Non-Prescription Drugs

Woebot

Well-known member
Co-codamol, Nurofen, Paracetamol, Aspirin.

I've found since having children that I've used these much more than in the past. The pain! Ha ha ha. I'll take either Paracetamol or Nurofen once a fortnight. But I never used to use them in the past.

I haven't actually used co-codamol more than once when recently i was direly sick. But it struck me that it was extremely strong. Very effective!

Occasionally I think that this must be some some subtle substitution for the drugs i took when i was younger, but i dont know if that holds water for a number of reasons. These drugs, with the possible exception of the codeine, are so much weaker. Even marijuana is about a hundred times stronger than Nurofen.

I think rather that if i'd known how useful they are I'd have used them when i was younger.

Aspirin is a particularly cool drug isnt it? Lowers the blood pressure. Is good for the heart. But my father-in-law, a Professor in medicine, tells me that if made in todays cimate it'd never be unleased on the general public- too risky, too many unusual side-effects.
 

Lichen

Well-known member
Nurofen is just a brand name: their only ingredient is Ibruprofen. This is available un-branded (or supermarket own-branded) at a fraction of the price. You don't get the cool coloured lozenges and things though.


Sure you know that though
 

tryptych

waiting for a time
Occasionally I think that this must be some some subtle substitution for the drugs i took when i was younger, but i dont know if that holds water for a number of reasons. These drugs, with the possible exception of the codeine, are so much weaker. Even marijuana is about a hundred times stronger than Nurofen.

I think rather that if i'd known how useful they are I'd have used them when i was younger.

Stronger in what sense? As a painkiller? I'd take ibuprofen over weed any day if i had a headache etc.. and its certainly not 100 times weaker.

You're talking about two different kinds of drugs here - both THC and codeine are poweful psychoactives, capable of producing fairly dramatic altered states of consciousness. Your NSAIDs like ibuprofen, aspirin, diclofenac etc are never going to produce those sorts of effects, no matter how much you take* - they just don't work that way.


*There might be some toxicity related psychosis at very high levels, close to death I spose...
 
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Woebot

Well-known member
hmm. i suppose i'm working under the assumption that recreational drug-use is at some underlying level just a form of self-medication; a response to personal pain and misery.

it is isnt it?
 

tryptych

waiting for a time
Well, while I certainly wouldn't agree that all recreational drug use is self medication, some of it definately is.

Be that as it may, no-one self medicates with ibuprofen because of psychological "pain & misery" - because it doesn't do anything to counteract anxiety or stress. But if you've got inflammation, infection, joint pain etc it's great.
 
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Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
hmm. i suppose i'm working under the assumption that recreational drug-use is at some underlying level just a form of self-medication; a response to personal pain and misery.

it is isnt it?

Er, not quite - that's the 'bad' sort of recreational drug use, or what I would call 'drug mis-use'; taking drugs because you feel shit and simply want to block it out, to feel 'normal'. The kind that's far more likely to lead to dependence and general misery, in my opinion.

I feel fine most of the time when I'm sober and take drugs to get into an extraordinary state of mind. That way I don't feel bad when it wears off. Not trying to hold myself up as a model drug user (I've fucked up a few times just like most people who use drugs - most frequently on alcohol, I have to say), but that's generally what I would call the 'good' sort of recreational drug use.
 

swears

preppy-kei
Otrivine nasal spray is brilliant for a blocked nose, I wish I'd discovered this years ago. Also Boots sleepease tablets, although you've got to take them when you know you've got at least 7 hours kip ahead of you, otherwise you'll be groggy in the morning. I still think paracetemol is shit tho, ibo all the way!
 

grizzleb

Well-known member
Otrivine nasal spray is brilliant for a blocked nose, I wish I'd discovered this years ago. Also Boots sleepease tablets, although you've got to take them when you know you've got at least 7 hours kip ahead of you, otherwise you'll be groggy in the morning. I still think paracetemol is shit tho, ibo all the way!
Totally. Paracetamol is shite, never understood its widespead popularity.
 

petergunn

plywood violin
didn't ibuprofen used to be a prescription drug in the UK?


i swear i remember a doctor writing me a script for it and me looking at him like he was mental...
 

swears

preppy-kei
You can still get over the counter drugs on prescription. My nan gets paracetamol off the doctor like that. I think it's to save you money or something. Where you paying charges at the time?
 

petergunn

plywood violin
You can still get over the counter drugs on prescription. My nan gets paracetamol off the doctor like that. I think it's to save you money or something. Where you paying charges at the time?

you mean doctor's fees?

no, it was a free university doctor...
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
didn't ibuprofen used to be a prescription drug in the UK?


i swear i remember a doctor writing me a script for it and me looking at him like he was mental...

Doubt it, I mean there's no way you can possibly get high on it. I could be wrong though.

Sure it wasn't ibu+codeine or something like that?
 

massrock

Well-known member
I don't think it's been available over the counter as long in the UK as it has in the US, maybe only since the late 80s... There were big TV ad campaigns for Nurofen.
 

massrock

Well-known member
Those were indeed more civilised days in some ways.

I reckon the UK should turn itself into a massive drugs haven. Come on Gordon, where's your vision? Getting faced is obviously what we do best, as a Scot you should know this. Everything legal and regulated, we could turn the economy around! Tourism would be off the scale. Let's show the world what makes Britain great!
 

swears

preppy-kei
you mean doctor's fees?

no, it was a free university doctor...

No, prescription charges. It's about 7-8 quid now, which is good if you need something expensive, but stupid if it's something you could get for 50p in the supermarket like Iboprufen. If you were at uni and it was free anyway, maybe that's why he gave you a prescription for it. Plus doctors like to give people pills, it's a placebo/closure thing: you went to the doctors and got something.
 
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