Dihydrocodeine put me in A&E
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hi
I was prescribed Dihydrocodeine for arthritis and after taking the tablet I experienced severe pains in my upper abdomen like contractions. This lasted for 3 hours and hurt like hell so I decided not to take another.
A few weeks later my arthritis was so bad I decided to take another tablet so I could get a good nights sleep. Oh how wrong I was!
I took the tablet at 11pm and awoke at 2am with severe contractions in my upper abdomen again. I vomited and after hours of pain I went to A&E. They gave me anti spasm drugs and morphine through IV.
The spasm lasted for 7 hours and I was in the worst pain immaginable.It was worse than childbirth. It was a pain mimicking gall bladder contractions but I have had my gall bladder removed over 2yrs ago.
The doctors disagreed that Dihydrocodeine caused the spasms.
I wonder if anyone else has experienced this type of sympton with Dihydrocodeine.
I will never ever take it again! That you can be sure of.
2 likes, 8 replies
Guest
Posted
tea_freak
Posted
Guest
Posted
I do believe that the constipation the tablets cause does contribute to stomach pain radiating to the back this I woud imagine to be painful in itself. Anyhow it's good to keep all in mind.
mark19428 Guest
Posted
Severe upper abdominal pain and strange wind symptoms which would not go away unless I stood up and walked around. The symptoms came on at 5am (Tired out)
I know it was the drug causing the symptoms as the same happened a few weeks previously when I took them. Twice is too much of a co incidence.
Bad pain and very disturbing. According to the literature it's a bile duct spasm in the liver.
I very nearly rang an ambulance. Perhaps I should have.
gailehughes mark19428
Posted
That's exactly how it affects me - I get the same reaction with bananas too - I'm trying bicarb to see if the cramps settle down
Vikki66 Guest
Posted
I ended up having my gall bladder out 14 years ago as they thought this pain was cholecystitis (in Germany not UK), but a week later it returned as I was on codeine for another pain.
I was advised never to have codeine again (though I did try it about 2 years ago and same thing happened!)
However, I was in hospital 3 weeks ago and was given morphine and had the same reaction, though I have had morphine following surgery more recently with no ill effects.
Just do internet search for codeine & biliary spasm
dee70426 Vikki66
Posted
I've had the same reaction to codeine twice now and i will never ever take it again I've never known pain so bad I've also had my gallbladder removed 7 years ago
gailehughes Guest
Posted
I can't take codeine for that very reason, and I also had my gall bladder removed over 13 years ago. Late this afternoon I accidently took codeine instead of paracetamol - my husband swears he didn't put his codeine strip in my paracetamol box!!!!! I went to bed early, and have just been woken up with the most awful stomach crampling. The Dr is talking through is backside!
I've just taken some bicarb hoping this will settle it down :'(