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Codeine Withdrawal Tips Please on restless legs

Posted , 5 users are following.

dawn68332
dawn68332

Hello

I am 33 and have been prescribed codeine for 7 years by my GP for a bile acid and Pancreas condition. I started out with just 8 30mg tablets a day but recent months following a very stressful period ive been up to 15 a day which have resulted in horrible nightmares before bed following day awful slump, no get up and go etc. I've recently had surgery and was given tramadol and abused these aswell as I enjoyed the high. Something snapped and now enough is enough. I'm out of tramadol and 30mg codeine so im now day 2 from taking them. I have had to use shop bought co-codomal to help the horrendous pain in my legs. I've got fly symptoms, I'm very cold all the time, upset stomach, no appetite, adversion to strong tastes like coffee and really painful legs.

I've chosen now to do this while I'm signed off work and can do this without it affecting that aswell.

Does anyone have any tips o helping my legs? And reassurance that I will start to feel better!! I'm going a bit mad and I'm only taking 6 of the 8/500 tablets just to help me through the worst (or is this a bad idea?)

Please can someone help Me, thanks x

0 likes, 31 replies

31 Replies

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  • conor64922
    conor64922 dawn68332

    Posted

    Dawn

    I have had issues with both drugs in the past. Taking too much tramadol caused my first ever seizure which happened weirdly while visiting someone in hospital but I was able to discontinue use straight away. I was prescribed codeine 30/500 for the following 4 years for my condition and to be honest ate them like smarties since they just seemed to prescribe anytime I asked. I changed dr and he took me off codeine as it no longer helped but within days I was showibg the withdrawal symptoms. I yhought I could use the 8/500 to help too but the dr put me back on codeine (without the paracetamol). He was absolutely right too.. what you are experiencing is only the beginning. I dropped a tablet out a day each week at first but this even proved too fast and I began having seizures again and constantly craved codeine.. dreamed about the little suckers even. He slowed my withdrawal and the rest went in quite without incident luckily. however I now need to consume 1500mg of epilem each day because I have become very prone to seizures. Simplest thing can cause them now from being too tired or even dehydration. Wish I had never smashed my leg up, the day I started using those drugs is the day all my problems started. My point is dont worry about restless legs and focus on getting in touch with your dr for advice asap because the worst part of withdrawal has not even began yet unfortunately. This may not be what you wanted to get in reply but it is important you get on a proper reduction scheme because cold turkey isnt the way in the case of opiate meds. Your Dr should put you back on your original dose at least and you need to reduce from there. I have been there, I truly wish you the easiest withdrawal possible and the best of luck.

    • dawn68332
      dawn68332 conor64922

      Posted

      Thank you for the reply but I've done 2 days so im sticking at it this way. Rightly or wrongly everyone is different and I have the perfect opportunity to go for it this time. I have a 3.5yr old daughter and a very supportive partner and to be honest so far I've not craved the pills ive just wanted the leg pain to stop! I know there is worse to come but my pancreas condition is a horrible illness so upset stomach is part of my life daily its just the chills and else I'm struggling with.

    • dawn68332
      dawn68332

      Posted

      I have to take digestive enzymes to help process my food but it does have severe flare ups that cause pain, hence the codeine. If I eat well and take my enzymes with every meal I don't need the codeine.

    • dawn68332
      dawn68332 Anonymous111

      Posted

      Yes I take Creon. I also have Bile Acid Malabsorption which they dont know where it comes from and as for my EPI they dont know either its just managing them both which is done through diet and Creon.

      Do you suffer? No-one ever knows about Creon lol

    • Anonymous111
      Anonymous111 dawn68332

      Posted

      How were you diagnosed with EPI and BAM? They're not very common diagnoses.

       

    • dawn68332
      dawn68332 Anonymous111

      Posted

      After 6 horrendous years of symptoms and many many tests a new GP suggested I had them and they did some rather simple tests and that's how I got diagnosed

  • Carolineq8
    Carolineq8 dawn68332

    Posted

    Magnesium supplements and you can get it in spray form, try and taper slowly to avoid withdrawals best you can. Keep hydrated and warm baths.

    Gabapentin also helped me with sleeping & wrestles leg syndrome but if you have a hard time with medication maybe it's best to just do it slowly, good luck 😊

    • dawn68332
      dawn68332 Carolineq8

      Posted

      Thank you for the reply I have been taking multi-vitamins and extra immune support and just had a hot bath the current relief for my legs is amazing! I will live in the bath if I have to! I will beat this
    • Carolineq8
      Carolineq8 dawn68332

      Posted

      great attitude!!  best of luck and  keep us updated 😊

    • dawn68332
      dawn68332 Carolineq8

      Posted

      So today has been nothing short of hell. I feel horrendous and I have the worst upset stomach that I can only manage water.

      I've even had to arrange for family to have my daughter because I can't look after her. I had a terrible nights sleep kept jerking and had to get up for the toilet.

      But the few tablets i had left ive flushed down the toilet I look at them as evil. I won't quit because I never want to go through this again. Please tell me day 4 might be a little better?

    • Carolineq8
      Carolineq8 dawn68332

      Posted

      I don't know how long your withdrawals will last and at what point it will tip before it gets better, I'm so sorry your going through this but all i can say is to keep hydrated and don't worry if that's all you can manage right now, when you are able to eat just keep it simple, scrambled egg.. you need protein. Have a bath and lie down try and sleep and I know it's difficult but don't try and fight it, you won't win. Hopefully this is as bad as it gets but no one can say for sure as our bodies will react differently depending on what drugs and how long you've been taking them.

      Keep your chin up Hun you can do this, if at any time it gets to much maybe thinking of going onto a taper plan as much as you don't want to it may be the safest thing for you to do but only you can call it.

      Sorry I can't help anymore than that but keep in touch, it helps to get it off your chest, I'm here anytime you need to scream, shout,  you know the score. 

      I'm praying this passes really quickly 💞

    • dawn68332
      dawn68332 Carolineq8

      Posted

      Thank you I think it's harder because although I'm useless it would be nice for someone to be in the house with me. My partner won't be here until late tonight as he works late. I'm just so restless, can't sit or lie still but can't get up and do anything either!

      I've come this far I'm sticking at it. I've had a bath with magnesium flakes and that has helped my legs so i will have another one later, I would love to sleep it off but just can't nod off, I've got night nurse to try and help tonight. I am praying this is the worst it will get I really am

    • Carolineq8
      Carolineq8 dawn68332

      Posted

      Night nurse has paracetamol in it so be careful.

      I feel for you I really do, I was going through it this time last year and it's so raw still so to hear someone else struggling breaks my heart. I totally understand what your saying about just not having the energy to do anything either but so wrestles at the same time.

      Try the magnesium supplements also because your WLS might go on a bit longer than your withdrawals so get them into your system soon to help you through the coming weeks.

      What about some chill music, I googled meditation music and it did help me relax and fall asleep, not something I'm into either but it did help, I used to play it late at night as well it even helped my husband sleep better😊 Or put a movie on, maybe even a Xmas one🙈😊

    • Carolineq8
      Carolineq8

      Posted

      i know you want to do this without any help but I swear if it wasn't for gabapentin I don't know how I would have got through, it just knocked me out and helped with WLS. I think the more you can sleep through it the better, i didn't find they give me a high so that's why I'm suggesting them and only because they where my life saver, once I passed the worst of it I stopped taking them without any problems, HOWEVER only you know if that's a good thing or not but I feel like I need to tell you there is something that could help you if you needed it, I struggled 2 weeks before someone on the forum suggested them to me😊

    • dawn68332
      dawn68332 Carolineq8

      Posted

      Well my babysitter fell through but so far so bloody good ive done it and to top it off ive felt so much better this afternoon ive even managed to clean my kitchen. I really really hope ive turned the corner now but I won't hold my breath. Going to get little one to bed then have another magnesium flake bath and take my night nurse to try and help me sleep. I'm amazed the symptoms seem to be fading as quickly as they arrived with full force. I don't think for a second im out of the woods but I can definitely see the light and I'm so glad now ive done it this way. I even flushed the last few tablets i had down the toilet this afternoon!

    • Carolineq8
      Carolineq8 dawn68332

      Posted

      Brilliant!! I hope you are turning a corner, it just shows everyone's different, enjoy your bath and I hope you get some quality sleep tonight, let me know how you go😊

    • Carolineq8
      Carolineq8

      Posted

      OMG Iv just realised... restless leg syndrome...Iv been spelling it wrong 🙈🙈🙈

    • dawn68332
      dawn68332 Carolineq8

      Posted

      Hi Caroline I had a better sleep in terms of no jitters but did keep waking up. And today has been OK nearly all the flu symptoms have gone apart from a horrendous upset stomach so I've been weak today but I've taken lots of Imodium now!! Hoping for a better sleep tonight and my stomach to settle a bit more tomorrow hopefully. My daughter is staying with a relative so that's taken the major pressure off. Here's to feeling better each day that comes 😃

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