Posted by Leslie on April 27, 2000, at 8:10:32
In reply to Re: CAN I BUY CODEINE?, posted by Mark H. on April 26, 2000, at 18:20:25
> Discuss it with your pharmacist.
Hi Mark, and thanks for your reply. There would be no point in discussing it with him, as in the UK you must have a prescription to get codeine - unless it is combined with another medicine, like paracetamol, and these combination medicines have hardly any codeine in them - I would have to take a lot of paracetamol to get the required dose of codeine, and we all know how safe that is! Also unfortunately(!) all the pharmacists I know are extremely law-abiding, upright citizens!It's interesting that you find codeine a depressive... apart from the benefits I mentioned in my earlier post, I find it makes me feel very good - in more ways than one! I mean, it doesn't just take away the unpleasant physical symptoms and discomfort, but it also generally cheers me up.
I was put on a form of Prozac last year, and I didn't find that very helpful. I was seeing a pyschiatrist and he recommended it. The reason I ended up with him is, the Christmas before last, I visited the States for a Christmas party - business one! - and I caught pneumonia. I was taken into a hospital near Detroit, having severe breathing problems, and whilst in the ER, I started struggling for breath in earnest. The doctors were around me like a shot, trying to make me lie down so they could insert a tube down my throat. But when you're struggling for breath, the last thing you want is to lie down, so I fought them. They then injected me with a paralysing drug, and I collapsed bonelessly onto the table. It is difficult to describe what it is like lying there, being unable to even try to breathe for yourself, while someone is forcing a tube down your throat. Fortunately, I passed out after a few minutes of this. I was put on a ventilator, and critical for 48 hours - I was told I nearly died, and was very lucky to come out of it.
Now, I'm not one of life's confident, problem-free people, and this little event has given me psychological problems - more than I had to start with! When I came back to the UK, a few months later I started having blackouts. I had one one morning just before I got into the bath. I hit my head on the sink, and went very unconscious. My little 7 year old girl found me (we were alone in the house), and called 999 for an ambulance. I was very lucky. Then in the summer I started having fits. So as you can see, I have had quite an interesting year! So the last thing I need is someone taking away the only thing that - honestly - keeps me going.
Anyway, sorry to go off on a tangent like that, and bore you to death! If I do find a friendly pharmacist, I'll write to let everyone know... but it's kinda unlikely!
Leslie
poster:Leslie
thread:31321
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000420/msgs/31447.html