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Ibuprofen/Paracetamo l

(119 Posts)
Slimswim Fri 29-May-26 15:59:50

Recently returned from the USA where we were able to purchase a tub of 500 of each of these. I appreciate we live in a different country but over here we can only buy 2 x 16 tablets at a time. Don’t know if it’s true but we were told it’s to prevent people from taking an overdose. Surely if someone is that desperate they will just go around different stores to purchase more.

Plevey08 Mon 01-Jun-26 20:43:24

GP's don't generally prescribe paracetamol. It would cost NHS too much. There are many of us who take 8 paracetamol daily which is the maximum dose. This is called pain management to help manage chronic pain.My GP explained to me that the worst thing that people with chronic pain do, is not take 2 every 4 hours. If you don't take 2 every 4 hours then you can't keep on top of the pain. I can't take ibuprofen or aspirin as I'm on blood thinners.I find it really annoying to not be able to buy more than 2 packs at a time. I do however know the dangers of overdosing...A pupil in my tutor group overdosed on them one lunchtime. Thankfully she came and told me so I took her straight to hospital. Stomach pumped and she survived it. So weighing it up I understand the need for the 2 pack control. But annoying to some of us as I have to buy them for my housebound sister. So I feel like I'm forever buying them.

Plevey08 Mon 01-Jun-26 20:55:29

Potentially good news for anyone suffering with Fibromyalgia. There are some excellent studies and potential treatments in the pipeline. My friend has it, they put her on amitriptyline which helped but the weights gain really got her down

Thisismyname1953 Tue 02-Jun-26 10:18:21

A previous poster mentioned that a large overdose of paracetamol can kill you . Actually as few as ten paracetamol can kill you. That is why they limit how many can be sold at once .

Mojack26 Tue 02-Jun-26 14:35:25

It is the reason! A pharmacist told me.. No logic as you go go to other pharmacies and buy them. US has always been like that I used to bring them home with me! Australia same as US. As usual in UK the majority suffer due to the minority. No one sees the rationale in it!

FranP Tue 02-Jun-26 19:12:16

It is 2 boxes. 16s are often on the counter, but you can ask for a bigger box.
I got questioned as I am clearly over 65, that I should not be taking the Ibuprofen any more.

MT62 Wed 03-Jun-26 13:58:44

jomo

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 can’t take tramadol, or dihydrocodein they interfere with my sleeping pill. Also they make me feel sick.

MT62 Wed 03-Jun-26 14:05:44

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.

Are you on about me cutting down my dose of codeine?

MT62 Wed 03-Jun-26 14:06:51

NotSpaghetti

I think Tramadol is an opioid.

I think they are stronger than co-codamol

MT62 Wed 03-Jun-26 14:12:45

Also strong doses of codeine type drugs along with sleeping pills can slow down the respiratory system.
If I knew then what I know now about these types of drugs i would never have touched them with a barge pole.
Gp prescribes these drugs ( especially back in the day & they just expect you to get on with the side effects, of coming off these drugs on your own) well my gp is useless, he more or less said he could get me off mine in two weeks 😳 which he’s totally wrong about that.

twaddle Wed 03-Jun-26 16:36:01

MT62

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.

Are you on about me cutting down my dose of codeine?

That's what you wrote you intended to do. I'm not "on about" anything. I'm just puzzled about why you've been prescribed such a high dose in the first place.

SueDonim Wed 03-Jun-26 16:47:22

I’ve taken prescription co-codamol for years without issue for migraine. I don’t take them regularly, just when I have a bad head. Even then, if two doses of two tablets six hours apart don’t sort it, I know I’m in for the long haul and don’t take any more. I’ve never had any of the side effects mentioned here.

Summysoom Thu 04-Jun-26 08:39:01

Please don’t ask for prescriptions for paracetamol or ibuprofen. They cost so little in pharmacies and supermarkets. Prescriptions cost a lot to process and provide and I wish the NHS would only provide while patients are in hospital.
Unfortunately, a lot of people who get their prescriptions at no cost, forget that medications are never ‘free’.

M0nica Thu 04-Jun-26 09:09:44

back in my Uni days, when aspirin was the main available painkiller, a friend who suffered from severe migraine was found comatose one morning, rushed to hospital and treated as if it was a suicide attempt. She finally got through to them that she wasn't suicidal but had had a severe migraine and in a semi delirious state, had kept taking aspirin trying to control the pain.

I learned a lesson then that has lasted me all my life. I too have migraines, that used to be very bad, but I have always exercised rigorous control over my consumption of painkillers.

MT62 Thu 04-Jun-26 13:00:35

Hi twaddle. Prescribed 2 30/500 4 times a day for bone on bone knee pain for at least 5 yrs.
I don’t mind you saying anything at all about my taking a high dose. I just wanted to join in the convo.
I agree with you mentioning that co codamol also contains paracetamol as a lot of people don’t realise that 👍🏻
I am doing well cutting down over the last few months. No side effects 😊

twaddle Thu 04-Jun-26 14:33:29

MT62

Hi twaddle. Prescribed 2 30/500 4 times a day for bone on bone knee pain for at least 5 yrs.
I don’t mind you saying anything at all about my taking a high dose. I just wanted to join in the convo.
I agree with you mentioning that co codamol also contains paracetamol as a lot of people don’t realise that 👍🏻
I am doing well cutting down over the last few months. No side effects 😊

I thought you wrote that you only take one 30/500 co-codamol.

MT62 Thu 04-Jun-26 16:55:57

Twaddle now I do with one paracetamol tablet.
So just 30mg instead of 60mg

DaisyAnneReturns Thu 04-Jun-26 18:42:24

Maremia

Please, always take food with Ibuprofen. You probs know that already.

Please don't take it with blood thinners.

Geordiegirl1 Sat 06-Jun-26 10:58:23

The antidote to paracetamol overdose could easily be incorporated into it. Mustn’t be cost effective to pharma but could save a lot of liver damage/fatalities.