Cocodomol addiction help

[justme26]

So please go easy on me as really struggling at the minute aware I'm posting in wrong group but other posts silent and know a lot of people are on this one and need help as can't talk to anyone else
I gave birth to my little girl nearly 8 month ago love her so much and I couldn't live without her
A few weeks after having her I started taking cocodomol to help with pain
Then that turned into it taking full strips at a time
On a night to help me sleep - I was exhausted just couldn't switch off
A lots happened over 8 month, my Nanna passed away due to COVID I had a missed misscariage back in November and things have just went downhill from there
I'm currently taking a full box of cocodmol to get me through the day
My full body aches without it them and I get the most awful migraines I really want to stop but I physically can't
Find myself walking round the town to different chemists every day to get more and it's not the way I want to live
I've finally plucked up the courage to ring doctors this morning and currently waiting for a phone call back
However I've been thinking will they take my baby off me if I tell them? I don't know wether to answer the call incase they say I'm unfit to look after her
I'm not she's well looked after I just need them to function now and get through the day
Thanks for reading xx

@NotaCoolMum

Did you answer the call from your gp today *@justme26*? You’re doing the right thing seeking help- I’m sure they have ways to help you withdraw safely. 💐💐💐

I didn't no unfortunately, my partner came home from work early and he doesn't know nor do I think he'll understand so I didn't answer Feel like he'll just start screaming and ranting at me about it and it's the last thing I need

Oh dear!
Can you talk to him at all? How is your relationship?
You really need support OP. To be blunt, you are an addict and you will kill yourself.
You must seek support - I can't imagine how hard it is but it's essential if you want to be around to see your baby grow up

I feel for you I really do
Op . It's a horrible place to be in . My partner doesn't know I have either . I have wanted to tell him so many times but I always chicken out . I would 100 percent speak to the doctor tomorrow he can give you tablets to help with the withdrawal symptoms . Don't worry your self stupid about liver damage either . Youl be fine just get some help ❤️ xxxx

You are addicted to opiates, and need to treat it as the drug addiction it is.

You could try and find a 12 step program group

Or start at a NA meeting

Your gp is also somewhere you can try.

But you are a drug addict and need to get this under control now before it's too late.

Good luck op x

Try and cut down one tablet per day.
Have you listened to binaural beats on you tube to neutalise pain headaches? I find them good.

Good luck

The amount of paracetamol you are ingesting is dangerous!! Your liver will already be damaged. It can recover though. The codeine addiction is a different beast and can be dealt with separately. I am worried for you.

Please, please seek help.

I know everyone here has already said it, but please contact the GP as soon as possible.

There really is no point worrying about anyone taking away your daughter when you could very well die from the unbelievable amount of paracetamol you're ingesting and leave her without a mother.

Please, please get help & get it as fast as possible.

@31RooCambon

Try and cut down one tablet per day. Have you listened to binaural beats on you tube to neutalise pain headaches? I find them good. Good luck

The OP needs to see her GP. If she cuts down one tablet per day of what she is taking she will still be overdosing on paracetamol every single day for a long time. She needs a prescription of codeine and to manage the reduction with medical advice.

Also try and remember your GP will likely prescribe you codeine/something similar without the paracetamol to manage the addiction/withdrawal and come off it safely.

They won't throw you to the dogs or judge you, they take addiction very seriously and want to help!

Obviously going straight to the gp is the wisest course of action.

@justme26 hi op, I posted on your other thread, IV just gone cold turkey from codeine, I'm 10 days codeine free. To be fair, I found this easy, but that was because I have tried to quit tramadol cold turkey many times and found it hell, this in comparison is easier.
I was taking up to 600 mg a day, so probably a fair bit more than yourself.
The hardest part comes after the withdrawals for me, because it's about living without the companion drug that makes everything a little bit better. That part will vary for everyone.
Please find a way to talk to your go tomorrow, the amount of paracetamol that your consuming is very damaging.
Have a think about what would work best for you, either a long drawn out tapering, or a short sharp withdrawal. Your gp has seen this countless times, it's now a very common problem.

@justme26 if you have been taking 40 tablets a days for a while I would honestly say you need to go to A&E tonight. You urgently need bloods to look at your liver function. Each tablet contains 500mg of paracetamol, the max would be 8 tablets a day which is 4grams. You have been taking a consistent massive overdose of paracetamol. They won’t judge you but you need to get seen urgently.

This isn’t an overreaction, you need as assessment of your liver function urgently if you have been taking that much.

This is really serious, and you need to take it very seriously. I say this to you as someone who’s been taking codeine every day and night for over 35 years.

The codeine is what your addicted to, but the paracetamol is what is damaging your liver; that damage could be irreversible and could result in liver failure and death. You need to speak to your GP urgently tomorrow morning, and you need to be completely honest with them; the fact that you are seeking help means that you won’t be judged unfit to look after your baby or anything at all like that. They will be able to get you off the paracetamol whilst managing the opiate addiction - so that you stop damaging your liver whilst they refer you to services who will help you withdraw from the opiates.

There’s nothing to be ashamed of - it’s a common problem and there are solutions. Go and see your GP and get some help; please don’t risk leaving your child motherless.

*you’re not your

Reading about paracetamol overdose - 20 to 30 tablets is an overdose and requires urgent medical attention.
Are you really taking 40 per day every day?

Feel like he'll just start screaming and ranting at me about it and it's the last thing I need

This sounds really concerning, @justme26, and sounds like this is stopping you asking for help.

Not cocodomol but another over the counter painkiller with codeine here. Going to different chemists etc. Sounds like I was on less a day. It was hard to stop - got lots of headaches which ironically were why I started taking it in the first place. Also psychologically I had rely begun to rely on it - took the soluble ones and missed the clink clink fizz. Definitely see the doctor. All I can say is that I got out of it and don't take it now and don't miss it. It is so easy to get trapped in this cycle be kinder to yourself. No one wants to get addicted but it happens. You will find a way through this and there will soon be a point where you aren't taking them and able to feel happy you have got out of the cycle

Can you tell him it’s private and you need time to speak with GP alone?

@nimbuscloud

Reading about paracetamol overdose - 20 to 30 tablets is an overdose and requires urgent medical attention. Are you really taking 40 per day every day?

Tolerance will increase when someone’s takinga lot over a period of time, because the body will make more of the enzymes in the liver’s detoxification pathways. So what could kill you if you don’t usually overuse paracetamol, will be tolerated in someone who takes huge amounts daily. Just like with alcohol - an alcoholic could drink a litre or more of vodka, which would put a non-drinker in a hospital/morgue, because they make much higher levels of the liver enzymes which detoxify the ethanol.

It doesn’t mean it’s not doing damage though - hence why @justme26 needs to urgently see her GP. Paracetamol is not addictive, so the GP can immediately prescribe codeine only, and she’ll be off the damaging paracetamol straight away. They can then work out a plan to get her off the codeine.

Evening, OP,

We're so sorry to hear you've been having such a hard time, and on top of caring for a newborn, too. A huge well done for facing up to it and making that first call to the GP. Do ring them again tomorrow. It does sound like you need to see a doctor about it as a first step.

If you're finding it hard to know how to broach it with your DH, there are a few organisations that offer support and advice on addiction. this page from Mind has some useful numbers.

We're sure you'll get lots more advice and support here on the boards, too, from others who have been there or supported family or friends through similar.

Wishing you all the best

@youvegottenminuteslynn, thank you, this happened 7 years ago, nobody had any idea she felt that low,27th December she took them and on new years eve the consultant told us if she didn't respond to treatment within 48 hours she would be put on the transplant list, then he said she wouldn't get a transplant as she had done it to herself, I was devastated,angry,heartbroken I felt I had failed, on the 2nd of January she started to respond( she is now very well and has a child ), I don't think people understand how dangerous paracetamol is let alone codeine, I think about it dailey, I couldn't imagine the devastation if I'd lost her, I'm not trying to scare op this is just my story,the outcome could've been very different, get some help op, sending hugs x

Can you call NHS direct or what ever it is called now? I don't want to sound unkind, but I don't think this is something you can hide from your other half and social services is not the most concerning thing here. If you just do it now. Be brave. You can kick off the action needed to ensure your child has a healthy mum.

@NoAuthorityAtAll Do you have a source for people building paracetamol tolerance? Because as I understand it this is not the case and extended use depletes the liver reserves making overdose more likely.

I actually think the OP might need to call NHS111. There is a pretty high chance that when the GP hears the op has been taking 40 tablets (presumably 20g) of paracetamol every day they are going to send her straight to A&E. And PP is right - this is now something you cannot hide from your partner.

[quote DivGirl]@NoAuthorityAtAll Do you have a source for people building paracetamol tolerance? Because as I understand it this is not the case and extended use depletes the liver reserves making overdose more likely.

I actually think the OP might need to call NHS111. There is a pretty high chance that when the GP hears the op has been taking 40 tablets (presumably 20g) of paracetamol every day they are going to send her straight to A&E. And PP is right - this is now something you cannot hide from your partner.[/quote]
@DivGirl I’m certainly not quibbling that OP needs urgent medical attention - I hope you don’t think that my posts were in any way advocating not treating this as a very serious situation?

I’m also not arguing that regularly abusing paracetamol won’t mean that the liver suddenly reaches the limit of what it can cope with and tolerance suddenly plummets - it happens with paracetamol, with other drugs and with alcohol. To use the example of the alcoholic again; a sign of advancing liver damage is when the alcoholic, having been drinking huge quantities of alcohol a day (ie can tolerate amounts that would hospitalise/ kill a non-drinker), suddenly finds their tolerance drastically decreases - it’s a sign the liver is at the end of the road. That doesn’t mean that tolerance doesn’t increase in the earlier stages of the abuse, and that certainly doesn’t mean that damage isn’t occurring even though there aren’t obvious symptoms.

Here’s a reference - you can find more on PubMed. www.nature.com/articles/srep16423

OP, well done for so far, you've been really brave.

You must make it your mission today to see your GP and get a prescription for codeine and some tests for your liver function. Your GP will be able to order urgent liver function tests and/or send you to A&E with a letter explaining what's happened and what's needed. I urge you not to take more than 4g of Paracetamol today.

Please don't worry about social services. You might actually find their support helpful with your DH. I'm a mental health nurse who works closely with safeguarding, children's services do not remove babies from parents on the sole basis of addiction. If they did, many, many more children would be in care or for adoption. All they want is for baby's needs to be met, and they support parents who are struggling or vulnerable to do this.