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

Do you feel better being on a lower dose? Always better to cut down gradually I think. I'm glad you've got your phone appointments to keep in regular contact. Keep going, you're doing so well.

Massive well done for deciding to stop and for seeking/accepting help from your GP. It is very easy to become addicted to cocodamol, it doesn't take long at all. Good for you finally getting to grips with it!

@Blueyismylife I feel like an absolute failure that I couldn’t just stop and I feel iv really let myself down

But you had just stopped, it wasn't a problem of willpower that led you back on to a low dose. Your body couldn't hack the withdrawal and so you made the sensible and responsible decision to see medical help to have a managed withdrawal. All of that is a massive victory over your addiction.

Do you have a goal date for when you should be off the codeine completely?

Recovery is a long hard slog however you do it. You are doing it now; it may not have looked the way you had imagined, but you're in it to win it.

Keep going, keep working with your healthcare professionals, and you can have a great Christmas knowing you're on the right path.

You absolutely are not a failure. You couldn't just stop point blank, that was making you unwell top instead you've sought medical advise and are following it. You are absolutely going in the right direction! Do not feel a failure, you should be very proud of yourself!

You are not a failure, you acknowledged you had a problem and are doing something about it!

Well done and done give up

You're not a failure. You can do this, you just need to do it a bit slower. Be honest with your doctor, and wean slowly.

You've done well facing up to this.

I think it depends what you’re prescribed it for. I was prescribed codiene and liquid morphine for pain control. They refilled my codiene prescription without any issue. I think I got 100x 30mg codiene each time; told to take with paracetamol as it improves the efficacy.

Luckily the pain was resolved so I was able to stop. Gall bladder attacks are brutal though.

Please don't go cold turkey. Please don't ever suggest someone goes cold turkey. I'm a Nurse who works with this and cold turkey can cause all sorts of problems including seizures and manic phases.

Op. Proud of you but if you need help please reach out to appropriate services. Be that private or ED.

72 hours can be a tipping point. So make sure you are with someone who knows what you are trying to do and not alone...

www.priorygroup.com/blog/what-are-the-symptoms-of-codeine-withdrawal this is a link to priory. But there will be addiction services near you.

Be kind to yourself.

The way you were doing it would have led to failure.
With support the way you are now doing it is the only way you will maintain it.
You're doing amazingly.

It's so easy to become addicted you don't even realise. Especially when you start because of pain, I was having codeine post operative I had it for about 3 weeks and started getting the jitters. I was having 30mg ones so 60mg at a time, I moved down to 8mg. The insomnia was the worst bit , I took some promethazine which is an antihistamine so I could sleep through the worst of it. I'm on nothing now 5 weeks out I could see how it could have easily spiraled.

Gosh you're not a failure at all. I admit that my blood ran cold when I read your OP and saw the dosage you were going cold turkey from & how long you'd been on it. I'm a recovering addict and was never able to go CT. I tried once and it triggered psychosis. I've relapsed a number of times (although currently clean) and tapering is the only way I've been able to do it. I won't lie - it's a long hard slog even reducing the dose slowly especially when you start to feel the rawness of the world again.
You mention liking the warm feeling of the codeine and I'd strongly advise you to seek out some mental health support also as addiction (as opposed to dependence) is about way more than just the physiological need for a substance. I was also prescribed codeine for legitimate pain initially and it then spiralled out of control. It wasn't until I sought out psychotherapy that I was able to address the root cause of when left me susceptible to addiction and (I hope) to finally prevent any future relapses.

How are you doing, op ?

Sorry when I ready your opening post I thought you meant 30mg, not 30 tablets.

Do you not get constipated or do you take something for that?

No advice but hope you're ok x

Another one asking how you are doing today OP? Hope you are feeling better and well done on persevering and getting medical advice.

I’m doing ok everyone. Still aching like crazy but it’s manageable. The pharmacist rings me twice a week and I feel I’m doing good.

yes I do believe I am constipated as I only go once a week sometimes once every 2 weeks, iv also lost a significant amount of weight in the last 6-8 months and I’m now a size Uk 6, some days I didn’t eat at all and I’d keep taking tablets as I could feel them better on an empty stomach. It didn’t used to be that way but lately it has been that way. I don’t ever want to go down that route again but I do miss the warm fuzzy feeling as I would only get it off very high doses, but I got it the first time I ever took codeine during a gallbladder attack and I was only given 60mg. I guess my body just got used to having 60mg, then 90mg and so on.

Well done op. You’re doing brilliantly

Well done for persevering OP x

@user1483646497 how long were you in codeine and how many did you take? I’m still on a low dose but i have a couple of times took 16 at a time first thing in the morning but I am doing so much better than I imagined I would do.

can I ask what happened when you went cold Turkey and it triggered physcosis?

Hi, everyone

I’m addicted to codeine.. Wow, that felt weird, I’ve never said it out loud before. But I am, I’m on 8-10 pills a day of 30mg/500mg Co-codamol. For over 3 years now. Last Sunday I decided to go cold turkey, I managed, barely, for 5 days….. then I saw the pills on Friday and I thought “if I take just two, all this illness I’m feeling will go away” so I did.. then I took 2 more and then again 2 more and so on. I relapsed :( it’ll be barley 12hrs since I last took, and I feel so upset, frustrated and annoyed. I can’t believe I gave in. Now all I can think is “I’m going to go through it all again, the nasty flu like symptoms, the sneezing, the headaches, body aches, zero energy or motivation. And it’s scaring the gel out of me. I don’t think I can do this again, but I don’t want to go to my GP. I’m riding solo, no one ones because of the guilt and shame I feel. They won’t understand. I just would like to talk to someone, can someone give me advice?

@Misery88 this is quite an old thread so you might not get many replies. Maybe start your own thread with your post? Good luck!

@blackfluffydog thanks for the advice! Thank you

@Misery88 after 5 days you were almost certainly almost over the worst !! I’m still cutting down slowly I feel miserable because they have took over my life it’s all I think about and I’m so dependent on them I wish I was never given them from my gp

@Shoot4theMoon really? Agh, I knew I had a feeling it couldn’t get any worse. But the way I felt, I just couldn’t stand it anymore! I felt like I’d never get better. I started a tapering program (which I found online) and it’s a 16 day, I’m on day 6 now, down to just taking 5 tablets. It seems to be working well so far, I’ve got another 10.5 days to go, so I’m hoping by the end of it, I’ll be out the other side. I’m finding it a little difficult today though if I’m honest, a lot of will power, as I’m struggling to fight the urge to take more, willpower, it’s a little low, but I’m trying! Yes, I know what you mean, it’s so easy to be hooked, I didn’t even notice, but I definitely know now. It’s the most popular tablets to given by your doctor, and they don’t question it either… hang in there, we can do this!!

I haven't read the whole thread so apologies if this is duplicating other info. I came of 180mg of oxycontin (prescribed for extreme pain following breaking my neck). I did it slowly over an 8 week period. Dropped doage by 5 or 10 mgs a time, day one dose drops, day 2 withdrawal day 3 fewer withdrawal symptoms day 4 let body recover. Rinse and repeat. It is INCREDIBLY dangerous to go cold turkey you need to taper unless you are in a supervised medical facility. Also it actually gets harder towards thd end so gear yourself up for this. To illustrate dropping 100mg to 90 mg is a 10% drop but dropping that last 10mg to 0mg is a 100% drop so don't be surprised at that point. I had tons of Heinz tomato soup, a box set ready and a sofa abd a blanket. That was 3.5 years ago. You also need some CBT or NLP training to retune your brain to associate these drugs with something hateful.