Main use Active ingredient Manufacturer
Chronic severe pain  Dihydrocodeine tartrate Napp

How does it work?
DHC continus prolonged release tablets contain the activeingredient dihydrocodeine, which is a type of medicine called an opioidpainkiller.

Opioid painkillers work by mimicking the action of naturallyoccurring pain-reducing chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are found inthe brain and spinal cord and reduce pain by combining with opioid receptors.

Dihydrocodeine mimicks the action of natural endorphins bycombining with the opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This blocksthe transmission of pain signals sent by the nerves to the brain. Therefore,even though the cause of the pain may remain, less pain is actually felt.

Dihydrocodeine is used to relieve moderate to severepain.

DHC continus tablets are known as 'prolonged release' tablets.They are designed to release the dihydrocodeine slowly and continuously over afew hours to provide prolonged pain relief. The tablets are taken every 12hours. The tablets should be swallowed whole and not broken, chewed or crushed,as this would damage the prolonged release action. This could cause all thedihydrocodeine to be released at once, potentially leading to anoverdose.

What is it used for?
Chronic (ongoing) severe pain, for example due to cancer.
Warning!
This medicine may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Alcohol should be avoided.
If this medicine is taken regularly for long periods of time, the body can become tolerant to it and it may become less effective at relieving pain. With prolonged use, the body may also become dependent on the dihydrocodeine. As a result, when you then stop taking the medicine you may get withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness and irritability.
Prolonged use of a painkiller for headaches can make them worse.
Use with caution in
Elderly people
Decreased liver function
Decreased kidney function
Asthma
Underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism)
Enlarged prostate gland (prostatic hypertrophy)
Constipation
Obstruction of the bowel
Disorders of the bile ducts
Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
Enlargement of a chamber (right ventricle) of the heart (cor pulmonale)
History of drug dependence or abuse.
Not to be used in
Children under 12 years of age
Slow, shallow breathing (respiratory depression)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
People having an asthma attack
Alcohol intoxication
Paralysis or inactivity in the intestines that prevents material moving through the gut (paralytic ileus)
People with a head injury or raised pressure inside the skull (raised intracranial pressure)
Rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption (DHC continus tablets contain lactose).
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one orany of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you havepreviously experienced such anallergy.If you feel you haveexperienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform yourdoctor or pharmacist immediately.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy orbreastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy orbreastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks t