# WARNING: Read if you are taking CO-CODAMOL!



## SparkleBug

Girls,

Had a midwive appt this morning and was shocked at the revelation. I am literally fuming and feel totally betrayed. I attended triage on tuesday for awful spd pains, almost abnormally so. Turns out baby's head has engaged and this is why the pain has intensified (some of you may have seen the thread earlier this week)? 

Anyway, midwife asked, so what did they give you? I replied co-codamol 30/500. She said and they DID tell you the implications of taking it? I replied no? She said well this frustrates the living daylights out of me. She stated our antenatal daycare triage hand out cocodamol willy nilly, even trammadol without explaining the concequences. Altho it does not 'hurt baby' apparently, they keep you in for longer after giving birth as they baby needs to be monitored for withdrawal symptoms??????? :growlmad:

I asked what on earth she meant, as i understood it to be a stronger type paracetemol, to which she replied that it is very much narcotic in nature and on such a high dosage and if mothers take regularly, babies can experience some pretty awful withdrawal symptoms (not all but its very common). This made me feel like absolute crap. She said that she feels so angry that they do not often inform mothers of this when dispensing and feels they should so we can make an informed decision about whether to take it or not.

Some of you may have taken cocodamol and been absolutely fine and im sure the long term effects are minimal, but today made me so angry. I trusted them and they never told me what could happen. 

If youre on this drug, please discuss this thread with your health professional. I may seem melodramatic to some but i cant not be told this and not share. 
:flower:

cocodamol please call your midwife and check about this because i feel entirely livid


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## Scarletvixen

I was on the 30/500for 5years and my docs mademe give it up straight away assoon as i found out i was pregnant.
Wasnt even allowed to be weaned off it was made go withoutanything and it was hell as codine is a narcotic and highly addictive xx


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## natasja32

I was given co-codomol for my headaches....I was told its only addictive to baby if taken everyday....which I dont...I know they dont like giving to pregnant woman past a certain stage of pregnancy but I cant remember what it is. I was told about it,but it was only as a precausion as they have to tell you. Sorry you were never informed.:flower:


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## BabyDeacon

My husband was given co-codamol for his broken nose and his GP said he wouldnt even give it to his dog cause of how addictive it is,, but honestly it delt with the pain,,, my friend also had serious SPD and was on co-codamol pre and post labour and baby is fine they said its fine to be on whilst breast feeding, yes there are some who have the withdrawal symptoms but if paracetamol is not helping your pain then you have to take something stronger.... dont feel guilty for taking them..

My midwife at bromley said i cant take pirition but my midwife in beckenham and croydon and my GP said it was fine ( i asked them all before i needed them just incase to get a varied opinion)


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## SparkleBug

Def wise to get a varied opinion, i feel so guilty and stuck now cause i am in agny and they wont do induction :-( its another one of those grey areas......... X


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## darkangel1981

im guessing if you stop taking it now though, baby will become less dependant... you might have a rough few days but im not sure it will effect baby while still on board but im not a dr so i don't know. Just going by personal expeariance when i took it for my teeth.


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## heather91

I was given it for spd bit I only take it when im in absolute agony so maybe once every few days. I hate them they make me really drowsy I can only take them before bed


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## bradshaw

my doctor gave me the low dose 8/500 co-codamol but only instructed to take 1 4 times a day rather than 2 4 times a day - and to take an extra paracetamol with every co-codamol. The stronger 30/500 co-codamol make me feel wierd even when i wasnt pregnant ! they're so strong- using them more than 3 days ata a time may cause addiction to adults never mind a helpless baby- it's so hard when your in pain thou- hugs to you hunny x x


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## taffmam

hey hun,
i also have really bad spd and i am on crutches. triage also offered me 30/500 co-codamol and when i declined they offered me tramadol. i work in a chemist so i know that

1. co-codamol should NOT be taken in first tri.
2. should NOT be taken in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy.
3. should NOT be taken for more than 3day as it is highly addictive.

i do need pain relief but i dont want to take 30/500 or tramadol so instead if i need pain relief i take 1 8/500 co-codamol and 1 paracetamol 4 times a day so i am only taking half the recommended dose of co-codamol but the full dose of paracetamol.

i dont know if your the same as me but i am totally fed up of midwives and doctors telling me it will go as soon as i have baby............. in 11 weeks,!!!! i have had it since 13wks!!!!!


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## Cherrybinky

I would never take co codamol while pregnant. I was told strictly low dose paracetamol. Co codamol can come in very strong doses and can be prescribed also for major pain. not ideal when youre pg. x


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## Fergie

I was on codeine 4 x daily before i got pregnant. It is a highly addictive drug which can also cause issues with babys lungs maturing in the third trimester. Co-codamol is part codeine / paracetamol which can be taken under medical advice. I have taken it during this pregnancy for breakthrough pain and i've had only one side effect - constipation !!.

As long as you follow the instructions to a T both you and baby will be at a lower risk.


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## happysaurus

If you are in so much pain that you NEED to take something then take them. If you can do without them, then don't. 

I suspect the risks of induction to the baby (which I assume you're talking about because of your SPD) are far greater than the risks of co-codamol so if you are in so much pain that you are seriously considering being induced at 36 weeks then please, please take the co-codamol. 

If it was me, I'd phone the antenatal triage that prescribed it and explain what the midwife said to you and how concerned you were. Ask to speak to a doctor about the implications of this - and if there's a dose you can take which won't cause dependency issues. Remember, you're asking for advice on a forum and - while everyone is entitled to their opinions - you will find people who swear they wouldn't take anything and all that does is make you feel bad about taking something that you need. It sounds, imho, that the midwife does not understand the amount of pain you're in. 

Good luck and please phone the triage department.


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## hulahoop09

I was given co-codamol for back pain a few months ago. My doctor gave me a low dose and told me to try my best to cope on paracetmol. I took the co codamol once and just havent bothered as I really cant be arsed! Lol. I just deal with the pains when they come. I am on amitriptyline though for anxiety/depression (originally on it for stomach problems but came off for the first 12-14 wks of pregnancy but consultant told me to go back onto it).


xx


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## kermie219

It is scary..I have a slipped disk in my lower back at the moment and they gave me 15/500 as I couldn't walk at all and have a 15 month old to care for. But they were very clear on the problems with taking it as prescribed for long periods of time. I still take it when I abolsutely have too unfortunately it's still once a day but if I didn't I wouldnt' be able to care for my other child:( Double edged sword. And I agree with a another poster that said if you do need it then don't be afraid to take it. I am in the same boat they are already talking about inducing me early because of the problems with my back as i may not be able to tolerate labour at all. I don't agree with taking medication if it's not necessary but for me at the moment I'd rather keep him in as long as possible and still care for my other child properly.


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## itchycoo

I think its pretty obvious something so strong shouldn't be taken regular in pregnancy, its a last resort.
I was given 12 of these at about 20 weeks pregnant for spd, i still have 5 left it really is a last resort for me.


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## SparkleBug

I feel so angry they down played all of that in triage. My mum even pointed out to my midwife today that i had asked triage is this safe enuff for baby to to take at this point etc? They looked at me like i was an alien and said of course! My midwife just shook her head. I wish i had known all this.


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## Maman

i thought it was obvious? its an opiate. 

My take on it is that in pregnancy if you question wether you need to take it then you dont. i have severe spd and relaxin is playing havoc on my body as i have hypermobility. I also have a section stitch that is too tight and i was on tramadol for it before i got pregnant (luckily that has eased off) however if it was to come back in full force i would take a painkiller without a shadow of a doubt because the distress on me would cause my baby a problem anyway.


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## Essex1stbaby

I was given co codomal / dihydrocodeine. 

Did you know codeine is a member of the opiate family............ the same family as heroin? 

I have not taken mine as I know a few people who have been addicted and the withdrawal is horrible.... achey fly type sypmtoms. I was only given 500m / 10mg. 500mg / 30mg is quite alot. 

Just incase you didn't know and you were taking it.

Also my doctor said it could make baby drowsy.... which I did not like the sound of. 

x


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## SparkleBug

*Its not 'obvious' to everyone!* i know absolutely NOTHING about drugs never even mind which ones are classed as opiates etc, not a freaking clue. Which is where my frustration comes into play here as im not a chemist or very informed in regards to pills etc and kind of expected my antental healthcare providers to inform me of these facts, i trusted them. Maybe not everyone is as informed, or perhaps should i say ignorant as me then!?


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## Sparkles0307

Heya

i was prescribed co-codomal at about 16/17 weeks pregnant for severe migraine and they were an absolute god send. however, as someone else has said, my gp told me not to take for more than 3 consecutive days and to not use at all after 34 weeks pregnant.

my gp explained that withdrawal stuff but its only really an issue (in my gps opinion) for people who have been taking it daily for long lengths of time, my gp and midwife both said that it is the treatment of choice for pain relief if paracetomol doesn't work as it is the next safest as and as long as taken as prescribed by your gp there should be no problem.

my gp did say some people have to take it for chronic health problems daily and that even then although its not ideal its not horrendous, it does however result in extra monitoring for baby following birth. as with all medications in pregnancy, doctors have to make a judgement whether the benefits outweight the risks - for me the benefits meant i didn't have agonising pain, was able to keep food down and was able to continue a healthy lifestyle, all of which were better than no medication and horrendous migraine.

it was an oversight of the orignial prescriber not to discuss all the ins and outs with you but please don't worry!xx


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## Maman

SparkleBug said:


> *Its not 'obvious' to everyone!* i know absolutely NOTHING about drugs never even mind which ones are classed as opiates etc, not a freaking clue. Which is where my frustration comes into play here as im not a chemist or very informed in regards to pills etc and kind of expected my antental healthcare providers to inform me of these facts, i trusted them. Maybe not everyone is as informed, or perhaps should i say ignorant as me then!?

calm down love i wasnt calling you ignorant. :hugs: 

I personally check whats in anything that i put in to my body and i never take anything new without at least looking it up on wikipedia first at the very least. its just how i am. i dont know though... i dont even know how i knew codiene was an opiate. i guess i just thought it was common knowledge, just like that salt is also called sodium


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## lau86

It's really bad to give someone a drug and not warn them of the implications, but especially someone in a special category like pregnancy/ breastfeeding. I was really suffering from my costochondritis a few weeks back it was absolute agony. Normally I would have ibuprofen and it would go but that isn't allowed in pregnancy either. I was having paracetamol 4 hourly and rang the Gp explaining I really needed something stronger, bearing in mind I was still working at this point and wasn't sleeping. She was very reluctant to give me codeine and explained the risks which I felt was good practice. I hve to say I insisted on the prescription and said I would only take it when reallly needed and as luck would have it the pain gradually improved and I never needed it.


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## BabyJ'sMummy

SparkleBug said:


> *Its not 'obvious' to everyone!* i know absolutely NOTHING about drugs never even mind which ones are classed as opiates etc, not a freaking clue. Which is where my frustration comes into play here as im not a chemist or very informed in regards to pills etc and kind of expected my antental healthcare providers to inform me of these facts, i trusted them. Maybe not everyone is as informed, or perhaps should i say ignorant as me then!?

I didn't know this, so thanks for sharing :flower: xx


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## LittleBoo

I thought it was common knowledge tbh, the co in co-codamol is codeine... I've been given it several times by Warrington Hospital but have had it before pregnancy after an op. Never felt it to be addictive but there y'go :p


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## LittleBoo

Also do they not come with a leaflet explaining anyway? I don't think I've ever taken anything without reading the side effects/ingredients first heh :p


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## SparkleBug

Thanks for thoughts on this, just very tetchy as normally i would read or research whatever drugs are prescribed but my guard was down this time because i figured a obstertrics consultant would be trustworthy is regards to safe prescriptions, i know better now tho! Will try not to worry and stop it far as i can (dunno how im gonna do this but ill cut down to as little if anything that i can). Thanks ladies x


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## maybabydoll

Thanks for sharing this, to be honest I didn't know codine was part of the heroin family either!!! :shock: x x


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## Samie18

Doctors have to weigh up the benefits when prescribing. Is it more beneficial to treat you with the small risk of the below..... or let you suffer.....

The guidance on which co codamol is prescribed states the below.


Dependence and withdrawal

Repeated use of opioid analgesics, such as codeine, is associated with the development of psychological and physical dependence; although this is rarely a problem with therapeutic use, caution in advised if prescribing for patients with a history of drug dependence. Avoid abrupt withdrawal after long-term treatment

Pregnancy
codeine may depress neonatal respiration; withdrawal effects in neonates of dependent mothers; gastric stasis and risk of inhalation pneumonia in mother during labour

Breast-feeding
amount of codeine usually too small to be harmful; however, mothers vary considerably in their capacity to metabolise codeine&#8212;risk of morphine overdose in infant


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## Linzi

I took the full dose daily in the last 10 weeks of pregnancy with my son fior SPD, no one mentioned anything and we never had any problems whatsoever! So strange they don't mention anything... 

xx


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## SparkleBug

It is strange, i just thot id best point it out to those like me who just assumed an antenatal consultant wud tell you upon dispensing about any risks etc? I stopped soon as i found out and woke up with the pain in tears at 4am, my husband had to help me out bed to bathoom and convinced me to take at least one. Cannot describe the agony its again a ctch 22 and as sum1 already said, u have to ask if the benefits outweigh the risks etc....... :-(


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## kermie219

I know how you feel to be in so much pain, it's so horrible. Don't be afraid to take it if it's necessary. I certainly don't take it every 4 hours like prescribed but I also don't wait for the pain to be unbearable either. You can't live in pain like that, it's not healthy for the baby either for you to be clenched and stressed because of pain like that. My back is exactly the same:( It'll be ok hun just take it easy, lots of hot baths, (to relax your mind if nothing else) and don't be afraid to take it when it starts to go very bad everything will be ok.


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## Maman

its a hard judgement to make, but i think you can still trust your ob consultant because he/she wouldnt prescribe it if they didnt think you needed it. the other risk is that you are in distress and that effects your baby too. 

Also if you only take it for 3 days then have a break (maybe go back to paracetamol) for 2 then back to it, you should stop any chance of addiction for you or baby as it takes 3 days to become addicted to codiene.


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## TwilightAgain

:nope: they should have told you!

I was prescribed Co-Codamol and I wasn't told anything about it, so I read the leaflet when I got home and it said don't use for more than 3 days because it can cause addiction and withdrawals :dohh: so why wasn't I told? 

I had to buy something on prescription which cost me £7, got home and read the leaflet inside, said it wasn't suitable for those with asthma, why on earth did the Dr give it to me then? :growlmad:

Health professionals can be bloody useless at times. I'd stop taking it if I were you and ask your Dr for an alternative. :)


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## tanni78

i can totally understand you being so annoyed and upset, i would be livid. You deffo should have been told so that you were able to weigh up the pro's and con's and come to an informed decision yourself about whether you should take them or not. Yes i agree with what a lot of people have already said, of course it's best to not take any painkillers if you can manage without but if you are in severe pain, this has an affect on the baby too. I think if you were to make a formal complaint about this, a very dim view would be taken about you not being informed of the dangers/side affects of the drug xx


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## inperfected

There is a possibility of risk, but early labour is more risky to be honest! 

I was given it daily for the 8 days up til having him, and even in the first lot of labour (At 27+6). He had no extra issues from having it other than being prem. 

As for it being highly addictive? I think you'll find this depends on the person completely! I was taking effectively 60/1000 (codine 60mg and panadol 1000mg) every time I was possibly allowed it before having an operation last year, and after it too, and once the pain settled, I went off it no issues at all - and my brothers been taking it for nearly 3 years now and only has it when he needs it now (serious leg break that won't heal properly they say).


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## abi17

I have been in hospital all last week, was closely monitored due to being pregnant and having severe headaches (a previous medical condition) I was advised by my lead professional who overlooks my whole care whilst pregnant as I'm classed as high risk that co-codamol is fine if not taken regulary as in 8 everyday for more than 3 or so weeks there is a risk of addiction but was old its unlikely especialy for me after looking at my previous history and the medication I was on before becoming pregnant and was made to stop instantly. I think everyone is individual but it's main side effect is severe constipation during pregnancy if used for prolonged use. It is the next safest medication after paracetamol, but even paracetamol is not 100% safe and should be avoided if not needed. I needed some sort of pain relief but was grateful for the close monitoring and support I received and was told it was highly unlikely any damage would be caused. Like someone else said it can make the baby drowsy and therefore is not recommended after a certain point in pregnancy just in case you go into early labour but again it's not common and is very unlikely. Try not too worry, the original doctor should have warned you of all the sideeffects but no doctor would give you medication without weighing up the pros and cons. I needed the painrelief and I do not regret taking it as I was in so much pain my BP was sky high which isn't good for the baby either. What ever you choose you will get criticised by someone as that's not what they would of done and each medical professional has there own ideas on what's right and what's wrong. You do what you feel is right, if you trust your midwife over the original doctor listen to them but make sure your comfortable with any decision you make.
Abi x


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## oboeverity

Any medication MUST be taken taking risk/ benefits into account.... co dydramol is why I was refused my homebirth; my LO needs to be monitored at birth. Women must make sure that they are aware of ALL the implications of EVERYTHING they take, and care providers must play their part in this...


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