Co - codamol
Jayinthegarden
Posts: 1,190 Forum Member
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I have been prescribed co-codamol 30/500. My pain is at its worst when I walk or stand, if I am having a lazy day, should I still take the tablets? Is the effect cumulative, or should I just take them before, during and after activity? I know never to exceed 8 a day.
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Thankfully the gout isn't too frequent, but my left knee often starts to get painful at around 8pm. I do try to avoid taking anything if at all possible, but on occasion, it becomes obvious that I won't get any sleep if I don't. If I then take the two tablets, I'm always asleep within about half an hour, with the only side-effect being that I can sometimes wake up in the morning and fall asleep again. Luckily, I don't have to be at work by any particular time.
So in answer to your question, I can reliably state that a one-off dose will take effect within a short time and you can repeat it if you feel the effects wearing off. I can often go a week without the need for them, but if I need to, I can go straight back on them with the same effect as before.
If you suffer from knee pain, either from arthritis or cartilage problems, I can assure you that the low-dose diclofenac plus the 30/500 co-codamol is very effective. The 50mg diclofenac might be better still, but that always gives me stomach problems, whereas I'm fine with the 25mg.
One word of warning... when you wake up in the morning, your spectacular greenhouse gas emissions may cause your own, personal hole in the ozone layer directly above your house.
I should also advise that you are warned not to take co-codamol for more than three consecutive days or it can lead to addiction, although on the few occasions when I have needed to, I have never had any problems at all.
This is sound advice.
However, GP's seem to dish them out like Smarties.
Better in what way?
I would have thought that the codeine in particular would lose potency this way.
Using them 'as and when' (as long as it's not all the time) would prevent a tolerance building up.
I wouldn't worry too much about it. You will know yourself if you need to take them.
Google drug half life, obviously with some prescription drugs long term use is a no no. But for keeping pain down you're effectively topping up what's left in your system which makes it more effective:
http://instructor.mstc.edu/instructor/csebasti/Pharmacology/Medication%20Half%20Life.pdf
Oh I appreciate that, and I can understand that for many drugs - but codeine is so addictive, being an opiate, in which tolerance can be built up in a matter of days it seems suprising that a constant 'topping up' wouldn't knock the general efficacy of the drug.
This is so true. I've been on Co-codamol for over 7 years now. I've tried to come off them twice and make do with my other pain meds. Failed miserably both times. Support from GP was practically non existent.
OP - don't be afraid of taking them, just be mindful they can be addictive.
Caused terrible constipation and I now have a problem downstairs due to that alone, despite taking lactulose.
Word of warning though- I was told that the codeine in co-codamol may well take you over the drugs limit for driving. I was suspended from my last job just because they found out my medication and decided it was illegal in their opinion.
The only other things I would add are not to take other medicines that also contain paracetamol (such as some flu remedies, etc.) in combination with this medicine since this can result in exceeding the maximum recommended daily dose of paracetamol and to leave a gap of 4 hours between doses.
I had a doctor prescribe them to me, when the amazing co-proxamol tablets were taken off the market, to ease gallstone pain.
First time I took them, I had a massive attack in the middle of Oxford Street. On reading the information sheet properly, it said NOT to be given to patients with gallstones!