To Cure Or Cause A Headache? (Co-codamol tablets)

Member Name: criple

Product:	Co-codamol tablets
Date:	20/01/03 (11624 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, Effective

Disadvantages: Side Effects, Dependency

3 op's in January and all 3 on medicines! Still if something is worth knowing, it's worth sharing and that is what dooyoo is all about.

I may have chosen a different third op for this month but after a visit to the doctors (yes, another one) I do have a season ticket you know, I thought it important to share some information with you.

I have been suffering badly with headaches that seem to start at the back of my neck and work upwards. It feels like my whole head is being compressed in a vice and it makes it difficult to read, sleep and even watch TV. Using the computer is also a toil as the constant fixation at the screen can make matters worse. This is one reason why I'm not on dooyoo for very long periods; it is just too uncomfortable.

I also suffer with tingling down my left arm and pain in my fingers, I could go on forever as my prolapsed disc and sciatica can also cause me considerable distress. The hospital has literally said there is nothing more they can do for my back so I am privately visiting a chiropractic. They referred me for physiotherapy for my neck however as nothing conclusive showed up on the MR scan. For all of the above problems I have been taking Diclofenac, which is an anti-inflammatory and co-codamol, which is an analgesic. They both have different properties but are both used to help relieve pain. When I feel better I try not to take the Diclofenac as they are quite strong, I usually just take the co-codamol as and when needed. Recently the pain in my neck and head was causing me severe problems and I have been taking the maximum does of eight 500mg tablets a day. My doctor prescribes these for me as I have a prescription prepayment certificate. You can buy them direct from a chemist for a small amount of money, prices would vary according to the packet size but you could get some for at least £1.00

The box I have is plain white and on the packaging it states that the MA holder is Alpharma

, Barnstaple, EX32 8NS. There are a total of 84 tablets in my box and they come in strips of 10. They are BP 8/500mg but I imagine that there will be different doses available and different companies will manufacture them. Surprisingly there are no instructions inside the box. Perhaps if you bought them over the counter they would have, I know I have seen instructions inside packs before. The only guidance I have is on the packaging itself.

It states clearly not to take with any other medicine containing Paracetamol. The maximum adult dose is one or two, four times daily of anything containing Paracetamol. I suppose what they are trying to say is that if you take 4 of these for example you could also take 4 Paracetamol tablets in the same 24 hour period if you run out. This is something that should be discussed with your GP or Pharmacist to be sure; I would say that you are much better sticking to the same tablets. Children aged 6 to 12 are usually advised to take half the adult dose, they are not recommended for children under the age of 6. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take these unless on the advice of a doctor. Co-codamol contains two main ingredients, Codeine Phosphate and Paracetamol. Paracetamol is mainly used in the treatment of mild to moderate pain and for reducing fever, it is not understood how it achieves these effects. Co-codamol is from a group of drugs called Opioids, these mimic the effects of naturally occurring chemicals in the brain and spinal cord (endorphins) and act on the Opioid receptors by blocking the transmission of pain signals.

Diclofenac dose not contains any Paracetamol and works in the same way as Ibuprofen so they can be taken together. There may be contra-indications though and they can make Asthma worse, again seek the advice of a professional.

I have found Co-codamol particularly effective for treating moderate back pain, headaches, toothache, period pains, colds, flu, sore throat
s and
reducing temperature. It can also be used to treat Neuralgia and muscular and rheumatic pains. I can swallow them whole but anyone who has difficulty swallowing tablets can take the dissolvable variety instead. They don't taste very nice but they are just as good and can also be used to gargle with if you have a sore throat. It is extremely important to follow the recommended dosage as anything containing Paracetamol is very difficult to get out of the system if an overdose is taken, the long term effects are very frightening and can even cause DEATH. Care should be taken with ANY medicines containing Paracetamol whether bought over the counter or not.

The main reason I am writing this op is to tell you about something of which I was unaware. I mentioned that the pain in my neck and the headaches were quite bad and I was taking 8 of these tablets a day. I was taking the advice of the Physiotherapist and doing the exercises he showed me, I was also having traction on my neck and there was little improvement, in fact I'm sure the headaches were getting worse. I began to feel quite desperate and I made an appointment to see the doctor. I was put off from doing this as I thought what could my doctor do that the Physio can't? Luckily for me I have a great deal of faith in my doctor and I trust him implicitly. I told him about my treatment and he asked me how many tablets I was taking and what they were. He then went on to explain that I was probably suffering from an analgesic headache. Apparently if you take analgesics (i.e co-codamol/paracetamol) on a regular basis they can cause quite bad headaches. He recommended that I come off them for a while or alternated them with the Diclofenac. I am pleased to say that there has been a marked improvement in the headaches and I'm sure that he must have been right. When I think back the more tablets I took the worse the headache seemed to get.

I just want people to stop and think i
f they are taking quite a lot of these or something similar and they are suffering with headaches it would be advisable to see their GP to
discuss alternatives. Any headache that is persistent or severe should be checked out even if you think you know the cause. This drug is widely available and you can buy it over the counter without any problems, this makes it quite disturbing that people could be treating themselves without ever getting any advice and making matters worse.

Other possible side effects apart from headaches can include, nausea, drowsiness, constipation, blood disorders damage to the liver, skin rashes, inflammation of the pancreas and dependency. Of course there may be more but these are known and reported side effects. I have gathered some of this information from the following site and it is definitely worth checking out: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/showpreparati on.asp?id=554

I also came across this site that concerns dependency of co-codamol: http://www.grieved.fsnet.co.uk/page8.html. You may or may not find it useful, as it is only an example of what could happen.

**** IN SUMMARY ****

Co-codamol is an effective and beneficial medicine and when used correctly can provide relief for many conditions. Use it wisely and always take the advice of your GP and it could prove invaluable. Overall recommended with caution.

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