Using Codeine and Paracetamol tablets to control my cough?

[ripleytip]

I have a really irritating cough (post sinus infection) that is causing uncontrollable coughing spasms to the point where I've wet myself and its really hurting my head giving me headaches. I've discovered that one Codeine 8mg and Paracetamol 500mg seems to control my cough for about 6 hours.

Is it OK to use one or two of these tablets for a few days to control my cough?

Yes, of course, thats what they are for!
However, if it doesn't clear bt next week I'd seek medical opinion.
Codeine can be addictive, but this small amount over a short time is totally fine. Just make sure its a plain paracetamol and a plain codeine tab- you can get them mixed together in one tab. No more than 8 paracetamol (4g) in a day.

@Boscoforever Thanks! Yeah if its not gone or eased off my Monday I'll make an appointment for my GP. I only seem to need to use two - three single tablets a day so hopefully that won't cause issues.

That’s what they’re for. Codeine is (aside from prescription meds) about the only thing that can get on top of a cough.

@MrsSkylerWhite I seem to have only just discovered this!

Annoyingly they’ve banned codeine based cough medicine OTC in the Uk as people used to drink it to get high ( and badly constipated). I stock up when I go to Hong Kong as the only thing that works.

Whenever I start with a cough, it's the first thing I buy! They tell you not to take it for more than 3 days but a cough that's associated with a bad cold usually eases off (for me at least!) by that point anyway.

Where can you buy codeine? I thought that would be prescribed, usually? I've never heard of this treatment before. If I'd known, I could have saved myself from buying those useless cough syrups.

I always have a terrible cough towards the end of a cold and the cough worsens over time (sometimes it carries on for several weeks) where, I too, wet myself and have terrible chest pain for the incessant coughing at night when I'm trying to get to sleep.

@irridium I am just buying codeine and paracetamol tablets they are OTC at the chemist. You can ask for them I buy them for headaches and it was by accident I found it worked for the cough.

When you buy them they person selling them may ask you some questions and advise you not to take them for too long. They can be addictive so please if you do use them don't do so for too long as you will just make you more unwell in the long run. Short term though they have been helpful.

@ripleytip Thanks for replying so quick.

I don't get headaches when I cough, so will it work for that reason only? Which ones do you normally get/how much codeine per mg?

Codeine is addictive and should not be used for my 3 days. (I work in pharmacy)

@irridium I think the codeine works on the central nervous system to supress the cough so for example if you have a productive cough where you have muck in your lungs then you shouldn't really be supressing the cough as you need to eject the mucous from your lungs. If your cough is dry and just a tickly irritated cough then often times you are just coughing because your airways are irritated from the coughing and it is this irritation the codeine can supress.

It doesn't matter that you don't get a headache from the cough the codeine should still work. I just get the Codeine 8mg and Paracetamol 500mg tablets from boots. The dose for a headache is 2 tablets but I have found just one works on the cough so no need to take more than that. 1 tablet is usually not enough for a headache though.

I am not sure what the chemist would say if you tried to buy some for a cough though the box says they are for migraine, headache, period pain etc.

Yes, codine is quite an effective cough suppressant, you don't need a headache, but you can't get it as a linctus anymore due to people abusing it.

If you are taking cocodamol for that purpose you're taking paracetamol for no real reason but it's not going to do you much harm over a few days.

You can buy 8/500 (8mg codine 500mg paracetamol) from the chemist. Maximum dose is 2 tablets up to 4 times a day. Advice is to avoid taking for longer than 3 days.

@AncientSkaterGirl Is that even if you are only taking 2 single tablets a day for a cough or does this apply more if you are taking the full dose for 3 days?

I don't know how codeine is addictive, I was on the paramol lately for a toothache and it does bugger all for me (12.5mg of dihydrocodeine) per tab. Must have a different effect on some people. Didn't know it was good for coughs though!

Is it a dry cough? If so you can get cough medicine that supresses the cough reflex

@Pixiesgirl I think it is less that it gives you a "high" its more that when you go to stop taking it if you have taken too much you feel awful so you take some more then the same the next day and before you know it you have a habit. So you really need to restrict how much and how often you use it.

I think that used to be a codeine cough syrup but they recently banned it OTC and made it prescription only.

There used to be a morphine and kaolin cough syrup, I remember because I had a Saturday job in a chemist. I bet that doesn't exist anymore!

No it isn’t codiene based, its dextromenthorphan, just over the counter. Benylin do one but its expensive, robitussin is nice and cheap for a decent size bottle.

@Simonjt Ok thanks, I will see if I can get some of that tomorrow!

Only for a dry cough though, as it supresses your cough it isn’t suitable for a productive cough.

@Simonjt Its not a productive cough so should be fine!