I think I may be addicted to a medication my GP has been giving me for the past year...... codeine!

[Emz2019]

So around 2 year ago I was very poorly with sever pain and vomiting! Visited my gp and after scans and tests was diagnosed with gallstones. I was put on codeine to help with the pain, 30mg codeine x 2. 4times a day! Iv since been through surgery and recovered to find I may still have stones left behind In the liver ducts and I’m waiting for an mri scan.... so still I’m on this dosage of codeine of 240mg per day. But some days I take up to double this, not because of pain but often because of pain, some days I don’t take all of it, but what I have noticed is if I don’t take it at all for around 24 hours I get aching legs, head aches, shivers, sweats then I get dirhhea and vomiting..... this is all before 48 hours has set in, Iv no idea what will happen after this as I don’t let it go any further I always take some codeine and within an hour all of those symptoms are gone! It’s so hard to stop them but I still need them for the intense pains I get, if anyone has ever had a gallbladder attack they will know my pain and at one point I thought I was having a heart attack as it felt like someone blew up a balloon in my chest and I started shivering and vomiting this all came on within 2 minutes and I thought I was dying that day and I was only 25 so knew a heart attack was highly unlikely but so were gallstones at my age and they are not in my family so I’m not sure why this all happened to me but I have young children, and children 10,11. When I take the codeine they don’t effect me or make me drowsy I’m still able to drive as normal and always have been since I started them, so taking them doesn’t interfere with my daily life or looking after it kids, but stopping them does and I hate the fact I have to take them to feel normal and can’t manage without them and I’m scared of how bad things would get if I just stopped taking them!!!! After my surgery I cut down drastically and I was so proud of myself I was taking 2 at bed time and that was all!! Then I got the worst pain of my life and ended up back in the hospital which is when they thought stones had been left behind and I’m waiting for an MRI scan to see if stones are left behind and was put straight back on codeine and although I’d cut down and was so proud of myself I had to take them to help with the pain nothing was touching it and they have offered me morphine to take Iv taken it before in the hospital which is a much stronger dose of codeine and they offered me to have it on prescription at home but Iv said no as I deffo don’t want to be hooked on that! I’m so stressed my partner knows, he’s also taking codeine for other reasons as he can’t take other medications So he knows what’s I’m talking about as he’s never tried to stop his as he needs it while he awaits surgery on my leg which was broken in an accident and the bones need broke again reset but he’s had a stomach ulcer so can’t take anti inflammatory medication..... so he’s a good help and tells me I can do it again but says it’s not the right time while I’m waiting to see about stones and if I do I’ll need more surgery to remove them and end up back on codeine for sure so might aswell just keep taking them for now but at a level I’m meant to and not popping them left right and centre. Iv never taken drugs in my life, I don’t really drink, Iv never had a drink problem and can’t believe I was put on these tablets last year and never told what would happen to me! They were put on repeat prescription and I ordere 100 every 2 weeks, and have been for 1 year. I have had a doctor call me a few times to see if they are still helping with my pain but not once did anyone say to me oh you will get completely addicted to these by the way especially when they knew I’d be on them long term! I don’t even know what I’m asking I just need a friend to talk to who’s been through the same and came out the other side! I’m scared to tell my doctor incase they ring social services even though they don’t effect me at all and I still live a normal daily life while taking them

Wall of text was a tough read!

The short of it OP, is that if you're concerned about it then you should speak to your Dr about it. This has nothing to do with SS at all.

How long did they prescribe codeine for?
Speak to your go if you're worried.

Codeine at these levels is certainly addictive. It's an opiate! Speak to your doctor as soon as possible. They do not inform social services. But you are not living a normal life and they certainly do affect you - because you are posting here that it is a problem and that you are taking far more than you ought to take for pain purposes. That is the definition of addicted.

Is it Zapain?

You can cut it down gradually, by a half a tablet every few days.

Then aim for a 'maintenance dose' of maybe two tablets a day for a while.

I wouldn't necessarily jump to the conclusion that you are addicted just yet. Your body is used to you taking a certain amount each day, and when you miss a few doses then your body will react to that. It could be dependence rather than addiction. For example, I get physical symptoms if I do not take my medication for anxiety, but it's not addiction to the drugs.

Is the pain constant? I think it would be useful to speak to your GP about your worries. They won't stop prescribing codeine and leave you to go cold turkey. I think it is more likely to be a slow taper off the medication, if they don't think you should be taking it anymore. I take some very strong pain medication for chronic pain, and I take it as and when needed, rather than 4x a day regardless of pain levels. That might be an option for you.

I'm not an expert, I'm just sharing the thoughts that came to mind after reading your post. Please speak to your GP, they will want to help.

Thank you everyone who took the time to read my post. My doctor prescribes me 2 weeks worth every 2 weeks of 100 tables which my box says take no more then 8 in 24 hours. My pain comes throughout the day, occasionally Wakes me up in the morning, it’s not as bad as it was before I had my gallbladder removed, they think I have nerve damage from surgery and should resolve some time soon...... so I am still having them prescriped from my doctor but I also go out and buy codeine in other forms I buy cocodomol I buy ibrophen/codeine and the codeine cough syrup for when I run out of my dose which is usually a couple of days before my next prescription is due, I did take any from Sunday until Wednesday and instead I had cocodomol and cough syrup and also ibrophen/codeine but I got so poorly I was shivering but sweating my whole body was hurting I was having night mares and great trouble sleeping! So yesterday I got my new prescription but I’m proud of myself since getting it yesterday afternoon I have taken 6 codeine in total and nothing else! I plan to only take 4 at bed time today if I can.... I feel ok at this moment and it’s almost 10am Iv had my breakfast and going to do some house work. I really hope I can stick this out

Hey @Emz2019! How’s everything going. I’ve been through this before and know how your feel. Unfortunately I only came off them for a few short months and now am back on them again but hopefully in the new year I will give them up for good.

Hi I’m still taking them. I have had sever pains on and off for weeks so my doctor has now put them on repeat so I have no issues to order them. I ran out on Thursday and didn’t have any until Friday evening and my last done was 90mg on Thursday 9am. But Thursday evening I was feeling sweaty and couldn’t sleep, I woke up on and off during the night, I had dirhhea on Friday morning and felt sick, I was covered in goose bumps but soaking with sweat and my whole body was aching, I ended up buying some nurofen/codeine which is only 12.8mg of codeine per tablet so I took 4 of those which is 800mg of ibuprofen as I’m always careful with that and won’t take more than that, and that got rid of all of my symptoms for a good 8 hours until my doctor rang for my appointment and sent over my medication straight away. It seams odd how poorly I can feel just because I haven’t taken some medication when the medication isn’t even for that sort of illness. It’s almost like my whole body goes into some meltdown without it.
How did it feel when you came off and how bad did things get and for how long?

The use of codeine and tramadol has been recognised as a massive issue in the US for several years if you search the Opioid epidemic.
GPs often seem to up doses of opioids rather at looking at multimodal analgesia ( though it is more expensive).

You should go and talk to your doctor. There are better painkillers for nerve pain.

Hi OP. What you're describing are very common symptoms when you don't take them. They can be very addictive. Doctors can prescribe a slightly lower dose (15/500, 15mg codeine, 500 paracetamol) and then there's nurofen plus (12.8mg/500) and regular cocodamol (8/500) which you can buy over the counter. Maybe look into that but asking for other pain relief if it's too lower dose to manage the pain on it's own. Good luck.

Op, you said that sometime you take double the maximum does of 240mg - you could kill your self doing that.

You must not, under any circumstances take more than 240mg per day.

It is entirely possible that the codeine is actually causing some of your pain. Morphine is codeine that has been processed by the liver, so your liver will be working over time trying to process all the shot you are shovelling in.

I say this as someone who became dependent on codeine for many years - you need help or you are going to kill yourself.

Hi how are you doing ? I am addicted too . Iv come on here now because I'm in work ran out of my prescription last night and I am already having anxiety over it . Iv never admitted this to anyone but this is how much I don't think I could cope with out codiene , I have put off trying for a baby because I'm scared of how il feel when trying to come off them . I am prescribed then for a lot of back issues and have been in them for about 4 years . I have stopped before but felt like I had the flu . I suffer with really bad anxiety and codiene relaxes me . As soon as I miss a dose I can feel it coming back and it scares me 😭 how did we get in such a mess !

I’m an opioid addict too, I get 120 co codamol 30/500 every month and that does me two weeks then I buy nurofen plus which has 12.8mg codeine/ibrobrofen. I’m already banned from two chemists in my area as they caught on I was buying to much nurofen plus. I’m ashamed of myself. I think I need to just go cold turkey and get it out of my system. I can’t afford to keep buying them. I also get stomach pains, which I know is the ibuprofen. It’s so easy to get addicted. Don’t blame yourself. You don’t realise how common it is.

It us common but you need to ask for help. You need to taper under medical supervision.

Please talk to your GP.