Dr Stuart Myers

Panadeine Forte (Paracetamol 500mg + Codeine 30mg)

- Effective for moderate to severe pain.
- Combination of paracetamol and codeine provides synergistic pain relief.


Risks:

- Beware taking this with Paracetamol  ( Do not take at the same time)
- Potential for dependence and abuse (codeine is an opioid).
- Common side effects include constipation, nausea, and dizziness.
- Eat lots of fibre and fluids and stop the medication as soon as possible
- Risk of hepatotoxicity from paracetamol component if taken in excess.
Genetic variability in codeine metabolism can lead to differences in efficacy and risk of overdose.   
-    Poor Metabolizers do not convert codeine to morphine effectively and thus experience little to no analgesic effect from codeine. 
-    This group represents approximately 5-10% of Caucasians, 1-2% of East Asians, and 1-10% of African Americans and Africans. 

Information Sheet


https://www.ebs.tga.gov.au/ebs/picmi/picmirepository.nsf/pdf?OpenAgent=&id=CP-2010-CMI-05157-3