DIHYDROCODEINE

Dihydrocodeine is a semi-synthetic opioid analgesic prescribed for pain or severe difficulty of breathing, or as an antitussive, either alone or compounded with paracetamol or aspirin. It was developed in Germany in 1908 and first marketed in 1911.

They are used for the alleviation of moderate to severe pain including the pain of sciatica (nerve pain of the leg/back), joint and bone pain (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and arthritis of the spine), nerve pain, pain following blood vessel disease, cancer or after surgery.

Do not give during pregnancy (prolonged use/high doses at term); respiratory depression, obstructive airways disease, acute alcoholism, convulsive disorders, head injuries, raised intracranial pressure, comatose patients, hypersensitivity.

Side effects include nausea, vomiting, constipation, drowsiness, confusion and other neurological effects. It may also give rise to heart effects, sweating, hypothermia, restlessness, decreased libido, miosis, raised intracranial pressure, and muscle rigidity.

Potentially Fatal: Pulmonary oedema. High doses may lead to respiratory depression and hypotension with circulatory failure and deepening coma.

Take extra precaution in patients with hypothyroidism, adrenocortical insufficiency, asthma, impaired renal or hepatic function, prostatic hyperplasia, hypotension, shock, inflammatory or obstructive bowel disorders, myasthenia gravis, physical and psychological dependence. This drug may impair ability to drive or operate machinery.

Take extra precautions in infants and neonates as well as in elderly or debilitated patients (reduce dose).

This drug may have enhanced depressant effects with alcohol, anaesthetics, anxiolytics, hypnotics, tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics. It may interact with drugs such as cyclizine, cimetidine, mexiletine, cisapride, metoclopramide, domperidone, and MAOIs.

An overdose of dihydrocodeine can be fatal. Overdose symptoms may include vomiting, extreme dizziness or drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, blurred vision, cold and clammy skin, fast/slow or uneven heart rate, pinpoint pupils, fainting, and seizure (convulsions).

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