Discussion
Mil has been prescribed Co codamol for pain and stiffness, signs of arthritis in her back.
I'll check the strength when I see her later, currently she's taking 1 tablet before bed. Although she's never had any problems at night, biggest problem is when getting up in the morning, once she's moving about things ease off.
Would she be better taking the tablet in the morning when she wakes up?
I'll check the strength when I see her later, currently she's taking 1 tablet before bed. Although she's never had any problems at night, biggest problem is when getting up in the morning, once she's moving about things ease off.
Would she be better taking the tablet in the morning when she wakes up?
Co-codamol in the UK comes in two strengths commonly.
30/500
or
8/500
They have either 30mg of codeine or 8mg, each tablet has 500mg of paracetamol.
A decent adult dose is 2 tablets of 8/500. This is 1g of paracetamol, the most to be taken in a 6 hour period. You can then have 4x2 tablets spread across the 24 hour period. (4g paracetamol perfectly safe with no previous liver disease)
30/500 tablets are quite strong for an elderly person, and 2x30/500 is 60mg codeine, which often puts people into orbit.
She could try 2 x 8/500 tablets at bedtime quite safely, and the same again in the morning.
SHE MUST NOT TAKE ANY OTHER PARACETAMOL CONTAINING TABLETS WHILST USING COCODAMOL. This is written all over the packets etc.
Glucosamine/Chondroitin - neither are painkillers, and neither have decent evidence to show they work in osteoarthritis.
30/500
or
8/500
They have either 30mg of codeine or 8mg, each tablet has 500mg of paracetamol.
A decent adult dose is 2 tablets of 8/500. This is 1g of paracetamol, the most to be taken in a 6 hour period. You can then have 4x2 tablets spread across the 24 hour period. (4g paracetamol perfectly safe with no previous liver disease)
30/500 tablets are quite strong for an elderly person, and 2x30/500 is 60mg codeine, which often puts people into orbit.
She could try 2 x 8/500 tablets at bedtime quite safely, and the same again in the morning.
SHE MUST NOT TAKE ANY OTHER PARACETAMOL CONTAINING TABLETS WHILST USING COCODAMOL. This is written all over the packets etc.
Glucosamine/Chondroitin - neither are painkillers, and neither have decent evidence to show they work in osteoarthritis.
The_Doc said:
Co-codamol in the UK comes in two strengths commonly.
30/500
or
8/500
They have either 30mg of codeine or 8mg, each tablet has 500mg of paracetamol.
A decent adult dose is 2 tablets of 8/500. This is 1g of paracetamol, the most to be taken in a 6 hour period. You can then have 4x2 tablets spread across the 24 hour period. (4g paracetamol perfectly safe with no previous liver disease)
30/500 tablets are quite strong for an elderly person, and 2x30/500 is 60mg codeine, which often puts people into orbit.
She could try 2 x 8/500 tablets at bedtime quite safely, and the same again in the morning.
SHE MUST NOT TAKE ANY OTHER PARACETAMOL CONTAINING TABLETS WHILST USING COCODAMOL. This is written all over the packets etc.
Glucosamine/Chondroitin - neither are painkillers, and neither have decent evidence to show they work in osteoarthritis.
Thanks, any benefit to taking AM rather than evening? 30/500
or
8/500
They have either 30mg of codeine or 8mg, each tablet has 500mg of paracetamol.
A decent adult dose is 2 tablets of 8/500. This is 1g of paracetamol, the most to be taken in a 6 hour period. You can then have 4x2 tablets spread across the 24 hour period. (4g paracetamol perfectly safe with no previous liver disease)
30/500 tablets are quite strong for an elderly person, and 2x30/500 is 60mg codeine, which often puts people into orbit.
She could try 2 x 8/500 tablets at bedtime quite safely, and the same again in the morning.
SHE MUST NOT TAKE ANY OTHER PARACETAMOL CONTAINING TABLETS WHILST USING COCODAMOL. This is written all over the packets etc.
Glucosamine/Chondroitin - neither are painkillers, and neither have decent evidence to show they work in osteoarthritis.
The_Doc said:
Glucosamine/Chondroitin - neither are painkillers, and neither have decent evidence to show they work in osteoarthritis.
True, but there's a heap of apocryphal evidence, including my own. A family member is of the same discipline as yourself (orthopod consultant) and his view is that if it works for you carry on, but if there's no apparent benefit then don't waste your money. It works for me as far as my symptoms are concerned. Once I had hip pain sufficient to make me wince as I got in my car and actively consider an automatic. After a few weeks of glucosamine and chondroitin the pain disappeared never to return. Maybe it would have gone anyway but as I cannot run a control I don't know.As a Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferer I've been taking the 30/500 for years as and when needed. I find they are no better than paracetamol for my case.
Ibuprofen might be a better analgesic for your MiL. I find taking it before bed helps in the morning, Naproxen even more so bu this is only available with a 'script.
Ibuprofen might be a better analgesic for your MiL. I find taking it before bed helps in the morning, Naproxen even more so bu this is only available with a 'script.
PositronicRay said:
The_Doc said:
Co-codamol in the UK comes in two strengths commonly.
30/500
or
8/500
They have either 30mg of codeine or 8mg, each tablet has 500mg of paracetamol.
A decent adult dose is 2 tablets of 8/500. This is 1g of paracetamol, the most to be taken in a 6 hour period. You can then have 4x2 tablets spread across the 24 hour period. (4g paracetamol perfectly safe with no previous liver disease)
30/500 tablets are quite strong for an elderly person, and 2x30/500 is 60mg codeine, which often puts people into orbit.
She could try 2 x 8/500 tablets at bedtime quite safely, and the same again in the morning.
SHE MUST NOT TAKE ANY OTHER PARACETAMOL CONTAINING TABLETS WHILST USING COCODAMOL. This is written all over the packets etc.
Glucosamine/Chondroitin - neither are painkillers, and neither have decent evidence to show they work in osteoarthritis.
Thanks, any benefit to taking AM rather than evening? 30/500
or
8/500
They have either 30mg of codeine or 8mg, each tablet has 500mg of paracetamol.
A decent adult dose is 2 tablets of 8/500. This is 1g of paracetamol, the most to be taken in a 6 hour period. You can then have 4x2 tablets spread across the 24 hour period. (4g paracetamol perfectly safe with no previous liver disease)
30/500 tablets are quite strong for an elderly person, and 2x30/500 is 60mg codeine, which often puts people into orbit.
She could try 2 x 8/500 tablets at bedtime quite safely, and the same again in the morning.
SHE MUST NOT TAKE ANY OTHER PARACETAMOL CONTAINING TABLETS WHILST USING COCODAMOL. This is written all over the packets etc.
Glucosamine/Chondroitin - neither are painkillers, and neither have decent evidence to show they work in osteoarthritis.
The_Doc said:
Glucosamine/Chondroitin - neither are painkillers, and neither have decent evidence to show they work in osteoarthritis.
Correct, I don't recall saying it was a painkiller.Mum had had all sorts of stuff to try and help her hands/thumbs including cortisone injections. Nothing really worked.. but the above did. Not a scientific case study I know, but might be worth trying.
PositronicRay said:
Would she be better taking the tablet in the morning when she wakes up?
Codeine has a plasma half life of about 3 hrs, so taken at night time most of it will have worn off by morning. If your mum goes to the loo in the middle of the night like most elderly people do, and if she wants pain relief when she rises, then that loo visit is a good time to take the pill.PositronicRay said:
It's 30/500 so we'll stick to one a day.
My thread has arrived... 
I have recently been diagnosed with an inflammatory arthritis and have been taking methotrexate (and the other bits that go with it).
A week or so ago I started getting pain in my thigh so went to the GP. She couldn't tell what was wrong so gave me 30/500 and sent me on my way. Two tablets, a few times per day as required, but not more than whatever the max is.
Anyway, I woke up about 3am with a proper fever. Sweat pishing off me, roasting hot, feeling sick as a dog. Go to the bathroom thinking I'm going to vomit, so kneel by the toilet, stripped off. Realise I'm not going to be sick so lie on my back on the floor to cool down. A hour later I wake up still on the floor, light on and freezing cold.
Next day, exactly the same, 5am. However this time I'm leaning over the basin, with hands on a bulkhead thing. Then I take a proper dizzy turn, head spinning and fall, into the toilet bowl. Ended up sitting facing sideways from normal, with my arse right in the bowl. (And I think I've broken it somewhere because it now drips from the pipe at the back!). Haven't touched the stuff since. Now on a cocktail of methotrexate, naproxen, amitriptyline and the other bits and pieces to make sure they don't f
k me up.I've had 30/500 before for an abscess but I've lost 2 stone since then so don't know if that's a factor but either way I proper shat myself (not literally, but I could have believed that too!).
TL; DR
Be careful with 30/500. One isn't enough but two can f
k you up. motco said:
True, but there's a heap of apocryphal evidence, including my own. A family member is of the same discipline as yourself (orthopod consultant) and his view is that if it works for you carry on,
that's exactly what I tell my patients, carry on if you're happy.I don't like seeing pensioners wasting their money on useless things though
eg, below: which is £360/yr and in my opinion an unproven placebo.
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/lith...
That's central heating money!
The_Doc said:
motco said:
True, but there's a heap of apocryphal evidence, including my own. A family member is of the same discipline as yourself (orthopod consultant) and his view is that if it works for you carry on,
that's exactly what I tell my patients, carry on if you're happy.I don't like seeing pensioners wasting their money on useless things though
eg, below: which is £360/yr and in my opinion an unproven placebo.
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/lith...
That's central heating money!
snake oil most likely - no good in your boiler either!technodup said:
PositronicRay said:
It's 30/500 so we'll stick to one a day.
My thread has arrived... I have recently been diagnosed with an inflammatory arthritis and have been taking methotrexate (and the other bits that go with it).
A week or so ago I started getting pain in my thigh so went to the GP. She couldn't tell what was wrong so gave me 30/500 and sent me on my way. Two tablets, a few times per day as required, but not more than whatever the max is.
Anyway, I woke up about 3am with a proper fever. Sweat pishing off me, roasting hot, feeling sick as a dog. Go to the bathroom thinking I'm going to vomit, so kneel by the toilet, stripped off. Realise I'm not going to be sick so lie on my back on the floor to cool down. A hour later I wake up still on the floor, light on and freezing cold.
Next day, exactly the same, 5am. However this time I'm leaning over the basin, with hands on a bulkhead thing. Then I take a proper dizzy turn, head spinning and fall, into the toilet bowl. Ended up sitting facing sideways from normal, with my arse right in the bowl. (And I think I've broken it somewhere because it now drips from the pipe at the back!). Haven't touched the stuff since. Now on a cocktail of methotrexate, naproxen, amitriptyline and the other bits and pieces to make sure they don't f
k me up.I've had 30/500 before for an abscess but I've lost 2 stone since then so don't know if that's a factor but either way I proper shat myself (not literally, but I could have believed that too!).
TL; DR
Be careful with 30/500. One isn't enough but two can f
k you up. SystemParanoia said:
Sometimes i need to do 4 in one go for it to have any effect.... and then another 4 2-3 hrs later.
It only makes me feel strange if i exercise.. otherwise i dont feel any affects at all.
No idea how it can effect the elderly though.
You shouldn't have that much paracetamol! It only makes me feel strange if i exercise.. otherwise i dont feel any affects at all.
No idea how it can effect the elderly though.
Drunken raisins is apparently the thing. Basically raisins soaked in gin.
Something to do with the properties of juniper and raisin in combination. Woman in the docs swears by it. I've got gin. Raisins are cheap so I'll be trying it tomorrow.
I'm not usually one for old wives tales but this one's cheap, easy and can't do any harm. Anything's worth a try.
Something to do with the properties of juniper and raisin in combination. Woman in the docs swears by it. I've got gin. Raisins are cheap so I'll be trying it tomorrow.
I'm not usually one for old wives tales but this one's cheap, easy and can't do any harm. Anything's worth a try.
terrydacktal said:
SystemParanoia said:
Sometimes i need to do 4 in one go for it to have any effect.... and then another 4 2-3 hrs later.
It only makes me feel strange if i exercise.. otherwise i dont feel any affects at all.
No idea how it can effect the elderly though.
You shouldn't have that much paracetamol! It only makes me feel strange if i exercise.. otherwise i dont feel any affects at all.
No idea how it can effect the elderly though.
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