by tasadam » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 9:57 am
You are right in that Panadeine Forte is a perscription drug, as is Maxolon.
But I would not be without either for my bushwalking first aid kit.
If you cannot stop being sick you are at serious risk of dehydration. If things are happening at the other end, at least you can get it in so you can avoid dehydration by inputting what you can. But if you cannot keep it down, that's a big problem. Hence the Maxolon, enough to allow for a few wasted (that might "bounce").
Re Panadeine Forte. If I had a broken arm or something similar and I had to strap it up and walk out, I would happily take P.forte as often as needed to make it out on my own steam if possible and sensible.
A good doctor that knows you will usually perscribe these items if he / she is aware that they are for a bushwalking first aid kit, knows you well enough to believe that, and feels like it. As I understand it, they are not obliged to, but sometimes will. Another example might be for people doing offshore touring on a yacht or something, a drug like P.forte would be a highly recommended asset to a first aid kit.
If you cannot get P.forte, Nurofen Plus is about the biggest non-perscription codeine dose you can buy, about 14mg compared to 30.
Only time we have needed P.forte on a walk was at the end of the Overland Track in mid winter 2007, 9 days and 102KM including the side trips we did.
Last day, walking down beside the lake, my wife's knee gave her massive problems, I got her pack down to 12kg by carrying over 20 myself, but her pain was such that I was giving her regular doses of it, spacing it out so as to have enough to finish the walk as best she could. Ordinarily without the pain, that much codeine might give one a buzz / high, but it was purely for pain relief.
My feet were pretty stuffed too, I would have been taking them myself too, to get through, but that we didn't have enough, and that I knew I had to drive when we got there. So I grinned and beared it. They say you forget pain. I remember that!
A warning to all, too much codeine can block you up. Not usually a big problem on a bushwalkers diet, but something to consider.
Of course, talk to your GP first, before following any advice about medication you read here.
