Seriously addicted to co-codamol 30/500 HELP

Thank you for your reply, I'm so scared to tell my doctor and the reason is I work in the NHS and I will almost certainly lose my job if I tell them I have an addiction and this will be on my record I don't know if I can tell my doctor can I do it on my own cold Turkey? I know it will be hard but If I don't die from it then maybe it will be the best way to do it?

But thank you for reading I know it is a serious dependance I have just looked at how many pills I have left and trying to count how many I am allowed to take in one day and thinking Omg!

Ps I am to working in a hospital as a registered health professional and feel in the same situation as you. I feel like I will be struck off the register as not suitable to practise as my GP has to update them about any medical issues

Latchy thank you for your reply it really is a vicious circle, my doctor did the same thing, he gave me 224 codeine and 224 paracetamol split up and said to take it like that if I need it and all I've done is take it like that instead of reducing the paracetamol as it doesn't work without it! I want to detox from it all together and never take it ever again. I'm too scared to go to the doctors, this has been going on for nearly ten years and I've made sure not one person knows my secret, I have about 20 pharmacies I go to If I run out and they never question me as I only see them once a month I've never ran out but this month I don't think my doctor is going to give me any before the month is up so I have to be more careful when I take them which means I feel like I need to take them even more!

Gosh yes I know they have too even when they are the ones that have put us in this situation in the first place, I can't go through losing my job to this addiction which is why there must be a way to do it without the doctors help, I have read lots of people who have done it cold Turkey and I am willing to do it as long as I don't die I will go through it, have you ever tried to go cold Turkey? X

I tried going cold turkey and due to the amount of codeine I was taking I started having terrible withdrawal effects, Sickness, stomach cramps awful night sweats, headaches, hurting limbs well it was pure hell for two days! By the time the end of day 2 I had a fit and an ambulance was called and I was rushed to hospital where I admitted to them I was having codeine withdrawal and told them I was taking nearly 100mg every three hours and chewing them for high impact. They promptly gave me high doses of sedatives (chlordiazepoxide or Librium as it's widely known as) to stop me fitting and 90 mg codeine phosphate. I told them I was still with my old GP and they handed me a letter on discharge to give my old Dr which of course I never did, so my Dr was none the wiser. So if you are taking really high doses like me then I wouldn't recommend going cold turkey. Have you thought about rehab like me? I went privately in the past for an alcohol addiction when I was much younger but it cost £48,000. I think the codeine addiction has replaced my alcohol as I haven't touched a drop for years. Rehab centres don't say exactly what you are in for to any health bodies except your own GP to say you are undergoing medical treatment and therapy for addiction.

its not as if we are taking illicit drugs really is it Hopefirst? I wouldn't mind my GP knowing but not the Health Professions Council. For me an NHS rehab clinic I think is the only hope to come off this poison they call a painkiller, but how do I get referred quickly without my Dr knowing (I'd rather him being told by the clinic) I can't afford another £48,000 going privately again as I had to sell my house. And now live in rented. I'd go tonight if I could get in! I'm like you I am desperate. I use about 20 pharmacys as well. Online ones and stores and get people to even go for me like the neighbours. It really is beyond a gps help I think. What sort of doses do you take? Don't tell me if you don't want to or makes you feel uncomfortable putting it on here.

i am just desperate to go into rehab and be free of codeine, it's pure Poison. I've been taking it everyday since 2005! Hope I'm helping you I don't want to frighten you through my experience of cold turkey. It just depends on the dose you are taking.

The Dr prescribes me 124 cocodomol 30/500 tablets a fortnight. The rest of the stuff I get from pharmacy stores.

Sorry 112 cocodomol

Thank you so much for telling me your story no it doesn't scare me I actually feel much calmer to know that there is someone in this world that goes to bed worrying about where to get this poison when we both desperately want to never take it again. I will be honest with you, when I sat with my doctor I waited for him to say the words "addiction" but nothing! He was nothing more than the front line of the prescribers who don't think twice about the addiction.

I've never actually written it down how much I take in one go but I will now, those strips have ten co-codamol pills in them? I will take six of them in the morning, then four at lunch, another four mid afternoon, then four when I get home and either four to six before bed.

So that is about 24 to 25 a day which is why a box of 100 is only lasting just under a week, I get 224 a month so by the third week I put in my repeat and go and buy the 8mg.

Wow, is that a lot? 24 to 26 a day of 30/500....

I've never tried rehab but I would try it in a heartbeat if I could, I think my addiction came almost silently, initially it was for a break but when that was over with I would take it to feel calm, then I had a bereavement and now I just can't stop it. It makes me so so so anxious, the more I have the more anxious I am, I almost want to take all of them to get it over and done with (I won't as I always feel like that) I'm sorry you have not found a good support in your own doctor either, I have even thought about leaving my job and doing something else.... How many do you take in one go? X

I take 2 cocodomol 30/500 with three Nurofen plus every 3 hours upto 10-12 a day. With codeine cough syrup inbetween (2-3 spoons so that's an extra 30-45mg codeine). I have thought about quitting my job and going for something less and that is not governed by a professional body. I even take 2 lanzoprazole tablets to protect the lining of my stomach from the ibuprofen.  But now have bleeding gums when I brush. I'm dreading the dentist next month. I am just desperate to go into rehab. At my wits end x

sorry upto 10-12 times a day I have that dose every 3 hours I write down the time and what I have taken

Sorry I did not reply sooner, I think I went in shock for a couple of days just reading what I’ve written, it was the first time I have actually admitted (in writing) that I am in fact an addict. I have been so clever that I’ve never got caught or questioned in the whole of my 30 years. Yet I take both my prescribed codeine and bought codeine and still need more every day.

Well today, I took the courage and rang the drug clinic via talk to frank and spoke to a woman. She told me that they would only speak to my doctors if they decide to prescribe me something. So I’ve arranged to see someone this Friday.

The prescription could end up being Subutex or Methadone. She said that the amount I am taking is equal to Heroin and it is more than likely to be Methadone.

She said that people who are on Subutex feel more clear headed whereas people on Methadone feel that fuzzy feeling?

I have to take the first step before I kill myself…. Even If I lose my job I have to do it. I hope you do it too

Wow, well done you and I wish you all the luck in the world to get of this poison.

May I ask if it's the Dr you are seeing on Friday or is it the drugs team?

I am tapering down at the moment. I have stopped the 60mg of codeine lictus altogether which I used to have in between doses so that's a 300mg cut. Luckily the only withdrawal symptoms I am getting is a severe headache with a little bit of nausea. And some abdominal pain.

Crazily though I keep checking the colour of my eyes to ensure they are not going yellow.

I'm really hoping that I can get the courage to do what have done with the rest of the cocodomol and ibuprofen and codeine I am taking, but am scared about my job. I love the job that I do especially in my advanced role as directorate manager and the pay is very good and can't afford to lose it.

Do you think you could inbox me by private message the number you called please. I'm getting desperate and want this addiction to end very soon. I hope I can do it on Friday after I have seen my Dr and get my prescriptions, since I get 30 nitrazepam tablets a fortnight I may take a dose of them to relax me and get the courage to phone for help.

Once again well done on making the first move.

I went to my local drug centre and have seen the doctor today, the whole process has taken about one week. We talked for two hours about me going on methadone or subutex and he believes I should go on meth.

He called my doctor and he said I could either do it via them or the doctors. He was concerned I was not a "hard addict" and didn't want me sitting in the waiting room but I said that they have shown more care and help than my doctor who got me in this mess in the first place.

So I left with a prescription of methadone for the next 3 days. I am taking 30mg each day and go back on Monday.

I have to continue taking my codeine and write down how many I am taking too.

I'm so sorry but i only just saw this, I had literally hundreds of emails replies but none of them were to me on a thread so I just switched them off, I just posted my stuff this is what I will call it as any other word makes it say that a moderator has to view my reply, how do I private message you on here? I posted my det and it won't go through. I really want to help you and altho I'm only on day on i think we could help each other for sure. I believe that unless people are in the job situation that we are in they have no idea the risks, everything is built up on the fact we could lose our jobs! I have started on 15mg methadone today and since I've come home this evening I've had 3 codeine. They said to kep taking it as I want to at first but so far I feel OK! I hope we can talk soon

Latchy I clicked on the talk to Frank and then looked at what was near where I lived. The one that was near I rang and saw them last week, I then had to see the doctor today. X

http://talktofrank.com/support-near-you

Hi Hope. I have sent you an e mail, hope you get it. I have just made the first step and emailed talk to Frank and been honest with them. I'm in dispair.

I've deleted the post giving the email address. Please do not try and get round moderation like this. If you want to exchange contact details etc you can use the private message service.

http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages