Empirin Codeine (Aspirin and Codeine) Patient Information: How Should I Take the Drug at RxList

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May 27, 2012

Empirin Codeine

Chronic Pain »

Introduction to Chronic Pain

You know it at once. It may be the fiery sensation of a burn moments after your finger touches the stove. Or it's a dull ache above your brow after a day of stress and tension. Or you may recognize it as a sharp pierce in your back after you lift something heavy.

It is pain. In its most benign form, it warns us that something isn't quite right, that we should take medicine or see a doctor. At its worst, however, pain robs us of our productivity, our well-being, and, for many of us suffering from extended illness, our very lives. Pain is a complex perception that differs enormously among individual patients, even those who appear to have identical injuries or illnesses.

In 1931, the French medical missionary Dr. Albert Schweitzer wrote, "Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind than even death itself." Today, pain has become the universal disorder, a serious and costly public health issue, and a challenge for famil...

Read the Chronic Pain article »

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Empirin Codeine

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Empirin Codeine Patient Information including How Should I Take

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking aspirin and codeine (Empirin Codeine)?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to aspirin or codeine.

Codeine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Aspirin and codeine should never be given to another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it.

Before using aspirin and codeine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorders;
kidney disease;
liver disease;
a history of head injury or brain tumor;
epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
a stomach ulcer or intestinal disorder;
underactive thyroid;
Addison's disease or other adrenal gland disorder;
enlarged prostate, urination problems;
curvature of the spine;
mental illness; or
a history of drug or alcohol addiction.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take aspirin and codeine.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby, and could cause breathing problems or addiction/withdrawal symptoms in a newborn. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Aspirin and codeine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. The use of codeine by some nursing mothers may lead to life-threatening side effects in the baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not give this medication to anyone under 18 without the advice of a doctor. Aspirin should not be given to a child or teenager who has a fever, especially if the child also has flu symptoms or chicken pox. Aspirin can cause a serious and sometimes fatal condition called Reye's syndrome.

How should I take aspirin and codeine (Empirin Codeine)?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take it in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.

Take this medicine with a full glass of water.

Take with food or milk to ease stomach upset.

You may have withdrawal symptoms when you stop using aspirin and codeine after using it over a long period of time. Do not stop using this medication suddenly without first talking to your doctor. You may need to use less and less before you stop the medication completely.

If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using aspirin and codeine. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

Store aspirin and codeine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Keep track of how many tablets have been used from each new bottle of this medicine. Codeine is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription.

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