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Coming off Cocodamol.

Posted , 4 users are following.

andrew39737
andrew39737

Hi guys, i've been on Cocodamol 30/500 for around 25 years for knee arthritis. Now have had replacement surgery and no more pain so decided to come off these painkillers cold turkey. I had tried once before just to test how easy it was.... It wasn't.....This time however many years later I have been taking Amitryptilene 20 mgs at night originally for neuropathic pain relief and to help me sleep...Having gone cold turkey ten days ago it wasn't so bad, the antidepressant was well in my system and really helped with the withdrawal moodwise...Still had the runs though and flu like symptoms plus difficulty sleeping, so have been taking an anti spasmodic for my bowels and sudafed for the flu symptoms, all in all well pleased that it wasn't so difficult and was manageable with help from other temperary  meds...Hope this may help others..

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • lydia45630
    lydia45630 andrew39737

    Posted

    Hi Andrew, I too take 2x 30/500 co-codomol, and amitrypteline 2x 10mg at night, plus Pregabalin, I've been on them 11 months, I tried coming of them, but as you well know the side effects weren't good at all, I think it was mainly the co-codomol which gave me the side effects, so I went back on them all to be on the safe side as i didn't want to start testing which meds were upsetting me the most and totally screw myself up, I really need to come of the cc/mol but at the moment they're my "safe house". I'm glad you got through it though, I will start coming of them once my script runs out !
    • andrew39737
      andrew39737 lydia45630

      Posted

      Hi Lydia, I'm guessing you may have epilepsy re the Pregabalin...Did you try keeping on taking the amitryptilene while coming off the cocdamol?....I used to take Citalipram,a SSRI, the newer of the antidepressants, that also helped a lot when doing a 'test withdrawal' from the cocodamol.....I think I would be wary of letting my script run out just in case..
  • lydia45630
    lydia45630 andrew39737

    Posted

    Actually, no, i don't have epilepsy, i was prescribed it as i had 2 torn discs in my back plus sacroilliac disorder and bed times were the worst time for me as i couldn't turn myself about or get up again, infact i couldn't even sit down for more than a few minutes, which also resulted in me, over the months losing a great deal of weigh due to having to keep moving. I ran out of the anti depressent when i tried to come of cc/mol as my script said i had no issues left, but after ringing up the repeat prescription line on the off chance a week later, i WAS allowed more (should have done that earlier) All my meds combined were designed to make me sleep and keep me still whilst sleeping. I did take an emotional slump when i didn't take the A/D for over week though, I was quite grateful to get back on them to be honest. All in all, i am quite sure the withdrawls i was experiencing were from the cc/mol.
    • andrew39737
      andrew39737 lydia45630

      Posted

      Well good luck Lydia, you obviously needed the pain meds etc. with what you've gone through....Please let me know how you get on. I'm pretty sure in my case the a/d helps greatly with the withdrawal from cocodamol, (and Tramadol actually).
    • lydia45630
      lydia45630 andrew39737

      Posted

      I have started my break away from my meds, only because my script issues have run out, and getting an appointment to see my GP is like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, pregabalin and amytriptyline has gone, now i'm suffering insomnia, i fall asleep about 9pm, awake at midnight, then not getting back to sleep till about 2-3 am, then up at 5-6am ! driving me insane, plus it is taking me forever to fall asleep !!, still on c/mol though xx
  • Lizzie46881
    Lizzie46881 andrew39737

    Posted

    Hi Andrew

    For everyone out there considering coming off co-codamol I just want to back up Andrew's observations.  I'd been on the 30/500s for years for headaches and in the end, was overdosing as the headaches were just so bad.  But that's the thing, they were rebound headaches caused in the end by the co-codamol itself.  Finally I plucked up the courage and rang my gp and told the receptionist what I was doing and could I come in to see my gp.  She consulted with him there and then and I was told to go immediately to A&E.

    A&E were just brilliant.  After lots of tests, and much waiting, they put me on a 21 hour pumped infusion of the paracetamol anti-dote.  I did have an allergic reaction to it but its nothing worse than a bad night out on the town.  I finally went home after 38 hours, flushed out of paracetamol, no liver damage, and with the resolution never to take this posion again, and went cold turkey.

    It was nowhere near as bad as I had feared, and as bad as some threads on this forum describe it.  It did last two weeks and I had diarrhea, flu like shakes and shivers, nausea and the headaches returned, but this was all copeable with because I knew it was doing me immense good.  The worst of the withdrawal didn't kick in straight away, suppose it took a while for all the codeine I'd been taking to get out of my system, but when it did I just knew I'd done the right thing.  It was all over in two weeks and and I'm now clean and feel like a new woman.

    I only told a very few selected friends what I was doing, some of whom were Christians and prayed for me, and who kept in contact, willing me to succeed, along with some tough love from one of them!  I was very careful what I said to my mum as I didn't want to worry her but the withdrawal effects are easy to explain away.

    For anyone who is thinking about coming off co-codamol I would say DO IT. You can get through the withdrawal cold turkey and at the end of it you will be so proud of yourself.

    And thanks Andrew for your first post, much apprecaietd to hear from soemone else who has come thropugh this and recovered.

    • andrew39737
      andrew39737 Lizzie46881

      Posted

      Hi Lizzie,

      I'm so pleased that you've managed to come off them too, it's about a fornight with me now and I'm nearly back to normal.....I wasn't aware of how bad paracetamol was for you long term, the doctors don't tell you that....So to Echo Lizzie give it a try cold turkey and yes you'll be proud of yourself....Thanks for your post Lizzie.

  • nicky73254
    nicky73254 andrew39737

    Posted

    It's great to see so many people succeeding in kicking this addiction. It's important to realise that everyone's withdrawal Is different, because we all have our own unique relationship with the drug. I've been off them for three months now but I'm still experiencing panic attacks and anxiety which is only calmed by OTC 8/500, yes I've slipped a couple of times, and I'm not proud of it. Congratulations to you all, the more stories people share the more help it gives others going through the same thing.
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