Dihydrocodeine vs Co-codamol — Strength Comparison
Co-codamol is paracetamol + codeine in a single tablet. Dihydrocodeine is a different (stronger) opioid taken on its own. Here’s how they compare.
Strengths available
| Product | Codeine | Paracetamol | |—|—|—| | Co-codamol 8/500 (OTC) | 8mg | 500mg | | Co-codamol 15/500 (Rx) | 15mg | 500mg | | Co-codamol 30/500 (Rx) | 30mg | 500mg |
Dihydrocodeine comes as 30mg, 60mg and 120mg — no paracetamol included.
Which is stronger?
- 30mg dihydrocodeine ≈ 60mg codeine ≈ two co-codamol 30/500 tablets (worth of codeine — but you’d overdose paracetamol)
- 60mg dihydrocodeine SR is meaningfully stronger than any co-codamol dose
So: if co-codamol 30/500 isn’t controlling your pain, dihydrocodeine 30mg is the natural step up.
When to choose which
- Co-codamol 30/500: mild–moderate pain where paracetamol alone has nearly worked
- Dihydrocodeine 30mg: moderate–severe pain, or when you need to take paracetamol separately so you can dose-titrate
- Dihydrocodeine 60mg SR: chronic pain needing 12-hour cover
Don’t double up paracetamol
If you take co-codamol 30/500 and standalone paracetamol you’ll exceed 4g paracetamol in 24 hours. Switching to dihydrocodeine + separate paracetamol gives you full control of both doses.
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