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

gbee · 08-08-2010 12:26AM

Vladidim wrote: »

In that case get it on prescription. Your wife has a serious addiction problem and taking codeine for this purpose is against the over the counter licence. Also I'd suggest you get a second opinion if the best treatment your doctor came up was for her to stay on them.

She's 38 years on these things. It has come up in the past more than once. I took her credit cards and her money and she went like a daemon.

Problem, you can't go cold turkey on these things, problem with prescription, he can't trust her to take the dose.

Now, it may sound bizarre, but she used to buy 60 pill packs.

Some of ye doubting me, ye'd want to go and read up on it.

The sale of these things have been gradually curtailed for the last ten years. I mean, can you imagine anyone being able to buy a 60 pill pack?

ynul31f47k6b59 · 08-08-2010 08:52AM

gbee wrote: »

She's 38 years on these things. It has come up in the past more than once. I took her credit cards and her money and she went like a daemon.

Problem, you can't go cold turkey on these things, problem with prescription, he can't trust her to take the dose.

Now, it may sound bizarre, but she used to buy 60 pill packs.

Some of ye doubting me, ye'd want to go and read up on it.

The sale of these things have been gradually curtailed for the last ten years. I mean, can you imagine anyone being able to buy a 60 pill pack?

Utter rubbish. I took Solpadeine every single day for five years, and I came off them cold turkey. I understand that that's nothing compared to 38 years, but that doesn't mean it can't be done, it's not as if she has 38 years worth of Codeine still in her system - she has the same amount as someone who's only been taking it a few months. Yes, she'll have withdrawal symptoms, no matter what method she chooses to get off the codeine, but she'll get better. Treatment is NOT always a methadone or detox programme, here's a guide to tapering off codeine in order to become free of it in 9 weeks: http://www.codeinefree.me.uk/howto.php - There are support forums there too.

Shoesa · 08-08-2010 08:55AM

This is crap. I have tendonitis in all my limbs and bone bruising in my knees. Before I started taking solpadeine when I was a teen I sometimes had to be half-carried out of town by my friends because I couldn't walk from the pain.

My parents brought me to every doctor under the sun, even abroad. I've had xrays of my hips, knees, etc and I've been to physio and chiropractors. Nothing has helped. With the pain in my arms I can't even hold a pen properly sometimes, great for exams. It might be from the unexplainable pain from CFS, or just bad genes. Who knows. The treatments offered to me to help my legs, ended up giving me horrible back pain (the kind of backpain that leads you to buy a terrible macbook air just to avoid more pain from carrying extra weight).

But neurofen makes me sick, paracaetomal takes a bloody hour to start working (which is of no use to me whatsoever when I'm in agony) and this was fine. This was ok. I could get on with me life.

I started crying yesterday in boots when the (lovely) pharmacist explained this debacle to me. With CFS, Tinnitus and this horrendous pain, THIS was the one part of my stupid body I can control. Pain? Here, drink this. Fine.

This is crap. When I'm shaking in pain a bloody paracaetomal doesn't help. That's for headaches. This is just sh*tting on the people who actually benefit from the use of codeine. It's incredibly fast, and only half a dose does me for hours. Not even the two tablets like. FFS.

sesna · 08-08-2010 09:56AM

Shoesa wrote: »

This is crap. I have tendonitis in all my limbs and bone bruising in my knees. Before I started taking solpadeine when I was a teen I sometimes had to be half-carried out of town by my friends because I couldn't walk from the pain.

My parents brought me to every doctor under the sun, even abroad. I've had xrays of my hips, knees, etc and I've been to physio and chiropractors. Nothing has helped. With the pain in my arms I can't even hold a pen properly sometimes, great for exams. It might be from the unexplainable pain from CFS, or just bad genes. Who knows. The treatments offered to me to help my legs, ended up giving me horrible back pain (the kind of backpain that leads you to buy a terrible macbook air just to avoid more pain from carrying extra weight).

But neurofen makes me sick, paracaetomal takes a bloody hour to start working (which is of no use to me whatsoever when I'm in agony) and this was fine. This was ok. I could get on with me life.

I started crying yesterday in boots when the (lovely) pharmacist explained this debacle to me. With CFS, Tinnitus and this horrendous pain, THIS was the one part of my stupid body I can control. Pain? Here, drink this. Fine.

This is crap. When I'm shaking in pain a bloody paracaetomal doesn't help. That's for headaches. This is just sh*tting on the people who actually benefit from the use of codeine. It's incredibly fast, and only half a dose does me for hours. Not even the two tablets like. FFS.

Once again, get it on prescription if it works for you like that, and your doctor is happy to prescribe it. Its not licencsed to be sold over the counter in the manner you are taking it.

gbee · 08-08-2010 10:52AM

Shoesa wrote: »

It's incredibly fast, and only half a dose does me for hours. Not even the two tablets like. FFS.

I fully empathise, my wife's been told that the apparently allowed two tables is too much.

I can tell you that if my wife had said she was taking a half tables she'd have got her supplies.

I'll be switching our pharmacy over this.

Alicat · 08-08-2010 11:10AM

gbee wrote: »

I fully empathise, my wife's been told that the apparently allowed two tables is too much.

I can tell you that if my wife had said she was taking a half tables she'd have got her supplies.

I'll be switching our pharmacy over this.

And after your 'new' pharmacy spot you and/or your wife coming in repeatedly for Solpadeine, they will soon be refusing you too. So, you'll move along to the next one?

The answer is not to get in a huff and switch pharmacies. The answer is to get your wife some help.

bleg · 08-08-2010 11:56AM

This is why they don't allow the discussion of personal medical problems on the health sciences forum.

yogy · 08-08-2010 03:55PM

Shoesa wrote: »

This is crap. I have tendonitis in all my limbs and bone bruising in my knees. Before I started taking solpadeine when I was a teen I sometimes had to be half-carried out of town by my friends because I couldn't walk from the pain.

My parents brought me to every doctor under the sun, even abroad. I've had xrays of my hips, knees, etc and I've been to physio and chiropractors. Nothing has helped. With the pain in my arms I can't even hold a pen properly sometimes, great for exams. It might be from the unexplainable pain from CFS, or just bad genes. Who knows. The treatments offered to me to help my legs, ended up giving me horrible back pain (the kind of backpain that leads you to buy a terrible macbook air just to avoid more pain from carrying extra weight).

But neurofen makes me sick, paracaetomal takes a bloody hour to start working (which is of no use to me whatsoever when I'm in agony) and this was fine. This was ok. I could get on with me life.

I started crying yesterday in boots when the (lovely) pharmacist explained this debacle to me. With CFS, Tinnitus and this horrendous pain, THIS was the one part of my stupid body I can control. Pain? Here, drink this. Fine.

This is crap. When I'm shaking in pain a bloody paracaetomal doesn't help. That's for headaches. This is just sh*tting on the people who actually benefit from the use of codeine. It's incredibly fast, and only half a dose does me for hours. Not even the two tablets like. FFS.

You are addicted to Solpadeine and need help asap. Codeine is of no benefit to you no matter what you think.

yogy · 08-08-2010 03:59PM

gbee wrote: »

I fully empathise, my wife's been told that the apparently allowed two tables is too much.

I can tell you that if my wife had said she was taking a half tables she'd have got her supplies.

I'll be switching our pharmacy over this.

Your wife is a drug addict and you are encouraging her to continue her drug abuse. That is disturbing. Please get her to get help.

yogy · 08-08-2010 09:56PM

gbee wrote: »

I was delighted with the restricted dispensation of this drug, we have had a personal battle with it for a long time, in that time and under medical card some it, the government services all agreed that it was better that she stays on the drug, this also includes consultant in Cork REGIONAL HOSPITAL, or CUH, now ... and now, despite Government advice, and with TD Kathleen Lynch's support, the treatment programme that was recommended to support this initiative, HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED.

I can guarantee, that with said TD's support this act will be rescinded, especially wilt my wife's personal difficulty with numerous pharmacists and we will be objecting to their licence renewal.

IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO SELL SOLPADEINE

Why do they think that it is better not to treat a drug addict? That sounds bizarre. Thousands of people are receiving help for heroin/alcohol/gambling addiction everyday. Why can't your wife?

It is not illegal to sell solpadeine but it is not advisable to abuse the drug and immoral to allow an addict to continue with their addiction. Not to mention the fact that her liver must be in bits.

sesna · 09-08-2010 12:43AM

gbee wrote: »

IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO SELL SOLPADEINE

Selling solpadeine over the counter to treat a drug addict is against the product licence and illegal.

yogy · 09-08-2010 06:45AM

gbee wrote: »

yogy, it sounds bizarre, I'm catching a TD by the throat, she used to live next door, then moved to the Neanderthal North Side so she could get elected.

Finger up to nose now, OK.

I'm sorry but what exactly do you expect your local TD to you. The only thing that needs to be done is for your wife to go into rehab and treat her codeine addiction. It sounds like your wife (and you) have given up on the idea of trying to treat her addiction.

Heroin is much more addictive than codeine. So are cigarettes I would think. Yet people successfully kick these addictions everyday.

Why would it be any different for your wife to stop taking solppadeine??

Herbal Deity · 09-08-2010 10:07AM

Jett Orange Strangeness wrote: »

Guys this might be a teeny bit OT, but I just thought I'd share my story about Solpadeine while I have the balls to do so:

I started taking Solpadeine about 5 years ago, initally for migraine/period pain/back pain whatever pain I happened to have at the time. Up to last year, I was taking two in the morning for absolutely no reason, and as time went on, it gradually went from two in the morning to two in the morning, two in the afternoon, and two in the evening. And an extra two if i felt nervous, anxious, or annoyed. I'd even started to go to different chemists to get it. I knew it was ridiculous, and expensive, but I used to panic if i was running low on it. I hid the wrappers so that my other half wouldn't find them.

Then, last November, my son was rushed to hospital after a bad breathing attack. I had to stay with him in Mullingar for a week. I can honestly say, that I didn't think of the Solpadeine once after the first day - the first night, I had a banging headache, but I could hardly ask the Nurse for some Solpadeine, so I just drank lots of water and went to sleep. The worry of the whole situation surpassed the worry about the solpadeine, and I haven't bought them since.

I think that in one way, the new regulations are good, because they prevent people from doing long-term damage to their livers, and it makes them face up to the fact that they have a problem. I know it's very, very hard to beat any kind of addiction, but for those who find it hard - try a placebo. If you were taking two soluble tablets at a certain time, then try a glass of 7up or water at that same time - keep the routine, but cut the codeine out of it. That sounds so stupid, but anyone who can trick themself into thinking they have a headache just so that they can take painkillers is more than capable of tricking themself into thinking that they've just taken some.

I hope the chemists don't ease up, and that might sound harsh, but I was completely addicted and I would have continued on buying them every couple of days. I know that it's really, really inconvenient for those who weren't addicted, and genuinely just buy them when they need them, but for others, it could mean the difference between a lifelong addiction and facing up to it. Sorry for rambling, just thought I'd share x

As a matter of interest, did taking solpadeine directly affect your life negatively in any way?

Do you realise that Codeine does no damage to your liver? It's the paracetamol that comes with it.

People always perceive addiction to be a really, really bad thing. In reality is it so bad if someone has a mild codeine addiction?

I honestly think that people addicted to codeine as a result of taking Solpadeine or Neurofen+ should be given a prescription for codeine only tablets.

yogy · 09-08-2010 01:53PM

Herbal Deity wrote: »

I honestly think that people addicted to codeine as a result of taking Solpadeine or Neurofen+ should be given a prescription for codeine only tablets.

This is by far the most idiotic thing that has been said by anyone so far. In the same vain, do you think people who are addicted to heroin (diamorhpine) should be given a prescription for diamorphine only tablets? Idiot.

mikemac · 09-08-2010 02:00PM

gbee wrote: »

My addicted wife is going up the walls, three chemist have refused, one demanding a prescription, one a doctor's note and after filling out a few forms was told she was taking too much so would not get any.

gbee wrote: »

I fully empathise, my wife's been told that the apparently allowed two tables is too much.

I can tell you that if my wife had said she was taking a half tables she'd have got her supplies.

I'll be switching our pharmacy over this.

The solution isn't to keep changing pharmacies.
And if they see you and your wife constantly they'll be asking questions and may refuse you again.
Do you then travel to the next town, city or county to stock up?

Your wife has a drug addiction and needs help

Get medical advice, maybe try also
http://www.na-ireland.org/

Herbal Deity · 09-08-2010 02:57PM

yogy wrote: »

This is by far the most idiotic thing that has been said by anyone so far. In the same vain, do you think people who are addicted to heroin (diamorhpine) should be given a prescription for diamorphine only tablets? Idiot.

There's a very strong argument for giving heroin addicts prescription heroin, and in fact, they do just this in countries such as in the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin_maintenance
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4607233.stm
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2009/jun/05/europe_german_parliament_approve
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2008/feb/29/europe_denmark_parliament_approv

Idiotic indeed.

dr.bollocko · 09-08-2010 03:05PM

yogy wrote: »

This is by far the most idiotic thing that has been said by anyone so far. In the same vain, do you think people who are addicted to heroin (diamorhpine) should be given a prescription for diamorphine only tablets? Idiot.

Banned.

Wibbs · 09-08-2010 03:17PM

And if implemented would seriously impact side effects of heroin abuse especially crime. Its only idiotic to be blinkered and keep doing the same old thing and expecting different results.

sesna · 09-08-2010 03:34PM

yogy wrote: »

This is by far the most idiotic thing that has been said by anyone so far. In the same vain, do you think people who are addicted to heroin (diamorhpine) should be given a prescription for diamorphine only tablets? Idiot.

I noticed that from yogy earlier on - good points but nasty, unnecessary outbursts when not in agreement with something.

moonboy52 · 09-08-2010 05:01PM

Wibbs wrote: »

And if implemented would seriously impact side effects of heroin abuse especially crime. Its only idiotic to be blinkered and keep doing the same old thing and expecting different results.

+1

RATM · 16-08-2010 07:39PM

These new regulations are a joke. Here's a letter I wrote to my TD about them explaining the situation I found myself in today. I have since ordered pain killers over the web- I won't be caught on the hop by these stupid laws again.

With the no off license sales after 10pm rule the government forced my hand and I now have way more booze in the house than I ever did before. And so it will go the same way with painkillers.

Dear XXX TD,

It is with great anger and annoyance that I am writing to you. Last afternoon I crashed my motorcycle on my way home from work. The accident happened because there was split oil all over the road and my wheels just slipped from underneath of me. That, however, isn't my issue.

During the accident my right arm and shoulder took most of the hit on the hard concrete. Immediately afterwards my arm seized up and moving it was quite painful. I gathered myself and headed straight to my local pharmacy as I realised that the pain would only get worse in the hours after the accident. Here I asked for Nurofen Plus painkillers. The pharmacist refused to serve me this product on the basis that it has codine in it and said under the new regulations they could not sell codine products for my complaint. Instead I was sold normal Nurofen. After 3 hours of taking these they had absolutely no effect on the pain in my arm, which had actually gotten worse by this stage. I went back to the pharmacy and explained this and requested for the second time to be sold Nurofen Plus to get some pain relief. I explained to her that when I had back and muscular pain last year the only painkiller that worked for me was Nurofen Plus and that my arm and shoulder was giving me the exact same problems- muscular pain. Again I was refused, as if I were some sort of drug addict. I can't recall feeling so little in all my life. Here I was in a pharmacy trying to get pain relief for a very sore arm and these new regulations are preventing me from doing so. At this point it was 5.55pm and every other pharmacy in my area was closed, I now had to go home to face a night of agony with no painkillers.

As a result of these new rules I spent the whole of last night writhing in pain. I got no sleep and I have missed a days work because of something so trivial and completely unnecessary. With the price of doctors so high I cannot afford to call one out, especially at night when charges are higher. Nor am I prepared to wait 6-12+ hours to be seen in the warzone that is A&E over a problem that some basic pain killers with codine would have solved.

These new regulations are a complete farce and they were brought in by your party. If someone wants to commit suicide on painkillers these regulations do absolutely nothing to stop that happening as anyone can just go from pharmacy to pharmacy to stock up to their hearts content. Yet someone in genuine need of them gets refused? I am beginning to wonder how far this nanny state wishes to dictate to citizens what they can and can't put in their own bodies. The state has no claim over my body and I take personal responsibility for what goes in it. So why is the state acting in this way? Is it just to annoy people and leave them in a completely unnecessary pain?

I'm not being smart but I voted for you last time out, I even met you on the canvass trail and you seemed like a very genuine person. However this for me is a step too far. I take personal responsibility for my actions and deeds and believe that the state should allow me to do so- Im an adult and I don't need my hand to be held. Yet your party seems to think otherwise. Unless this law is recinded between now and the next election I will have no other option but to find a party who is more along my line of thinking. I really cannot stress enough the irony of this situation- one can buy alcohol and cigarettes without question, the head shops are still open (despite two rounds of legislation) yet I can't get anything to relieve my pain. This situation is ridiculous and absurd. In future these rules now give me no other choice but to purchase painkillers without prescription from the internet. I do not like proceeding in this manner but I refuse point blank to put up with the levels of pain I had to deal with last night.

I await your reply.

bleg · 16-08-2010 08:03PM

It was the pharmaceutical society of Ireland (PSI) the pharmacy regulator that brought this in. Most people (including the majority of TDs I would imagine) don't even know this body exists so writing to your TD was probably a waste of time. He'll probably email you back that the issue has nothing to do with him and his party (which it doesn't) and direct you to the PSI, that is, if he gets back to you at all.

It's not even a law by the way, it's a guideline that is being enforced by the PSI on pharmacists. There was a public consultation process in advance of these guidelines being enforced.

http://www.pharmaceuticalsociety.ie/

SeaFields · 16-08-2010 08:06PM

The guidelines on the sale of codeine products were brought in by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (which regulates pharmacies), not by any of the government parties.

Edit: beaten by Bleg!

PirateShampoo · 16-08-2010 08:12PM

It a bloody disgrace, €46 euro for a box of solpdine...

Mr Trade In · 16-08-2010 08:23PM

Thats what you get for buying Knock Off misspelled pills on a street corner.I fell on the way into an exam last week and later in the day in great pain made my way into a chemist and was able to buy a box of solpadeine, 24 pills for €5.50.

RATM · 16-08-2010 08:34PM

bleg wrote: »

It was the pharmaceutical society of Ireland (PSI) the pharmacy regulator that brought this in. Most people (including the majority of TDs I would imagine) don't even know this body exists so writing to your TD was probably a waste of time. He'll probably email you back that the issue has nothing to do with him and his party (which it doesn't) and direct you to the PSI, that is, if he gets back to you at all.

It's not even a law by the way, it's a guideline that is being enforced by the PSI on pharmacists. There was a public consultation process in advance of these guidelines being enforced.

http://www.pharmaceuticalsociety.ie/

In that case Im wanting to know:-
a) what my TD did during the public consultation
b) what he intends to do now these stupid guidelines are in

As previosly stated there isn't one single peer reviewed journal article outlining codine addiction in Ireland. These rules are absurd, do the PSI want people buying heroin as a painkiller? Because as it stands heroin is easier to get in this country than Nurofen Plus.

RATM · 16-08-2010 08:45PM

Incidentially the press release by the PSI contains the following

The guidance is to ensure compliance with new regulations under the Pharmacy Act 2007 and with the Code of Conduct for pharmacists which places the patient as the primary concern of a pharmacist.

So it now appears that pharmacists are to be so concerned for the patient as to not issue them the pain killers they clearly need when they are standing right there in front of them in pain

Madness. Pure madness. Take a bow PSI, you've just forced a patient who you supposedly are concerned about into buying pain killers off the web. Twats.

bleg · 16-08-2010 08:50PM

I dunno what he did, it was probably very low on his list of priorities if he knew about it though.

What did you do during the consultation?

There's not much a TD can do, the PSI are an independent regulator for the public. Therefore they're supposed to act in the best interest of the public. Politicians can't interfere with them any more than they can with another regulator such as comreg. As far as I know most of the PSI's substantial funding comes from pharmacists and pharmacies who pay a fee every year to be registered as pharmacists and retail pharmacy businesses respectively.

admiralofthefleet · 16-08-2010 09:01PM

i was in the chemist last week and a fella was buying some nurofen when the questions started
when the girl (eastern euorpean) asked him 'are they for you' he replied 'no, im going to sell them' she didnt know what to do
it was hilarious but me laughing out loud in the middle mof the shop probably looked a bit weird

ebixa82 · 16-08-2010 10:00PM

RATM wrote: »

These new regulations are a joke. Here's a letter I wrote to my TD about them explaining the situation I found myself in today. I have since ordered pain killers over the web- I won't be caught on the hop by these stupid laws again.

With the no off license sales after 10pm rule the government forced my hand and I now have way more booze in the house than I ever did before. And so it will go the same way with painkillers.

Dear XXX TD,

It is with great anger and annoyance that I am writing to you. Last afternoon I crashed my motorcycle on my way home from work. The accident happened because there was split oil all over the road and my wheels just slipped from underneath of me. That, however, isn't my issue.

During the accident my right arm and shoulder took most of the hit on the hard concrete. Immediately afterwards my arm seized up and moving it was quite painful. I gathered myself and headed straight to my local pharmacy as I realised that the pain would only get worse in the hours after the accident. Here I asked for Nurofen Plus painkillers. The pharmacist refused to serve me this product on the basis that it has codine in it and said under the new regulations they could not sell codine products for my complaint. Instead I was sold normal Nurofen. After 3 hours of taking these they had absolutely no effect on the pain in my arm, which had actually gotten worse by this stage. I went back to the pharmacy and explained this and requested for the second time to be sold Nurofen Plus to get some pain relief. I explained to her that when I had back and muscular pain last year the only painkiller that worked for me was Nurofen Plus and that my arm and shoulder was giving me the exact same problems- muscular pain. Again I was refused, as if I were some sort of drug addict. I can't recall feeling so little in all my life. Here I was in a pharmacy trying to get pain relief for a very sore arm and these new regulations are preventing me from doing so. At this point it was 5.55pm and every other pharmacy in my area was closed, I now had to go home to face a night of agony with no painkillers.

As a result of these new rules I spent the whole of last night writhing in pain. I got no sleep and I have missed a days work because of something so trivial and completely unnecessary. With the price of doctors so high I cannot afford to call one out, especially at night when charges are higher. Nor am I prepared to wait 6-12+ hours to be seen in the warzone that is A&E over a problem that some basic pain killers with codine would have solved.

These new regulations are a complete farce and they were brought in by your party. If someone wants to commit suicide on painkillers these regulations do absolutely nothing to stop that happening as anyone can just go from pharmacy to pharmacy to stock up to their hearts content. Yet someone in genuine need of them gets refused? I am beginning to wonder how far this nanny state wishes to dictate to citizens what they can and can't put in their own bodies. The state has no claim over my body and I take personal responsibility for what goes in it. So why is the state acting in this way? Is it just to annoy people and leave them in a completely unnecessary pain?

I'm not being smart but I voted for you last time out, I even met you on the canvass trail and you seemed like a very genuine person. However this for me is a step too far. I take personal responsibility for my actions and deeds and believe that the state should allow me to do so- Im an adult and I don't need my hand to be held. Yet your party seems to think otherwise. Unless this law is recinded between now and the next election I will have no other option but to find a party who is more along my line of thinking. I really cannot stress enough the irony of this situation- one can buy alcohol and cigarettes without question, the head shops are still open (despite two rounds of legislation) yet I can't get anything to relieve my pain. This situation is ridiculous and absurd. In future these rules now give me no other choice but to purchase painkillers without prescription from the internet. I do not like proceeding in this manner but I refuse point blank to put up with the levels of pain I had to deal with last night.

I await your reply.

1) Why did you not buy Paracetamol along with the ibuprofen? Much more effective than Nurofen Plus.

2) Do you really think 25mg of codeine would have stopped you "writhing in pain"?

3) You were in a motorcycle accident and you chose not to seek medical attention from a GP or at a hospital? You have a job and so should have paid 60-70e to do so. How much money did you lose by not going to work?

4) Why did you not try another pharmacy?

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

Comments