Withdrawal from codeine - cocodamol 30/500's - Day 2 of cold turkey!

Hi, just wondering if anyone is online right now? Really need some help, someone to talk to? Feels like my body is repelling me.

Alex

This has really helped me thank you

hi, i would just like to thankyou for the posts you put on here, i understood and completely sympathised with every word you wrote, i have been taking co codamol and dihyydrocodiene for  roughly a year, taking them all day everyday until my dr noticed the amount of repeat prescriptions i had been using!!

Hi perfect angel, i just wanted,needed to thank you for the posts you wrote on here,i had been taking co codomol 30/500 for 3 yrs after my c section,much needed to start with but after a few weeks it wasn't a need,it was a want,they made me feel great and they suppressed my appetite which i thought was fab as it was a massive help in losing my baby weight! After a year or so,the two i was taking( maybe 5 times a day) weren't enough so i upped it to 3(making it at least 15 tabs a day) that carried on until last saturday..6 days ago when i ran out,i was starting to panic long before i'd finished them cos i knew i wasn't going to be able to get more before monday...by sunday evening i was feeling dreadful,aching joints,headache,crying constantly,all the usual stuff ...i didn't sleep a wink that night,nor the next,by the tuesday i decided to tell my partner who was fantastic but obviously he couldn't really understand what i was going through...i could have easily gone to the docs on the monday and got my prescription but as much as i was suffering and believe me i was,i thought to myself,if this is what NOT taking these tablets is doing to my body,what is TAKING them doing,so i decided to try and stick it out....that's when i came across your posts...if i've read them once this week,i've read them a thousand times,YOU kept me going,everything you were going through was exactly what i was suffering... It is now 6 days since i took anything and i feel like i'm living in a different world,i feel an elation inside me,i feel HAPPY...i feel like i've wasted the last 3 yrs of my life,i'm still not fully through it but i really wanted to tell everyone on here that it DOES get better...alot of pain and suffering in a short space of time(although it wont feel like it at the time) please believe me when i say...every hour is an hour behind you and an hour closer to getting your life back...please please take comfort from someone who less than a week ago had no intention of coming off this poison,but now feels sick at the thought of putting even one in her mouth,i know it's been said enough times by people like me but it's true..if I can do it,so can you,take that step and you wont look back....so thank you,thank you,thank you perfect angel and god bless you and your son because had it not been for you and your posts i would not have got through this week,i really hope that you're doing great still and i hope you feel proud of yourself because you'll probably never know just how many people you have helped,but from my heart i will forever be grateful that you had the courage to help others by sharing the misery you went through..and for everybody else,GOOD LUCK,BE STRONG,IT CAN BE DONE XX

Thank you :-)

hi there,

im on a tapering programme from co-codamol, the last 2week and a half...got down from 10 a day to zero some days, although i am having some withdrawals on most days now, eg diarrohea, headaches, lethergy, depression, but not as bad as going cold turkey. I got the programme from overcount on-line..if they helpped me, they can help others...

hi i have been taking codine for about 6 years for back pain and got hooked i kept taking more and more as was suffering from depression too. i'm getting over the depression and decided i had to come off the codine and do it cold turky as my doctor had reduced my dose, but i new this was the only way. this is my second day and i'm struggling so much, my body hurts my head hurts i can't think straight and i'm very scared. i no i have to do this and be strong as i have a daughter and husband who have already seen me go throuth my depression. they are my word and so suportive. i just want to feel well and mw again and admire anyone who comes off codine in this way, but think it is the only way

hi there..i feel for you///i really do, but i was advised byn addiction specialist and pshyichiatrist that the taper method over a period of ,16 weeks was my taper, different for different people, depends on how many you are/were taking..was 98% success rate and people who use the taper method as oppose to the cold turkey are less likely to back to taking codiene. I dont know what advise you have been given but you may be putting yourself through hell, just to fall back into taking it again a few weeks or months down the road. I also suffer from depression so know where you are coming from. As i reach the end of the codiene programme, the mirtazipine, that im on for depression helps me sleep and i have also been given propranolol (a beta blocker) to help slow my heart down on zero days when i get very anxious.



I am a nurse and have been for many years so have a bit of background knowledgr but never once thought i would end up addicted to codiene prescribed by my doctor.



like i said i am nearing the end and my last dose will be a week tomorrow and i will be free from the tighes of the addiction



ps it is a zero tablet day today and yes i feel a bit crappy but not half as bad as i would have going cold turkey. Again i cant advise enough that you mayb seek out help from overcount which is an on-line charity helpping people with addictions to prescription drugs.



good luck!

sonieve wrote:

deannaone wrote:

hi i have been taking codine for about 6 years for back pain and got hooked i kept taking more and more as was suffering from depression too. i'm getting over the depression and decided i had to come off the codine and do it cold turky as my doctor had reduced my dose, but i new this was the only way. this is my second day and i'm struggling so much, my body hurts my head hurts i can't think straight and i'm very scared. i no i have to do this and be strong as i have a daughter and husband who have already seen me go throuth my depression. they are my word and so suportive. i just want to feel well and mw again and admire anyone who comes off codine in this way, but think it is the only way

hi there..i feel for you///i really do, but i was advised byn addiction specialist and pshyichiatrist that the taper method over a period of ,16 weeks was my taper, different for different people, depends on how many you are/were taking..was 98% success rate and people who use the taper method as oppose to the cold turkey are less likely to back to taking codiene. I dont know what advise you have been given but you may be putting yourself through hell, just to fall back into taking it again a few weeks or months down the road. I also suffer from depression so know where you are coming from. As i reach the end of the codiene programme, the mirtazipine, that im on for depression helps me sleep and i have also been given propranolol (a beta blocker) to help slow my heart down on zero days when i get very anxious.

I am a nurse and have been for many years so have a bit of background knowledgr but never once thought i would end up addicted to codiene prescribed by my doctor.

like i said i am nearing the end and my last dose will be a week tomorrow and i will be free from the tighes of the addiction

ps it is a zero tablet day today and yes i feel a bit crappy but not half as bad as i would have going cold turkey. Again i cant advise enough that you mayb seek out help from overcount which is an on-line charity helpping people with addictions to prescription drugs.

good luck!

again for anyone doing it cold turkey you can take ibuprofen and paracetamol together for the pains and ask your doctor about either a beta blocker for anxiety or clonidine a blood pressure tablet, both can be used in the withdrawal of any opiate and are NON-ADDICTIVE!!!, but will help with the physical symtoms...
ps i only know this through my nursing background and through continuous research on my jouyrney through breaking away from codeine.

hope this helps someone!

Really just wanted to say these posts have helped me so much , day 8 of cold turkey from dehydrocodeine and co codamol for about 3years over the worst I think minus the sleep pattern at night I would love to know how perfect angel is getting on and any one else thinking of doing this get your life back minus being so high every day while trying to make out you feel fine is the best feeling , I'll never touch any thing with codeine in them again ever.

hi i just read your story of this addiction i am currently trying to get off them but i feel everything you have its the morning what are worse i quit smokeing but the codine thats got a hold of me after takein them for a injury if you could email me and give me any advice

an on-line site would help called over count....but they advise a taper method..mine took 16 weeks from 6 a day to zero...i am finished the program and am on day 3...well almost day 4 without co-codamol 30/500's, cant say its been easy, even with the taper..but as your body gets used to the lesser amount of codiene in it throughout the program, your bodies natural pain killing abilities begin to kick in again as they have been dulled by the use of codiene for so long this doesnt happen overnight. The physiology of it makes sense to me, mayb the medical background i have makes it easier to understand...but anyone with a bit of common sense surely understands that.


I am still having withdrawals, but they are not anywhere near as bad as the people describing the cold turkey method, the cravings are there, headaches, sweating at night, no diarrohea, anymore anyway, no muscle twitching or painful leg muscles, i do recommend this type of program for not falling back into taking codiene..i took advise from an addiction specialist and psychiatrist, both agreed with this method and it means that you can go about your day to day life whilst coming of codiene in the know that you will be free from it eventually.


Like i said i am still experiencing some withdrawals after taking my last dose 3 days ago..4th day today as its 02.16 a.m.


I was prescribed propranalol (beta blocker), non-addictive, by my G.P. to help with the anxiety towards the end of the program and they have helpped, i am still using them in the first week-two weeks untill my body is back to normal.


I have been told the withdrawals with this method will dissapear within two weeks where as with cold turkey, the cravings can last for months after stopping.


I am no expert!!!!!, i am simply passing on the knowledge i have gained through researching and going through my own codiene withdrawal experience.


Ps I found the morning one the HARDEST to break aswell..I am currently taking paracetamol in the morning instead, but that will eventually come to an end aswell again, as my bodies natural pain killers come back to life.


I hope this helps someone!

sonieve wrote:

magu123 wrote:

hi i just read your story of this addiction i am currently trying to get off them but i feel everything you have its the morning what are worse i quit smokeing but the codine thats got a hold of me after takein them for a injury if you could email me and give me any advice

an on-line site would help called over count....but they advise a taper method..mine took 16 weeks from 6 a day to zero...i am finished the program and am on day 3...well almost day 4 without co-codamol 30/500's, cant say its been easy, even with the taper..but as your body gets used to the lesser amount of codiene in it throughout the program, your bodies natural pain killing abilities begin to kick in again as they have been dulled by the use of codiene for so long this doesnt happen overnight. The physiology of it makes sense to me, mayb the medical background i have makes it easier to understand...but anyone with a bit of common sense surely understands that.

I am still having withdrawals, but they are not anywhere near as bad as the people describing the cold turkey method, the cravings are there, headaches, sweating at night, no diarrohea, anymore anyway, no muscle twitching or painful leg muscles, i do recommend this type of program for not falling back into taking codiene..i took advise from an addiction specialist and psychiatrist, both agreed with this method and it means that you can go about your day to day life whilst coming of codiene in the know that you will be free from it eventually.

Like i said i am still experiencing some withdrawals after taking my last dose 3 days ago..4th day today as its 02.16 a.m.

I was prescribed propranalol (beta blocker), non-addictive, by my G.P. to help with the anxiety towards the end of the program and they have helpped, i am still using them in the first week-two weeks untill my body is back to normal.

I have been told the withdrawals with this method will dissapear within two weeks where as with cold turkey, the cravings can last for months after stopping.

I am no expert!!!!!, i am simply passing on the knowledge i have gained through researching and going through my own codiene withdrawal experience.

Ps I found the morning one the HARDEST to break aswell..I am currently taking paracetamol in the morning instead, but that will eventually come to an end aswell again, as my bodies natural pain killers come back to life.

I hope this helps someone!

14 days after finishing my co-codamol taper program and have been 14 days free from codiene i have the odd craving but am hopfully free from the ties of the dependance!, long may it continue and i will never touch codiene tablets again!...

i take about 40 tables a day of the 30/500 and its my first day off them i am in a lot of pain and have a sore stomack but i no i need to kick them because they will cause a lot of harm to my liver its not the codeine that is the problem for your liver its the paracetamol thats in them however its the codeine thats additive and thats why they are hard to come off.want my addvice stop them now cause you will end up like a junkie thats whats in smack codeine and it can take over your life even though its a legal drug

i take about 40 tables a day of the 30/500 and its my first day off them i am in a lot of pain and have a sore stomack but i no i need to kick them because they will cause a lot of harm to my liver its not the codeine that is the problem for your liver its the paracetamol thats in them however its the codeine thats additive and thats why they are hard to come off.want my addvice stop them now cause you will end up like a junkie thats whats in smack codeine and it can take over your life even though its a legal drug