Reye's syndrome is a very rare illness that can cause serious liver and brain damage. Co-codamol can make children feel sleepy or dizzy. If this happens, do not let them ride a bike until they feel better.
Page last reviewed: 3 September Next review due: 3 September Co-codamol for children On this page About co-codamol for children Key facts Who can and cannot take co-codamol How and when to give co-codamol Giving co-codamol with other painkillers Side effects How to cope with side effects of co-codamol Cautions with other medicines Common questions about co-codamol for children. About co-codamol for children Co-codamol is a mixture of 2 different painkillers — paracetamol and codeine. Do not give co-codamol to children under 12 years old.
This medicine comes as tablets and capsules. Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today? Do not give co-codamol to children less than 12 years old. It can cause severe breathing problems. Co-codamol tablets and capsules come in 3 strengths. You can buy the lowest strength co-codamol from pharmacies but higher strengths are only available on prescription. Giving your child too much co-codamol can be harmful.
Do not increase the dose or give a double dose even if their pain is very bad. It's possible to become addicted to co-codamol, but your child's doctor will explain how to reduce the risks of becoming addicted. Always leave at least 6 hours between doses.
The maximum dose for children is 4 co-codamol tablets in 24 hours. Co-codamol is also known by many different brand names. Talk to your pharmacist if you have any questions about different brands. Tell your doctor before starting the medicine if your child has: lung problems or breathing difficulties a head injury adrenal gland problems a condition that causes fits or seizures liver problems had their tonsils or adenoids removed because of a sleep problem called obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.
Different co-codamol strengths Co-codamol tablets and capsules come in 3 different strengths. They contain 8mg, 15mg or 30mg of codeine. Dosage The normal dose for children aged 12 to 15 years is 1 tablet of co-codamol of any strength up to 4 times in 24 hours. Important The maximum dose of co-codamol for children aged 12 to 15 years is normally 4 tablets in 24 hours. How long to give it for If your child's doctor prescribes co-codamol, give it to your child it for as long as they recommended.
Important If your child has been taking co-codamol for more than a few weeks, it's important they do not stop taking it without speaking to a doctor first. What if they take too much? Taking more than the recommended dose can be dangerous.
Your child has taken too much co-codamol and: they are seeing things that are not there they are finding it hard to breathe. Urgent advice: Contact for advice now if:.
Important Before giving a child any other medicines together with co-codamol, check the label to see whether these contain paracetamol. Common side effects Common side effects happen in more than 1 in children. Tell your doctor if these side effects bother your child or do not go away: constipation feeling or being sick nausea or vomiting feeling sleepy headaches Serious side effects Serious side effects are rare and happen in less than 1 in children.
Tell a doctor straight away if your child has: a skin rash difficulty peeing changes in their eyesight dizziness Serious allergic reaction In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to co-codamol. What to do about: constipation — give your child plenty of high-fibre foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables and cereals. Frequency not known Abdominal pain ; addiction ; agranulocytosis ; blood disorder ; irritability ; pancreatitis ; restlessness ; severe cutaneous adverse reactions SCARs ; thrombocytopenia.
Overdose Liver damage and less frequently renal damage following overdosage with paracetamol. Manufacturer advises caution in mild to moderate impairment; avoid in severe impairment. Manufacturer advises consider dose reduction in mild to moderate impairment. Reduce dose or avoid codeine; increased and prolonged effect; increased cerebral sensitivity. However, from February , you could only buy codeine in Australia with a prescription.
Before then, you could buy low-strength codeine up to 15 mg per tablet in combination with paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin over the counter at pharmacies. Higher strength codeine has always required a prescription.
The change was not an overnight decision. Codeine is an opioid analgesic, meaning people can become dependent on it, and there is a risk of harm from overdose. There was also an earlier attempt at reducing harm when, in , all codeine painkillers were moved behind the counter at pharmacies. Before that, the lower strength products could be picked up off the pharmacy shelf without consulting a pharmacist.
Unfortunately, our previous study showed this move to stocking codeine behind the counter had little impact. Other studies also showed that deaths from codeine continued to increase.
The National Drug Strategy Household Survey reported codeine available from behind the counter at a pharmacy was the most misused legal opioid in Australia and misuse was particularly common in adolescents. This left the TGA with little choice but to bring Australia in line with most other countries that restrict codeine to prescription-only. The TGA announced the change in December following a lengthy consultation, and the change took effect on 1 February Not everyone was happy The announcement divided community and healthcare professional groups.
Pharmacy organisations opposed the change, whereas GPs were in favour. If you take 1 or 2 extra tablets of co-codamol by accident on a single occasion, it's unlikely to be harmful.
If this happens, wait at least 24 hours before you take any more. Go to If you need to go to hospital, take the co-codamol packet or leaflet inside it plus any remaining medicine with you.
It's safe to take co-codamol with ibuprofen and aspirin. Do not take co-codamol with paracetamol , or other medicines that contain paracetamol. Co-codamol already contains paracetamol so you could be at risk of paracetamol overdose.
Medicines that have paracetamol in them include painkillers like Tramacet and co-dydramol , migraine remedies, and some cough and cold remedies Lemsip and Night Nurse. Before taking co-codamol with any other medicines, check the label to see whether they contain paracetamol. Like all medicines, co-codamol can cause side effects although not everyone gets them. Many people have no side effects or only minor ones. You're more likely to have side effects if you take the higher strengths of co-codamol.
In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to co-codamol. You could be having a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital. These are not all the side effects of co-codamol. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet. You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme.
While co-codamol can be taken in pregnancy, other painkillers may be more suitable. Co-codamol contains paracetamol and codeine. Paracetamol is safe to take in pregnancy, however codeine can affect your baby, particularly towards the end of pregnancy. Your baby may get used to having codeine and may have withdrawal symptoms when they're born. There is a slightly higher risk of your baby having breathing problems. These are usually temporary, but your baby may need extra monitoring.
For these reasons, co-codamol is not generally recommended. However, if you have pain that requires stronger pain relief than paracetamol, talk to your doctor. They might prescribe co-codamol if they think this is the best option for you. Small amounts of the codeine in co-codamol get into breast milk and can cause breathing problems in your baby. If you are taking co-codamol and want to breastfeed, discuss this with your doctor first. They can advise you on other pain relief options.
Some medicines affect the way co-codamol works. Equally co-codamol can stop some medicines working as well as they should. It's not possible to say whether complementary medicines and herbal remedies are safe to take with co-codamol. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines.
They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines. Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements. These 2 painkillers work in different ways to relieve pain. Paracetamol seems to work by blocking "chemical messengers" in the brain that tell us we have pain. It also reduces a high temperature by affecting the chemical messengers in an area of your brain that controls body temperature.
Codeine belongs to a group of medicines called opiates. It affects pain receptors in the central nervous system and the brain to block pain signals to the rest of the body. When codeine blocks the pain receptors, there are other unwanted effects — for example slow and shallow breathing. It can also slow down digestion, which is why codeine can cause constipation.
Co-codamol takes up to 1 hour to work. It keeps on working for about 5 hours. If your pain has not gone away, talk to your pharmacist or doctor. Depending on why you're taking it, you may need to take it for a few days or weeks at most. For example, if you're in pain after an injury or operation.
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