Codeine Addiction after 4 years :-(

[MissKiedis]

Hi

I was prescribed co-codamol 30/500 about 4 years ago after hurting my arm which I have taken every day since. My arm is fine now and has been for a while but I kept getting repeat prescription as I hurt my back or I get really bad headaches......... but now I can't live without them. Its the first thing I think about in the morning and last thing I think about a night. I never take more than 8 a day. Its on my mind 24/7.

I have a 4 year old daughter and lost a baby girl (15weeks) at xmas due to Turner Syndrome/Massive cycstic hygroma which resulted in fetal hydrops. The nuchal fold went from 4.2mm to 8.1mm to 10.5mm and then 20.2mm, every scan I went for it was bigger. We opted to keep her when we found out about the TS but mother nature dediced otherwise.

anyway I'm now 7 weeks pregnant :-) hooray!!! but my problem with painkillers are taking over my life. I'm going to see my GP tmrw to discuss this, My first app with midwife is on 13/04 (ages away).

I know that taking codeine in the last trimester can result in the baby being born addicted and this is the main reason I want to stop taking - and also to get my old life back.

I have tried not taking any but I succumb to the effects of withdrawal, I can't sleep, get very ratty, bad stomach cramps, sickness, diarrhoea, restless, I can pain all throughout my body. It's grim.

I've tried tapering/reducing how many I take gradually but I feel this doesn't work for me.

If I take two at night time (or I wont sleep otherwise) I wake up 4 hours later right to the very minute, its scary. I confided in my OH last night which made me feel better after I stopped crying but I felt so ashamed.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Can the doctor do anything to help or is it difficult b/c im pregnant. I've done alot of research and have found they sometimes give you METHADONE to wean you off the codeine, this isn't a road I want to go down. Is there a magic cure or do I need to find the willpower and try cold turkey while in a padded room haha.

I really wish I never started taking them in the first place and why don't the medical professionals monitor this more ie ask me in for a review of my situation long before it gets out of hand.....argh!

Thanks for reading

x

Here is a little bump for you.

Hope you get the help you need

My mum is addicted to them too! It is good that you have realised what is going on, as my mum hasn't! She tells me sometimes "oh ive only had 4 today" i ask why on earth she is taking them and she says she has a headache! I tell her over and over that the symptoms she gets is because her body is addicted and wanting more. She doesn't believe me. She used to take 2 every 3 hours my dad used to just randomly bring them to her at any time like they were some kind of comforter!!!

So OP, you could be worse I think if i were you i would try again at reducing the dose you are taking. Try taking one every 4 hours instead of 2. Try to go an extra hour or 2 between doses. Gradually, you will do it.

Sorry if this is unhelpful, hope you manage to sort it somehow it must be making you very unhappy :( Scary how you can get addicted to these and the doctors don't monitor it!! My mum goes back for boxes of 100 far too regularly (sp?) with no reason to be taking them but as far as i know no-one has questioned it!!

So sorry to read about your loss, and congratulations on this pregnancy :) wish you all the best.

Oh dear you definately need to agree a treatment plan with your gp, however if it is the codeine you are addicted to I think you should change from cocodamol to codeine 30mg tablets, although paracetamol is relatively safe in pregnancy there is no point taking it as well if not needed for pain.

You can wean yourself off them. I did. I was taking about what you were taking or more and I managed after a couple of weeks. You might even find things are better without it as it tends to make you feel quite gloomy. The doctors are far too generous with that stuff.
Go to 6 a day for a week
then 4 a day for a week
then 2 a day for a week
then 1 a day for a week
then throw the rest away!