Does anyone know why the painkiller co-proxamol has been banned form sale?

Answer 1

Yes, thank goodness: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/PressReleases/PressReleasesNotices/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4102347&chk=muLo27

"Co-proxamol is associated with 300-400 intentional and accidental fatal overdoses each year."

Answer 2

That's strange because they have been banned but if you go Private you can get a prescription for Capadex which has the same ingredients as Co-Proxamol, i was on Co-Proxamol and it took me a long time to adjust to a new painkiller, they've now got me on Co-Codamol which is even stronger than the others - Don't Figure !!.

Answer 3

Co-proxamol was stopped because people kept intentionally overdosing on it. So as we live in a nanny state it was banned. They have now suggested co-dydramol as its replacement, which is fine but I have a severe anaphylactic reaction to that one. The alternative is co-codamol.
So in about 5 years time when it becomes clear that people are using those as the drug of choice for suicide they will probably ban those too. Sadly doctors will continue to prescribe 100 at a time like they did with co-proxamol, and people will continue to commit suicide by overdose. The smart thing would be for smaller amounts to be prescribed at a time and better monitoring of patients general and mental health for those who live with long term pain, not the banning of a helpful pain medication which taken properly is safe.

Answer 4

They said it was the paracetamol - but it only had 325 mg in and ordinary paracetamol has 500mg - so maybe it was because some people are idiots - but in that case why not ban Lemsip with paracetamol - unless the narcotic ingredient was found to be harmful and they didn't want people who took it to find out the long term effects in case they sued the NHS and drug manufacturers. As someone once said about 2,000 years ago - when a politician does something ask what the motive is.... Who said that??? Someone famous over 2,000 ago, Roman or Greek.

Answer 5

Yes because it was really easy to overdose on and lots of people were dying either accidentally or intentionally, I think about 300 a year.

Answer 6

Because of the suicide thing I think. What I find strange is that whilst my mother (who is 76) has been taken off co-prox and put on co-codamol, I'm still getting co-prox every month on my repeat prescription. (Maybe my doc doesn't like me!)

Answer 7

there were people taking it and died because there was too much in it and I guess it shut down some of the major body organs and they stopped breathing and it was known to be very addictive, so its a good thing that it is gone.

Answer 8

evidence that it can cause death if patients exceed the maximum recommended dosage by as little as two tablets upto 400 deaths last year are thought to be related to the tab

Answer 9

because IT is a derivative of opium and morphine and therefor e abused by heroin addicts also it is addictive. drug addicts use it to help with withdrawal but it contains paracetamol and taking enough of them to feel the codeine in them can give you liver damage from the large amount paracetamol.

Answer 10

it was highly addictive and harder in most patients to wean them off this drug compared to heroin. it was also easy to overdose and played its part in many deaths both intentional and accidental