Painkiller worry

[Worryalot33]

Hi all

I'm new here and a bit nervous.

I've been taking co codamol 30/500 for around ten years for rheumatoid in my back.
I've began to worry that these could be giving me stomach, liver or kidney damage. I can't take NSAIDs and my cocodamol do help. I also have very bad anxiety so it may be more related
To this than anything else but I am worried.

Does anyone else have information on this?

Thanks in advance everyone

[Tuckamore]

Sorry I am tardy to your question.  Welcome to our community. I hope you'll be active in it.  

In regards to your concern regarding acetaminophen - it often depends on how much acetaminophen you are ingesting per day. The FDA recommends that you not exceed 4,000mgs per day. This was reviewed a few years ago with the thought of reducing the recommended daily intake to about 2,000 to 2,500 mgs. It was not changed because in part the statistics varied. Damage seemed to be more case by case. Some ppl that took the 4,000 mgs for years didn't appear to have organ damage - while that one person that took 500 mgs, even one time and consumed one alcoholic drink experienced major damage. There is no easy answer as Caregiver indicated.

Here's the suggestion. Don't take any other medication , including OTC that contains acetaminophen. Don't consume alcohol - even in small amounts. Stay hydrated.

Read and read some more on the statistics and concerns - along with the positive regarding the medication. After you've done so - discuss your concerns with your medical provider. The  two of you should weight the pros and cons and come to an informed decision that best suits you.

I've taken an opiate with acetaminophen for years. I feel the pros out weight the cons. FYI - there is also a medication that will help protect ppl that take acetaminophen - talk to your physician OR pharmacist about it. It may help you sleep better.

Best of Luck to You,
~Tuck

[caregiver222]

There are many unanswered questions regarding many common medications. If you review the FDA approvals, in many cases the statement "mechanism of action is unknown" is mentioned. One must realize that the capability to obtain feedback from millions of patients exists only relatively recently, with the advent of low-cost memory and the internet. The "n" population, which is the number of patients in approval studies prior to the year 2000, is often very small. As few as two hundred patients in some cases. Medications that are not in patent, such as acetaminophen do not present good reasons for drug companies to invest in further studies. The dangers of this specific medication were largely unknown twenty years ago. One must remember that processes that produce inflammation are put in place for a reason, and have evolved in species over millions of years. These responses are part of the immune system. Even the presence of pain has an evolutionary purpose. So there is no clear answer to your question.

[Worryalot33]

Can these painkillers cause other damage in addition to liver? Do they affect kidneys and can they cause cancer or disease

[caregiver222]

There are no "correct doses". The effect is cumulative. There is no god-like creature that writes dosing recommendations. It is only recently that the dangers of acetaminophen have been documented. On a short-term basis the risks appear to be minimal, but the medication is inherently toxic.  There is no easy answer as to whether or not and how much damage has been done to a patient's liver after long-term daily administration.  Liver function tests only reflect severe damage.

[Worryalot33]

Surely if taken in the correct doses and under the maximum doses the body can break it down?

[caregiver222]

The short answer is yes, you are damaging your liver. If the damage is not too severe the liver can recover. How much damage depends upon many factors, including your biody weight and genetics. Acetaminophen, a componant of cocodamol  is the bad-news-bears. There are risks and benefits and it is up to you to make that decision as to whether to continue..