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Painkiller addiction


Libertine

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A mother developed such a heavy addiction to Nurofen Plus that it killed her, prompting a coroner to call for tougher controls on the over-the-counter drug.Linda Docherty, 49, a local government worker from Whitefield, near Manchester, trawled high street and supermarket pharmacies as her secret addiction spiralled out of control until she was taking up to 64 tablets a day.She hid her behaviour from her family until four days before her death, when she confessed to her husband, Robert, and to her GP. Her doctor hoped to wean her off the drug, but she died from kidney failure.Simon Nelson, the Coroner for Bury, Greater Manchester, said at her inquest that he was writing to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to ask whether there were sufficient safeguards surrounding distribution of the drug. He said: âIf a reconsideration of the controls manages to save a further life, then I believe that the action would be appropriate. I believe that Mrs Docherty had passed dependency and it had become an addiction. I do have concerns, having heard of Mrs Dochertyâs attempts to procure the medication and how easy it is to defeat the system. âMrs Docherty, who lived with her husband and two children, was described as a highly intelligent woman but depressive, anxious and insecure. She first started taking Nurofen Plus to alleviate the effects of a stomach ulcer and toothache. The medication, available over the counter at high-street chemists, contains ibuprofen and codeine phosphate, which can be addictive. Her family noticed empty packets around the house but it was some time before they understood the scale of the problem. She was taking as many as 64 tablets a day. The recommended daily maximum is six.Mr Docherty told the hearing: âI knew that there was something happening for some time before the events started to unfold. I tackled her from time to time, to ask her what she was doing and what she was hiding, but she was fiercely secretive.â Nicholas Walton, Mrs Dochertyâs GP, said she had told him that she had been taking 48 tablets each day over a period of several months. Dr Walton had been hopeful of being able to wean Mrs Docherty off the drug, and of coping with the severe withdrawal symptoms. Her death was tragic and unexpected, he said. âI have not come across anyone with an addiction like it before on over-the-counter drugs.âShe had also confided in her sister, Gillian White, on the night before she died. Mrs Docherty was taken to Fairfield Hospital, in Bury, complaining of feeling weak and breathless. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and she died from acute renal failure as a result of anti-inflammatory abuse. The coroner recorded that she died âby reason of an addiction to over-the-counter medicationâ.Supermarket chains impose limits on the amount of painkillers that a customer can buy at any one time but there is no safeguard against those determined to stock up by visiting more than one store. Mr Docherty suggested that customers could be asked for identification and outlets be linked by computer to monitor sales. âI do not think that the warnings on packets are strong enough,â he said.A spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said that it would support any lessons that could be learnt to minimise the risk of this happening again. This could mean reclassification of the drug.Reckitt Benckiser, manufacturer of Nurofen, said labels clearly stated not to exceed six tablets a day. A spokesman said: âWe offer our sincere sympathy to the Docherty family. However, Reckitt Benckiser would like to reassure consumers that Nurofen Plus are safe and effective when taken in accordance with the instructions.â
Anyone else had an 'addiction' to painkillers or (subconsciously) convince themselves they have some kind of mild pain so they can take one?
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when i was like 15 i had some bad tooth ache like real badi was talking bare pills after it went i was talking them just so it didnt come backim not gonna say the amountsbut the woman in the shop stopped selling me themhow dumbi just went to the next shop. but yeah went dentist. fixed the tooth and dindt do it no morewas stupid.very stupid.

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im on to these still pop 2 tesco brands then 1 nurophen every morninhelps start the day if not i get bad headaches an prevention is better than curei swear normal paracetmol r just placebos tho cuz as soon as i take em the pain goes away
ur mind thinks it goes away but its not doin nothin. u shouldnt depend on that to start ur day.like ur dependant on it. not good
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im on to these still pop 2 tesco brands then 1 nurophen every morninhelps start the day if not i get bad headaches an prevention is better than curei swear normal paracetmol r just placebos tho cuz as soon as i take em the pain goes away
thats really not healthy
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