Page 5 | Codeine addiction

BakedTattie · 07/01/2021 22:33

I’m addicted to over the counter codeine. In small doses though. I take 2 every morning without fail. If I don’t I get severe headaches and feel awful. Have been doing this for years and years. I put it to the back of my mind thinking that it won’t be affecting my body or health.

No advice, other than you’re not alone.

Ontheboardwalk · 07/01/2021 22:52

Is it your private doctor that’s prescribing you codeine on it’s own so you can double up on codeine without the paracetamol? That’s the issue here around addiction.

you know how much paracetamol you can take and don’t take more than prescribed. It’s the extra codeine on its own that’s causing you problems

Please talk to your GP and tell them about the private prescription they can help.

Hope you can talk and work towards getting it sorted

june2007 · 07/01/2021 22:56

You say your careful with how much paracetemol you take, but your not really you are addicted if your taking 8 every day, on top of codein, on top of antedepresents. Do seek help.

ilovesooty · 07/01/2021 23:04

Your local community drug and alcohol team will help and support you, and you can self refer, but they will inform your GP that you are in treatment.

user1471565182 · 07/01/2021 23:07

There was a case around here recently of a woman dying after taking 25 paracetamol on average a day for 6 months. Its really dangerous.

Id get the number of your local drug and alcohol community place, ours is called Renew around here, dont know if thats a nationwide name but the Dr's surgery will hand it out to you. You can talk to them about possibly going onto a small dose of methadone to replace the codeine, I know others who have done it. It'l be much healthier and lasts longer so you arnt constantly craving it, youl get better sleep and they'l do a gentle tapering off when you're ready (usually ater meeting with a counsellor or doing groups for a bit, they dont force you to quit)

Gogreengoblin · 07/01/2021 23:24

[quote Cissyandflora]@FusionChefGeoff yes I have been to a few zoom meetings but I feel like a fraud because I am not really ready to give up.[/quote]
There will be SO many people experiencing that same worry.
You have done really well opening up.
Read Brene Brown's books and watch her red talks. Hugs xxx

TulesDana · 07/01/2021 23:53

Hi, I had a 10 year addiction to tramadol. It was prescribed after surgery and just continued. It worked as an antidepressant for me ( I had previously tried several antidepressants with little results), and became my crutch, my best friend, and I lied about pain symptoms for years as I knew my doctor wouldn't prescribe it for my reasons. I overused too, and over the years used every story I could to obtain them early. I tried to quit so many times. The first physical withdrawals were hell, but the psychological withdrawal was worse, and I never lasted long. Tapering was impossible because I couldn't limit myself. With tramadol I felt like I was ' supported', I could be fun and present for my children, have bags of energy for housework etc, so I truly believed I was better all around taking them, I was a better mum, a caring daughter, a caring friend. Finally my doctor's surgery clamped down and I was forced to cut down and finally stop over 8 weeks. I was frantically stressed, and yes it was hard. The hardest part for me was that I didn't want to stop, I wasn't ready to let go, yet it was being forced upon me. I had no other vices, never drank etc. It did throw me into despair, but I came out of the other end. Honestly it took many weeks of me silently mourning the loss of them, feeling very grey and flat. This was at the end of 2018. I hardly ever think about them now, and as I'm writing this I have no feelings of longing for them. You can get over your codeine dependence. But the most important part is truly letting the desire go. Obviously it's harder for you in that you can buy them over the counter, whereas tramadol was a controlled substance.

PurpleFrames · 08/01/2021 00:01

I am currently in treatment for codeine addiction - would highly recommend contacting your local drug and alcohol team. Am happy to chat over PM if you wish - best wishes x

Sinful8 · 08/01/2021 00:12

@Cissyandflora

Can I ask has anyone got over codeine addiction? I have a ten year addiction and use more than prescribed. My life revolves around the drug. I am full of shame and only my sister knows about this irl. And she doesn’t know the extent. I’ve struggled with various addictions since my teens. I am now in my 50s. My gp called me and suggested I come off the drug. He said in my own time. And suggested coming in to start reducing in a few weeks. In typical addict fashion I am in a spiral of anxiety and can think of nothing else. Given the choice I would probably never stop. I take whatever I can get my hands on. Please do not pile in with criticism. I know I’m not doing the right thing. I feel a craving for mood altering drugs. I’ve used this to cope with everything in my life for the past 10 years. I am ashamed. I am mostly afraid of stopping and live in fear of my prescription being stopped. If I had to say the one problem with my addiction it is this- it’s the fear of not getting the drug.

I know there will be people who are impatient or angry with this type of person- me. But I really thank you for reading and please addicts help me if possible. Can I get off the drug? Please don’t berate me I don’t need that. If you don’t understand please don’t comment. I don’t mean that rudely. I’m just reaching out to strangers because I’m at a low ebb and I can’t discuss this with anyone irl.

I feel for you I had problems comming of after just 18 months on it after a car accident.

Not got much advice other than keep some imodium in the medicine cabinet

Thisisworsethananticpated · 08/01/2021 00:14

It’s a tough time to ask you to come off
No meetings no support nothing

So it’s feasible to come off them but you need hand held and proper addiction support
Otherwise you’ll just get them illegally

I wish you luck and strength

Thisisworsethananticpated · 08/01/2021 00:23

BakedTattie

I’m a bit like that
For the old aches and pains
I’d ask if it’s an addiction or ? Pain related ?

AnotherVice · 08/01/2021 00:36

Apologies that I haven't RTFT but it seems you want to stop because of the anxiety you get about maintaining your supply not because of how dangerous it is. I have attended a resus of a 50 yr old woman who ODd on codeine while her teenage children looked on, I will never forget it. And no, she didn't survive.

Sinful8 · 08/01/2021 00:45

@Thisisworsethananticpated

BakedTattie

I’m a bit like that
For the old aches and pains
I’d ask if it’s an addiction or ? Pain related ?

@Cissyandflora

Not sure if you two are aware but regular opioid use lowers your pain threshold.

So by taking it regularly for little pains, you make those pains worse tomorrow, so you take more codine and so on.

When you stop you'll be in pain, but you won't know if that's something that will affect you normally or if it will go away/really be minor till your body is back to normal.

Vicious cycle

user1471565182 · 08/01/2021 02:01

Ohhh thats very true, speaking from expeorience of years of opiod use, Sinful. Just ordinary aches and pains will keep me awake and put me in a pathetic state.

FreshEggs · 08/01/2021 03:40

I’m so sorry to hear your story and like previous posters say, hats off to you for being candid and admitting to your problem as that is indeed the first step out of all this.

My estranged father is an alcoholic turned codeine addict and following my breakdown three years ago I can no longer have contact with him as the damage done to me has been horrendous (witnessing DV against two different women when I was a child, witnessing his overdoses as a teenager, me becoming an enabler, buying him drugs and sneaking drugs into hospital, my husband taking days off to take him to pain appointments where he tells them there’s nothing wrong, him threatening suicide in front of my kids, him texting/ringing me day and night treating me as the emotional punchbag while clucking for drugs)

He is 77 and as I understand it now he is bedbound owing to the painkiller abuse. I struggle but I can’t go back, my whole life has been blighted by it and I’m barely hanging on mentally myself.

My main advice would be don’t let yourself get to 77 and this be your life! Because it will get so much worse. Good luck, you can do this... seek help, do everything you can to get better for your own sake!

Domino20 · 08/01/2021 03:44

If your doctor is offering pain clinic you should really try it. I'd especially recommend the residential programme. You can make a reduction plan with the staff as part of your treatment. It sounds weird but I genuinely had a wonderful time when I did it, it's a bit like 'I'm a celebrity get me out of here'. A group of strangers all going through the same thing together and bonding through the experience. It really did help.

CuntyMcBollocks · 08/01/2021 07:53

Well done for admitting you have a problem. Thats a huge first step on the road to recovery. If I were you, I'd go to the doctors to look at weaning off the codeine, but I strongly suggest getting some counselling or therapy sessions at the same time. Don't be too hard on yourself - you have a long way to go, but you can do it with support, but you must be honest with people. Good luck!!

Tomatocultivator · 08/01/2021 08:01

@user1471565182

If you're taking it with paracetamol you need to move over to methadone instead as soon as you can.

Is methadone really a good idea? I know paracetamol can be very dangerous, but methadone is known to be one of the hardest drugs to get off. Sure;y it would be swapping one addiction for another.

Strike000 · 08/01/2021 08:44

Ex drug worker here. Well done for taking the first steps to changing your addiction! You’ve had lots of great advice on this thread. Recovery looks different for everyone - some people really benefit from working with a drug worker, or a 12 step programme, or with an opiate replacement programme, and some do it completely alone. There are lots of tools out there which could help. There isn’t a correct way - it’s whatever works for you. If you try something and it doesn’t work, don’t be discouraged. Take time to reflect, be kind to yourself and keep going.

Some people benefit from understanding theories of addiction.

Have you heard of the change model of addiction? It can help to see where you are in this cycle and realise that what you’re feeling is completely normal. Have a look at this link and see if you can recognise yourself: www.smartrecovery.org/smart-articles/the-stages-of-change/

It sounds like you might be “contemplating” change... to give yourself a boost into the next stage it can be really helpful to do a cost benefit analysis. Get a piece of paper and make some lists. Do it in the following order...

The benefits of using codeine (eg it manages your pain)
The costs of using codeine (eg you have to spend a lot of time sourcing it)
The costs of stopping using codeine (eg it will be scary and tough)
The benefits of stopping using codeine (eg you will be free of your addiction)

The more detail you can go into, especially on the last section, the more you can persuade yourself to take action.

This is part of a motivational interview technique. You could look that up and see if it would be helpful. Also have a look at the SMART website above. They use CBT based tools to support recovery.

Also consider contacting your local drug service. They may be able to offer 1:1 time with you and/or provide online tools which you can work through at your own pace. Good luck. You’ve already given up alcohol which is equally, if not more, physically addictive than codeine so you can definitely give up codeine too.

heydoggee · 08/01/2021 08:52

I did it alone.

I think the key to succeeding is by setting your expectations realistically.

Knowing you are going to feel worse for a while and just allowing yourself to feel shit instead of popping something to try and feel better.

Allowing myself to feel pain has been a really hard process.

Getsomehelp · 08/01/2021 09:17

May I suggest trying hypnotherapy. a good hypnotherapist can help managing pain to an extent, and can also help with addiction.
This is not to say "cure", but helping "coping" in duo with NA/Doctor/
& know you have to go in with an open mind, What harm can it do, right ?
It 's great that you have recognized the danger you are in due to the quantity of drugs you are taking.

Thisisworsethananticpated · 08/01/2021 09:54

Sinful8

Fair point
I woke up aching all over today
I took two paracetamol instead
Still ache

Original poster

Cissyandflora · 08/01/2021 10:42

@TulesDana your story is exactly me. That’s my reasons for using the drug. It’s not OTC though. It’s very much controlled drug. I supplement by taking all sorts of OTC drugs too. But the codeine is controlled drug which is why it’s so hard to get. I’ve used tramadol too.

OP posts:

Original poster

Cissyandflora · 08/01/2021 10:43

@AnotherVice that is absolutely shocking. You are exactly right about my reasons for worrying. It’s about the constant need and the risk of not having. Your story is what I will try to bear in mind. I have children who love me and need me.

OP posts:

user1471565182 · 08/01/2021 11:10

Theres a few reasons methadone is good or at least better. It lasts for a long time in your body and it also floods your receptors so using any other opiods wont do anything. Codeine does reallly nasty things to blood pressure and heart health in the long term and is short lasting so you need more and more. You could say its very addictive but codeine is already very addictive but with more problems attached in my opinion.