Solpadeine Plus Capsules 24s

Adults:

• Swallow 2 capsules every 4-6 hours as needed.
• Do not take more frequently than every 4 hours.
• Do not take more than 8 capsules in 24 hours.
• A reduced maximum daily dose should be considered if you are underweight (under 50kg)
• For the elderly a reduced dose may be required.

Adolescents aged 16–18 years:

• Swallow 1-2 capsules every 6 hours as needed.
• Do not take more frequently than every 6 hours.
• Do not take more than 8 capsules in 24 hours.

Adolescents aged 12-15 years:

• Swallow 1 capsule every 6 hours as needed.
• Do not take more frequently than every 6 hours.
• Do not take more than 4 capsules in 24 hours.

Do not take more than the recommended dose.

Avoid too much caffeine in drinks like coffee and tea. High caffeine intake can cause difficulty sleeping, shaking and an uncomfortable feeling in the chest.

This medicine should not be taken for more than 3 days. If the pain does not improve after 3 days, talk to your doctor for advice. 

Solpadeine Plus Capsules should not be taken by children below the age of 12 years, due to the risk of severe breathing problems.

• Active Ingredients: Paracetamol 500mg, Codeine Phosphate Hemihydrate 8mg and Caffeine 30mg.
• Other Ingredients: Maize Starch, Magnesium Stearate, Titanium Dioxide (E171), Erythrosine (E127), Patent Blue V (E131), Quinoline Yellow (E104), Gelatin.

• This medicine contains codeine which can cause addiction if you take it continuously for more than 3 days. This can give you withdrawal symptoms from the medicine when you stop taking it.
• This medicine contains paracetamol. Do not take anything else containing paracetamol while taking this medicine.
• If you take a painkiller for headaches for more than 3 days it can make them worse.

Do not take Solpadeine Plus Capsules:

• If you have ever had an allergic reaction to paracetamol, caffeine, codeine, other opioid painkillers or to any of the other ingredients.
• If you are taking other medicines containing paracetamol or codeine.
• If you are under 12 years for pain relief in children and adolescents (0-18 years of age) after removal of their tonsils or adenoids due to obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.
• If you know that you metabolise very rapidly codeine into morphine.
• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• If you have respiratory depression or chronic constipation.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking these capsules if you are taking any prescribed medicines, particularly:

• Metoclopramide or domperidone (for nausea [feeling sick] or vomiting [being sick]).
• Colestyramine (to lower blood cholesterol).
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) prescribed for depression in the last 2 weeks or substances that make you drowsy (e.g. sedatives, antidepressants or alcohol) or sedated (e.g. benzodiazepines or related medicines).
• If you take blood thinning drugs (anticoagulants e.g. warfarin) and you need to take a pain reliever on a daily basis, talk to your doctor because of the risk of bleeding. But you can still take occasional doses of Solpadeine Plus Capsules at the same time as anticoagulants.
• If you take medicine treat gout and hyperuricemia (e.g. probenecid).
• Flucloxacillin (antibiotic), due to a serious risk of blood and fluid abnormality (high anion gap metabolic acidosis) that must have urgent treatment, and which may occur particularly in case of severe renal impairment, sepsis (when bacteria and their toxins circulate in the blood leading to organ damage), malnutrition, chronic alcoholism, and if the maximum daily doses of paracetamol are used.
• Pregabalin and gabapentin as there is an increased risk of respiratory depression.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine:

• If you have liver or kidney disease, including alcoholic liver disease
• If you have bowel problems including blockage of your bowel
• If you have had an operation to remove your gall bladder.
• If you have hypotension or hypothyroidism.
• If you have experienced a recent head injury or raised intracranial pressure.
• If you have asthma and have been told by your doctor that you are sensitive to aspirin.
• If you have Gilbert's Syndrome (familial non-haemolytic jaundice).
• If you are taking other medicines that can affect liver function.
• If you have glucose-6-phosphatase dehydrogenase deficiency.
• If you have haemolytic anaemia.
• If you have glutathione deficiency.
• If you are dehydrated.
• If you have a poor diet such that the diet causes health problems.
• If you weigh less that 50kg.
• If you are elderly.
• If you have a condition called myasthenia gravis which weakens the muscles.

They may reduce your dose or increase the time interval between doses of your medicine.

Codeine is transformed to morphine in the liver by an enzyme. Morphine is the substance that produces pain relief. Some people have a variation of this enzyme, and this can affect people in different ways. In some people, morphine is not produced or produced in very small quantities, and it will not provide enough pain relief. Other people are more likely to get serious
side effects because a very high amount of morphine is produced. If you notice any of the following side effects, you must stop taking this medicine and seek immediate medical advice: slow or shallow breathing, confusion, sleepiness, small pupils, feeling or being sick, constipation, lack of appetite.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Solpadeine Plus Capsules:

• If you are or have ever been addicted to opioids, alcohol, prescription medicines, or illegal substances.
• If you have previously suffered from withdrawal symptoms such as agitation, anxiety, shaking or sweating, when you have stopped taking alcohol or drugs.

If you feel you need to take more of Solpadeine Plus Capsules to get the same level of pain relief, this may mean you are becoming tolerant to the effects of this medicine or are becoming addicted to it.

Taking higher doses or more frequent doses of opioids, such as codeine (an active ingredient of this medicine), may increase the risk of addiction. Overuse and misuse can lead to overdose and/or death. Rarely, increasing the dose of this medicine can make you more sensitive to pain. If this happens, you need to speak to your doctor or pharmacist about your treatment.

This medicine contains codeine and can cause addiction if you take it continuously for more than 3 days. If you become addicted, when you stop taking it you may get withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can include restlessness, difficulty sleeping, irritability, agitation, anxiety, feeling your heartbeat (palpitations), increased blood pressure, feeling of being sick, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, shaking, shivering or sweating. You should talk to your doctor if you think you are suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

Children and adolescents

• Use in children and adolescents after surgery: Codeine should not be used for pain relief in children and adolescents after removal of their tonsils or adenoids due to Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome.
• Use in children with breathing problems: Codeine is not recommended in children with breathing problems, since the symptoms of morphine toxicity may be worse in these children.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Do not take Solpadeine Plus Capsules if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant unless you have discussed this with your doctor and the benefits of treatment are considered to outweigh the potential harm to the baby.

If you use Solpadeine Plus Capsules during pregnancy, your baby may become dependent and experience withdrawal symptoms after the birth which may need to be treated.

Do not take Solpadeine Plus Capsules while you are breastfeeding. Codeine and morphine passes into breast milk and will affect your baby.

Driving and using machines

This medicine can affect your ability to drive as it may make you sleepy or dizzy. Do not drive while taking this medicine until you know how it affects you. It is an offence to drive if this medicine affects your ability to drive.

However, you would not be committing an offence if:

• The medicine has been taken to treat a medical or dental problem and
• You have taken it according to the information provided with the medicine and
• It was not affecting your ability to drive safely.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure whether it is safe for you to drive while taking this medicine. Details regarding a new driving offence concerning driving after drugs have been taken in the UK may be found here: www.gov.uk/drug-driving-law