The ban on co proxamol should be overturned asap, if som...

I have just been to my doctor to beg again for co proxamol but without success. I have once again been given paracetamol which constipates me terribly so she has also given me laxatives to remedy this. It is a ridiculous situation, I have been on co-prox about 20 years with no side effects like this. I am now desperately trying to but a supply from anywhere or anybody!

As stated previously in here, I've been on Co-Prox since 1986 for permanent chronic sciatica, always down right leg to ankle, and left leg in the thigh to knee level occasionally - the cause has been diagnosed as adhesions to the nerve roots by soft tissue damage caused by an industrial accident when working as a railway signalman.   These are the only medication which have any effect - I've been tried on all sorts of other medical cocktails - Co-Codamol, Di-Hydrazine and several other combinations, the worst was when they tried me on 4 different drugs at the same time and got me high as a kite and totally unsafe to drive and work.

Anyway after the fiasco (conspiracy theory coming up) of the alleged "suicide" of Dr David Keller (Iraqui Weapons Inspector looking for WMDs and coming upnegative!) he allegedly committed suicide using his wife's Co-Prox, and this gave the Government the chance to get Co-Prox de-licensed and in effect banned - until then they had cost around £0.20 per 100, they are still being produced and are available if you've been prescribed them prior to 2007/8, but now at the cost of £20 per 100.   They were always the drug of choice for moderate pain, and they are the only tablets that take the edge off my pain and enable me to live a comparatively normal life and continue to work (2 jobs - one full time as an Animal Health Officer and Inspector, and also part-time as a Voluntary Coastguard Rescue Officer, although I've just been retired as I'm 65+, and can't meet the ridiculous physical tests to remain on the team - I could organise and conduct searches, control and communications, but no, Bye Bye after 18 years!

After the 2007/8 fiasco of de-licensing Co-Prox and their withdrawal, I found I was climbing the walls.   I was talking to the pharmacist one day bemoaning the withdrawal of Co-Prox, and she told me they were still freely available on NHS prescriptions, but the Drs didn't seem to be aware of this (or were under pressure from their local health councils not to prescribe them any more).   I went back to my GP and told him and he readily gave an NHS prescription and I've had no problems whatsoever in getting repeats of 300 every 4 weeks.

If you need Co-Prox, insist on your GP giving you a 'script for them, although they will be resistant if you hadn't used them prior to 2007/8.

As regards the suicide and "accidental" overdose deaths on Co-Prox, these averaged around 400 pa..   Drs started prescribing Tramadol instead and the death rate on them has risen to around 1000 pa. although the figures are doctored to reduce the numbers significantly.   Since April/ May time this year and is now classed as a Schedule 3 drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Upshot is that Co-Proxamol ARE STILL AVAILABLE on NHS despite reports saying otherwise, but you may have to jump up and down to get them, insist or refuse to leave the surgery until the GP prescribes them.   If they still refuse make a written complaint to your local health council and don't talked out of it.

If all else fails, you can always ask for a private prescription!