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" What is\u00A0Migraleve yellow used for?  Short-term (up to three days) treatment of migraine headache that is not relieved by paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin alone.  How does\u00A0Migraleve yellow work? Migraleve yellow tablets contain two active ingredients, paracetamol and codeine.\u00A0 Paracetamol is\u00A0thought to relieve pain\u00A0by reducing the production of prostaglandins in the brain and spinal cord.\u00A0Prostaglandins sensitise nerve endings, causing pain (presumably to prevent us from causing further harm to the area). As paracetamol reduces the production of these nerve sensitising prostaglandins it is thought it may increase our pain threshold, so that although the cause of the pain remains, we don&amp;#039;t feel it as much. Codeine\u00A0is a type of painkiller called an opioid. It is related to morphine but is not as strong. Opioid painkillers work by mimicking the action of naturally occurring pain-reducing chemicals called endorphins in the\u00A0brain and spinal cord. They reduce pain by combining with opioid receptors and blocking\u00A0the transmission of pain signals sent by the nerves to the brain. This means that\u00A0even though the cause of the pain may remain, less pain is actually felt. Migraleve yellow tablets contain 8mg of codeine, which in combination with the paracetamol, is effective at relieving mild pain.   How do I take\u00A0Migraleve yellow?  Treatment for a migraine should preferably start with Migraleve pink, which contains an antisickness medicine as well as paracetamol and codeine.  Migraleve yellow tablets are to be used if the headache continues despite taking Migraleve pink tablets. You should not start taking Migraleve yellow until four hours after your dose of Migraleve pink. Migraleve yellow tablets can be taken either with or without food.  Adults aged 18 years and over can take two Migraleve yellow tablets every four hours as needed. However, do not take more than two Migraleve pink and six Migraleve yellow tablets in 24 hours.  Adolescents aged 15 to 18 years can take two Migraleve yellow tablets every six hours as needed. However, do not take more than two Migraleve pink and six Migraleve yellow tablets in 24 hours.  Adolescents aged 12 to 14 years can take one Migraleve yellow tablets every six hours as needed. Do not take more than one Migraleve pink and three Migraleve yellow tablets in 24 hours.  Do not take more than the recommended dose. Do not take this medicine for longer than three days without consulting your doctor. Taking codeine regularly for more than three days can lead to addiction to the medicine and withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking it. Consult your doctor if your pain doesn&amp;#039;t get better\u00A0despite taking Migraleve yellow.  What should I know before taking\u00A0Migraleve yellow?  Codeine can cause drowsiness, although at the dose in Migraleve yellow\u00A0this is very unlikely. However, if you do find this medicine makes you feel sleepy or dizzy you should not drive or operate machinery and avoid drinking alcohol. In\u00A0March 2015 a new &amp;#039;drug driving&amp;#039; law came\u00A0into force that\u00A0allows\u00A0police to use roadside drug tests to check for the presence of\u00A0prohibited drugs in a driver&amp;#039;s saliva.\u00A0The medicines prohibited\u00A0by the law include morphine. Codeine is converted into morphine by the liver, which means\u00A0it may be an offence to drive while you are taking Migraleve yellow. You should not drive if you think this medicine affects your ability to drive safely, for example if it makes you feel sleepy, dizzy, unable to concentrate or make decisions, or if you have blurred or double vision. People can vary considerably in the way that their body metabolises codeine. For some people this may lead to an increased chance of getting side effects, such as reduced levels of consciousness; sleepiness; slow, shallow breathing; &amp;#039;pin-point&amp;#039; pupils; lack of appetite; constipation; or nausea and vomiting. If you experience any of these you should stop using Migraleve yellow and get medical advice straight away. For other people it may mean that the codeine is less effective, so if you find this medicine doesn&amp;#039;t relieve your symptoms well enough you should consult your doctor or pharmacist.  Do not take Migraleve yellow\u00A0with any other products that contain paracetamol. Many over-the-counter painkillers and cold and flu remedies contain paracetamol. It is important to check the ingredients of any medicines you buy without a prescription before taking them in combination with this medicine. Seek further advice from your pharmacist.   An overdose of paracetamol is dangerous and capable of causing serious damage to the liver and kidneys. You should never exceed the recommended\u00A0dose. get immediate medical advice in the event of an overdose with Migraleve yellow, even if you feel well, because of the risk of delayed, serious liver damage.  Alcohol increases the risk of liver damage that can occur if an overdose of paracetamol is taken. The hazards of paracetamol overdose are greater in persistent heavy drinkers and in people with alcoholic liver disease.  Do not take Migraleve yellow for longer than three days without consulting your doctor. If you take it\u00A0regularly for long periods of time, the body can become tolerant to the codeine\u00A0and it may become less effective at relieving pain. With prolonged use, the body may also become dependent on the codeine. As a result, when you then stop taking it\u00A0you may get withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness and irritability.  Taking a painkiller for headaches too often or for too long can actually make the headaches worse.  Who should not take\u00A0Migraleve yellow?  People who are known to have a genetic variation of a liver enzyme called CYP2D6, which metabolises codeine into morphine (CYP2D6 ultra-rapid metabolisers). These people are more likely to experience side effects after taking codeine, because they convert more codeine into morphine than other people. See\u00A0above. People with very slow, shallow breathing (respiratory depression), people having an\u00A0asthma attack\u00A0and people with\u00A0chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People with or\u00A0at risk of getting a blockage in the gut (paralytic ileus).  People with a head injury or raised pressure inside the skull (intracranial pressure). People who are intoxicated with alcohol.  Women who are breastfeeding. Children under 12 years of age. Migraleve yellow should not be used\u00A0in children and adolescents under 18 years of age who have had surgery to remove their tonsils or adenoids (tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy or both) for obstructive sleep apnoea. Migraleve yellow\u00A0is not recommended for adolescents aged 12 to 18 years whose breathing might be compromised, including those with neuromuscular disorders; severe heart or lung conditions; upper airway or lung infections; multiple trauma; or who have had extensive surgical procedures.   Migraleve yellow\u00A0should not be used if you are allergic to\u00A0any of its ingredients.\u00A0If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using Migraleve yellow and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.  Who should get medical advice before taking Migraleve yellow?  Elderly people. People with kidney or liver problems. People with\u00A0lung problems such as\u00A0asthma. People with biliary tract disorders, eg gallstones or recent surgery on the biliary tract. People with acute abdominal conditions such as appendicitis. People who have recently had surgery on their stomach, intestines or urinary tract. People who are constipated. People with inflammatory bowel disorders such as Crohn&amp;#039;s disease or ulcerative colitis. People who have difficulty passing urine, for example men with an enlarged prostate gland. People with an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). People with underactive adrenal glands, eg Addison&amp;#039;s disease. People with low blood pressure (hypotension) or shock. People with a condition involving abnormal muscle weakness called myasthenia gravis. People with a history of convulsions or fits, eg epilepsy. People with an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). People with a history of drug abuse or dependence.  Can I take\u00A0Migraleve yellow while pregnant or\u00A0breastfeeding?  Migraleve yellow\u00A0should be avoided during pregnancy\u00A0unless considered essential by your doctor, and then used\u00A0only if the expected benefit to the mother outweighs any potential risk to the baby.\u00A0Paracetamol is not known to be harmful when used during pregnancy. However, the safety of codeine has not been established. If codeine is used regularly in the third trimester it may cause withdrawal symptoms in the baby after birth. If used during labour it may cause breathing difficulties in the baby after birth. Get\u00A0medical advice from your doctor before using Migraleve yellow if you are pregnant. If you are breastfeeding you should not take Migraleve yellow.\u00A0Paracetamol and codeine\u00A0pass into breast milk in amounts that are probably too small to be harmful in most people. However, because some people metabolise codeine in a slightly different way that can increase the risk of getting side effects, it is recommended that women who are breastfeeding do not take codeine. It is impossible to predict which women and babies will metabolise codeine differently. Potential side effects in a nursing baby may include drowsiness or sedation, difficulty breastfeeding, vomiting, breathing difficulties and floppiness.\u00A0  What are the possible side effects of\u00A0Migraleve yellow? Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with co-codamol. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using Migraleve yellow\u00A0will experience that or any side effect.  Constipation. Nausea and vomiting. Dry mouth. Dizziness. Sweating. Itching. Skin rash. Difficulty passing urine. Codeine can cause drowsiness, although at the dose in Migraleve yellow\u00A0this is very unlikely.\u00A0 Dependence on the medicine if used regularly or for long periods of time (see warnings\u00A0above).  Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you want any more information about the possible side effects of Migraleve yellow. If you think you have experienced a side effect, did you know you can report this using the\u00A0yellow card website? Can I take\u00A0Migraleve yellow with other medicines? If you are taking any other medicines, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, it is important to check with your pharmacist or doctor\u00A0before you take Migraleve yellow as well, to make sure that the\u00A0combination is safe. Migraleve yellow should not be taken by people who have taken\u00A0a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI)\u00A0in the last 14 days.\u00A0MAOIs include the antidepressants\u00A0phenelzine,\u00A0tranylcypromine,\u00A0isocarboxazid\u00A0and\u00A0moclobemide\u00A0and the anti-Parkinson&amp;#039;s medicine\u00A0selegiline.  Don&amp;#039;t take\u00A0other medicines that contain paracetamol\u00A0in combination with Migraleve, as this can easily result in exceeding the maximum recommended daily dose of paracetamol. Many\u00A0cold and flu remedies\u00A0and\u00A0other painkillers\u00A0contain paracetamol so be sure to check the ingredients of any other medicines before taking them in combination with this one, or ask your pharmacist for advice.\u00A0(Paracetamol is known as acetaminophen in the USA and some other countries). The dose of codeine in Migraleve yellow is unlikely to cause drowsiness, but this is more likely if you take it\u00A0with any of the following, which can also cause drowsiness:   antipsychotics, eg haloperidol, chlorpromazine  benzodiazepines, eg temazepam, diazepam  sedating antihistamines, eg chlorphenamine, promethazine, triprolidine, hydroxyzine (some of these may be found in non-prescription cough,\u00A0cold or hayfever remedies)  sleeping tablets, eg zopiclone  other strong opioid painkillers, eg dihydrocodeine, morphine, tramadol   tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline.   Codeine phosphate can reduce the muscular activity in the gut and so may oppose the effect of the following medicines on the gut:  domperidone  metoclopramide.  There may be an increased risk of side effects such as constipation, dry mouth and blurred vision if codeine is taken with antimuscarinic medicines that can cause these type of side effects, such as the following:   antimuscarinic medicines for Parkinson&amp;#039;s symptoms, eg procyclidine, orphenadrine, trihexiphenidyl   antimuscarinic medicines for urinary incontinence, eg oxybutynin, flavoxate, tolterodine, propiverine, trospium  antispasmodics, eg atropine, hyoscine.  There is a risk of severe constipation if codeine is used with antimotility medicines for diarrhoea, such as loperamide. Quinidine,\u00A0rifampicin\u00A0and\u00A0ritonavir\u00A0reduce\u00A0the painkilling effect of codeine. Colestyramine reduces the absorption of paracetamol from the gut. It should not be taken within an hour of taking Migraleve yellow\u00A0or the effect of the paracetamol will be reduced. Other medicines containing paracetamol and codeine (co-codamol) Non-prescription brands of co-codamol:   Migraleve pink (this also contains an antisickness medicine called buclizine).  Panadol ultra.  Paracodol.  Solpadeine max.  Solpadeine plus (also contains caffeine).  Syndol headache relief (also contains caffeine). Ultramol soluble (also contains caffeine).  Veganin (also contains caffeine).   Prescription-only brands of co-codamol:   Codipar.  Kapake.  Solpadol.  Tylex.  Zapain.  Co-codamol tablets, effervescent tablets and capsules are also available without a brand name (ie as the generic medicine) in both prescription and non-prescription strengths.  Paracetamol and codeine are also widely available as the separate medicines. Last updated 18.02.2015 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/aches-and-pains/a8077/migraleve-yellow-paracetamol-and-codeine/>