Dihydrocodeine

[dr_fred_bob]

Hi there, i have just been put on these tablets (3x30mg per day) following a fall in which i broke part of my knee (docs were not sure but thought that was most likely.) Am i able to take these for the pain and Ibuprofen for the inflammation, or is it not safe to mix these?

I have also read many negative comments about dihydrocodeine on a website with regards to its addictive nature; i have sixty tablets - if i take as advised will this pose me any problems?

Thankyou for your time.

[Jeff]

Hi there, i have just been put on these tablets (3x30mg per day) following a fall in which i broke part of my knee (docs were not sure but thought that was most likely.) Am i able to take these for the pain and Ibuprofen for the inflammation, or is it not safe to mix these?

I have also read many negative comments about dihydrocodeine on a website with regards to its addictive nature; i have sixty tablets - if i take as advised will this pose me any problems?

Thankyou for your time.

It's safe to take ibuprofen with dihydrocodeine
Yes dihydrocodeine is addictive.
Will it cause YOU any problems - who knows.
Many of the effective painkillers have the potential for addiction - your alternative is pain - and it's your decision.

Jeff

[love]

dihydrocodine cantains codine , which comes from the same family of morphine, so it can be a highly adictive drug, so make sure u only take them when u need them and only for a short period of time. ibruprofen is an antiinflammatory which is safe to use with codine products, but make sure u dont take aspirin etc the only other painkiller u can take is paracetomol if u really need to. but only take the ibruprofen for a short time because on a long term basis it may cause stomach ulcers.

[Jeff]

dihydrocodine cantains codine

Bollocks

Jeff

[N.T]

Hi there, i have just been put on these tablets (3x30mg per day) following a fall in which i broke part of my knee (docs were not sure but thought that was most likely.) Am i able to take these for the pain and Ibuprofen for the inflammation, or is it not safe to mix these?

I have also read many negative comments about dihydrocodeine on a website with regards to its addictive nature; i have sixty tablets - if i take as advised will this pose me any problems?

Thankyou for your time.

Dihydocodeine is part of the same family of drugs (called 'opioid painkillers') as codeine and morphine, amongst others.

Yes, it is safe to take dihydrocodeine with ibuprofen. Always take ibuprofen with food (as long term use without food can cause stomach ulcers). Maximum dose of ibuprofen you can take is 2 of the 200mg tablets THREE times daily. Paracetamol can also be added to this - a maximum of 2 of the 500mg tablets FOUR times daily.

Yes, repeated use of opioids MAY cause dependence and tolerance. But using a dose which is sufficient for pain control for a short period of time SHOULD be ok.

These are the facts. Hope it helps. If you have any more questions please feel free to ask.

[dr_fred_bob]

Thankyou all for your time and responses; you have made me feel better about taking them (and using alongside ibuprofen)

Thankyou.

[admin]

Thankyou all for your time and responses; you have made me feel better about taking them (and using alongside ibuprofen)

Thankyou.

I'd just add that I have taken codeine tablets for years, and I wouldn't say I am addicted to them in any way. If I'm not at work I often don't take any, but have never felt any kind of withdrawel symptoms. I also tend to take less in the summer and more in the winter, as you might expect.

I once went on holiday to Kenya, and only took about 12 in 2 weeks, so as long as you take them for pain in the correct quantities, they are not addictive.

[Linnear]

I've always warned people to be wary of addictive drugs but my advice has always been if you're taking the drug for the same reason as it was prescribed e.g. pain and only for that reason then I don't see you've got too much to worry about.

If you find you're taking it and the reason you're meant to be taking is no longer present then you could be in trouble.

[admin]

Linnear

Thats exactly true, even with morphine etc.

[kemzero]

Dear Dr_Fred_Bob
watch out for good old constipation with the dihydroCODs!

try not to use Ibuprofen long term particularly if you are mature (65 and over sorry if this doesn't apply, or if you'e have high BP etc) as latest CSM advice is that it should be used for the shortest period possible

[Jen the 3rd]

Re: Dihydrocodeine

Is dihydrocodeine stronger than codeine because of bioavailability (increased solubility) or because of the therapeutic index? Any pharmacokinetics whizzes out there?

[SolomonQ]

Re: Dihydrocodeine

I would have thought it was because of DHC's higher affinity for the opiod receptor, DHC actually has lower bioavailabilty than codeine (20% VS 90%).

[Shwampa]

Re: Dihydrocodeine

(docs were not sure but thought that was most likely.)

What do you mean? Just a guess about a fracture from your doctor!

Just surprised they went straight to DHC rather than codeine first. If it's very sore 400mg of ibuprofen won't help that much, your doctor could have prescribed diclofenac 75mg bd as long you don't have problems using it.

If you have to use the full dose of DHC everyday for some time, avoid to stop abruptly.

Do you get asthma attacks? (DHC release histamine) if yes avoid.

[Shwampa]

Re: Dihydrocodeine

Is dihydrocodeine stronger than codeine because of bioavailability (increased solubility) or because of the therapeutic index? Any pharmacokinetics whizzes out there?

If you can find a copy of this article you might have the answer:

J Pharm Pharmacol. 1973 Dec;25:Suppl:104P-108.

The influence of reducing the C7-C8 double bond of codeine to give dihydrocodeine on the relative physiological availability of the drugs in man.

Vaughan DP, Beckett AH.

[H4U2C]

Re: Dihydrocodeine

Is dihydrocodeine stronger than codeine because of bioavailability (increased solubility) or because of the therapeutic index? Any pharmacokinetics whizzes out there?

Dihydrocodeine is approximately twice as strong as regular codeine, and its not because of bioavailability- its because of the double hyrogen atom in its chemical structure.