Codeine addiction (Nurofen Plus)

Posted , 73 users are following.

Hey, so I'm addicted to codeine, I usually take 32 Nurofen Plus tabs every day at midday (in 1 go). This has been going on for a year but I started doing codeine in June 2011 after I had my wisdom tooth removed. Every day I tell myself this will be the last day I take them but of course this is never the case. My tolerance is so high now I don't even really get any effect from it. Sometimes I take up to 64 tabs in a day. Some days I get a buzz, others hardly anything. Anyone on here in the same position as me who would fancy trying to stop with me? Moral support & all that?!

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  • Posted

    Good Morning Everyone, I am a truly disgusting human being and I'm so ashamed of myself, I started taking Dihydrocodeine in 2005 aged 24. I had Rheumatoid Arthritis and it worked, but it also gave me other side effects and quickly turned me into an addict using up to 40 a day. I used so many of these bloody things that I have had frequent fits and even lost my driving licence. I had to go to hospital for numerous tests to check I didnt have epilepsy. How could I tell them I was just an addict?? Anyway, fast forward ten years, I'm still on these things. My GP has totally run out of patience with me and is at a loss of what to do. Nobody knows, except my GP and now you guys. Im a horrible sneaky human being who is manipulating everything to get what I want and I'm deeply ashamed. I'm a regular professional from the north of England and this should never have happened to me, I'm a mother to two amazing children, oh and I'm expecting a third, why arent my children enough for me to stop. Im truly disgusted with myself.
    • Posted

      P.s, I now take Codeine Phosphate, and when I gollop that down too quickly, I stuff myself with too much nurofen plus. I know
    • Posted

      It wont be long until I lose my baby.
    • Posted

      Hi there this is a horrible addiction and creeps up on people you have to talk to your doc about detoxing I'm currently detoxing at the moment it's so hard the withdrawals a brutal but you just have to stick with it I'm currently on my 7th day without codeine tings are getting abit better not great but abit better there are plenty of people here who have helped me and are now clean that have been great to me you need to knock this on the head if your pregnant anything you need to ask or any advice I'll be here but you must go to ur doc 1st to start the process of kicking this habit

      Johnny

    • Posted

      Hi 1980, i wont call you ashamed because there is no need to be, you should be proud that your reaching out for help,

      firstly may i say that i think youve posted your message on the end of quite an old conversation and not many people will see it, if you post it again on the main new message board alot more people will see it and be able to help,

      im in no way qualified to give you medical advice and im in no way going to preach to you but  im sure that your aware of the dangers of any addict becoming pregnant. if your not happy with your gp then ask to see another,  i feel that you should try a dedicated addiction clinic as they will be able to help you best, ask to be referred, but you must tell someone that your pregnant.

      as for the sneaky thing, all addicts have to be sneaky, it doesnt make you feel great its just part of the game

      youve got two great kids so you cant be horrible, self loathing is also an aspect but its just in your mind, but most importantly youve made a step forward, every addict needs one moment, one incident, one flick of the switch in your head which makes them say "NO MORE" it sounds as if youve reached that moment, well done and good luck. 

      there are alot of people on here who will give you all of the support you need and answer any questions you have, you are NOT alone

      one last thing, try and stop the nurofen plus asap as its the ibuprofen which does the damage

      all the best 

      rob

    • Posted

      Hi  Jossie/Johnny

      sorry i thought you were a female, thats why i asked if you had a husband!

      when you said you were in ireland i looked jossie up to see if was an irish name but it didnt say anything, anyway my apologies!

      rob

    • Posted

      No its a nick name from years ago don't worry he was some Brazilian football I must of been good ha Robert you say stay away from ibuprofen even if it's on it own?
    • Posted

      should have called you pele, then i would have known!

      No, theres nothing wrong with paracetamol or ibuprofen when taken as directed, its when people are swallowing 30,40,50,60 pills a day to get the codeine they need for their addiction, its the paracetamol / ibuprofen that causes the damage to your stomach, liver and kidneys.

      ive been silly enough to get hooked on nurofen plus twice, should have learnt the first time, during my first period of addiction, at its worst i was swallowing one to two large packs, 32 pills in each pack every day.

      it started to affect my stomach quite badly, giving me really bad acid reflux and cramps, luckily i realised i was on the road to really serious problems and managed to quit.

      the second time i had read that you could separate the codeine from the ibuprofen which meant that i could get the high from the codeine but could throw the ibuprofen part in the bin. this is good in as much as you are not damaging your body too much, but its bad in that it gives you the feeling that you can continue to abuse the codeine "safely" and that can lead you to carry on abusing for longer than you would otherwise.

      thats why i mentioned it to that lady above, taking that crap whilst pregnant is not good

      hope your feeling better and that you dont get the "brain fog" after coming off them which you shouldnt if your under the doc.

    • Posted

      Cheers Rob brain fog????? I'm feeling abit better thank god I've just taken 2paracetamol and 1 alprazolam since 7 this morning my head starting to bounce again and have I ibuprofen tab there just wondering is it worth taken
    • Posted

      brain fog, a horrible side effect i didnt experience on my first withdrawl, its like your heads full of fog , like looking through someone elses eyes, really horrible feeling thats not totally gone yet, ibuprofen ok ibuprofen and codeine not ok!
    • Posted

      God sounds bad hope I don't get it this time last week I decided to knock on the head one wk down and more to go I don't know how you have done this twice fair play to you hopefully it's the last you do I don't think I cud do it again
    • Posted

      It sounds to me as if your suffering from quite bad withdrawal  symptoms, I thought your go had you on a gradual withdrawal program, if so then you shouldn't be suffering, they normally put you on codeine phosphate and taper the dose down, however, if you've done a weeks cold turkey then the worst should be behind you and things should start improving any time now
    • Posted

      Sorry rob no he has me detoxing paracetamol for the pain and alprazolam xanax there relaxers to help with the withdrawals but he doesn't want me on codeine at all never even mentioned describing them he said really I should be be in a detox clinic were I'm been watched over but due to work and my daughter and basically the shame of this I have to do it this way it is just cold turkey
    • Posted

      I assume the gp has never gone cold turkey, then he might have some idea,

      however if you've managed a week and still going to work then your doing pretty good and you should feel a difference every day from now on. But do go back to the gp if you can't sleep as that's what killed me, the lack of sleep Do bear in mind that the Xanax your on is also addictive so just keep an eye on how long you take them for

    • Posted

      I guess he didn't yeah I know there addictive he has me on 4 a day til fri but I'm down to 3 a day on the xanax had a good day today hopefully that continues he will wean me off the xanax with in a month he said but I'll cut it myself all I've taken is 1xanax today nothing else see over here the codeine tablets they don't do them yet cost to much or something
    • Posted

      Goodmorming rob just a quick update on how I'm doing had a bad day yesterday just didn't feel right but thank god I pushed threw now on my 10th day clean feel good this morning ready for a days work bk to my gp tomorrow and going to reward myself with a day off work and a gym membership still have cold like symptoms but I'll guess that will pass how you doing yourselves
    • Posted

      Well done so far, the first two weeks are the toughest, when the temptation is at its strongest but I'm glad to hear that you can stick it out, this is also the best time to quit as Spring is nearly here and then a nice long summer which you can enjoy as a "normal" person with your daughter. I hope the GP gives you a bit of encouragement as well.

      ive also joined a gym as I've let myself go over the past year and I want to get myself sorted as its my 50th in May, now that's depressing, but I will at least be drug free! The withdrawals taken longer than the first time but I've been on them a lot longer this time but I think I'm pretty much there, the good thing is that the thought of taking another pill makes me feel ill, so that's good.

      now that your nearly there you'll be able to give people on here your experience as there seems to be a constant stream of people looking for help, although when you do try and help someone and they don't respond back it gets a bit annoying, anyway keep the updates coming but I'm sure it won't be long before your done and it will all be a bad memory!

      rob

    • Posted

      Good morning rob hope you had a good weekend on my 14th day now without them was at docs on Friday he reduced my alprazolam xanax to 0.5mg to 3 a day for a week then 2 a day for a week then finally 1a day for a week to finally been off them then he will do bloods and checkup make sure no damage was doing have no urge at all to take codeine now hopefully it stays this way all withdrawals just gone apart from the headaches and sleep hope ur doing good talk soon
    • Posted

      Hi rob how are you just wondering how long it took for all withdrawals to subside I seem to be grand apart from the headaches it's been throbbing the 18 days and to be honest it's starting to get to me and worry me I'll talk too you soon hope your doing good

      Johnny

    • Posted

      Sorry been a bit busy, well your doing excellently, I wouldn't worry about the blood tests, there are people , including me who took huge quantities of pills over a very long time and who had no ill effects, as for the headache I'm afraid I've never had a " headache" in my life, even after being hit with a hammer and having 15 stitches!. I did have the " brain fog " feeling as I said but that's pretty much gone now.

      i do know that when you stop taking the drug suddenly, the brain has to start making its own dopamine again rather than being supplied it every day by you taking pills, there are side effects to this, brain fog being one and I suppose headaches may be another, im sure it's nothing to worry about, just your body getting back to normal, the main withdrawals are over pretty quickly but it can take weeks to get back completely normal.

      didnt you ask the doc? I'm sure some non addictive painkillers would do the job but ask the doc, he knows you've been through a lot recently, but time is the best healer in these situations.

       Anyway you should be proud of yourself for getting this far and try not to be worried as your mind and body are still adjusting.

      why don't you put another post on the main board asking about how long the headaches can last, should be plenty of people who've had them

      let me know how you go

    • Posted

      Cheers Rob thanks for the advice my doc said last week it was from the withdrawals he gave me paracetamol which do ease it didn't think I'd have a headache for 3 weeks but I suppose it's just my body getting back to normal again I'm bk in dublin docs for bloods on the 5th if it's still at me ill say it to him then it's I can't do any running or exercise because it's at me thanks again talk soon

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