To ask how long withdrawal lasts?

[Scunthorpee]

So for some bizarre reason I have gained a bit of a habit buying Cocodamol and Nurofen plus. It got to a point where my stomach was starting to hurt and realised I was upping my dose so I have decided to nip this in the bud. Yesterday I took 2, this morning I have took 2 and had some diarrhoea (sorry tmi) I felt they helped calm me down after my divorce but in reality they didn’t and I will be so glad and proud to be free of this

You can do it! Honestly, once withdrawal was over I felt so free.

After 30 years are you taking more than the prescribed dose to get any effect from them? Even after 3 years I was buying them from an online pharmacy to top up my prescription ones which was costing me almost £100 a month.

Even now I would say I “miss” them but would never, ever touch them again.

You can absolutely do it but please get a withdrawal plan from a professional who can monitor you, they really are awful drugs.

I completely agree, I have to take responsibility for my own naivety but why the hell did my GP keep prescribing?

I don’t sleep at all now unless I take a pill, I’m allowed 7 per fortnight. I’ve now been awake since 02,15 Sunday morning apart from a bit of exhausted catnapping. It feels like utter shit.

You’d be surprised, especially “old school” GP’s.

My aunt has been on Zolpidem for 20 years.

Thank you. Yes I am going to need professional help - but where the hell do I get that?!

I’m so angry at myself for allowing this to happen.

No, that’s one good thing, I really do eke them out. But staying awake for two days and nights at a time is killing me as I get older.

OP, you have repeatedly stated on this thread that you know for a fact "opiate withdrawal isn't dangerous". This is a very simplistic take and frankly, it's irresponsible to make such a blanket statement on a public forum.

Whilst in most cases opiate withdrawal symptoms are highly unpleasant but not dangerous, this is by no means guaranteed, especially when someone decides to discontinue opiates abruptly at home with no medical supervision or oversight. Due to long term use of opiates potentially causing significant damage to vital organs (which may have gone undetected), complications like dehydration (which is common during opiate withdrawal) can indeed be dangerous and there is also risk of aspiration (vomiting and breathing the stomach contents into the lungs) which sadly I know from experience can be fatal.

You may have assessed the risks and judged them to be low, as is your right, and in your case your assessment may be realistic. But people can and do become very unwell and even die withdrawing from opiates without proper medical care so it is wrong to make sweeping generalisations.

Anyone can die from dehydration, whether or not they are in withdrawal or not if they get a dose of the shits! In my entire career I have never seen anyone die of withdrawals. I have seen many people die from overdose.

When we are talking about deaths directly attributable to withdrawals we have to talk about things like respiratory depression, seizures etc. Opiate withdrawals are very unlikely to cause these symptoms, unlike alcohol and benzos.

I don't think it is helpful to people who are trying to reduce of small amounts of codeine these scare stories. It is not unsafe to reduce off these medications, thousands of people do it every single year without too much bother. Lots of people will be taking dihydrocodeine or other pain relief following surgical intervention, and they reduce of them with no help. Why? Because psychologically they expect to be able to do it. The few people who get stuck on low doses may need reassurance that they are not going to suffer unduly from withdrawal and they can do it safely.

Yes, if you are taking high levels of Neurofen Plus, the most risky drug in that is the Neurofen, and you might need to check out with your GP that you haven't fucked your stomach lining.

Yes, if you are taking co-codamol, you need to check that you haven't fucked your liver with the paracetamol.

The codeine, ironically, is the safest part of both of these drugs and yet people get head-fucked at the idea of reducing them.

Reduction off low levels (and high levels) of codeine is possible without medical intervention. A slow reducing dose, with some confidence that it is do-able is what is needed.

I am not minimising people's concerns... I am just saying I spend every single day of my working life discussing these things with clients, and encouraging them to be optimistic about their capabilities.

So, OP. You've got this! Be confident that you are likely to be through the worst, You can be confident that due to the half life of codeine the whole dose will have left your system in 16 hours and you you can expect any withdrawals to peak at about 24 hours and then improve and reduce. The physical withdrawals will ease, you need to find ways to manage your head. Good luck x

Sorry for hijacking your thread Scunthorpee.

My head is in a really good place, I know why I started to rely on them and am going to get counselling. How long does codeine stay in your system? At just over 24 hours am
i over the worst of it?

Don’t be silly. If this thread can help anybody I will be over the moon, I think we should all use this as our own secret little safe space because it has been such a massive help for me, can’t thank you all enough.

I am working from home today, not got much of an appetite, picking the kids up later from school as they have been at their dads since Sunday and found this was the perfect opportunity to come off these drugs. Hopefully, as it has been 24 hours I won’t look like I have been dug up when I collect them.

The half-life is codeine is really short, which is why the usual dosing is every 4-6 hours. You should be over the worst and start feeling better. Make sure you are drinking plenty and be confident that your physical withdrawals will be ok.

Bless you, you’re being so responsible.

Did you find the meds helped with your mood? I can deal with physical withdrawal but the psychological disturbs me. I just wondered how you feel about that and if it affects you?

I don't think it is helpful to people who are trying to reduce of small amounts of codeine these scare stories.

I was responding to the OP's repeated assertions, which are incorrect.

I have read that opioid withdrawal although unpleasant. It isn’t dangerous,

Opioid withdrawal isn’t dangerous.

Maine [sic] drugs absolutely need a safe a safe withdrawal/taper process but opioids aren’t one of them.

Not at all I just know for a fact that opiate withdrawal isn’t dangerous.

I don’t believe anybody has died from opiate withdrawal. They probably overdosed during withdrawal to avoid the withdrawal symptoms

I have, in all my comments to the OP, agreed that she, herself, on this dose she has described should not experience too much of a withdrawal. But that she is incorrect in minimising the difficulties of opiate withdrawal overall.

I was also responding to your assertions which, regardless of your personal experience, was also incorrect.

I work in drug treatment and the facts are the opiate withdrawal is not dangerous. Unpleasant yes but you dont die from opiate withdrawals.

Well, some do.

Yes I suppose they took away the heaviness of everything. I am going to deal with that with counselling. Life is stressful for all of us so there is no excuse.

Yes, I completely understand that.

My stomach pain has also massively improved. I think that was worse than the withdrawal.

I don’t think viewing it like that is helpful. Be a bit kinder to yourself. A lot of people have trouble with codeine. That’s why they have the big warnings on the front, like cigarettes. I have chronic pain and codeine is the only thing that even touches the sides some days, its easily done.

FWIW my DP was taking 40 a day at one point (dissolved to remove the paracetamol). It did take him a while to taper down and he used something else (not sure what, it was before we met) to help with withdrawal, but he did it alone too, as due to his work his colleagues would have been aware if he’d gone for help.

As with all addictions, acknowledging the problem is the first step, and being motivated to stop is the next, so you’re already on the way to stopping. You can do it.

Yes, I'm down to my last three tablets and I'm determined not to buy another packet x

What kind of job do you do op?

You're under no obligation to tell your GP what you do for a living. And you haven't broken the law.

Unless you were putting children at serious risk - and there is no reason why your GP would think an addiction to legal over-the-counter medicines that you can purchase in any high street store would be a risk to anyone in your care - then you can see your doctor without worrying about your job.

No I know. I suppose I just don’t want this on my records. I doubt it will affect my job as I am a Teacher but still I want to figure out if I can do this on my own.

i googled when I should get help and one of them is if I cannot stop taking them myself (I haven’t tried that yet)

Well done you. I am counting down the hours now, I have had a bit of diarrhoea, a bit weak and tired, yawny. Getting on for 28 hours now.

How does dissolving tablets remove just the paracetamol?

I think there is something called a cold water extraction which can eliminate the paracetamol.

I don’t know if this is true as being an alcoholic for example would sure as hell put my children at serious risk. This can also be purchased in any high street.

I've been on and off various opiates through my life and been through withdrawal a fair few times now. I have a fluctuating very painful disability so sometimes go on high doses for a few months before coming off until the next flare up.

I never have strong cravings so I was only fighting the physical symptoms not the mental ones so I can't give any advice on that. Currently I'm on a weekly dose and often forget to take it until the symptoms set in.

It feels a bit like the flu, if you subtracted a cold. So all the flu symptoms without any of the respiratory symptoms. Diarrhea is the main one you'll face - buscopan works well for stopping it. Better than imodium. It's the one that happens first and usually the sign that I've forgotten my weekly dose.

You'll probably also get full body aches and pains, and struggle to sleep. Usually the worst of it is over in a week but you'll feel a bit run down for a couple more after.

I always found cold turkey easier than tapering as it was over with faster, but again, I don't get cravings, just the physical stuff. Tapering might help if you find that side of things harder.

Try and avoid replacing it with something else "to get you through" as you'll just move the habit and be stuck on something else.