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.

I used them for 3 days and had horrendous constipation

Codeine/opiates don’t agree with me. I vomit amongst other things.

so no, I wouldn’t take them if you paid me 😂. However the pharmacy person should have clarified.

mefenamic acid is fab. However it’s prescription only as there is no margin for error safety wise. Co-codamol, paracetamol, Brufen etc will generally be fine if you take an extra one or two by mistake, mefenamic acid even one over the daily dose can be very serious.

Codeine does seem to be something of a marmite painkiller - I personally hate it and if it's the only painkiller I have in the house I'll go without pain relief rather than take it because I hate the spaced out fuzzy feeling you get.

Apparently some people like it.

If you are having period pain, then paracetamol and ibuprofen help. Some drugs called anti spasmodics also help / they stop your muscles cramping quite so much, Buscopan is good for this - it is sold for ibs but works for periods.

I also find heat helpful - so a very hot bath, hot water bottles or wheat packs.

There are painkillers that are considered very effective for period pain and if you speak to your GP he or she might prescribe them, they are mefenamic acid and tranexamic acid. They are basically stronger versions of ibuprofen.

www.yashodahospitals.com/medicine-faqs/mefenamic/#:~:text=Is%20Mefenamic%20Acid%20addictive%3F,cause%20pain%2C%20fever%20or%20inflammation.

Well that's an extreme reaction isn't it ?

Just to add, the person who was taking 30 a day said she got addicted to pure codeine. She removed the paracetamol (it took an hour to do) from the Cocodamol tablets in order to get a high enough dose of codeine.

The codeine dose in Cocodomol is quite low, which is why she needed so many.

Anyone taking 30 Cocodomol tablets a day otherwise, would have liver failure from the paracetamol!

Welcome to my head

It's actually banned in some countries. Sure it was Greece we went to and I had to be careful (still took it in case I got a gallstones attack).

These help me massively and I have endo so pretty bad period pain

amzn.eu/d/bXPPx7C

Are there any GP's that can reassure me that I am overreacting?

Why a GP? A counsellor is probably going to be more helpful. You are massively overreacting.

it’s scare mongering. I completely understand addiction is a risk, but it scares people who genuinely needs to take opioids and makes the people who take them look like drug addicts.

I have a disability and chronic illness and have taken different forms of opioids since a CHILD. So essentially I have taken opioids on and off my entire life. I am on a pain management plan managed by a consultant who has put me on Dihydrocodeine, multiple times a day every day for my pain. I’m in severe pain and if I don’t take them then I will be in bed all day every day - it gives me some sort of daily function.

Also, there’s a difference between addiction and dependence. Peoples bodies get used to certain medications that they take for medical issues. You’ve heard of weaning off medication - that’s for dependence and not addictions. I’m so tired of people treating people who take medication that they need as people who take it recreationally, this is the stigma that makes it so hard for genuine people to actually get the medication they deserve.

Codeine is an opiate and prodrug of morphine. That's why they cause addiction. I had it occasionally after a c-section.

If the OP is freaking out about 8mg codeine I wouldn't be recommending a high strength NSAID.

Can I derail slightly and ask what kind of coil you have? The mirena generally makes periods much lighter and less painful (mine stopped altogether) so I would be going back to the GP about this.

I have the copper coil, I even bleed between periods. Just had a smear and all was ok.

I think I'd be more inclined to take co-codamol than have a coil fitted tbh.
But everything has a risk of something op, especially medical. It's up to you to weigh these potential risks up and decide what's best for you. If you think the benefits outweigh the risks, just crack on.

It is a shame that the person at the pharmacy put you off. Were they an actual pharmacist?

They are the only things that make any difference to my back and knee pain.

I have been on 30/500 for about 15 years, a much stronger dose than the OTC version. It doesn't make me feel "spaced out" at all, unlike other painkillers that I have been prescribed over the years. I am prescribed 2 tablets up to 4 x a day but usually only take them twice a day. I haven't found them addictive at all.

Presumably, you would only be taking them for a few days a month and at a much lower dose. Your friend finds them beneficial. It would be a pity if this pharmacy person puts you off something that could help with your pain.

I can't take ibuprofen and paracetamol doesn't work for severe pain so I sometimes take codeine. You're not supposed to take them for more than three days because of addiction so I never do. I only take one dose maybe once a month for bad pain such as migraine. It's not enough to get addicted and it's effective in treating my pain.
The problems occur when people like how it makes them feel and keep taking it when they don't need to.

It really isn't guaranteed that any drug will cause addiction.

I am severely disabled. I have codeine prescribed for me. I don't take it because I don't like how it makes me feel.

When people say that a drug is addictive they mean that some people get addicted to it.

That's why they say it CAN be addictive.

you are totally overreacting

So it isnt on the same scale as say Cocaine?

They're fine for the length of a period. You wont get addicted in that short space of time.

Codeine is not the best pain relief for period pain. No steroidal anti-inflammatory tablets work better because they block prostaglandins which cause cramps.

Mefanamic acid (mentioned by PP) is prescription only.

Boots period pain relief (mentioned by PP) contains 250mg of naproxen and is available over the counter.

Ibuprofen is a NSAID and available over the counter.

NSAID's can cause gut problems and can't be taken by some people so you need to take pharmacy advice and follow directions.

Codeine can be addictive but many people take it as instructed and don't be one addicted.

why would you need reassurance you haven't bought or taken anything you don't need any reassurance about anything. Close the thread and get on with your day maybe contact your gp for some regulated pain relief and maybe talk to them about your anxiety.

I have the copper coil, I even bleed between periods. Just had a smear and all was ok.

Any reason why you didn't go for a mirena coil?