Soon to need a prescription for Nurofen/Solphadine/etc?

BogMonkey · 25-07-2010 01:14PM

moonboy52 wrote: »

Once again the majority suffer for the actions of the few.

I think it is shocking that solpadeine will be made prescription only.

This country becomes more conservative by the day, while Europe becomes more liberal in their actions.

Solpadeine is toxic bull**** anyway. Ironically the harmful compound isn't the one that they are getting worked up over. Going over the recommended dose of codeine wont inflict permanent liver damage but paracetamol will. Ibuproften will literally eat the lining off your stomach and cause ulcers. They are trying to protect us from codeine while they think its perfectly alright that we take paracetamol or ibuprofen. Bit of an insane world we live in. I know someone who took regular solpadeine (contains only paracetamol and caffeine) every day for pain and he ended up with jaundice and permament liver damage. He hung himself a few months ago. Its a good thing the pharmaceutical industries who have our best interests in mind are there to tell us whats good for us and whats not good for us. I don't know what I'd do without them.

McChubbin · 25-07-2010 02:07PM

Ever had cross-border Newry-bought liquid Nurofen?
It was the only thing to help me through the pain of rotting back molors. Stuff is strong enough to induce Muppet halucinations after just one capful.

Kurtosis · 25-07-2010 02:40PM

moonboy52 wrote: »

Once again the majority suffer for the actions of the few.

I think it is shocking that solpadeine will be made prescription only.

This country becomes more conservative by the day, while Europe becomes more liberal in their actions.

Once again, it is not going to be prescription only here. Also, in European countries such as Spain and Germany you do need a prescription for it...really liberal.

BogMonkey wrote: »

Solpadeine is toxic bull**** anyway. Ironically the harmful compound isn't the one that they are getting worked up over. Going over the recommended dose of codeine wont inflict permanent liver damage but paracetamol will. Ibuproften will literally eat the lining off your stomach and cause ulcers. They are trying to protect us from codeine while they think its perfectly alright that we take paracetamol or ibuprofen. Bit of an insane world we live in. I know someone who took regular solpadeine (contains only paracetamol and caffeine) every day for pain and he ended up with jaundice and permament liver damage. He hung himself a few months ago. Its a good thing the pharmaceutical industries who have our best interests in mind are there to tell us whats good for us and whats not good for us. I don't know what I'd do without them.

Yeah, sure all the codeine can do is give you a touch of dependence, and respiratory depression, fun times! By the way, these guidelines also apply to over the counter medicines that have codeine as their only active ingredient.

BogMonkey · 25-07-2010 07:31PM

penguin88 wrote: »

Yeah, sure all the codeine can do is give you a touch of dependence, and respiratory depression, fun times! By the way, these guidelines also apply to over the counter medicines that have codeine as their only active ingredient.

Yep given the choice between dependance and a bit of respiratory depression or permanent liver damage, I'd personally take the former. I didn't know there were OTC medicines with codeine as their only active ingredient. Are you sure about that?

bleg · 25-07-2010 07:34PM

Codinex cough bottle

Kurtosis · 25-07-2010 07:50PM

BogMonkey wrote: »

Yep given the choice between dependance and a bit of respiratory depression or permanent liver damage, I'd personally take the former.

I was trying to respond to your previous post. You do not get to pick and choose, these painkillers are combination products, so while one ingredient may be addictive and another is more dangerous in overuse/overdose, they come as a package. These guidelines aren't about restricting codeine, it's about codeine-containing products and each product must be taken in the context of what other ingredients it may contain.

zimovain · 27-07-2010 02:34PM

I asked for a packet of Nurofen + in a well known pharmacy today....

The lady asked had I used them before and what I had used them for.

I replied now and again for migrane and that my doctor said if I felt a bad headache coming on to take some.

She replied that you know now we have have to tighten up on selling products with codeine as 'They are addictive, and cause ulcers' I said I was quite aware of this and I'd just take a 12 pack as I only need them now and again.

She said, 'Why not just take the normal nurofen and if you have a very bad headache to add two paracetemol just like she does.

I knew at that stage I was not leaving with nurofen plus so smiled and took the 'normal nurofen'.

I just did not have the energy in me due to the headache to argue with her so just gave in, now at home with no relief from my headache.

Is this how it will be from now on!?!!? When I do buy products containing codeine which is not very often it would be from my local pharmacy where I would know the staff and they would know I was not abusing them but I was in town and needed something there and then.

Extremely pissed off right now!!!

BogMonkey · 29-07-2010 04:11PM

penguin88 wrote: »

I was trying to respond to your previous post. You do not get to pick and choose, these painkillers are combination products, so while one ingredient may be addictive and another is more dangerous in overuse/overdose, they come as a package. These guidelines aren't about restricting codeine, it's about codeine-containing products and each product must be taken in the context of what other ingredients it may contain.

What the hell are you talking about? Have restrictions been put on products containing only paracetamol as their active compound? No. These guidelines are about restricting codeine.

BogMonkey · 29-07-2010 04:15PM

zimovain wrote: »

She replied that you know now we have have to tighten up on selling products with codeine as 'They are addictive, and cause ulcers' I said I was quite aware of this and I'd just take a 12 pack as I only need them now and again.

She said, 'Why not just take the normal nurofen and if you have a very bad headache to add two paracetemol just like she does.

I knew at that stage I was not leaving with nurofen plus so smiled and took the 'normal nurofen'.

I just did not have the energy in me due to the headache to argue with her so just gave in, now at home with no relief from my headache.

What she didn't tell you was that the codeine is whats addictive and the ibuprofen is what causes the ulcers. Shes suggesting you take regular paracetamol which is notorious for causing permanent liver damage in people who have to exceed the recommended dosage to attain any kind of pain relief from the crap. BTW if you had just said you wanted nurofen plus and not paracetamol she would have had to give it to you.

That_Guy · 29-07-2010 05:03PM

Now what'll I sell the knackers at Oxegen if Nurofen is taken off the shelf?

zimovain · 29-07-2010 05:07PM

BogMonkey wrote: »

What she didn't tell you was that the codeine is whats addictive and the ibuprofen is what causes the ulcers. Shes suggesting you take regular paracetamol which is notorious for causing permanent liver damage in people who have to exceed the recommended dosage to attain any kind of pain relief from the crap. BTW if you had just said you wanted nurofen plus and not paracetamol she would have had to give it to you.

Went to my GP and got some Zydol. Problem solved:cool:

ORLY? · 29-07-2010 10:55PM

BogMonkey wrote: »

BTW if you had just said you wanted nurofen plus and not paracetamol she would have had to give it to you.

Really, what would have happened if she didn't dispense the neurofen +?

yogy · 30-07-2010 05:35AM

BogMonkey wrote: »

Solpadeine is toxic bull**** anyway. Ironically the harmful compound isn't the one that they are getting worked up over. Going over the recommended dose of codeine wont inflict permanent liver damage but paracetamol will. \.

After 15 pages of debate you come along and give out about these products being but on prescription! Shows you know fcuk all about what's goin on..

You don't seem to understand the issue at all. People become addicted to Solpadeine or Nurofen Plus because of the codeine. It is the excessive use of these that lead to liver damage/ulcers.

If there was no codeine in these products people wouldn't be using these excessively hence no risk of overdose.

If plain Paracetamol didn't work you wouldn't take more as it still would not do the job and you would go to your GP.

However, when you become addicted you continue to take these; not to treat the initial complaint, but because you like the codeine too much.

i-digress · 30-07-2010 06:22PM

I went to buy solpadeine today and I asked about the new regulations, and the pharmacist said that there was no consensus on exactly what they were meant to do. She said she was just reminding people to take codeine for no more than three days in a row.

Typical Irish laws :rolleyes:

username123 · 30-07-2010 07:20PM

My own painkiller of choice is Syndol - work great for tension headaches or period pain.

I bought some Syndol last week and the chemist girl explained the new regulations. I asked if answers to the pharmacists questions would be stored electronically with my idendification. She said no. So, I said, whats to stop me coming here for a packet of Syndol, then going to the next chemist in the centre, then stopping at the 8 or 10 different chemists I pass on the way home and buying it in all of them and having the same Q&A session in each? The answer is: Nothing at all to stop me.

It seems like its just a new level of hassle thats been introduced. You either make them prescription only or you dont, pharmacists questioning people on their headaches, backaches, period pains, toothaches, whatever is just ridiculous imo. People have to take personal responsibility ffs.

i-digress · 30-07-2010 07:23PM

username123 wrote: »

People have to take personal responsibility ffs.

Exactly! I hate the fact that the majority of people who use painkillers sensibly are penalised due to a small minority. Alcohol is addictive, will they question us about that? No, because then they might lose tax money :rolleyes:

zimovain · 30-07-2010 09:04PM

What has pissed me off is I was made to feel like a junkie by the woman in the pharmacy, yet when I go to my GP and explain the genuine pain in my head I get he prescribed me Zydol, which is a quite strong painkiller.

I have had no headache since taking the Zydol which is only a course of 5 days as painkillers are addicitve.

Beyond belief I could not buy a packet of nuro+, as I said in my OP I had a severe headache and didn't have the fight in me to argue my point!

(sorry about my grammar, mix of mediacation and tiredness)

Odysseus · 30-07-2010 09:20PM

zimovain wrote: »

What has pissed me off is I was made to feel like a junkie by the woman in the pharmacy, yet when I go to my GP and explain the genuine pain in my head I get he prescribed me Zydol, which is a quite strong painkiller.

I have had no headache since taking the Zydol which is only a course of 5 days as painkillers are addicitve.

Beyond belief I could not buy a packet of nuro+, as I said in my OP I had a severe headache and didn't have the fight in me to argue my point!

(sorry about my grammar, mix of mediacation and tiredness)

Did she refuse you after you introduced yourself with your user name?;)

zimovain · 30-07-2010 09:21PM

Odysseus wrote: »

Did she refuse you after you introduced yourself with your user name?;)

He he, very clued in buddy! Im sleeper tab free at the moment thank god!

Calibos · 30-07-2010 10:43PM

i-digress wrote: »

I went to buy solpadeine today and I asked about the new regulations, and the pharmacist said that there was no consensus on exactly what they were meant to do. She said she was just reminding people to take codeine for no more than three days in a row.

Typical Irish laws :rolleyes:

Day 10 for me after wisdom tooth extraction, dry socket a few days later and now infection. The prescription 500mg Paracetemol/30mg Codeine tabs were no better than Nurofen+ with is 8mg Codeine. When I went to get more Nurofen+ the other day I told the girl behind the counter of my dental pain and asked if I could get some Solphedine too and she new exactly where I was coming from. She told me to offset 4 hour dose of the two tablets by 2 hours (ie. 2 Nurofen+...2 hours later..2 Solphedine...2 hours later...2 Nurofen+ etc) Only needed to do that for 3 or 4 days and am now down to 2 Nurofen+..4 hours later...2 Solphedine...4 hours later...2 Nurofen +.

Antibiotics I was prescribed should start working on the infection soon and I can reduce the dosage down to nothing. Under no illusions that the codeine withdrawl headaches and other withdrawl symtoms will kick in at that time but I'd rather a day or 3 of dealing with those than 2 weeks of dealing with dental pain 24/7

My point is there are still some common sense pharmacists out there.

yogy · 31-07-2010 06:59AM

Calibos wrote: »

Day 10 for me after wisdom tooth extraction, dry socket a few days later and now infection. The prescription 500mg Paracetemol/30mg Codeine tabs were no better than Nurofen+ with is 8mg Codeine. When I went to get more Nurofen+ the other day I told the girl behind the counter of my dental pain and asked if I could get some Solphedine too and she new exactly where I was coming from. She told me to offset 4 hour dose of the two tablets by 2 hours (ie. 2 Nurofen+...2 hours later..2 Solphedine...2 hours later...2 Nurofen+ etc) Only needed to do that for 3 or 4 days and am now down to 2 Nurofen+..4 hours later...2 Solphedine...4 hours later...2 Nurofen +.

Antibiotics I was prescribed should start working on the infection soon and I can reduce the dosage down to nothing. Under no illusions that the codeine withdrawl headaches and other withdrawl symtoms will kick in at that time but I'd rather a day or 3 of dealing with those than 2 weeks of dealing with dental pain 24/7

My point is there are still some common sense pharmacists out there.

NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, Mefenamic Acid, Diclofenac) are always more suited for dental pain than Paracetamol based painkillers.
She was right with the alternating doses but there was no need to give you Nurofen Plus and Solpadeine (i.e. two codeine based drugs). Plain Nurofen and Paracetamol could have done it or maybe codeine in just one of them.

BogMonkey · 01-08-2010 03:17PM

yogy wrote: »

If there was no codeine in these products people wouldn't be using these excessively hence no risk of overdose.

Tell that to my friend who found his dads corpse hanging off the ceiling a few months ago.

I went into the pharmacy today to see what the story was and after talking to the pharmacist he gave me the product. They'll still sell it to you they just have to make a point of things being stricter now.

moonboy52 · 01-08-2010 03:28PM

The tail wags the dog it seems.

The tiny minority that abuses these products should never determine laws made for the majority.

Kurtosis · 01-08-2010 03:43PM

yogy wrote: »

If there was no codeine in these products people wouldn't be using these excessively hence no risk of overdose.

BogMonkey wrote: »

Tell that to my friend who found his dads corpse hanging off the ceiling a few months ago.

Firstly BogMonkey my condolences to your friend, but I fail to see how that case of suicide is connected to ibuprofen/paracetamol.

BogMonkey · 01-08-2010 05:49PM

penguin88 wrote: »

Firstly BogMonkey my condolences to your friend, but I fail to see how that case of suicide is connected to ibuprofen/paracetamol.

He had been exceeding the recommended dosage of paracetamol for migraines for years and ended up with irreversible liver damage, evident by his yellow eyes (jaundice). Even after he found out his liver was permanently damaged he didn't want to stop taking the paracetamol because he couldn't live with the headaches. Eventually he hung himself. There were other factors behind it but I don't think the irreversible liver damage helped.

Kurtosis · 01-08-2010 06:07PM

BogMonkey wrote: »

He had been exceeding the recommended dosage of paracetamol for migraines for years and ended up with irreversible liver damage, evident by his yellow eyes (jaundice). Even after he found out his liver was permanently damaged he didn't want to stop taking the paracetamol because he couldn't live with the headaches. Eventually he hung himself. There were other factors behind it but I don't think the irreversible liver damage helped.

Again, I mean no disrespect to your friend's father, but this sounds like very inappropriate use of paracetamol.

When an over the counter medicine is no longer effective, is not effective when used according to the instructions on it or when it needs to be used long term, people need to go to their GP to discuss their condition and look at various other treatment possibilities.

For migraine, there are a number of other treatments available, your friend's father should have been offered some of these alternatives by his GP or another doctor.

yogy · 01-08-2010 06:12PM

BogMonkey wrote: »

He had been exceeding the recommended dosage of paracetamol for migraines for years and ended up with irreversible liver damage, evident by his yellow eyes (jaundice). Even after he found out his liver was permanently damaged he didn't want to stop taking the paracetamol because he couldn't live with the headaches. Eventually he hung himself. There were other factors behind it but I don't think the irreversible liver damage helped.

If somebody suffers from migraine as severe as this person did then they should go to a GP who will prescribe them an appropriated treatment. It was obvious Paracetamol was not effective.

I would think the "other factors" you alluded to played a much more significant role than Paracetamol. This person chose to continue to take Paracetamol but could have stopped if he liked. People addicted to codeine based painkillers would find this much harder to do..

smilerxxx · 01-08-2010 07:51PM

Hi guys,

I went to a chemist today...i'll name them if i'm allowed. I asked for a box of twelve nurofen plus (ingrown toenail...im in agony, cant get to a doc until tomorrow) Anyway the snotty cow (not the pharmacist) said with the greatest of pleasure, "Sorry we don't sell them anymore" I said oh really, I'll speak to the pharmacist thenk you very much... anyway, pharmacist comes out (she should be retired) says we don't sell them anymore..

I just said thats a pity, your margin comes from those you should read those regulations correctly. I was very annoyed as the girl at the counter was sooo rude. I just left and went to another pharmacist who asked the questions, I told him exactly what was wrong and he handed them out..thank you mr pharmacist as I am crippled

Stephen P · 01-08-2010 09:41PM

I was in a chemist today waiting for other tablets and in the space of about 15 minutes three or four people came in and asked for solpadeine, the girl behind the counter said there's new regulations in blah blah and could she recommend something else or get the pharmacist. A couple of people just walked out totally confused but a couple spoke to the pharmacist and there was no way she was giving them solpadeine. Myself and my wife take Maxilief (very similiar to solpadeine) quite a bit and we're not happy with the new rules. I find maxilief the best for the pain I get in my neck and my wife suffers from headaches. We do know long term they are not good so in a way it's a good thing but they can't expect people to go cold turkey on them either.
If the pharmacist is going to talk to everyone to try and persuade them to take something else it's going to delay the pharmacist in preparing prescriptions. We waited about 15-20 minutes today when it normally takes 10 minutes at the most. I did hear the pharmacist say something about only giving them out with a prescription. I'm going to try a couple of different chemists during the week and see how I get on.

yogy · 02-08-2010 06:16AM

Stephen P wrote: »

I find maxilief the best for the pain I get in my neck and my wife suffers from headaches. We do know long term they are not good so in a way it's a good thing but they can't expect people to go cold turkey on them either.
If the pharmacist is going to talk to everyone to try and persuade them to take something else it's going to delay the pharmacist in preparing prescriptions. We waited about 15-20 minutes today when it normally takes 10 minutes at the most. I did hear the pharmacist say something about only giving them out with a prescription. I'm going to try a couple of different chemists during the week and see how I get on.

Going "cold turkey" refers to someone attempting to give up something they are addicted too.

'Trying a couple of different chemists" is what people with addictions do once they have been found out and refused in their local pharmacies.

I'm not saying you are addicted however the main issue here is that there is, I would think, hundreds, if not 1000's, of people out there who are addicted without even realising it.

Maxilief is identical to Solpadeine, it's just a generic form of it. You need to figure out what is causing the pain in your neck rather than just treat the pain with painkillers. Perhaps your wife's headaches could be treated with soluble Paracetamol?

These new regulations are a pain in the ass for Pharmacists but if it gets people to think about how they use/abuse certain meds then maybe it will be of benefit in the long run.

Soon to need a prescription for Nurofen/Solphadine/etc?

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