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Co codamol is ruining my life

Posted , 4 users are following.

wen06862
wen06862

I started taking 30/500 co codamol, prescribed by my doctor for back pain some years ago. There was NO warning on the enclosed leaflet to say that they were addictive.

So off I trotted and took one at a time because they were strong.

By 4 months I was taking 2 at a time, 4 x a day (maximum dose)

I never went over this maximum dose and as soon as I found out about them being addictive I cut them down - hard work, my head pounded, I felt sick but by chopping them in half and mixing the lower dose bought over the counter (8/500) I got down to zero 3 days before my total hysterectomy op. I was so pleased

Well that feeling didn't last. While in hospital, they gave me what I thought were just paracetamol (admittedly I am deaf in one ear and I'd got a thermometer in the other !) I wouldn't have taken them if I'd known.

Anyway, within 4 hours I'd got the shakes, shivers, was being violently sick.

Back to square one!!! For the next two years I fell back into taking the maximum dose - it was almost like my body had remembered the drug - maybe I hadn't gone long enough..... So

Here I am again, I took my last co codamol 30/500 2 days ago - this time going cold turkey, so far I've had the most horrendous headaches, can't sleep, feel sick etc etc....... wish me luck ..... watch this space

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • paul76608
    paul76608 wen06862

    Posted

    Good luck you will pull through just think of the good in your  life... set a goal...  try keep busy u are strong keep  your chin up   keep  us  informed how your doing

    best of luck... paul

    • wen06862
      wen06862 paul76608

      Posted

      Thanks paul76608, it really helps to know there are folk out there who care, my doctor certainly doesn't, in fact he thinks it's a myth!!!
    • paul76608
      paul76608 wen06862

      Posted

      Well I know a few people who are addicted to them there  crazy but remember you have the will power to come off them u have the rest of u on here to help you by 
  • wen06862
    wen06862

    Posted

    Hi all,

    After having a few really horrid days I've had to take half of a 8/500 co codamol tablet just to get through the day and another to get some sleep at night, with two in between- at least it's a lot less than I was taking.

    My main problem is that my back pain / sciatica has been crippling.

    I'm still determined to stop them but I will have to do it more slowly.

    Wen

    • mick_a_p
      mick_a_p wen06862

      Posted

      It not nice is it.  Ive been taking between 12-15 30/500's a day, 3 at a time for about 11 years now.  I decided enough was enough last month, worried about my health.. its been a month and my withdrawals are still here!! I had blood tests done which showed that my organs where all normal, which I dont believe can be true! Would love to take a couple just to take the pain away, though I know if I do I will just end back to square one!!.. If you cannot stop them, look into the water extraction method to extract the codiene, as its this that your addicted to but it is the paracetamol that is doing your body damage! I only came across this recently, and wish I had knew about it years ago!
  • wen06862
    wen06862

    Posted

    Hi all,

    I'm getting there - really slowly

    I've got down to a quarter of a 8/500 cocodamol, 4 to 6 times a day. (which is nothing to what I was on, but it's getting off it completely, that is the problem.)

    In between to stop the shivers, shakes, pounding headaches and sickness I'm taking Beechams powders (aspirin) about 2 to 4 a day (max dose is 6 a day)

    Some days I have got down to just 2 quarters of 8/500 tablets (4/250) but this is not holding yet.

    I'm finding that ibuprofen is upsetting my system, so I'm not using it.

  • nicky73254
    nicky73254 wen06862

    Posted

    Hi wen, how's the detox going? My story seems similar to yours, except when I told my Dr I thought I had an addiction he "threatened" to send me to a Methadone clinic. I've been free from these for two weeks now, and wanted to offer you my support and I do on how I did it.

  • wen06862
    wen06862

    Posted

    Hurray I've done it.

    It's been 5 days since I took anything with codeine in.

    I'm still getting withdrawal symptoms - shakes, head pounding, pain in legs, can't sleep, (I'm writing this at 4.20 am)

    I'm taking aspirin (Beechams powders) just to take the edge off the pain - only had one today. I'm also taking at most 4 paracetamol in 24 hours, can't take ibuprofen, it's upsetting my stomach, which is already "off" (co codamol causes constipation, so I expected it)

    The thing that really annoys me is that I've never exceeded the maximum dose of cocodamol, and my doctor didn't want to know.

    Good luck to all out there who are trying to get off these horrid drugs, there really needs to be better help out there.

    Wen

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