Paralgin Forte is a preparation containing 400 mg
of paracetamol (APAP) and 30 mg of codeine per tablet. It’s available
at some pharmacies with the appropriate license to dispense codeine
containing preparations and it’s the most common codeine formulation
around Malaysia. It’s a restricted (quite so, especially in certain
pharmacies) pharmaceutical due to the high codeine content per tablet.
There is one pharmacy (which doesn’t look dodgy at all, by all outward appearances) who will sell packets of 5 (five) pre-split Paralgin Forte tablets
[sixthseal.com] for RM 3 per packet with an enforced maximum purchase
of two such packets per customer. The pharmacy seems to have targeted a
particular segment of the pharmaceuticals market (namely, people like
me) and pre-package two packets of the Paralgin Forte in a little
magazine insert (ironically, Discovery Travel and Adventure) and sells
it for RM 10.
It’s instant relief for pains real or imaginary, with one hell of an
effect. The packets are sold, no questions asked, at the abovementioned
quota of two packets per customer per visit. I usually take much more
codeine to get off, but without opiate tolerance (or with diminished
opiate tolerance) 300 mg of codeine coupled with benzodiazepines can be
your best friend for about 4 hours. 😉
I don’t even bother to do a cold water extraction – I’ve taken 4.4
grams of paracetamol (APAP) routinely without adverse effects and at my
highest (which collaborates with the lowest point of my life) took 8
grams (20 tablets for 600 mg of codeine) without kicking the bucket. It
should be noted that the “ceiling dose” (the dose where you stop
getting anything more from codeine) for codeine is 400 mg – thus, in
hindsight, it wasn’t a very wise thing to do.
Disclaimer: sixthseal.com is not responsible for
massive liver damage and/or end organ failure and death resulting from,
or indirectly caused by, taking massive quantities of paracetamol
(APAP).
The official guide is 4 grams per day, maximum, for a healthy adult,
and not in one sitting (staggered dosing), but what do we care, eh? 😉
