Solpadeine addiction

me0w

Nobody seems to talk about it much anymore, a few years ago we were told that there's a solpadeine/codeine addiction epidemic in Ireland and pharmacists were warned to be cautious about selling them to people. Did (or do) you currently struggle with an addiction to OTC painkillers or do you know someone who does (did)? Are people taking it less nowadays with all the hassle you get from trying to purchase it? Or have you given it up due to health problems or other reasons?

Not sure if this is the correct forum to post this in, feel free to move if appropriate. Thanks

Generic Dreadhead

It's the Solapadeine that's addicted to Me!!!!

me0w

Cormac... wrote: »

It's the Solapadeine that's addicted to Me!!!!

Of course!

CardBordWindow

My sister used to be addicted to solpadeine when she was younger. Used to take them most days. She used to say that she had a headache when asked about it.
Parents noticed that they couldn't keep Solpadeine in the house with her. Eventually copped on that she may have an issue with it when a full box would be gone in a week or so.

me0w

CardBordWindow wrote: »

Eventually copped on that she may have an issue with it when a full box would be gone in a week or so.

Did she find it easy to quit after that?

somesoldiers

It dawned on me recently that Americans can't seem to taker a few headache tablets without having to do a month in Betty Ford - personally I don't see how you could get addicted by something that doesn't make you dance, be hilariously funny and attractive to the opposite/ same sex or otherwise have a mad buzz but that's just me.

Perhaps the cunning plan of asking people questions and only allowing them buy one pack at a time has worked?

me0w

somesoldiers wrote: »

It dawned on me recently that Americans can't seem to taker a few headache tablets without having to do a month in Betty Ford - personally I don't see how you could get addicted by something that doesn't make you dance, make you trip or otherwise have a mad buzz but that's just me.

Perhaps the cunning plan of asking people questions and only allowing them buy one pack at a time has worked?

In America, Painkillers with opiates are hard to get, I think they're prescription only. I think most people take them for a mood lift, they're not considered a party drug. kek

Perhaps the cunning plan of asking people questions and only allowing them buy one pack at a time has worked?

People who are desperate might go to several different places to avoid the 1 pack rule.

spurious

I have a friend who is addicted to them. Gets quite ratty if she doesn't get her daily couple and quite angry if you tackle her on it.

She nearly passed out when she saw the size of the box they sent me home from hospital with (I think there were 72 in it?).

inforfun

somesoldiers wrote: »

Perhaps the cunning plan of asking people questions and only allowing them buy one pack at a time has worked?

Problem i have with that is that i, who has an head ache 3x a year for whatever reasons, am also interrogated for 10 mins before i can buy that crap.

CardBordWindow

me0w wrote: »

Did she find it easy to quit after that?

Twas kinda a case of cold turkey for her, as my parents stopped buying Solpadeine altogether.
I remember she was very narky, and would snap at you for no reason. Didn't last too long though.

frozenfrozen

I miss solpadeine, now when a box comes into the house it's like having a box of ferrero rocher at christmas and everyone just takes one or two every time they walk past because they can't resist

myshirt

Yeah what the hell can you do about it? I have a very close mate and he is definitely addicted to Kapake, it's insane, and I haven't a clue how to tackle it. As far as he's concerned he has no problem, quite aggressive aswell.

Caovyn Lineah

I take them when I get headaches mainly because nothing else works as quickly as the soluble Solpadene do.

Irishcrx

I've suffered from it and have to avoid it now when I actually do have back pain etc or I'll end up falling back into it.

Would get very irritable when I didn't take it. I was probably taking 4-6 of them a day and would go from chemist to chemist in order so they wouldn't remember me using various excuses to get them over the counter.

Off them now thank god, other half copped on to me eventually and helped me quit she was finding the wrappers in my pockets etc when doing the washing and my excuses wore thin.

MrWalsh

I knew a couple of lads in my last job who were addicted to Solpadeine. One of them had a heart attack (unrelated) and when he woke up in the hospital bed after it the nurse said to him "we'll sort that solpadeine addiction while you are in". He was like "What?" and she said "I know by the whites of your eyes - I see it all the time". Anyway, he cold turkeyed while being taken care of for his heart. The odd thing is, he was a skinny whippety little fella when that happened, and since then he has ballooned in weight. The Solpadeine addiction was probably healthier!

The other fella used to just stop at a different chemist every morning on the way into work. He passed around 20 different ones on his journey so the same chemist only saw him once every month or so.

duffman13

inforfun wrote: »

Problem i have with that is that i, who has an head ache 3x a year for whatever reasons, am also interrogated for 10 mins before i can buy that crap.

You don't need it for a headache, there are numerous products that don't contain codeine that would sort a headache. The rules were brought in for the risk if addiction and also the trend of people taking them unnecessarily.

That said if you want them bad enough just lie to the pharmacist or advisor but it's not much of a hassle to say it's for back or period pain and you've tried paracetamol.

Dr.MickKiller

duffman13 wrote: »

You don't need it for a headache, there are numerous products that don't contain codeine that would sort a headache. The rules were brought in for the risk if addiction and also the trend of people taking them unnecessarily.

That said if you want them bad enough just lie to the pharmacist or advisor but it's not much of a hassle to say it's for back or period pain and you've tried paracetamol.

Don't say this if you're a man though.

It's similar to one brand here in Vietnam.. I just checked, here it's 30mg codeine and 500mg paracetamol whereas at home, the codeine is only 12.8mg.

Now, it makes a lot of sense that I know a few (including myself two years ago) who take too much since you can buy as much as you like with no questions. I had a toothache there recently and was back to about five a day and it's so easy to see how they're addictive.

Dozen Wicked Words

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It's similar to one brand here in Vietnam.. I just checked, here it's 30mg codeine and 500mg paracetamol whereas at home, the codeine is only 12.8mg.

Now, it makes a lot of sense that I know a few (including myself two years ago) who take too much since you can buy as much as you like with no questions. Same with valium.

30mg codeine 500mg paracetamol is tylex or kapake or solpadol. Available on prescription in Ireland.

By the by, Anyone on regular high dose codeine is going to be bunged up to the eyeballs. Worrying about constipation when you are young doesn't bode well for future bowel health.

harry Bailey esq

Tylex ftw....

traprunner

The addicts save up, fly to the US and fill their cases with bottles of 1000. It ends up cheaper than buying it here and they are less likely to be spotted as an addict.

harry Bailey esq

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

30mg codeine 500mg paracetamol is tylex or kapake or solpadol. Available on prescription in Ireland.

By the by, Anyone on regular high dose codeine is going to be bunged up to the eyeballs. Worrying about constipation when you are young doesn't bode well for future bowel health.

Tylex ftw.Not only will they make you constipated,you'll also scratch half the skin of your face,like any opiate.

Mountainsandh

duffman13 wrote: »

You don't need it for a headache, there are numerous products that don't contain codeine that would sort a headache. .

Not migraine though. Very few things help when I have a migraine, but solpadeine does.

MrWalsh

duffman13 wrote: »

You don't need it for a headache, there are numerous products that don't contain codeine that would sort a headache. The rules were brought in for the risk if addiction and also the trend of people taking them unnecessarily.

Not for everyone.

Im allergic to aspirin and I am intolerant to ibuprofen. So my only other pain relief choices are plain paracetmol or codeine.

Ive tried plain paracetmol when Ive been bouncing off the walls in pain from my period and I may as well be eating smarties.

Aongus Von Bismarck

Saw a guy on the television before who became clinically addicted to Toblerone.

SEPT 23 1989

Cant beat a Tylex for pain in the choppers

the evasion_kid

me0w wrote: »

In America, Painkillers with opiates are hard to get, I think they're prescription only. I think most people take them for a mood lift, they're not considered a party drug. kek


People who are desperate might go to several different places to avoid the 1 pack rule.

Gp's are practically flicking and bouncing oxycontin\percocets off patients foreheads when they enter the surgery in north america its a serious problem,as well as Tylenol 3's with contain codeine

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

I got super-dee-duper codeine tablets after having my wisdom teeth out, could definitely see how you could get addicted.

I get codeine for period pain (weed actually works better but sometimes I'm broke that week), it is extremely irritating going through the whole rigmarole. The pharmacy nearest to me only ever seems to have one actual pharmacist there, I know they're only following the rules but god almighty it's Kafkaesque that you have to be a qualified pharmacist to ask "Are these for yourself? Have you taken them before? What symptoms are you taking them for? Have you tried paracetemol and ibuprofen?". I was waiting around fifteen minutes the last time for the sake of four questions.

suicide_circus

May cause spontaneous self abuse at 30,000 feet.

I know one girl who takes it a lot and amusingly calls it Solfadeeen.

The lighter side of addiction.

2smiggy

suicide_circus wrote: »

May cause spontaneous self abuse at 30,000 feet.

I thought nurofen plus caused this

MrWalsh

duffman13 wrote: »

I think people jumping straight to codeine for an average headache is madness though.

And how do you determine an "average" headache? Pain is subjective.

Goat the dote

I don't find many chemists subjecting me to rigorous questioning-usually it's the sales assistant and they just ask "any other medication-have you taken them before-no longer than three days" and on ya go

Egginacup

somesoldiers wrote: »

It dawned on me recently that Americans can't seem to taker a few headache tablets without having to do a month in Betty Ford - personally I don't see how you could get addicted by something that doesn't make you dance, be hilariously funny and attractive to the opposite/ same sex or otherwise have a mad buzz but that's just me.

Perhaps the cunning plan of asking people questions and only allowing them buy one pack at a time has worked?

The body is prone to all kinds of addictions. Generally anything that causes a physiological reaction can become a physiological dependency. The common ones of course are alcohol, nicotine and all forms of narcotic, but there are many others.....caffeine, adrenaline, etc.

galljga1

A friend used to have a solpadeine addiction. We didn't know until he was kicking it. At the time, I didn't know you could get addicted to OTC painkillers.

Are people saying chemists actually question people when buying painkillers? Never happened me.

LDN_Irish

I saw some night time chat show on TV3 where there was some woman talking about her harrowing solpadeine addiction. Went on for about 20 mins with her rabbiting about the side effects and that now she was on anti depressants and the solps were to self medicate for her mental health. Alarm bells rang hal way through when she said that she was taking one soluble solpadeine in the morning. That was her daily intake, 8mg of codeine. Within a minute of the end one of the presenters asked how long she was addicted for. 1 month! 1 f*cking month! 8mg of codeine (that's about .08 mg of morphine when the liver converts it) and they were talking about it like it was intravenous heroin use. And policy is drawn up for these feckin morons. God help her if she ever has morphine or oxys for serious pain, she'll never come back from the dark side.

In England you can walk in and ask for an identical unbranded product to solpadeine (Co codamols) and get it for less than 2 pound with no bitching about it from the chemist. Of course the govt doesn't trust Paddy with access to that kind of affordable medication so the generic here is a fiver and you need to be told that opiates might cause addiction. The very fact that everyone here is talking branded products like Solpadol, Tyler and Kapake is proof of how well pharmaceutical companies do out of Ireland. Codeine has been off patent for over 100 years and they're still pushing the branded stuff at 6 or 7 times the price on patients.

Turtyturd

galljga1 wrote: »

A friend used to have a solpadeine addiction. We didn't know until he was kicking it. At the time, I didn't know you could get addicted to OTC painkillers.

Are people saying chemists actually question people when buying painkillers? Never happened me.

Happens all the time, pharmacy staff tend to be a judgemental stuck up bunch of so and so's, I generally make up the most embarrassing reason for needing them.

I got questioned while buying cainsten cream last week. Just waited in silence while she listed off possible reasons I wanted it. Eventually she got the hint and just went and got it.

Lollipops23

I did know someone who was addicted to them, not sure what he did when the restrictions came in tbh.

I remember shortly after they came in trying to buy solpadeine for a mate who was laid up with horrific lady-cramps and being interrogated by the power happy chemist. Lost the rag with him in the end and told him I'd be taking my business elsewhere unless he gave me the tablets. That seemed to do the trick.

LDN_Irish

phill106 wrote: »

Weird, i find nurofen plus works well for the migraines, while tylex doesnt. Paracetemol vs ibuprofen is the difference i think?

Yes, that's exactly it. Some people find ibuprofen better for headaches, probably to do with the anti inflammatory effect. Another Irish pisstake, no generic form of ibuprofen + codeine despite both being off patent for what might as well be forever.

As someone who never takes painkillers (never really get sick), I had no idea this was a big issue.

What are the effects? Does it act like a recreational drug and produce a pleasant sensation or more energy or whatever? Or is it more like nicotine or caffeine in that it seems to be more habit based and a pain in the ass to quit rather than for any high?

LDN_Irish

The US is a weird one*, you can't buy any opiate/opioid products OTC but they'll give you percocet/vicodin (paracetamol and oxycodone) for minor tooth surgery thay Irish dentists would be giving you solpadeine for. Oxycodone is almost excusively for end stage terminal patients here. I think somewhere in the middle of these 2 policies is probably the most sensible approach.

*This varies state by state so you can really accurately make blanket statements.

LDN_Irish

[Deleted User] wrote: »

As someone who never takes painkillers (never really get sick), I had no idea this was a big issue.

What are the effects? Does it act like a recreational drug and produce a pleasant sensation or more energy or whatever? Or is it more like nicotine or caffeine in that it seems to be more habit based and a pain in the ass to quit rather than for any high?

The liver converts codeine to morphine at about 1/10th, so large doses of codeine like 300mg give similar feelings to 30mg of morphine. Euphoria, sedation etc. Some people (seems to be predominantly women for reasons unknown) report similar (but much milder) effects from standard therapeutic doses like 16 or 25mg.

suicide_circus

LDN_Irish46836 wrote:

Yes, that's exactly it. Some people find ibuprofen better for headaches, probably to do with the anti inflammatory effect. Another Irish pisstake, no generic form of ibuprofen + codeine despite both being off patent for what might as well be forever.

One of the many symptoms of the Ripoff Republic

galljga1

Turtyturd wrote: »

Happens all the time, pharmacy staff tend to be a judgemental stuck up bunch of so and so's, I generally make up the most embarrassing reason for needing them.

I got questioned while buying cainsten cream last week. Just waited in silence while she listed off possible reasons I wanted it. Eventually she got the hint and just went and got it.

Questioned buying Canesten? Holy sh1t, you must have some sh1thead chemists in your area. The three local ones which I have dealt with are sound.

Roark

Turtyturd wrote: »

I got questioned while buying cainsten cream last week. Just waited in silence while she listed off possible reasons I wanted it.

lol, wtf?

Calibos

Its strange, I'm a casually dressed (some would say scruffy looking ) mid twenties looking 41 year old with a blade one haircut who never gets interrogated anymore in several pharmacies and yet my 67 year old father (albeit looks about 50) gets interrogated every time. I don't even get the short lecture about the 3 days thing. Just get asked "12 or 24?".

Long before the new regulations came in I had recognised myself that they were a mood enhancer. ie. not alone would my headache disappear but I'd be in a better happier mood than could be explained by the headache being gone.

So while I recognised that there was a valid reason for the new regulations because of abuse potential it still rubbed me the wrong way that the majority of sensible users might be inconvenienced by the need to protect the minority of gobsh!tes who abuse them.

Just before the regulations I had a wisdom tooth out and suffered a dry socket. Extremely painful. I quickly ran out of the prescription for 30mg codeine containing Difene. I went to the chemist and got both Solpedene and Nurofen+ and took the allowed daily intake of both (4x 2 Caps) offset from each other by 2 hours. ie. Paracetamol separated from next dose by 4 hours and same for Ibuprofen. But getting 25mg of codeine every 2 hours if you get me. In other words, double dosing on Codeine. This went on for 10 days. I knew to expect a rebound withdrawl headache from the Codeine and just took regular Nurofen and took to my bed on day 11. That was it. One withdrawl headache. Right as rain the next day. The gobsh!te addicts just refuse to suffer that one day withdrawl headache. It made sense to me that one all day withdrawl headache but almost painless 10 days with dry socket was better than a very painful 10 days with dry socket but no withdrawl headache at the end.

Running into the same kind of issue of the gobsh!tes ruining it for the majority with Xanax prescriptions for anxiety. Its the most abused benzo because its the most widely prescribed benzo. Its also abused by illicit stimulant users to help them come down. Its also more likely to be abused by alcoholics. However, the vast majority of users not only use it responsibly but without prompting by their doctor, down regulate their own usage to an 'Only as needed' level. The risk of addiction and major withdrawl kicks in for the majority when taking 1mg 3 or 4 times a day every day for about 4 weeks. A bad week for me is needing to take a single 0.25mg 2 days in a row or taking 3 in the space of a week. Never needed to take more than one in a day. My prescription for 14x 0.25mg lasts me on average 2 months. I still get a fcuking lecture every time I need a new script.

Turtyturd

galljga1 wrote: »

Questioned buying Canesten? Holy sh1t, you must have some sh1thead chemists in your area. The three local ones which I have dealt with are sound.

I think it just comes down to them being nosey f*cks.

razorblunt

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Saw a guy on the television before who became clinically addicted to Toblerone.

Partridge the poor old fella.

Goat the dote

LDN_Irish wrote:

The very fact that everyone here is talking branded products like Solpadol, Tyler and Kapake is proof of how well pharmaceutical companies do out of Ireland. Codeine has been off patent for over 100 years and they're still pushing the branded stuff at 6 or 7 times the price on patients.

What is the name of the generic version?

sbsquarepants

Dr.MickKiller wrote: »

Don't say this if you're a man though.

Men get period pains too you know - they're called ear aches.

LDN_Irish

Goat the dote wrote: »

What is the name of the generic version?

[MOD SNIP]

MOD: Don't give out medical advice, no matter what.