Ultramol Soluble Effervescent Tablets 32

What is Ultramol Soluble Effervescent Tablets 32?

An effervescent tablet you dissolve in a glass of water, containing paracetamol, a low dose of codeine and caffeine. It is licensed for the short-term treatment of acute moderate pain that has not been relieved by paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin on their own. It contains codeine, which can cause addiction, so it is for three days' use only.

How does it help?

Paracetamol reduces the pain signals your brain registers. Codeine is an opioid: the body converts part of it to morphine, which acts on opioid receptors in the nervous system to dull pain that paracetamol alone has not shifted. Caffeine is included because it helps paracetamol work. Because it dissolves in water, the tablet is already in solution when you swallow it, which some people find easier than swallowing a tablet whole.

Key benefits

• Licensed as a step up for moderate pain when paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin alone has not worked
• Dissolves in water, which suits people who find tablets hard to swallow
• Paracetamol, a low dose of codeine and caffeine in one effervescent tablet
• A pharmacy medicine, so you can talk it through with our pharmacist before you buy

Who should take care?

Always read the patient information leaflet before use. This medicine contains codeine, which can cause addiction if you take it continuously for more than three days, and stopping can then give you withdrawal symptoms - use it for three days at most, and see your doctor or pharmacist if you still need pain relief after that. Taken for headache for more than three days it can make the headaches worse. Do not take it with any other medicine containing paracetamol, and do not exceed the stated dose - if you take too much, get medical help immediately even if you feel well, because of the risk of delayed liver damage. It must not be taken by children under 12, by anyone under 18 who has had their tonsils or adenoids removed for obstructive sleep apnoea, by women who are breastfeeding, or by anyone known to be an ultra-rapid metaboliser of codeine. Take care if you have kidney or liver problems, drink heavily, are elderly, or have prostate, thyroid, bowel or other conditions that opioids can worsen. Each tablet contains 388mg of sodium, so tell us if you are on a low-salt diet or have high blood pressure, and go easy on tea, coffee and cola while taking it. Our pharmacist checks it is right for you before it is dispensed.