Ibuprofen/Paracetamo l

monami

its true, but our law makers are a bit dense, they probably never thought of that, like most of their unpoliceable laws

Are you on the correct thread?

In Denmark too, you need a prescription to buy more than 20 or 24,can't remember the exact amount, as I use aspirin.

Other countries in Europe have different rules.

The idea is to prevent suicide, or especially failed suicide in young people, who can do serious damage to their liver etc. if they do not suceed in committing suicide, or did not want to, only wanted to make their families aware they had problems.

Paracetamol is metabolised in the liver and it is the damage/failure of this organ that causes death - not the kidneys.

I haven't read all the thread, but just came on here to say that if you are going to top yourself, please, please, please don't do it with paracetamol.
It's a few days before you get any symptoms, and by the time you do, you might have changed your mind, but its too late then, and then it's pain, and suffering for quite a few more days.

Question I was given tramadol on prescription..I on beta blockers blood thinners BP tablets water tablets. Staten been told tramadol safe for pain..any one else take them ??

I think Tramadol is an opioid.

Sorry. I thought you were linking them to paracetamol.

I take paracetamol every day and I live in a village where I can't buy any, so 2 packs doesn't last me very long. Going into town by car, we have no buses, with the current cost of fuel is a no go so I will always get a larger supply by going to different shops.

Paracetamol is so cheap none of us should get it on prescription.

This rule has reduced overdoses and deaths. Self harm is often impulsive, having to source more pills slows down the action and lowers the impulse. The restrictions are there for a reason and they work. Both paracetamol and ibuprofen can be damaging in quite “minor” overdoses. It is daft to sell them in tubs of 200!

twaddle

MT62

I can’t get paracetamol off the Gp as I am already getting co-codamol.
I am trying to reduce the dosage of co codamol by taking one of each.

You shouldn't need paracetamol if you're already taking co-codamol. Co-codamol is paracetamol and codeine, so you're already taking paracetamol. It would be dangerous to take paracetamol on top of co-codamol.

You did not read her message properly she very much needs paracetamol if she want to reduce her intake of co codamol which are much stronger, she is doing the right thing, which I was advised to do by my own GP as well.

Iam64

Paracetamol is so cheap none of us should get it on prescription.

In your opinion!!!!

Many people in America have guns ... quicker and more certain way to die than an overdose of paracetamol or ibuprofen ...

Iam64 I think if they aren't on prescription a care worker can't give them to someone who needs regular pain relief.
My mother-in-law had to have them prescribed in order to take them after a stroke when she needed them.

Who is getting paracetamol on prescription?! You can buy it for about 30p! Prescribing it costs the NHS a fortune!

Paracetamol is regularly prescribed for palliative care, where the patient is taking up to eight a day. Do we really expect very poorly people or their carers to go trawling round shops to get their medication?

I accept the points from SueDonim and NotSpaghetti about the need to avoid palliative care patients and care workers having to go shopping around to buy enough packs of paracetamol. Presumably they’re prescribed a months supply and in most cases won’t pay for prescriptions.
My point as made by HobbyCat is the high cost of prescriptions and low cost of this painkiller

plenty of online sell paracetomel and one day we added up in our small town there were 9 places you could buy them and supermarkets you could buy every time you go in so you quite easily go in and out a few times especially self serve tills

Would paracetamol be adequate for palliative care patients? Somebody very close to me has terminal cancer and has 72 hour fentanyl patches (applied by a district nurse). Paracetamol and even co-dydramol don't even touch the pain she's in.

win

twaddle

MT62

I can’t get paracetamol off the Gp as I am already getting co-codamol.
I am trying to reduce the dosage of co codamol by taking one of each.

You shouldn't need paracetamol if you're already taking co-codamol. Co-codamol is paracetamol and codeine, so you're already taking paracetamol. It would be dangerous to take paracetamol on top of co-codamol.

You did not read her message properly she very much needs paracetamol if she want to reduce her intake of co codamol which are much stronger, she is doing the right thing, which I was advised to do by my own GP as well.

I did read the message! She wrote that she's taking one 30/500mg co-dydramol and one 500 paracetamol. That's exactly the same as taking two 15/500mg co-dydramol.

I'm a bit baffled how she's going to cut out the codeine element because she'll have to go from 30mg of codeine to nil. It would be better to have 15/500, then she could reduce further to 10/500 then 8/500 (the latter can be bought from a pharmacist if necessary). If she's taking 1x15/500 and the pain becomes unbearable, she could go back to 2x15/500.

twaddle

win

twaddle

MT62

I can’t get paracetamol off the Gp as I am already getting co-codamol.
I am trying to reduce the dosage of co codamol by taking one of each.

You shouldn't need paracetamol if you're already taking co-codamol. Co-codamol is paracetamol and codeine, so you're already taking paracetamol. It would be dangerous to take paracetamol on top of co-codamol.

You did not read her message properly she very much needs paracetamol if she want to reduce her intake of co codamol which are much stronger, she is doing the right thing, which I was advised to do by my own GP as well.

I did read the message! She wrote that she's taking one 30/500mg co-dydramol and one 500 paracetamol. That's exactly the same as taking two 15/500mg co-dydramol.

I'm a bit baffled how she's going to cut out the codeine element because she'll have to go from 30mg of codeine to nil. It would be better to have 15/500, then she could reduce further to 10/500 then 8/500 (the latter can be bought from a pharmacist if necessary). If she's taking 1x15/500 and the pain becomes unbearable, she could go back to 2x15/500.

You have lost me and I think we should let her decide what she takes and doesn't take.

If your professional carer has to pass you your medication to take it needs to be prescribed.
This is to protect vulnerable adults.

It's not to stop people paying for their paracetamol, or to prevent carers going shopping or to help out the elderly - though any of these might pertain...

In my mother-in-law's case she bought her own when she needed it until she was 101.

My mother-in-law wasn't in palliative care but had paracetamol prescribed and took one dose most days post stroke. She was very achey at night and it was enough to take the edge off as she fell asleep.

She could refuse it but the carer couldn't legally pass her any tablets purchased separately.

Not everything is so clear cut as people think

win, Of course she can decide what she takes or doesn't - there's no way I could (or wish to) change that. I'm just puzzled because she's taking such a high dose of codeine in one tablet, but says she wants to cut down (will be extremely difficult from a high dose to nil) and has to buy paracetamol separately, which she presumably has to do frequently. It just seems a bit crazy when there's a solution available.

twaddle

Would paracetamol be adequate for palliative care patients? Somebody very close to me has terminal cancer and has 72 hour fentanyl patches (applied by a district nurse). Paracetamol and even co-dydramol don't even touch the pain she's in.

On its own, no it likely won’t be enough, but part of the skill of pain control is ‘mixing and matching’ if you like. Paracetamol enhances the efficacy of other, stronger drugs, which may then not be needed in such high doses. All this was carefully explained to us when my Dh was having palliative care.

twaddle

win, Of course she can decide what she takes or doesn't - there's no way I could (or wish to) change that. I'm just puzzled because she's taking such a high dose of codeine in one tablet, but says she wants to cut down (will be extremely difficult from a high dose to nil) and has to buy paracetamol separately, which she presumably has to do frequently. It just seems a bit crazy when there's a solution available.

I fully agree with you on that score, but the GP. will tell us it is mind over matter and that Paracetamol can be enough if you set your mind to it. I have been there, but could never manage on Paracetamol alone, as much as I tried. I also tried what she is aiming at, but with co-codomol instead. I tried to take 1 paracetamol and 1 Co-codomol, but it does not touch my pain so I am back on 2 Co-codomol 4 times a day again, together with other pain killers (opiods) and nerve blockers. I am waiting to see the pain management clinic for the 3rd time. Already waited 18 months. Believe you me, I would love to come off the lot, as it makes me so heavy headed despite being used to it all.