Codeine addiction

[Hairsprayinthesink]

I am/was? addicted to huge amounts of codeine (plain, not with paracetamol). I was taking about 400-450mg a day, all in one go, to get high, and sometimes these doses twice a day. I’ve been tapering off and now only take between 15-30mg a day. It started as a great way to numb the physical pain from a disability and then it became w way to feel good and then it became an inability to survive the day without it. I’m proud of how far I’ve come now but would appreciate support if anyone is around. Cheers

I was on that much a day, I felt I couldn’t get out of it. When my monthly prescription prescription finished 120 per month. I used to buy nurofen plus, I’d visit a different chemist every couple of days. After Christmas I said enough was enough and decided to just come of it. The withdrawal wasn’t pleasant but after a week I felt fine. Now I feel like a new person. I still get the urges for it but it’s one day at a time. Good luck keep going it’s worth it.

Thank you, I’m absolutely craving it tonight

I know it’s horrible, the cravings are still there. We need to be strong.

Well done the pair of you!

I’m also the same . Iv been prescribed pure codine alone for a back injury . I do take extra to relax me and this has got worse during lock down . I’m getting concerned. Iv not been on it to long but reading on here has concerned me . It seems to be a huge issue

I buy them online, it’s legal but it’s not exactly great. Just got a delivery today and took a load because I couldn’t resist :(

I used to buy mines online when my prescription ran out. I spent a fortune at 40/50 pounds a prescription. I cringe at the thought of how much I have spent over the past two years plus the damage to my insides. I think a lot of online chemists stoped selling opioids because of some legislation. Not sure correct me if I’m wrong

Hello! Just popping in like a broken record to recommend SMART online meetings. They meet every night and you don't have to speak or even turn your camera/mic on if you don't want to, you can just listen anonymously. It's CBT based addiction recovery and it helped me loads.

smartrecovery.org.uk/online-meetings/

Tonight's is 7.30 and it's purely a tools meeting tonight so they run through a lot of typical coping mechanisms.

Maybe see you there!

Hangingover

Thank you very much for that, I have my off days. Some days I could just give in. This home schooling has been challenging and stressful. Looking forward to schools going back and I can get back to work. I’ll take a look at that meeting. Thanks

Codeine is a prescription drug isnt it. How can they be.bought online.

@Hangingover Thanks for sharing that resource. what a great site, I tried AA and it didn't fit right for me, but this looks just right

Thanks for sharing I’ll check em out

Gone backwards in my ‘recovery’ in the last few days. I’m an idiot

Going to start tapering again tomorrow.

My taper didn’t go so well

Same with me m addicted .... But dont want to be

Hope you’re ok @Poojasing

I’m also the same I’m on 30mg codeine from my dr, I get 120 every 14 days. That would equal 8 per day. However I often take 16-20 per day. So does my partner. He also gets codeine off his dr the same about as me so we share each other’s. This been going on over 1 year now. When we run out we buy solphadine max which is 12.8mg codeine and paracetamol and also neurofen plus which is 12.8 codeine and ibrophen.
We both started on the codeine for different medical reasons while both awaiting surgery, mine were put on repeat while awaiting surgery and so was my partners while he awaited his surgery. At first I took 2 tablets 4 times per day as stated. However 2 stopped working for the pain and I started to take 3 at a time. I still wouldn’t take more than 8 per day for a long time as I was scared. But once I went over 8 and I took 10 in 12 hours because I was very poorly with pain (I had gallstones) and the next day I vomited all day! I swore it was because I had taken 10 codeine the day before and I was then again scared to go over 8. But now I get sick if I don’t take them. Iv tried to cut down a few times. I realise how bad they are for me. Iv never taken drugs before, I have children and I’m a respectable adult and mother. I don’t know how I got into this but I do know it was not intended and I wish at the start my doctor had told me what would happen to me. When I do run out of my codeine from the doctor and we buy the neurofen plus and the solphadine max I take 4 of each at a time, 3 times a day. I go to different chemists in the area. Sometimes my boyfriend goes instead. I hope I can come off them soon. I just don’t know how to. But when I don’t take them I start to shiver and sweat, my whole body aches, I can’t sleep, I vomit and get dirhhea, I get a very bad blinding headache, and my body goes freezing cold and will not warm up. It’s cold to the touch and I have to wrap myself up in dressing gowns and quilt and take hot baths but it doesn’t help. and that’s on day 2. That’s as far as it’s got and Iv then took them again to stop the awful symptoms. I don’t know what would happen to me after all of that if I still didn’t take any.

@Emz2019 I was on 8*30mg a day too, I didn't ever go over the 8 a day but I took them religiously for 2 years. I was prescribed them for arthritis. I too was given a repeat prescription for 120 at a time, I had no idea they were addictive which sounds completely naive now as they are an opioid but I genuinely didn't know. I only released I was addicted when I started waking up in the morning and all I could think about was getting the first two down my neck.
I tried to stop myself by tapering but I couldn't do it so I went to my GP. He arranged for me to get a set amount every week, coming down a full tablet every 2 or 3 weeks. When I got to 3 a day I got half strength ones, so 15mg. I reduced on those for a while then the dose was reduced to 7.5mg. I took 2 a day (i think) for a while then down to one then stopped.
I know I could never have done it alone, the sense of relief being off them was wonderful but I think altogether it took me around 3 or 4 months.
Could you speak to your GP to see if you could do something similar? I know you are topping up with over the counter but maybe if you were honest the GP could factor that in?
I know how hideous it is, I am a middle age women, 3 kids, good job etc and I was totally addicted. I hated it. I hated myself. It was like a huge, dirty secret I carried around. You certainly are not alone in what you are doing.

I have been back to tapering off and I really am suffering with the withdrawal. On about 90 mg per day now and SUFFERING. I have felt so physically ill and I’m really upset that I got myself off codeine and then went back on again knowing how bad the withdrawal was last time!! I’m abs desperate for support or stories of recovery from codeine addiction

Well, I don't know if I would class myself as "recovered", because I've done this more than once and then started again. Mine were always bought OTC, from various chemists so that they didn't recognise me and I just kept taking more and more, particularly in the evening, to be happy in bed and then sleep. I've come off them now - I'm in the first week -and am suffering too, so you have my absolute sympathy. I couldn't understand why I felt so ill, then I looked up the withdrawal symptoms. Don't give up giving up

It's really bloody hard to get past that's for sure. I've not had any for 3 years..and that's purely because they made it prescription only in Aus and I couldnt access it.

I also used to drive far to different places to get it before it was prescription only.
I was taking far too much and have permanently damaged my internal organs, still can feel the effects today.

Good luck to you with coming off and staying off. I think alot of people are addicted and they just don't realise it.

Sorry to hear you’re both in the same position. I started taking it legitimately and realised it took the physical pain away and made me feel emotionally incredible and couldn’t resist that feeling. Thankfully today I’m so much better and took only just less than 60mg yesterday just to take the edge off the sickness and I’m so proud, that’s the least I’ve taken in ages and the symptoms are on their way out now. There’s no way in hell I’m going back to it again after this. I’m going to end up with about 100 tablets left over so am going to ask my lovely DH to put them somewhere I can’t find them!

@Miffyliffy if you don’t mind me asking what damage to your internal organs occurred?