How many co codamol can i take a day

Your doctor can help you do this. Yes, there are other painkillers you can try. Some painkillers work better than others for certain types of pain. For example, the best painkiller to ease your headache may not be the best one for your backache. Before taking co-codamol, try taking paracetamol to see if that helps your pain. Paracetamol can relieve most types of pain. Painkillers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs , such as ibuprofen and naproxen , can reduce inflammation as well as pain.

These are good for joint, back and muscular pain. This includes people with stomach ulcers or severe heart, kidney or liver problems. It's best to stop drinking alcohol during the first few days of treatment until you see how co-codamol affects you.

Drinking alcohol while you're taking co-codamol can make you feel more sleepy. It can also increase the risk of serious side effects. If you feel sleepy with co-codamol, stop drinking alcohol while you're taking it. Do not drive a car or ride a bike or use tools or machinery if co-codamol makes you sleepy, gives you blurred vision or makes you feel dizzy, clumsy or unable to concentrate or make decisions. This may be more likely when you first start taking co-codamol but could happen at any time — for example when starting another medicine.

It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive. Even if your ability to drive is not affected, the police have the right to request a saliva sample to check how much co-codamol is in your body. UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking co-codamol.

Apart from avoiding alcohol, you can eat and drink normally while taking co-codamol. Co-codamol does not affect any type of contraception, including the combined pill or emergency contraception. However, if co-codamol makes you vomit for more than 24 hours, your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy.

Look on the pill packet to find out what to do. Read more about what to do if you're on the pill and you're being sick or have diarrhoea. If you're taking co-codamol for a maximum of 3 days and at normal doses, there's no clear evidence that it can reduce fertility in either men or women. However, if you take high doses of co-codamol for a long time, there's a very small risk it can temporarily reduce fertility in men and women. It can cause a health problem called hypogonadism.

Hypogonadism is where the body does not make enough sex hormones. This can make it more difficult for you to conceive. If you're worried about taking co-codamol for longer than 3 days, and how this may affect your fertility, talk to your doctor. If you take recreational drugs, such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin, while you're taking co-codamol, you're more likely to get the serious side effects of the codeine in co-codamol. These include breathing difficulties, heart problems, fits and even going into a coma.

Some recreational drugs, such as cannabis, also increase common codeine side effects such as sleepiness and dizziness. Taking heroin while you're on prescribed co-codamol is particularly dangerous. You're more likely to get all the side effects of the codeine in co-codamol, including addiction.

Page last reviewed: 3 September Next review due: 3 September Co-codamol for adults On this page About co-codamol for adults Key facts Who can and cannot take co-codamol How and when to take co-codamol Taking co-codamol with other painkillers Side effects How to cope with side effects of co-codamol Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions about co-codamol.

About co-codamol for adults Co-codamol is a mixture of 2 different painkillers — paracetamol and codeine. This medicine comes as tablets and capsules. Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today? Co-codamol tablets and capsules come in 3 strengths. You can buy the lowest strength co-codamol from pharmacies but the higher strengths are only available on prescription. The most common side effects of co-codamol are constipation and feeling sick nausea or sleepy.

Taking too much co-codamol can be harmful. Do not be tempted to increase the dose or take a double dose if your pain is very bad. Sir, I wish to emphasise the importance of checking for painkiller overdoses whenever a patient presents with dental pain. An year-old recently attended with toothache. However, the patient did not share this urgency stating he 'did not fancy a four-hour wait' and would go to his GMP in a few days. The former conclusion is however certainly true. The patient overdosed to help him sleep as 'a few tablets weren't good enough'.

As they are easily accessible medications he felt there was no danger in taking more than stated on the box. The effects of an overdose often don't present for several days making patients unaware of the potential harm they have caused. This lack of symptoms was also a deterrent from attending the local hospital when advised. Teaching on basic pain history includes asking patients if they have taken painkillers and how many.

Yet do we all do this? Perhaps this relates to the time pressures of NHS dentistry - the practice I work in has 15 minute appointments for an 'Emergency Pain' which appears to be the norm in the area. Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken.

For these reasons, before you start taking co-codamol, it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:. Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them.

The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with co-codamol. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome. If you experience any other symptoms which you think may be due to the medicine, discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist for further advice. Never take more than the prescribed dose.

If you suspect that you or someone else might have taken an overdose of this medicine, go to the accident and emergency department of your local hospital. Take the container with you, even if it is empty. This medicine is for you. Never give it to other people even if their condition appears to be the same as yours. Do not keep out-of-date or unwanted medicines. Take them to your local pharmacy which will dispose of them for you.

Dated September Hello,My wife is suffering from a very strange illness wherein she is getting lower back just above lower right near spine and abdomen pain lower right side at the same time. This pain some time Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions.

Egton Medical Information Systems Limited has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but make no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.

For details see our conditions. Codeine is used to treat mild-to-moderate types of pain. In this article About codeine Before taking codeine How to take codeine Getting the most from your treatment Can codeine cause problems? How to store codeine Important information about all medicines. Codeine for pain relief In this article About codeine Before taking codeine How to take codeine Getting the most from your treatment Can codeine cause problems?

About codeine Type of medicine An opioid painkiller analgesic Used for Pain relief Also called Codeine phosphate Available as Tablets, oral liquid medicine and injection. Common codeine side-effects What can I do if I experience this?