I’m on day 3 of no codeine. I feel dreadful cutting down from 30 per day

[Shoot4theMoon]

I’m young fit and healthy and I’ll start by saying I was never told how addictive it hesr tablets are before they were given to me for gallstone attacks while awaiting removal of my gallbladder. This was 3 years ago. 3 years this month since I got addicted. I started on 6-8 per day. Went up to taking 3 at a time 3 times per day. Only this year did I go beyond that and I don’t know how it happened but I went from 3 to 4, to 6, to 8, to 10, to 12, now I usually take 14 at a time at least twice a day. I crave the warm tingly feeling they used to give me but no longer do. I realise people will wonder where do I get them as no doctor would prescribe that many, I don’t buy them illegally, I would never as who knows what’s in them, every pill I take comes from a real pharmacy. I began running out and switching to cocodomol but of course I’d need a lot of those to get 400mg of codeine so I learnt how to remove the paracetamol from the pills so it’s just sheer codeine. It takes 1 hour to do. I’m disgusted with myself that iv done all of this and I know where my nearest 20 community pharmacies are that I drive around too when I run out of pills to buy cocodomol but I need 6 boxes of those a day as I to two at a time, 3 times a day. So that’s 6 pharmacies a day. I decided enough is enough, I had pills left over and I just decided I’m done. Absolutely done. I’m sick of them pills controlling my life. So on Saturday morning I took 14 pills of 30mg each then I haven’t since. I didn’t sleep well on Saturday night then all day yesterday on day 2 I was achy and sweaty. I didn’t sleep much at all last night I woke up in a pool of sweat, I’m had terrible dirheea, I feel sick, my legs ache so badly. I’m so cold then sweating. I’m so scared how much worse it’s going to get and I just need someone to tell me I’m doing good here and not to give up and if someone could share with me when they did this what day they felt better

Well done! Such an epic thing to do for yourself. Keep going and keep talking to us x

I've been where you are OP. The first week is awful but it slowly gets better until one day you feel incredible! Please keep going, I know it's hard but totally worth it.

Perhaps speak to your GP? My GP was absolutely amazing, no judgement at all. We decided against the tapering because I just didn't feel I could trust myself with a week long prescription so we decided cold Turkey was the best. I had a prescription for some sleeping pills which helped enormously and some diazepam, which really helped with the jitters. It's funny, once the sleeping pills and diazepam ran out, I never felt any kind of addiction to them. Codeine was my vice and I loved it but I love everything so much more now that it's out of my life. Feel free to PM me if you just want to chew someone's ear off and pass the time.

Sorry, back again, just to say you can do this!

Thanks again everyone it’s so hard I can’t sit still not I feel very on edge but at the same time I’m absorbing exhausted form then it sleeping well and the sweats

Just want to say well done! I was in this same position in March (60 nurofen plus a day) with ALL the same issues you describe: pharmacy hopping, being sick of them controlling you, not to mention the cost.

The withdrawals aren't pleasant but what you're experiencing is normal for this process. It took weeks before I wasn't weak and fatigued, and now feel totally normal.

Perhaps see your GP, if nothing else it may be a good idea to get blood tests done for your liver/kidney function. I was also given a strong antihistamine to help induce sleepiness as this was an issue.

Good luck, you will get through the worst of it and be so glad you did ♥️

Sorry but if there tablets how on earth do you manage just to get the codeine out of a tablet?

you need intervention from your gp
who will give you diazepam to help you get through

I would recommend not going cold turkey - it will be very difficult (I know from experience!). You are best to take less and titrate down. So for a week (for example, take say 3/4 of your usual, then for the next week maybe take 1/2 until you can eventually stop. It is much easier on your physical and mental health this way. Good luck x

Thats why I didnt share the link of where it came from - coming off an opiod addiction is not simply like going on a diet and cutting out crisps - and even if it was, OP needs to get proper medical advice, and again not randoms on mumsnet who may or may not be who they claim

I say this as a professor of medicine from Oxford (clearly I am not, but whats to stop me re regging and saying I am)

OP doesnt need fangirls from mumsnet, s/he needs proper and appropriate advice

My degree is in Substance Misuse and I've worked in it for years, but ok....your one page of research obviously beats that

No reputable Dr will give you diazepam to detox from opiates. The disinformation on this thread is scary

Like I said, I'm a 6ft supermodel with a degree in super advanced chemical engineering from Cambridge?...... Or am I???

I assume you have a code of conduct? Maybe advising unknowns on the internet is covered in it??

@molly1995 that would have really hurt your stomach ??? I used to sometimes take nurofen plus inbetween running out of codeine before I learnt about the extraction, and I’d take 4 at a time with 4 solaphine max and my stomach would be wrecked the first day

I dont have any advice OP but I just wanted to say well done, what a huge and very difficult step to take, I am full of admiration for your strength- keep going, you can do this!

Thank you @Haventhadaneggsinceeaster I feel so cold iv came to bed at 5pm and wrapped myself in the quilt I just can’t warm up and iv Been on and off the toilet all day, I’m aching all over I feel truly dreadful

It's truly miserable but as you have started cold turkey already I'd say stick with it. I've done both supervised medicated withdrawal and unsupervised plain cold turkey from alcohol abuse, and though the CT felt worse, it was the one that stuck for me. It sounds like you have reached the peak of withdrawal symptoms and hopefully you will begin to turn the corner soon....

Sorry but if there tablets how on earth do you manage just to get the codeine out of a tablet?
That was my first thought. It's not as if they're layered. (Retired pharmacy technician, so I know a bit about it)

I wouldn't say on here but you can google it and it tells you. It's to do with the different solubility of the drug

How are you feeling @Shoot4theMoon ?

@BrewandBiscuit I was just so exhausted yesterday afternoon I fell asleep 3 times I was soooooo cold to the core even wrapped up in bed with my clothes still on, the weather hasn’t been helping it was -9c this morning, I’m aching and keep getting shivers and sweating and aching. It’s like everything that could be wrong with me if I had an illness is all wrong at the same time

Keep going! You are doing amazing!

Op I’m sorry you are going through this. Can you get to an NA meeting or do one online?
You will get help and support from people who have experienced exactly what you are going through.

OP, how are you feeling today?

@Blueyismylife iv been put on a low dose to keep the more major symptoms at bay, i became very poorly and was not able to take care of my children so I called my dr and told them I wanted to come off the codeine and that I had stopped taking it and how dreadful I felt, they told me it’s much better to taper down so they are helping me with this and I’m having phone call appointments twice a week to see how I’m managing on the low dose and to keep cutting down