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Feminax 002

Four or five Feminax

Feminax 001

A package of Feminax purchased in Dublin, Oct. 2009

Feminax is an over-the-counter medication sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland designed to "rapidly relieve period pain and associated mentrual cramps." Feminax also "relieves painful stomach cramps, backache, headache and all the other aches and pains you get with period pain."

Each Feminax tablet includes the acive ingredients: 500 mg paracetamol (acetaminophen in the US), 8 mg codeine phosphate, caffeine hydrate equivalent to 50 mg caffeine anhydrous, and 100 micrograms hyoscine hydrobromine.

Pharmacies in England and Ireland do not keep medications of any kind on their shelves. Those who need Feminax to suppress period pain must speak to the phamacist and ask for it by name, or simply request something to control menstrual cramps. In the second case, the chemist will immediately reach for Feminax.

Package instructions warn users to "avoid strong drink" while taking Feminax because alcohol will intensify the opioid effects of the codeine and can slow down respiratory functions and possibly lead to accidental death. So obviously "Ginger and Jack and four or five Feminax," while it may sound like a good idea on the suface, could end badly.


Feminax

from The Swish and Multitude Of Casualties

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