Ibuprofen and codine addiction

[fossyant]

I've been on codeine on and off for a couple of years. I tend to take it only on pain flare ups, but have been known to take 60mg and 1000 of paracetamol. I've never taken it for more than a couple of days though. I was given tramadol last Christmas, and boy did it kill pain, but I was off my head.

If you take a regular high dose of codeine, over the recommended dose, it can affect testosterone. My endo was initially saying that could have caused my problems, but a tablet once in a while isn't going to do that. I asked the Pain Clinic and they said you'd have to be abusing the medicine to affect testosterone.

There are very little pain killers that don't have some nasty side effects. NSAIDS don't treat your stomach nicely.

I am managing on the minimum painkillers i can, but I'm having another flare up.

 

[Andrew_P]

My mother in law is on 6-8 30/500 co codomol a day, on top of that they keep trying her on Anti Depressants which she can never tolerate, when I looked up the two on a drug interataction checker they have a red warning triangle as it increases the effect of both drugs.. She has been on these for ten years initially due to migraines, now just prescribed by her Dr because she is addicted. Awful

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Codeine phosphate and co-codamol are two different preparations. Codeine phosphate (e.g. DF118) is a Schedule II Controlled Drug and Prescription Only Medicine (POM) in the UK. It cannot be sold Over The Counter (OTC).

Co-codamol is a codeine/paracetamol combination. Tablets containing up to 8mg of codeine can be sold OTC. Any preparation containing a higher dose is a POM.

Yep, sorry, my original post was unclear. Co-codamol contains codeine phosphate and paracetamol. The over the counter brands have a lower dosage (usually 8mg) of codeine phosphate. Higher doses are prescription only.

 

[classic33]

Hardly a reliable source...

It also says that ibuprofen is non-addictive and not habit forming (first line of the third paragraph).

Why hardly reliable. A group that recognizes that there is a problem.

 

[Roadrider48]

It depends on the prescription.

Mr R is a medical consultant specialising in drug and alcohol addictions. I showed him the OP. His view, on the basis of the information provided is that, given the short period the tablets were being used, it was highly unlikely that any dependency or addiction (and they're two different things) had occurred, or that any tolerance had built up.

In his view, the symptoms experienced by the OP are typical of cold and flu. Levels of anti-inflammatories and anti-pyhretics in the blood drop overnight (unless you're in hospital and the bugger's wake you up in the middle the night to take your meds) and combined with other effects of interrupted sleep, you will often feel worse in the morning. Then you take your next dose, the levels in your blood go up, you have other stimulants (tea, coffee and food) and you feel better.

Co-codamol and other codeine contains drugs are perfectly safe if used correctly. If in doubt ask your GP or a pharmacist - not a Bunch of folks on the Internet...

I agree completely, they are safe If taken correctly and as prescribed.
Codeine though is very addictive and acts the same as a hit of Cocaine when it is absorbed by the body.
I was at one stage quite heavily addicted to these little buggers as my body slowly built up a tolerance to the prescribed dose. So I gradually upped it and upped it until it became a real problem when I decided to stop(100% my own fault).
I did manage however to gradually ween myself off and I have been free of them for some years now.
But Codeine addiction is a real problem among many people.
If taken as prescribed for a very short time they are a very effective pain killer, but if like me with an ongoing condition you can quite easily build up a tolerance to the safe dose and therefor start to become addicted, as I did.
I firstly went cold turkey not realising the potency of this drug and after almost two days I wished I would die.
Apart from the symptoms I mentioned earlier I got so constipated that it caused a blockage in my stomach and required a three night stay in hospital. At one stage they were going to operate on me to cut out whatever the blockage was.
Fortunately, one consultant had the idea to make me drink a litre of radiological dye to try and flush the problem away.
Ten hours after this drink it worked, thank god. BOY DID IT WORK. Those poor nurses!

 

[BrynCP]

Yep, sorry, my original post was unclear. Co-codamol contains codeine phosphate and paracetamol. The over the counter brands have a lower dosage (usually 8mg) of codeine phosphate. Higher doses are prescription only.

Nurofen Plus and Boots' "Ibuprofen and Codeine" contain 12.8mg/200mg of ibuprofen

 

[Roadrider48]

Codeine and cocaine are two completely different drugs, with two completely different mechanisms and effects on the body

Codeine is an opiate derived sedative. Cocaine is tropane alkaloid and a stimulant.

Apologies, I meant Morphine.

 

[raleighnut]

I've had to take a lot of Codeine over the past year due to the broken leg (off em now) but they were the only thing that worked other than Morphine.
If you do have to take them there is a way to avoid the 'corking' problem which is as soon as you feel the slightest 'urge' to use the loo get on with it and don't put it off, not even for 10 minutes or you will need laxatives.
The other thing I'd say is that Codeine will not do anything for headaches/migraine as Maz found out by nicking a couple of mine whilst I was out. When I got back I found her lying in bed groaning as she couldn't move and she still had the same headache, I told her it served her right as they should not be taken except under medical supervision (apparently she had run out of paracetamol so taken one out of the blister pack and cos they were so tiny took two not realising how potent they were, luckily by then I'd dropped down to the 30mg ones if she had of taken 2 of the 60mg ones I'd been on a couple of weeks earlier god knows what they would have done to her)

 

[shouldbeinbed]

It depends on the prescription.

Mr R is a medical consultant specialising in drug and alcohol addictions. I showed him the OP. His view, on the basis of the information provided is that, given the short period the tablets were being used, it was highly unlikely that any dependency or addiction (and they're two different things) had occurred, or that any tolerance had built up.

In his view, the symptoms experienced by the OP are typical of cold and flu. Levels of anti-inflammatories and anti-pyhretics in the blood drop overnight (unless you're in hospital and the bugger's wake you up in the middle the night to take your meds) and combined with other effects of interrupted sleep, you will often feel worse in the morning. Then you take your next dose, the levels in your blood go up, you have other stimulants (tea, coffee and food) and you feel better. As the day goes on you'll begin to feel worse again.

Co-codamol and other codeine contains drugs are perfectly safe if used correctly. If in doubt ask your GP or a pharmacist - not a bunch of folks on the Internet...

The trouble is GP's and consultants aren't always the best at correct usage advice. My knee consultant for example, when I was arguing with him about them and he dismissed a lot of the concerns out of hand: Oh yes, take them for 3 weeks and if you feel bad stop for a couple of days until your knee becomes too painful and start them.again, you'll be fine. My GP also put me on repeat prescription!! back before I knew just how bad they were, for a big neck injury after a car crash.

Your OH may be in the know and understand the problems but many with medical qualifications don't get it or buy into that.

Also the 3 days thing for someone addicted is easy to get round with a small network of chemists to use so that one doesn't get to see you regularly enough to stop selling or ask questions.

There should be some sort of centralised log that codeine sales have to be registered to and they can only be bought with identity proof to flag up problems caused by medical misadvice and/or simply getting hooked over the counter sooner for people.

The salt content in the effervescent types is quite alarming too.

Edit: @raleighnut, codeine < morphine < heroin. Same opiate family tree just the hit differs.
Codeine worked well for headaches for me, it affects individuals in different ways, just because it didn't do it for Maz, doesn't mean it doesn't work at all for them. I feel absolutely no benefit from ibuprofen, one of those things unique to individuals.

 

[vickster]

Which is why I wasn't keen on taking codeine after my arm operation. I did take 8 paracetamol and 8 double strength Ibuprofen every day for a month or so and didn't suffer any issues coming off of them, but I wasn't keen on the idea of getting addicted to codeine.

That's an enormous amount of ibuprofen if the 400mg ones! I'm surprised you didn't end up with an ulcer!

I only take codeine at night as it makes me too sleepy if needing to work. I'm now taking naproxen for my knees as ibuprofen didn't help. Not sure the naproxen does but the gp can't give me anything stronger. Paracetamol on top as required

 

[The Jogger]

Since New Year's Eve my back has been playing up, I had some naproxene which had worked before but this time they just seem to be taking the edge of it. I also have co codamol but will only use them as a very last resort, as a recovering alcoholic (25 years) I still have an addicted personality and this is the sort of thing I could easily get dependent on.

However if the pain was a bit worse I would have to although today seems to be a bit less painful.

 

[Drago]

I have a supply of Tylex, which is essentially an uber strong co-codamol for when my titanium arm is aching. It works, but I hate taking it for more than a day as the headaches when I come off it are horrible.

 

[vickster]

Since New Year's Eve my back has been playing up, I had some naproxene which had worked before but this time they just seem to be taking the edge of it. I also have co codamol but will only use them as a very last resort, as a recovering alcoholic (25 years) I still have an addicted personality and this is the sort of thing I could easily get dependent on.

However if the pain was a bit worse I would have to although today seems to be a bit less painful.

Try heat (I.e. A bath) and some gentle stretching, depending what's wrong with your back

 

[CopperBrompton]

I take them quite a bit as nothing else works for my headaches, and these take away the pain quickly. By quite a bit, I mean perhaps a box of 32 a month but I wouldn't say I am addicted

I would. You are averaging (more than) one a day. Go see your GP and tell them what you've been doing. The (subsequent) headaches are very likely from the drug.

 

[CopperBrompton]

And where did you get your medical or pharmacology degree?

I don't have a distilling qualification either, but if someone was knocking back a fifth of scotch a day, I wouldn't need one to consider that they are likely addicted. I appreciate I am giving out the highly irresponsible advice to talk to someone who does have a medical degree, of course ...