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In most European countries, opioid painkillers will only be administered in hospitals when pain is so strong that you can't fight it with Ibuprofen or Aspirin (
by dx034 9y ago
In most European countries, opioid painkillers will only be administered in hospitals when pain is so strong that you can't fight it with Ibuprofen or Aspirin (e.g. after surgeries).
I don't know a single person here in Europe who got a recipe for opioids by a GP or after leaving the hospital. That's not because pain is not treated but because doctors realise how dangerous opioids are.
- martinald 9y agoIn the most European countries co-codamol is OTC without a prescription. I think it's quite common to get co-codamol or dihydrocodeine from a GP in the UK. However, this is really weak in comparison to the high-dose oxy or hydrocodone that US doctors seem to prescribe.
- dx034 9y agoCO-Codamol has a comparably low codeine content which would likely make it less addictive (only guessing, not a doctor). It's a prescription drug in the UK. Will probably depend on the doctor but the GPs I have seen in the UK have preferred Ibuprofen if it can treat the pain.
- martinald 9y agoIt's not a prescription drug. You can get up to 12mg/500mg OTC at a pharmacy. FWIW you can also get 8mg/500mg dihydrocodone without a prescription OTC in the UK.
- koffiezet 9y agoAnything containing codeine is prescription afaik in Belgium. Pure paracetamol-based painkillers is OTC.