Codeine withdrawals
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hey.
Looking for advice on withdrawing from codeine. I had previously been on codeine for years and I went cold turkey and suffered a very difficult withdrawal process. Having came out the other side I then spent longest 4 months off codeine then found myself going back on it and off for the next year.
I found myself making excuses to myself where I would say I was only going on it for 3 days to get the euphoria feeling but weeks later I was taking more than what was recommended just to get that feeling.
So I am now 3 days since last codeine and have to say if hasn't been too bad really - insomnia is the worse but the diarheoa and headaches seems to be okay. Unless they are still to come. But I am looking for advice to be able to stay off it?! I have a very easy access to it and a lot of it so that can prove difficult at times. just looking for people experiences of staying off it?!
Thanks
0 likes, 8 replies
Bulldog1234 Lee20279
Posted
hi Lee,
i was on and off cocodamol for years. id quit, go through 4 days of hell, stop for a bit longer then go back on them. like you i had easy access to them. i had an online repeat prescription for them plus my mum and friend at work took them. if ever i ran out id blag a bad headache or bad back and get some off my friend and mum. cos it was my dirty little secret. NOBODY KNEW i was addicted to them. not even my husband. i had to do something different this time and i had to be open and honest. i was in bits when i went to see my gp who was lovely. i did a self referral to our local drugs service and i came clean to my mum and my friend. telling them to never ever give me any more cocodamol. i told the doc to remove it from my repeat prescription. FINALLY i told my husband, who was amazing! ive been clean since 7th NOV 2018. So for me LEE, it was stopping my tablets at source from my gp, mum and friend. i dont know if your habits a secret or are you open about it??
hope this helps
bulldog
Lee20279 Bulldog1234
Posted
thanks for getting back to me. Yeh im the same that nobody at all knows. I have been feeling absolutely terrible today, as in drained with no energy but i'm puting that down to getting very little sleep. I have been through this a lot of times and know that eventually my sleep does get better and start to feel normal again. Thats when I start taking more codeine thinking "oh that wasn't too bad" when at the time its horrible.
Just need a wee incentive or something to keep me occupied because I think part taking them is boredom. Feel more determined this time. The longest I have been off them was 4 months so i think if i get past that mark i'm doing okay.
Bulldog1234 Lee20279
Posted
God i remember that awful lack of energy. whenever i went back on them i used to see it as s little treat! id think to myself yeah ive not had any for a couple of weeks so i deserve it! The only thing that worked for me was cutting off my source and confiding in those people not to give me any tablets. i remember reading many threads such as this thinking OMG theres no way i could ever tell anyone but it was the only thing that worked for me Lee. Hope this helps but mrssage me whenever you want Lee,
Bulldog
hayley30335 Bulldog1234
Posted
I hate codeine it cause severe migraines every day for five months I ct off of it and had the most dreadful muscular spasms,its a vile drug.
Bulldog1234 hayley30335
Posted
it is Hayley and its so easily available!!! ive been off tgem since 7/11/18 but even last week i had terrible cravings!! The reason why is because i had a bad back so it was a massive trigger for the cocodamol. They were all i could think about!! but tgankfully once i got tge back ache under control with naproxen and paracetamol i was ok. But those cravings are hard!! Hope youre doing ok xx
hayley30335 Bulldog1234
Posted
Fortunately I did not crave this drug . I took paracetamol and used voltarol gel .
neil80772 Lee20279
Posted
Hi Lee
I have just posted yesterday on this forum yesterday. im at day 5 and reading your post i feel a bit like yourself wherby so far my main issue is lack of sleep, lethargic and feeling a bit like you thinking this aint too bad why dont i go back on it. but im now at day 5and really know id be a idiot to cave in now so i will leave the tablets where they are out of reach.
Interested to know how you have coped since though. ive made an appointmebt to see my gp tomorrow but im still not sure if i will come clean. its the fear of knowing that my supply line will be stopped. but i also know that the gp can also prescribe me things to help me through the coming days so im in a bit of dilemma.
Cheers neil
Lee20279 neil80772
Posted
Hey Neil
so since my last post i stayed off the drug for over a month then started taking it again. I would say after 10 days I started to feel normal again and sleeping improved. I'm now around a week clean. Iv decided this time not to monitor my progress rather than just know the rough day i stopped taking. I found in previous withdrawals I was marking on a daily basis thereby making me think about it. Whereas this time i could go all day without thinking about codeine. My worst day of withdrawals was a few days ago where I actually took a picture of myself and the state I was in and plan on using that if I ever do get any withdrawals again (which im sure will come). Hopefully will bring back bad memories and stop me taking anymore.
They way i managed to stay off them was to get rid any of the drug in the house. I found if it was in the house I couldn't not have it and constantly thinking about knowing I could have them at anytime. So i ditched the lot.
Hope this helps