Addiction to painkillers

[puddinggal]

I started taking pain killers after my last pregnancy. I have steadily become more and more addicted - to the point I take 4 doses of two really strong painkillers a day.

They contain codine so I now find that I have a headache every day (which is apparently common side effect). I have also become immune - these tablets used to do the job - but now they are not so good.

To make this situation worse - I get the painkillers from my mum - it is her prescription. It started off that she gave me one every now and then - but now she leaves me strips of tablets.
She often has to say that she cant give me some tablets - as hers run out. On the days I dont have any I go through a withdrawal that is terrible - and I think "this is it I am not taking them again". But as soon as she fills her prescription and offers me some I am so desperate I say "yes".

My husband is really angry about this and is on the verge of having a go at my mum - so I am terrified that this will escalate.

I am so ashamed of this I cant talk to anyone about it (apart from my husband). I feel so stupid for letting the situation get so out of hand. But I just dont know what to do about it. It would be so easy to think - stop taking them - but when the physical withdrawal occurs I find it really hard. especially as I have a one year old. I feel like I need painkillers to get through the day.

Is there any-one who has any advise - or has been through this please let me know. Any support appreciated as I am not coping very well. My mum is running low and it looks like I will only have painkillers until tomorrow and then not for a few days. x thanks

puddinggal a close friend shared your problem. She was taking ten to fifteen codein based painkillers a day for over ten years.
She did get through it but it was not easy and she had a wonderful GP who helped to wean her off them. ( the problem was discovered when she changed doctors - the new doctor was very sympathetic but also firm.)
Do you have a good relationship with your doctor? Perhaps he/she could help.

Good luck. It can be done.

message withdrawn

Hi
Thanks for your responses. I have come off the tablet my Mum gives me. I ran out Boxing Day morning. I have replaced the tablet with lowers stength ones that still have codine in them but not as much. They are over the counter so I am not relying on my Mum for them.

Once I have got over this intial change I am going to cut down. At the moment am having quite bad side effects from coming off my mums tablets.

I have a stinking headache and am very lethargic. I am determined not to let this get the better of me. We are wanting to try for another baby in the next couple of years - so this gives me an insentive to come off the painkillers before I think about getting pregnant.

My Mum is such a pain sometimes. When I gave up smoking she was always offering me cigerettes. IT drove me mad - but I gave them up anyway. So I know I can be firm. I think that she thinks she is helping. Either that or she is doing it on purpose. Not sure which it is. She has admitted that she is jealous that I have a decent marriage (her DH is anything but dear!) and a baby (she wanted more children in later life but couldnt).
So I am confused about her motives.

It is so horrible to think of your Mum like this. But I cant believe her somtimes. She knows I am having a hard time coming off the pain killers - but she still offered me some today - even though she will run out again and blame me. I said no and she got herself some in front of me. hen I feel so naff it was really hard to say no.

Anyway I am going on - I think this website can be very therapeutic! Thanks again for your comments.
PS: Have booked a doctors appointment for next week - although not sure what they will say as they are not great - but worth a try

Well done you puddingal, codeine is an opiate, like morphine and it can be hard to break an addiction to, so you are doing the right thing in seeing your GP - s/he may not be the best GP you have ever seen, but most are familiar with opiate addiction and I am sure s/he will be supportive. One side effect of codeine is to stimulate the pleasure regions in your brain, which is not a problem in the low dose,short term but obviously makes you "crash" when you come off it. Hence the lethargy you describe - you may find that you can't sleep even though you feel tired, but the good news is the side effects of coming off are comparatively short lived - you got over your addiction to nicotine and you will to codeine, only faster. The headache you describe is fairly common amongst codeine users and is more likely to be a symptom of the codeine in your system than the withdrawal I think, try a cool face cloth on your forehead to ease that, and some fresh air if you can bring yourself to go for a walk - obviously avoid painkillers but drink lots of water to flush your system out. Try to ease any other symptoms - nausea, itching, twitchy legs etc - topically, with fresh air, exercise and antihistamine lotions and keep telling yourself that it WILL pass.
As to your mum, suggest you get DH to tell her that you are trying to come off codeine and she is not to offer them to you, take them in front of you or discuss the matter with you, or she won't be welcome in your home - sounds harsh but IME, people are either for you or against you when trying to break an addiction
One last point, codeine dependence is really really common, don't beat yourself up about it
Lots of luck
L XXX

Lisa
Thankyou so so much for your message. It is amazing when you post on mumsnet the sound advice and care in which people respond. It is so touching and also very helpful.
With this addiction it is hard to talk to people about because it is not seen as a serious problem. I could only find one UK website about it! Which is quite absurd as like you said people do get hooked.
You given me (and the two other people before) some great advice. So when I have a low and desperate moment I will come back to this threat for inspiriation.

Sounds pathetic I know - but it is hard in 'real' life to talk about these things. Thanks again ()

Its not pathetic at all, its an addiction like any other, and frighteningly easy to get hooked. But you KNOW you can get off it cos nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on the planet - many experts now agree its on a par with heroin addiction. If you can beat that you can beat codeine - its just the same principle as nicotine, taking it craving by craving, treating the symptoms and focusing on getting to the light at the end of the tunnel. You have done the hardest thing in accepting that you have an addiction, many people never get off it cos they never really accept they have a problem cos its a legal drug. I think you are really amazing; you have NOTHING to be ashamed of and so much to be PROUD of.
Hang on in there, keep posting and feel very free to email me if you need to sound off - the doldrums can seem very deep when you are in the throes
Sending positive vibes
L
XXX

hi puddingal, I too had an addiction to pain killers - Nurofen. I started taking them Apri 2002 as i had an attack of Trigenimal Nuralgia (nerve pain in face). The nurofen didnt actually take the pain away, the pain decreased eventually in time. I suffered headaches when i stopped taking them but confused this with actually having a real headache so consequently I popped a couple whenever this headache emergered. Soon, I was taking 2 on getting up and continued this taking up to 10/12 per day. They made me feel less tired plus a bit more confident (don;t know if this was because i wasnt so tired). Anyway, in the summer of 2003 my husband sussed out how many pills i was getting through per week and with his support helped me off them. Sometimes though I could do with the lift but it may all be physchological with me. Now, i only buy cheap supermarket painkillers and use aromatherapy oils for tension headaches ie lavender and euculytus. good luck

no, the lift isn't psychological, most painkillers contain caffeine to give you a jolt and also they work by hitting the pleasure receptors in your brain - you know, I think dark chunky chocolate may mimic this effect so may help with the side effects of coming off

i didnt realise there is cafeine in painkillers - god, i think thats bad. I would hate to think what damage addiction to painkillers causes in the long term. Kidney problems?

Its not very well documented but certainly liver and kidney problems can arise thru painkiller abuse. However, this is mainly with paracetamol which takes such a long time to exit your system, people can die from liver failure a couple of weeks after overdosing on it.
Codeine and ibuprofen are not likely to cause this sort of damage per se, but if you have an existing condition, it can take longer for the drug to exit your system; your kidneys will get rid most of the drug in your body within about 24 hours, so I suppose it follows that the more of it you take, the harder your kidneys have to work. However, they are very adaptable organs - people function perfectly well with one which (in rats at least!) will enlarge to take on the extra work. Anyway, where was I?!!
I don't think kidney dysfuntion is something you especially need to worry about unless the dependency is of many years standing and is well over the safe daily recommended limit. Some decongestants use codeine in conjunction with paracetamol and the risk from these is much higher. One thing I recall but am not sure of is that using codeine in labour can prolong it, but I may have imagined that.
It is excreted in breast milk but in too small quantity to be of harm - tho some physicians think it can cause headaches in b/f babies
Don't worry about the caffiene, its in an easily excreted form and won't do you any harm, its certainly not in a high dosage - I think it helps absorption of the codeine but bio-chemistry was always my weakspot!
HTH

wow! Thanks for that. My next feat is giving up smoking. YIKES! don't tell me about all the horrible things its doing to me - Im already very scared.!!!!!!

Wait until the giving up kicks in!
Have posted on this thread before - definately worth doing, but take it one day at a time and try to start convincing yourself now that you are GAINING something, not giving something up