To wonder if you can overdose on cocodamol like this?

[PoesyCherish]

I take cocodamol for joint pain - 2 of the 30/500 mg tablets. Sometimes I forget when I took my last dose. If I take one at say 7 am and then I take another at 10 am, am I at risk of overdosing? I know you have to be really careful with paracetamol but some days I'm just in so much pain either 4 hours seems too long to go or I just completely forget what time I've taken it.

On an average day I'll either take none or I take 2 tablets at bedtime. But when the pain gets bad I do end up taking the full 8 in 24 hours.

I'm no expert on this, but just be careful with co codamol. My friend accidentally took two doses a bit close together (about 3 hrs, not immediate) and had a bad reaction to it. Couldn't breathe, felt sick, chest pains- to the point where I advised her to ring an ambulance as she was home alone. In the end, the symptoms passed and she didn't call an ambulance, but it was frightening at the time and she hasn't touched the stuff since.

Yes of course you can overdose. Cicodamol is just paracetamol and codeine. You might be better taking them separately if you're going break through pain.

Can you alternate 3 hourly with ibuprofen?

You need to get a dosette box with am/pm daily boxes. Then you can see how many doses you've already had. It's the only way I can make sure I don't accidentally overdose.

@Mabelface unfortunately NSAIDs really affect my IBS and give me bad indigestion. I suppose that's better than pain for really bad days though.

You need to get a dosette box with am/pm daily boxes

Does that help with timings? I guess my issue is sometimes I get up at 6, sometimes I get up at 7. So remembering whether I need to take my next dose at 10 or 11 is where I normally trip up. I try and leave it until 11 am just in case but I'm just wondering how badly it would affect me if I did accidentally take it at 10 am.

That's really scary @dancinfeet

@madroid I know what cocodamol is and I know you can overdose in general but I meant specifically would it have an effect if say I took it 1 hour early once or twice

You need to wait 4 hours between 1g doses of paracetamol. The codeine isn't the concern.

Posted too soon.

Yes, even a small paracetamol overdose can have big consequences. Taking more than 1g of paracetamol every 4 hours won't give any better pain relief. Could you ask for the codeine separately?

Can you record in the diary on your phone what time you took then and what dose?

@Huggybear16 yes I think it's definitely the codeine that helps the pain. I don't know re giving it separately. Aren't GP's concerned about potential codeine overdoses which is why they give as cocodamol?

@WrongKindOfFace sorry cross post. Yes that's a good idea.

Oh gosh of course you can overdose this way.
Find a way to make sure u log down when u take it. Set an alarm for 4 hours later the moment you take them.
I have found the only way i personally remember is sending a text to DH as i take them. That way i have an exact timestamp of when its taken so i can check before next dose. and if somehow ive taken too many too close togther, he can raise the alarm.
Text will literally say 'taken 2 tabs'

My mum does something similar in that she will call my mobile phone when she takes any tablets and then checks later on what time she called me.

You have to be careful. There was a case a few years ago of a lady who took the maximum dose of patacetamol in 24 hours then decided to take a quarter of one tablet extra. It was enough to kill her.

Best to discuss with your doctor if your pain is not adequately managed. Codeine can be increased, or changed to something else, but must be carefully managed. As others have said, dosing an hour early with paracetamol is a concern, and it's very important to keep the 4 hour dose interval. Other options will be available to manage this, good luck

Op ihaveset times to take it. However I take my codeine separately and my Gp is happier with that. It means if it's a lower win day then I can try to manage on just paracetamol rather than always taking codeine.

Lower pain not win.

I was having the same problem with breakthrough pain before the four hour dosage window. My GP now prescribes the 30mg Codeine separately and I alternate it two hourly with Paracetamol. It does seem to make a difference.

It might be an idea to go back to the GP to look at just what you are taking for the pain...the 2 drugs are given together to help with the pain, nothing to do with codeine overdoses....codeine is adictive tho and paracetamol needs to be taken correctly, ie 4 hours between taking
In the meantime record times taken so you don't get confused

Hi , I have been taking Meds ( Various different ones from age 13 all for Chronic Pain) I am 30 now and still Forget !! Did I take that? How many etc .
Co-codamol can have bad reactions.

The way I do it now is when I take a dose I have a piece of paper in each box and I write the time and date so I know.

X

Your GP may not be over the moon at prescribing codeine alone, but it is infinitely better than overdosing on paracetamol.

Explain to your GP, just as you have here, that the relief is just not adequate and that you have on occasion taken more than prescribed. No doctor would be (should be) happy to leave you in pain that means you could potentially do something dangerous.

They may even just give you one box to see how you get on. If you're using the codeine responsibly then they should at least give it a shot, especially if other painkillers (e.g. NSAIDs) can't be used.

There are also medication tracker apps you can get which will record your dose and you can also set up reminders.

A 30/500mg dose of cocodamol breaks down like this:

30mg codeine
500mg paracetamol

You can take up to 60mg codeine every 4 hours so that's ok.

500mg paracetamol is the maximum 4 hourly dose.
So yes, as pps have said you are overdosing on paracetamol if you take it every 3 hours. Paracetamol overdose, even occasionally, is dangerous. It causes liver damage.

Get an app on your phone, a colleague uses Cara.

Ask your GP for separate codeine and paracetamol prescriptions and tell them about the breakthrough pain you are experiencing.

Op if you are forgetting the you have taken doses set reminders on your phone alarms (most phones these days hae multiple alarms )..If your phone doesn't have alarms then download a free alarm app...

And then only take your pills when the alarms go off so you know for sure you are taking them at the right time and spacing them adequately and aren't taking any doses too early or too late.

Ask your go for a topical gel or cream, Voltarol, Algesal, sim ilar, to supplement your oral medication. It's very helpful.

500mg paracetamol is the maximum 4 hourly dose

No it isn't. It's 1g every 4 hours. Maximum 4g in 24 hours.