To be a bit concerned about what the lady at the pharmacy said

[Lalalalas]

So My friend recommended co-codamol for period pains, since have had my coil put in, my periods have become so much more painful. I asked the lady behind the counter if they were good and she said "I don't know, I wouldn't take them if you paid me". What was the reason for this? now I dont know if I should take them.

That’s really bad.
I had terrible sciatica and back pain and felt fobbed off by GP
Was not given ANY opiates at all

Eventually had MRI scan and wonderful consultant said “ no wonder you are in pain “
and booked in surgery .

I wrote a polite letter to GP surgery about why I was given poor pain relief- never had a reply.

I have back pain now ( scoliosis) and have Buprenorphine but that doesn’t really help pain much.
Only lying flat does that - 🙁
Not practical!

From the link you posted: "Bath salts in the current context do not refer to personal hygiene or bathing products found in local drugstores. Bath salts are manmade drugs that are chemically linked to the substance cathinone, a stimulant drug originating from the khat plant that grows in parts of Africa and the Middle East."

It seems it is a slang term for a drug - not the same thing as you'd put in bathwater!

Much the same as how it would seem crazy to see "coke" on a list of Class A drugs if you didn't realise it was referring to cocaine rather than cola.

I think you should discuss the pain with your Gp why May consider an alternative, something to directly help with period pain. I too think the pharmacist was unprofessional.

Also, the best advice I ever had for period pains, (mine used to be very painful but have since had a baby, breastfeed and am on the mini pill so haven't had them in almost 3 since getting pregnant. )
Anyway, advice was to start taking ibuprofen when you're due your period, don't wait for the pain to start because it's harder to manage, so just take the recommended dose of ibuprofen from when your period is due until it's definitely finished. It worked really well for me. Might be worth a try.

You’re reading too much into it OP.

Co-codamol is perfectly safe if not used to excess, and is a good painkiller.

Using it for a couple of days a month on your period is fine.

Codeine can be addictive so if you were using it every day you might get hooked which would be bad news.

Like everything, use responsibility.

They can be addictive and generally only used for short term unless advised by a professional. I used them short term after my c-section and also when I had wisdom teeth problems. I didn’t get addicted but I didn’t find them overly effective!

Bad news how? Like what would I do if I became an addict

My dsis uses them for period pain for two days of the month. She says they are the only thing which crushes the pain. She only uses them for two days at a time though

@Lalalalas

Could you ask your GP about Mefenamic Acid instead?

It may be something they can discuss via a 'phone appointment, if your surgery offers 'phone consultations.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/period-pain/

Hi,
I was given Metfenmic acid by my GP when I have heavy periods with a coil. They are a strong antiinflammatory that makes the bleeding less. They were great. They are prescription only though so you would to speak to your GP.

What a poor argument.

Well, you’d feel like you needed to take codeine all the time.

Some addicts turn to crime to get the drugs they’re addicted to e.g. stealing money in order to pay for it on the black market.

You’d probably also be pretty spaced out if you were on it all the time. Not to mention Co-codamol contains paracetamol so you’d be damaging your liver.

But that won’t happen if you just take the recommended dose. It’s like any medication. Most will have bad effects if you take too much.

I wouldnt need to do that though would I as I can get it from t he local Tesco's

Would I need rehab etc to come off it or is that extreme?

You wouldn’t be able to get it from Tesco in the quantities you needed if you were addicted.

You might well need rehab if you were addicted. I think that’s what Ant was hooked on and he was in and out of rehab for a while.

Ahh ok so you mean if you are taking more than you should like the 30 per day lady?

Because some people need them, obviously

Good pain killer but do constipate quite badly, so you'll probably need a laxative, or eat some prunes daily.

are there any other over the counter drugs that have addiction risks?

Maybe some sleeping medications with antihistamines in

Was that an argument? Or just a fact? Lots of drugs are addictive, as is alcohol as is sugar, caffeine… Some of these can be purchased by anybody. Alcohol can be purchased by anyone over 18. Drugs that are addictive are harder to get hold of- even the over the counter ones.

My DD was really annoyed last year when a Tesco pharmacist wouldn’t sell her some co-codamol (for her period pain). I sympathised but explained that the pharmacist has a duty of care and that if they have any doubts or worries they can refuse to sell medication. I guess the fact that DD is young and was in the shop with a friend caused the pharmacist some uncertainty about whether the drugs were being purchased for a legitimate use and were within their rights to refuse.

Would you honestly put it on the same scale as coffee, sugar etc?

@Lalalalas NO

No, it isnt extreme or No I wouldn't need rehab?

I don’t know how it compares to those substances in terms of level of addiction and level of harm (I imagine it’s more dangerous. It’s a tougher call to compare it to alcohol as alcohol is clearly potentially highly dangerous when people become addicted to it).

I was just responding to a poster who seemed to think that cocodamol shouldn’t be available to buy OTC. I was making the point that actually, it’s not always easy to buy (quite rightly) and as another poster said, you can only buy it in small quantities so as to reduce the risk of addiction.