Co-Proxamol

[Elfin]

Is anyone else here affected by the decision to withdraw the painkiller Co-Proxamol?  It has been withdrawn due to the number of accidental deaths from overdose, but as one of the most widely-prescribed painkillers we have, there are many people who rely on it.  The suggested replacement drug is Paracetamol...

[collywobs]

In our surgery the replacement to co poxomol is kapake, both are only available only on prescription where as parocetomol can be purchased over the counter.

the fact that you can only buy painkillers in small amounts I dont think will help bring down the number of suicides due to overdose of painkillers as its quite possible for a determined person to buy 16 (the current limit ) at any and every chemist and supermarket and stock pile them .

[scubadiver]

The problem with co-proxamol, was not so much due to deliberate overdose, as accidental overdose.

The maximum dose was 8 tablets per day, but there were several recorded instances of people taking 10 per day and ending up dead. As you could take 2 tabs at any one time, this was only one "dose" above the maximum - not a great deal of room for error.

I have been put on to co-codamol instead.

[woofgang]

actually, I understand that the purchase limits have already reduced the number of suicides by tablet. the nasty bit about paracetamol is that it causes fatal liver damage so the "cry for help" suicides who might have survived on other tablets did not if they took the easily available paracetamol

[Gilli]

I had this prescribed for back pain years and years ago, with no problems.

I also had it when suffering from a kidney infection. However, I miscalculated what I'd already taken and accidentally took a dose of paracetamol as well, too soon after taking the last distalgesic. This was because I'd run out of distalgesic, was staying away from home and just wasn't thinking straight as I was in quite some pain.

As a result of this tiny error - we are only talking perhaps a couple of hours too soon - I have never been so uncontrollably sick in my life. Guess it was my body trying to get rid of the poison.

Suppose this shows the effect of a strong drug taken incorrectly but I admit it was totally my own silly fault. However, maybe had I taken "extra" distalgesic instead of paracetamol, the end result would have been more serious.

[Kay]

Woof-gang is right. Co-prox causes fatal liver damage.My friend has been changed from those to Brufen so she can now look foward to abdominal bleeding just like aspirin!! Can we win????

[LiverpoolLou]

I was prescribed Co-Proxamol some years ago for a back problem, I started taking it straight away, about half an hour after taking it, I started to have really bad palpitations. I told my doctor about it and she said you must be allergic to Codien. I just take Paracetamol now, if I feel any pain and that works for me.

[Wispy68]

Just out of interest, is Co-Proxamol also known as Distalgesic? I'm sure I can remember my dad taking that for Neuralgia.

[scubadiver]

Wispy68 - yes, the branded form of co-proxamol, before it went generic, was Distalgesic. Very rarely will this be dispensed now tho- the profit for a pharmacist is greater with the generic version

[Wispy68]

Thank you, scubadiver.

[Elfin]

Hmm yes, the only reason Co-Proxamol would cause liver damage is because its main ingredient IS Paracetamol.  It does, however, contain another ingredient (not codeine), which seems to make all the difference to its pain management ability to many people including me.  I think that the problem here is that the drug has been widely available since the 60s and it is being withdrawn without consulting patients, many of whom have been taking it for years with no problems.  It seems unfair and the alternatives aren't good enough.

There is more info on this site http://www.vasectomy.me.uk/no-scalpel-vasectomy/coproxamol/ (ignore the fact that the web address says vasectomy!!)

[Danny B]

Does anyone out there know where I could get coproxamol direct? Any help would be much appreciated. Taken for osteoporosis.