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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

co-codamol in pregnancy???

76 replies

memoo · 05/03/2009 10:51

Does anyone know if it safe to take?

Was given it by the EPU but then keep reading that all you should take in pregnancy is paracetamol

Am confused?!

OP posts:

LittleBugsMum · 12/12/2010 12:24

It's fine to say 'only when prescribed' but my doctors (they're married and seem to be the same person) are worse than NHS direct.

I'm 33 weeks, have a 16 month old with a sickness bug, sometimes unbearable SPD and a chesty cough virus. I simply don't sleep more than a few hours.

I have been told only paracetamol.

Because I'm pregnant (and responsible) I have to suck it up. I know co-codamol will help me sleep but I've been told no.

A bottle of wine would help me sleep too & I know lots of pregnant women who drink but because I'm too scared about harming my baby, I have to suffer. I feel like the living dead. And look it.

I'm sure you can guess that I'm also very irritable...

GlitteryBalls · 12/12/2010 15:42

I've been having the odd glass LittleBugs. Every doctor I've ever spoken to says it's fine. Maybe just not the whole bottle . Hope you start to feel better soon.x

ArthurPewty · 12/12/2010 16:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

buttonmoon78 · 12/12/2010 19:29

LittleBugsMum - get thee to a decent dr. Like Leonie I was prescribed Co-Codamol and Dihydrocodeine whilst pg for SPD. Other than mega bad constipation it was fine. Consultant said that it would be best if I could stop taking them 2 days before the birth (I was induced at 38 wks due to the SPD) to ensure it had left my system, and therefore the baby's.

You might have to suffer some pain but there is no reason at all why you have to suffer when there are perfectly safe drugs out there to give you some relief.

Good luck x

Bobby99 · 12/12/2010 19:46

I was given it in labour. Not that it helped much - I was immediately sick...

LittleBugsMum · 12/12/2010 22:14

glitteryBalls I know and I don't judge those who have a few glasses here and there. It's not for me though, I just can't enjoy it. Roll on - what I have privately dubbed - 'Champagne February'.

Thanks ButtonMoon78 (1978? Me too!) I do need to change docs but it's a pain in the bum when you're pregnant. I have some co-codamol and some prescription codeine from an op between pregnancies (don't ask, haven't been well since I started to breed!)
If I get close to the edge again, I'm going to rebel & take a co-codamol.

buttonmoon78 · 13/12/2010 12:52

Good for you. Do remember that it works best as a blanket thing rather than a one off thing - ie a consistent course rather than one dose once in a while.

1978 rocked.

buttonmoon78 · 13/12/2010 12:55

oh, and that if you do take it regularly, a little lactulose would be a good thing. I didn't believe my consultant when she suggested that so didn't bother. 6 days later I spent a whole night on the loo trying to pass a bowling ball.

It was almost as bad as giving birth. Not that I'd ever tell DH that - he has constipation sometimes and I give him v little sympathy!

GlitteryBalls · 13/12/2010 14:54

Champagne Feb sounds fab! I am due in Jan. I plan to breast-feed though. I tried to get some kind of a straight answer out of the woman who was talking to us at antenatal classes about breastfeeding the other day about how much we can safely drink when breastfeeding. She was a bit of a lentil-weaver type and just looked at me with a slightly worried look on her face and said that really it was best to take it easy and maybe one glass is ok, but oh incidentally you shouldn't take drugs either and if any of us were worried about our illegal drug intake (while glancing sideways at me) then there were people we could talk to . Obviously an honest enquiry about when I can enjoy a decent glug of wine put me in "that" category!

LittleBugsMum · 13/12/2010 21:08

Ha! You gals have cheered me up a little :) but I cough & wee a little when I laugh...

I'm already 'on' 2 orange fiber-gels a day thanks - I'll up my intake if I rebel - sage advice.

I already made the mistake of comparing gall bladder pain to childbirth (which - shhh - I think might be worse) Bit of a mistake, that.

GlitteryBalls Ha. You're the 'cool' one at antenatal! Apparently, I was told that if you feel the effects of the alcohol then it's already left your milk...interesting and maybe not true.

Ok, I might have 'champagne 2011' (except from March onwards it'll be cava) to celebrate the end of my poor body being used as a people carrier. Oh, and that I'll have 2 beautiful boys for my trouble :)

GlitteryBalls · 13/12/2010 21:35

Just read back my post, and just in case it's not clear I don't take drugs and never mentioned taking drugs! But obviously she saw drinking as being on the same level and equally abusive/reckless/iiresponsible!

LittleBugsMum · 14/12/2010 08:01

Your post was clear Glittery, don't worry I knew what you were saying

You got a cool reputation by accident ha!

BrandyButterPie · 14/12/2010 08:14

I had huge does (enough so that I was too "stoned" to look after DD1) for spd when in late pregnancy with dd2. I was still in pain, but it was enough relief to be able to hobble about to the loo etc with my crutches.

GlitteryBalls · 14/12/2010 11:10

Hmm yes I do feel slightly stoned after taking a dose of the prescription ones, but I never had this when I took OTC ones when I used to get period pain (thank god at I don't have to go through that every month at least - it's just been all save up for the worst period pain ever in 4 weeks). It's weird though cos the ones I were prescribed are 15mg/500mg (I know you can get up to 30mg) and I still feel spacey even if I take one, whereas with the OTC ones which are 8mg/500mg I didn't get that even if I took two

And yes, Littlebugs I won't argue, I am quite cool. Not that taking drinks or consuming alcohol is cool. Just say no kids!

priscilla11 · 11/05/2011 10:28

Have had 3 temp fillings am 25 weeks preggo, was up for 3 nights in pure agony, day 2 after dental work still agony if not for the co-codamol 2 every 5 hours, trying hard not to exceed the 8 in 24 hrs! how many days can i take them without worrying everytime i pop one in my mouth??? No guilt like mothers guilt huh!!

nunnie · 11/05/2011 10:45

I was given them by an A&E doctor with my first for pains (turne out to be cyst) and was told they were fine but not advised after 27 weeks. This was over 4 years ago now though so possibly outdated.

priscilla11 · 11/05/2011 13:18

nunnie, how long did you take them for??

StiffyByng · 11/05/2011 13:56

I was prescribed cocodamol high dose for SPD by the obs specialist at the hospital when I was about 30 weeks. When that ran out, my GP refused to re-prescribe (and had refused to prescribe initially when the midwives told me to ask for it). At that point, I was almost immobile with pain. I bought over the counter stuff, reasoning that it was a far lower dose than a specialist had happily prescribed, and my midwives were fine with that. In fact, they were in the process of booking me a new hospital appointment to renew the higher prescription at 36 weeks when the pain eased itself. Their view was that if I was exhausted and incapacitated through pain for weeks, then labour, birth and post-natal would be compromised. Ideally, you would stop taking it for, I think, 48 hours before labour as it can cause breathing problems in the baby, like any opiate.

I did feel bad taking it and used paracetamol only as much as possible. I think there was only one day when I took the full dose of cocodamol. But I know other people who have taken full doses daily and had no problems.

BUT I really would only take it with medical advice.

priscilla11 · 11/05/2011 19:12

my dose is 8/500 x 2 every 4 to 6 hours have no clue if this is a high or low dose,? I can say that i have heard that chronic toothache in pregnancy is supposed to stress the baby?? I can also say that i would rather go thru labour than the agony of this pain which is zooming around all my teeth causing my ear to ache and head cheek etc...between the devil and the sea i guess...

PrincessScrumpy · 11/05/2011 20:22

I got them for a broken toe about 3 weeks ago. I was told a maximum of 7 days but only took them for four as I didn't need more.

girliefriend · 11/05/2011 20:29

I tok them on and off from 5 months preg as I had gallstones, I reckoned a bit of codeine was pref to rolling around the floor in agony (also took pethidine when it was really bad!) dd now 5 doesn't seem to have suffered any lasting effects!!!
8/500 is about average, if you are worried you could take one co-codomol and one normal paracetamol and see if that does the trick if not wait 4 hrs and take 2 co-codomol.

nunnie · 11/05/2011 20:30

I was prescribed it at just over 5 weeks and told to stop before 27 weeks and take when pain was bad. I think I took two, then controlled the pain with paracetamol because it was confirmed on a scan he following morning that it was a cyst, so once I knew what it was I just kept on top of the pain.

Like I say though this was 4 years ago well over, so could ahve all changed now.

StiffyByng · 11/05/2011 20:36

8/500 is the over the counter dose. I was prescribed 30/500!

sweetkitty · 11/05/2011 20:45

I was prescribed 30/500 cocodamol and took it for 4 months of my last pregnancy for SPD, also took it with the 2 previous pregnancies. It was either them or a wheelchair and I had 3 other DC so needed to move. I kept them beside my bed and would take 2 hf an hour before getting up so I could get out of bed. The rest of the day I could get by with one cocodamol one paracetamol.

tunbridgewellsmum · 17/05/2011 16:34

I was prescribed co-codamol for migraine between 8-26 weeks in my first pregnancy. I now have a son who has ADHD and is 11 years old.. :-( am doing some research to see if there is any sort of connection.... anyone know??

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