioid) to morphine and fentanyl (very strong opioids).

XmarciaX profile image
XmarciaX

Hiya Moffy, I am just waiting for dr to ring back, cos it don't seem to do a lot at the moment for some reason, and my night pain is in my ribs and legs so I actually near enough crawl to bed. But on 75 amptpylene sorry can't spell it oops to. X

Mdaisy profile image
Mdaisy

Hello xmarciax,

Tramadol is reported to be effective in Fibro pain relief because it has a serotonin pathway, as according to research we have low serotonin. It helps increase serotonin and this is why it is said to help the pain.

I take Tramadol and personally find it very effective. As with all medication, what suits one person may not suit another but it may be worth considering.

Here is some info about Tramadol :

nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyal...

I do hope you manage to get a combination of medication that eases your pain.

On the FibroAction website there are downloadable Factsheets that you can print if needed about Fibro, symptoms and it's treatments.

fibroaction.org/Pages/How-I...

Please let us know how you get on

Emma :)

XmarciaX profile image
XmarciaX

Hiya I have been to the doctors, he has given me Dihydrocodeine 30mg but cos I am a wally I forgot to ask him do I still take the co coda mol or not omg I am so thick now worried x

jom277 profile image
jom277

I am not sure that you would be able to as they both include codeine. It might be worth calling nhs direct as its now out of ours.

Hope they make you feel a little better. I have personally not tried them.

XmarciaX profile image
XmarciaX

Hi, I haven't taken them and will phone up tommorow now, when I see my daughter as she can listen as if I do now I would forget after 2 mins. And thank you for replying x

bluebird123 profile image
bluebird123

You can't take dihydrocodine and cocodamol together as they both have cosine and you risk overdosing, but you can top.up the dihydrocodine with paracetomol. I've been taking dihydrocodine for years, at maximum dose. I have found gabapentin to be excelent pain killer so much that I rarely take pain killers now

XmarciaX profile image
XmarciaX

Hi bluebird, I thought I couldn't, I didn't know u could take paracetamol though but feeling a bit better this morning thank god, but will have to see later as that's when it starts up, so now after picking my daughter up from her skiing trip I am going to have a chill day and rest before I have to sort out the washing x

Ozzygirl64 profile image
Ozzygirl64

You cannot taek Dihydracodiene AND Co-codamol as they both have codeine in them. You would be overdosing yourslef and possibly causing more damge to yourself. You also have to be careful with the Dihydras as they can be addcitive and can also cause bad constipation, not good for fibro suffers xxxxx

poshlady6 profile image
poshlady6

try pain blocking tabs instead ask your doctor

XmarciaX profile image
XmarciaX

Constipation is bad cos of co cod a mol, and think the silly doc could of said something to me really apart from you ave 5 mins to get her before we shut WOW!! Inconsiderate!! And never heard of pain blocking tabs but will ask my own doctorabout them when I see him thank you x

LindseyMid profile image
LindseyMid

Dihydrocodeine and codeine are actually separate medications:

patient.co.uk/medicine/Dihy...

patient.co.uk/medicine/Code...

They are both opioid analgesics though, so are likely to interact. That does not mean they cannot be taken alongside each other as long as you are being properly monitored for side effects.

john25 profile image
john25

Usually the opiate painkiller progression is.

Codeine (in the form of co-codamol).

Tramadol/Buprenorphine Patch (i.e. Norpsan or Butrans)

Morphine/Oxycodone

Hydromorphone

Fentynal.

Not sure where Dihydrocodeine fits, as this is not usd in Australia. There are a few I've sure I've forgot to list but they are the commonest. Sometimes you will be prescribed multiple kinds simultaneously. Often you will be prescribed non opiates alongside these such as paracetamol, as most of these opiates common in pills just by themselves.

HOWEVER, opiates alone are barely ever the answer, and you will find non-opiates (such as gabapentin/lyrica/amiltryptaline/norflex/diazepam) may kill your pain better than cocodamol. However, there is no common progression when it comes to these medicines, and each GP tends to try them in a different order (if it all) based on your specific circumstances.

XmarciaX profile image
XmarciaX

Thank you John for your reply, I am all ready on 75mg of amiltryptaline and have a docs appointment soon to see whT else they can do x

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