So the missus usually pops a few dissolvable solpadeines/maxileifs every month for her monthly sufferings. It’s about the only thing that works for her.
Today she was just straight up denied them at our local pharmacy. Told it wasn’t suitable for ‘that’ pain (solpadeines website and personal experience would beg to differ)
I know there’s been a bit in the news about addiction and liver damage recently. But why are these products now over the counter but at the random discretion of pharmacy employees? Does my missus look like a codeine addict somehow? She HATES the taste and chokes them down for those 1 or 2 days a month as it’s the only thing that works.
Fml lads. Has this ever happened to anyone else? I feel like we can’t ban everything that’s addictive to some people or there’ll be shit all left to buy.
19 comments
>“What are they for?”
>“Ocular migraine”
>“Have you tried anything else?”
>“Yes I took ibuprofen 3 hours ago but it didn’t work”
Always works for me.
I can’t get through the first two days of my period without codeine. Sometimes I can’t even stand the pain is so intense and overwhelming. Fuck that pharmacist. Sounds like they were on a power trip and don’t understand how severe menstrual pain can be for some.
There was a Prime Time scoop on it last week so they were probably being over-zealous.
> But why are these products now over the counter but at the random discretion of pharmacy employees?
Because they are addictive
There was an “RTE Documentary” on these highlighting the danger and addictiveness, which of course they are if used reasonably but some people will abuse them suffering with addiction, I’d assume most chemist are on high alert after the documentary and I would guess a few chancers are asking for some after it to get high
There has been a change in the way things are being prescribed or in the case of codeine, distributed. I remember being prescribed about 90 Xanax and 72 solpadeine for a back problem in my 20s, that same GP won’t prescribe either now, especially any sort of benzo. There are large amounts of patients who ended up getting addicted to these drugs, and more and more medical reports about the long term damage of them. Your girlfriend probably doesn’t look like any kind of addict, just that a lot of chemists are being incredibly wary about handing out anything where there could be any sort of blowback.
I remember being given the third degree by a pharmacy employee when I went in with a PRESCRIPTION for solpadeine. My Dr had written a prescription for it so I could just get the painkillers and go home to try and finally get some rest without getting cross examined. Well that boots employee proved her wrong. The pharmacist had to come out and tell the guy to stop.
As someone who lives with chronic pain and goes through a box of Solapdeine a week this is one of the scariest situations I can think of. Every time I go in for a new box I worry that I’ll be told no. Are there other things I can take? Sure, I’ve got prescriptions for things much more addictive than codeine. But I don’t always need something stronger than Solpadeine and I don’t want to risk addiction to those things because paracetamol isn’t strong enough.
I have no problem getting a prescription for Solpadeine if that’s the route they want to go, but I don’t think it’s right to have pharmacists who don’t know me or my situation saying I can or cannot have the pain relief I need. If we’re going to continue having Solpadeine available over the counter then maybe we need to treat it the way some far northern parts of the world treat alcohol. You’ve got your Solpadeine card and you’re only allowed one box every 3 days. Will that completely take care of the addiction problem? No. But it will stop people from being able to take 90 a day.
Reference: https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2022/1003/1326953-it-was-90-tablets-a-day-recovering-codeine-addict/
Ask your doc for a recurring prescription. Pain in the arse that you’ve to do this
I know it’s an expensive and annoying thing to have to do but I believe you can get a prescription for it too.
I’ve not had difficulty getting them but I only buy a pack once a year and I know my pharmacy and in fairness they still did their due diligence.
Man you can’t buy lemsip and panadol together you think they’ll be less strict with something like codeine haha
Three generic 400mg tab of ibuprofen per day is enough to see people through most non emergency pains.
Codine is only really needed for debilitating pain like a slipped disk. And even then you shouldn’t take them for more than a day or two.
The actual answer is there was an alert sent out to pharmacies and hospitals last week because of a significant rise of patients having issues, kidney/liver because of codeine use.
Just say toothache next time.
What does a Codiene addict look like.???
Probably like you or me, or indeed your missus. Ifs dangerous stuff, should be used sparingly. Inconvenience is thw prove
You think that’s bad? I had the flu 2 weeks ago, accompanied by a really dry cough and bad congestion. Trying to go to sleep was awful so I asked my brother to pick me up some Lemsip cold and flu and a bottle of Benylin dry cough. Told him to get the drowsy one to help with going to sleep. The auld wan in the chemist wouldn’t give him the fucking bottle, kept trying to give him the non-drowsy one. Eventually he just left and went to another one nearby.
Toothache always works me if questioned. Rarely asked any more, they have softened their stance imo in last couple of years.
Discrimination based on gender, go in the the chemist if you’re a guy and see if they sell it to you, I know someone who was refused her husband went in and got them no problem.
The rules are completely fucked and only work to stop normal people from accessing basic medicine. Whenever someone who is addicted to codeine comes into the shop, everyone is well aware of who they are because you can tell right away, if you work there you know the regulars and it’s not worth the hassle they cause when you say no.
So basically the only people who get refused are normal people who aren’t addicted, and any person who refuses you is doing it just to be a cunt.
Bro, if your partner is having that bad a time every month, get her checked for endometriosis. Make sure you have health insurance long before you go to the doctor and ask about this, otherwise they’ll stay its a pre-existing condition. Your gp will have to refer her to a specialist.
Source: the long and bitter experience of my fiancée.