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

Hey Catherine, you don't need to reveal any details about yourself. You can just share what you are going through and get some support! Kimx

hi my name is nikki,im addicted to thiese painkillers too,i was off them for 5 wks but went bk on them 2wks ago.i had been taking them for 2years before and didnt realise i was addicted before it was too late.i dont have anyone to talk to they just dont understand what its like.i dont want to be on these anymore but its so hard.nikkixx

Hi Nikki, I know what your going through. So whats your next step. 5 weeks was really good better that I did. What happend that you went back on them after doing so well??

Aunt Flo

Hey Nikki,

               5 weeks is a great length of time to be off these tabs but that's when the PAWS sets in. Also something stressful in your life happens and you may hit them again to cope as you know they will be a crutch to lean on. Staying off these things is a long haul and you need to make a few lifestyle changes and use so much willpower as I know how tempting it is to slip back in. Please if you need any info there are many people who will help and answer your questions on this thread including myself. We also forget what it's like to be normal as 2 years of any mind altering meds is a long time...!!! Anytime feel free to post no matter how small your questions is or let us know how your doing???

Castiel

             

I have been take 30/500s everyday for 1 year now. i wasnt told these tablets can be very addictive. i picked up 200 more tablets i took 2 then thought ... why am i taking these???? i come on here and seen how it effects people. i have not rang a doctor to talk about the problem or even informed my family, i did how ever get all 198 tablets after taking 2 about 5 days ago and i put them in the bin. for the first day i had a slight head ache but after that i had no feeling. but this could of been worse. thanks to you guys for posting all these comments on how addictive these can be. you have saved me from falling down the same path! thanks again

I've been taking them for about 6 months I have a suspected tethered spinal cord and 1 possibly 2 knackered discs...not bad for 39 eh?. Been off them since Saturday, today is Tuesday. Actual pain in back is horrid, but so was my mod.....rather have the pain in my back than the pain in my head.

Well done for everything you have done so far. I was on about the same as you, and stopped cold turkey 4 weeks ago. The first 4 days were awful, vomiting, diarrhea, aching legs etc. but it does start to get better slowly. I contacted the 'frank' helpline by email and am still waiting for a reply, so not a lot of help there! No one knew about my addiction, and never will. I have tried before to stop, but last time, I was off them for 8 days, and celebrated with a couple of tablets!! Madness!! SO, I know I can never take another painkiller again. Please, hang on in there, sounds like your doctor is a treasure, and you will be better soon.

Hi

A lot of good reading here which is great for me as i am on my first day of detox from co-codamol

it all started about 8 years ago for a sore back.Doctor kept giving me repeat prescriptions and i just kept taking 2 every 4 hours.The good thing is i only took 8 per day and never any more.I dont drink which helped my liver as all test proved it was working to its full capasity ,but i kept thinking what am i doing here  reliying on tablets.I loved going to spain all the time and instead of every normal person bringing home bottles of vodka whisky etc i was bringing back boxes of 30/500 as it easily bought over the counter there so thats when i said enoughs aenough.

The doctors here im afraid are just cut down and you can stop  iii right its a lot harder than that i am on my first day and the headached are so sore but i keep reading all the threads which give me hope so heres hoping i will post up how im getting on

thanks for all the support

kevin

Well day 2 of detox had to take nurofen for my back but only took 2 when the pain got unbearable.Up this morning feelinf like i had the flu but worse if you can imagine that.Terrible pains in my stomach and complete diahrear sorry for being graphic.
Kept going back to the posts on here for insperation through out the day at my work and i must say it all helps roll on day 3 as it cant get any worse than the way i felt this morning so upwards and onwards good luck to everybody going through this as its hard hard hard stopping smoking and drinking alcohoil is a lot easier as i have done both 10 years ago good luck every one/
kevin

HiKevin, Well done for starting the journey to a better life! It is hard and takes alot of strength, determination and willpower but it is so worth it. I too took codeine for eight years at eight a day ,took for my chronic pain but in the end i knew they weren't working anymore. Just made me feel dreadful mentally and physically felt so empty and dead inside. Now i look back to the person I was and cringe at what a nightmare i had become. I have been free of them for just over the four months it has been the toughest few months of my life but slowly life is getting better, I have given alot of tips in last few months if you need any help. Make sure you drink two litres of water that is crucial! It might seem a long road but at least you have taken the first few steps. Good luck I will look in the next few days see how your doing. keep smiling Kimxx

Please discuss....it helps to talk codiene is a terrible medication to come off...

It sounds like you are talking from experience!

I understand your pain!!...I was taking 10-15 30/500 co-codamols for about 2 years...I followed a withdrawal programme, given to me by "overcount", a company on-line who put a programme together for you for any over the cou ter medication, the don't ask for any money, the manage from donations...although i didn't donate, the programme worked for me and i haven't touched any codeine based tablet for almost a year now...and have no cravings or interest in taking them for the reasons i was...I had been wsexually abused as a child and young teen, bla bla bla, i coild go on, so there wer underlying probs i had to sort out first, which i did and have and am completely free from codiene...the withdrawals-even with the gradual reduction were awful but no where near the cold turkey method...try the gradual reduction, even though you dtill get bad symptoms and cravings for weeks after your last dose, it is proven o be the most effective long term method for stopping..you need to get to the root of why you wer taking them firstly, anti-inflammatories, such as voltarol or brufen are alot mor effective for back pain than codiene based tablets....I do not understand WHY G.P.'s prescibe so much codiene when they know how addictive it is...you can do it, i know you can...good luck :[-)))...Its all good at the other side....

Well day 5 of not taking the dreaded co-codamol.Thanks for all your support and replies.

Day 3 and 4 were just terrible with me going to work loooking like a zombie.I still cant sleep right and its my legs that feel like lead weights every time i move them.Headaches are a lot better  im also on a diet so eating properly and drinking p;eanty of fluids.

Why o why do doctors keep writing repeat prescriptions when these should be only for short term pain.

I have been taking nurofen and paracetamole to help my legs from moving all the time it feels like restless leg syndrom.

Every bodys. bodys different so withdrawing from this drug does different things to everybody but it boils down to the same thing its 3 times worse than the flu.

Well getting ready for my work if it wasnt for that i would just sit and i know it will help a ot of people to lie in there beds but for me i need to keep active im out again on my bike and have now lost over 7 stone in a year so feeling better for that .

I will post up again soon as it is getting better for everybody trying to stop or thinking of stopping please keep reading all the great posts on this subject as it does give  you a light at the end of the tunnel thanks again for all your support take care

kevin

Hi,

 

I found this blog/forum this morning and it is the best resource for those of us suffering codeine addiction.

I personally have been taking 30/500 cocodamol for around 5 years pretty much every day but never really felt it a problem until a few months ago.

My wife had a really nasty ticklish cough and i knew that codeine was good for that: i was able to get a product over the counter from the chemist that was very cheap and almost 100% codeine. I too started getting the same cough so i tried it and thats when things went both downhill as well as uphill to a degree...the amount i took was spiralling out of control but it made me realise that most of my headaches were being caused by codeine...i was having to take more and more to make the headaches go away. In the end I was taking the recommended dose of 8 30/500 cocodamol a day as well as 60ml of this cough liquid which equates to about 180mg codeine (sometimes i would repeat the cough liquid twice or a third time in a day...so at worst you are looking at 500+ mg codeine a day).

So i went and confessed to my GP (this morning) and asked for my repeat prescription for cocodamol to be removed which he did as well as prescribing me (NOT on repeat) this other codeine liquid product (i dont really want to go in to too many details of the name of this product as it might encourage really bad overuse in others) sol I can gradually reduce the amount i consume under docs guidance.

I think the main reason I wanted to post here is that I have read, as well as my GP telling me (and he is a great doctor IMO), that going cold-turkey and stopping in one go can be very generous as can any opiate cold turkey is, and that it is really not advisable to stop like that. Below is copied/pasted from an NHS page which deals with this scenario:

"If you’ve been getting painkiller headaches for several years as a result of taking codeine-containing products, it can be dangerous to stop abruptly. You'll need gradually to reduce the number of painkillers you take, and this is best done under the supervision of a doctor."

"The common image of a drug addict is of an individual “shooting up” in a seedy environment, not of someone taking tablets that are legally available. But addiction to codeine is very real. Addicts can take between 20 and 30 pills daily, or the equivalent in cough syrup. As a result, abrupt withdrawal can be painful and dangerous, leading to seizures and convulsion."

The point I am making is different people are addicted to different degrees and im not sure encouraging people to stop like that is sound general advice and always advisable. Seems most of the people here dont feel able to discuss this with their GPs which is a massive shame...and i understand that as im only happy to discuss it with one of the GPs at my surgery.

At the very least you should go and see your GP...it really doesnt matter what he thinks as its more important you dont harm yourself by doing things the wrong way.

 

Good luck all.

 

- Graham.

 

PS as im following quite a long process of tapering-off I will endeavour to post an update once in a while to report on progress.