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

Hi, I haven't been on co-coda mol for very long, and I haven't been taking the full dose. But since Friday I have been trying to come off them, gave in Sat 3am, and then took them for the rest of the day, but I even felt like sh*t when I took them, so I never took them yesterday, but I did use Voltarol, for the arthritis, and only used it twice, but today, I feel like absolute c**p! Sweaty, can't concentrate, and achy, do at least I now know why I feel like this, so I am going to persevere, I do have a GP appt this week. I t would be so good to get back to normal without any painkillers!

Hey hope your feeling a bit better hun i am also trying to come off, maybe we can support each other, i am a female in her 30s hope we can exchange numbers and help each other tc hun abix

I'm on day five. I'm through the worst but left with this awful fidgety, almost 'fizzy' or tickly feeling inside that drives me mad. I have a full box of 100 30/500s in the cupboard but I'm determined to not take even one more of those filthy, disgusting pills.

Well done.how brave of you to do this.i just wish you had more support.i wish you well.xxx

How are you feeling now? I see your post was a couple of months ago and Im just starting to come off them :)

Hi, this thread has really helped me. I have tapered down from 120mg per day and today is day one without anything. I was taking them for a problem with my neck. I have a desk job and am in pain all day with it. What do i do now to relive the pain paracetamol does nothing and can't take NSAIDS due to other meds.

Woke up today with throat spasm. One side of my throat has been constructivist and on all day and feels like there is something stuck. Is this just my CNS getting back to normal after a year of cocodamol??

I was on 30/500 for about two years, I only took about six a day but the withdrawal was horrendous, now am tapering and am down to one and a half a day and feeling better, they say it can take a while for your body to adjust to normal levels, the worst for me was my stomach with cramps bloating and completel lack of appitate which thankfully has returned, am still recovering and hope to be free from theses awful pills once and for all. It's been a hard six weeks since I started the tapering but it's working for me I now have very little side effects apart from sleeping, waking up due to adrenaline rushes through the night but am getting used to it and hopefully as I go along these will subside, co codomal is the pits and if I knew what I was getting into I would of turned tailed and ran a mile from any doctor who tried to prescribe me any

So sorry for your pain..its been a year now for you and i hope you are ok take care.now its my time to go through what you did and lets just say ime scared..take care love iain

Sorry its been 8 yrs for you..take care x

I know this blog you have wrote was over a year ago now. I really just want to say it's amazing and you are amazing to have the courage despite all you were going through to keep this diary and I'm reading it slowly and it's really helping me understand what's happening to me atm. I am very very similar to you in the fact that I was prescribed 30/500 soluble solpadol by my gp at max 8 a day over 12 years ago to help with pain suffered from my fibromyalgia. It eventually over the years increased as was not helping even to the point the doctor increased my prescription from 224 tablets every 28 days to 300 which meant I could take more daily if needed. Big mistake as I took more and more and more and then I would use my 300 within approx 15 days and for the remaining 13 days of the month I would buy the strongest otc ones solpadeine max to suffice the cravings and obviously not a patch on the 30/500 so was taking more. I got to a point I was taking 20 a day of my prescription and then the solpadeine more each day as codiene content not high enough. I tried all the excuses with doctors to get my prescription early like going on holiday, working away even going away to look after poorly relative but I couldn't keep doing this. I knew what I was doing was not good for me and wrong and was making me ill and lose control of my own well being. But I couldn't control my emotions and was just giving in to my bodies demands. Eventually my gp called me in and was concerned as he had been picked up on the fact that he was over prescribing, he said it's unlawful and unethical and he can't carry on because of the damage it can cause. It was at that point I broke down and told him. I was referred to pain management clinic asap to talk about next step and getting off these things as the doctor was no longer wanting or willing to prescribe me them. But because of my ability to go from pharmacy to pharmacy buying them decreasing my dose in a weaning off process was not an option. The hospital consultant wanted me straight off them as cold turkey. As scared as I was I agreed and along with this decision it meant opening up to family and work about it as they were going to need to know as I needed thier support and obviously wasn't going to be well enough to work and the worst thing is I work in pharmacy so the temptation widely available in my work. I'm on day 9 now and really still struggling. So very weak as using any energy I build on fighting my cravings. I find it hard to see any light at the end atm and although I haven't relapse at any point yet it's only because I haven't got the energy to go out even in my car. Reading your blog is really helping me and I hope your still doing well. Amazing lady you are

Thank you for writing this. Well done to you! All the best for you and your Son I really admire how you are with your Son, I am the same with my Son. I am on day 6. Looking forward to the future.

Hi Folks, haven't read all the responses, but most and this has given me the inspiration to go cold turkey.
I have been putting it off for a long time.

Basically, just over 3 years ago, I had meningitis.

The docs carried out a lumbar puncture, which left me with really bad back pain.

There answer to this problem - 30/500 Co-Codamol.

At first, my prescription was for 100 and this would last 2/3 weeks.

Over the course of the 3 years, i am now taking between 20/30 a day - buying more online to keep me going.

I have been to see my docs twice to work out a plan where I reduce my intake - twice now fallen off the wagon with that plan.

She tried for me to stop with the co-cod and just have codeine.

But when I do this, it seems to make no difference and my body starts to cramp etc.

I have been having major rows with my GF as i have been spending around £300 per month buying these online.

I don't want to be buying or even taking these horrible pills, but I work as a car salesman in a very busy premium brand showroom. I can't be running to the toilet every 30mins, Sweating like mad and not being able to concentrate.

I need to be able to be on point so I can do my job and sell, as i pay all the bills.

I have booked a week off in August (the start) and my plan is to go cold turkey.

My GF doesn't seem to understand how hard it is to come off these pills and we have 2 kids. She knows i am addicted and has fallen out with me again as i just ordered more of these online for £50 when i am in middle of the reduction plan. How i can make her understand how hard it is?

She seems to think that it's easy to just stop.

If anyone can relate - I'm not scared of stopping, i want to, but it is the fear of the withdrawals that worry me.

Will a week be enough to rid my body of them - and should i speak to my doctor about some sleeping tablets to help me at night?

Thanks

S

You will have problems weeks after with your normal digestive system. It sucks but will get better. Best u try tapering down like cut the 20-30 per day to 10 or 8. Which is regulated amount to take. The damage the painkillers can be dog to your liver with the amount u take won't be good. You have 2 kids so u have a goal to get better for them. That will give u the determination to rid this drug from your system. You will begin to feel better on day 4 going into 5. Will be like when you've just went through having the flu and beginning to see the light. Lol. Withdrawal is horrible but just make sure u have plenty toilet roll and fluids for keeping hydrated and some Ibuprofen for the pain or normal paracetamol 500mg tablets. If u can find some sleeping tablets they will help with restless leg and falling asleep. The worst is the cramps and the restless legs and pains in joints. Day 2 and 3 will be bad and that day your gf will realise how bad this drug is on the addiction side for u. Be strong fella there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Just seen this i hope you sorted the problem,ive been on these for years and I feel depressed if i dont take them

How are you doing now? Still thinking of going cold turkey in August - it's only a week away!

I had been taking between 800/900mg of codeine each day for about 2 years, went to my GP thinking he would just taper me off and he told me I just had to get on with it!

I'm currently on day 6 of cold turkey and I'm feeling better and better. Day 3/4 were the pits and I even went to the out of hours dr sat 4 in the morning to get some diazepam, she gave me 4 tabs which I took 2 straight away even though they were supposed to be one in the morning and night, she and a few other health care professionals I have spoken to advised not going CT which was really exasperating!

My advice to you are to just go for it! Get some Imodium in because you will NEED them, but they do work. Deep heat has really helped my back and legs in the night but there is nothing you can do to make the symptoms go away.... You won't sleep and your legs will feel like you want to saw them off. Last night I got 3 hours sleep! Let me know how you get on.

P.s. If you do do it please ring FRANK when your in crisis, they've talked me down a couple of times in the middle of the night.