Jim Smith said:Quoted message said:The two drugs are probably combined in a convenient tablet
because they combine different and desirable pain-relief
actions, not because anyone wants to damage the livers of
drug addicts, who (as Jeff points out) are unlikely to be
worried about long-term health problems connected with too
much acetaminophen.No. They are combined for policy, more than medical, reasons. Codeine
in combination is schedule III in the US, while codeine by itself is
schedule II. (codeine alone is not currently prescribed in the US.)
There certainly is nothing medically magical about the combination.There are not really any long-term health effects from too much
acetaminophen. It is a big deal acutely though. Tylenol is still a
popular drug among suicidally motivated folk, but I suspect it would
not be if they knew what was involved. It is also rarely succesfull
these days, but often good for a few days in the unit and occasionally
a liver transplant. For some reason one doesn't see folks overdosing
on tylenol while trying to get high with combined opiates. Perhaps
this is because, as qfq pointed out, the extraction is simple.Quoted message said:In the U.S., we have Tylenol (acetaminophen) over the
counter for any sissy afraid to face aspirin, while Tylenol
with codeine is prescribed for patients with more severe
pain, such as having their wisdom teeth carved out.The combination drugs do fit nicely in an "analgesic ladder" starting
with tylenol and ending with morphine: Too much pain for Tylenol? not
enough for vicodin? T3 is just the thing! This isn't because of
anything magical about the combination though.
Dear Jim,
No one is claiming a magical combination,
Codeine relieves pain.
So does Tylenol, to a lesser degree.
Tylenol also reduces fever (unlike aspirin, it doesn't
reduce swelling, which aggravates many painful conditions).
Fever is a common reaction to surgery, injury, and
infection.
So the two are often prescribed in a convenient single
tablet.
Carl Fogel