Stopping Codeine / Dihydrocodeine and crushing depression
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi all,
I've posted on here before but have still been struggling with opiates, in the past I'd started using oxycodone but got clean of that as I was about to start on Heroin and managed to pull myself back from the brink. My main issue over the last 20 years has been alcoholism, but over the last 2 years I gradually started using opiates when I was not drinking. At the beginning of the year my addiction to codeine/DHC spiralled and I managed to stop for a couple of months. After a break-up with the true love of my life in April this year I started to drink again, and gradually started codeine or dihydrocodeine on the days I wasn't drinking. I used it in a kind of binge pattern, just taking it in the evenings (when I'd usually be drinking) and take one or two large dose.
I haven't had a drink since 30th August and in that time my codeine and dihydrocodeine use spiralled. I either bought the pure product (without a prescription) or did cold-water extractions. My tolerance increased so I had to take at least 600mg to get a high, I know there's supposed to be a ceiling around 450mg but I definitely got higher from 600+ than 450. In the last 3 weeks up until last Friday I had taken opiates on 15/20 days, so I was managing 1-2 days clean a week. However, in the last 2 weeks my required dose crept up to 900mg, then 1.2mg on the 4 days I took it (Tues-Fri). On nearly every day for the last month I've taken either Zopiclone/Diazepam or Alprazolam at night. Either to ease withdrawal or to help sleep as the higher my doses of opiates got the harder sleep was.
Right, so to my question. This is day 4 of no opiates and day 2 of no benzos/z-drugs and my depression has been crippling. I have barely stopped crying all day. I suffer with depression anyway and I'm on 100mg Sertraline, but today is one of the worst spells I've ever had. My question is, is this likely a withdrawal symptom? The last time I saw the psychiatrist about my Sertraline dose he said it would be reasonable to consider going to 150mg, but I wanted to get clean first and then evaluate. The other withdrawal symptoms have been bad, stomach cramps, muscle aches, cold chills / hot sweats, headaches, but the depression is the one worrying me as I feel desperate today. How many days should I give it until I can consider the depression to be a worsening of my condition rather than a symptom of withdrawal?
Also, I know I probably should have tapered, but I tried a taper and my lack of self-control meant I never stuck to the schedule. As I'm on day 4 I will ride it out from here.
Any support or advice would be great, just so I don't feel alone more than anything. Thanks you so much for reading.
1 like, 6 replies
Dom05879
Posted
danny_66849 Dom05879
Posted
Hi Dom
Firstly I would say your doing really well on day 4. It's not easy I've been in a similar situation. Crying is part if withdraw . Your emotions are everywhere .
I think you would be best getting intouch with a gp myself and speak about your depression first .now is a good time as he will see how bad you are and take action instead of brushing you away .
I've got no history to do alcohol sorry but opiates yes.
Just stay strong as your doing well mate
.
Dom05879 danny_66849
Posted
Hi Danny,
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your response and your support. It's helpful to know that the emotional issues are likely part of the withdrawal. However, I will also take your advice and talk to a GP. I had some recent evaluations with a psychiatrist, but that was through a private healthcare scheme my work provide, and no further sessions are covered and I certainly can't afford to see him outside of the health cover. He did suggest a further increase in dose of my antidepressants may be required, but I wanted to get clean from opiates first to evaluate my mental health at a baseline, but perhaps if the GP also recommends it, I will take the advice and increase the dose now. Maybe it will assist me get through this rough patch and reduce the chance that I turn back to opiates for some kind of relief.
Thanks again, your reply and support means a lot to me today as I have felt really alone!
All the best,
Dom
danny_66849 Dom05879
Posted
Hi dom.
Yeah just take each day 1 at a time . I'm struggling myself at the min with an oxycontin addiction. Had 2 back operations and was put on it by doctor not by choice. And boy oh boy has it changed me mate. I'm bad at minute.. in the process of seeking help and getting a few things done but I no it's gonna be a long road. Was hoping before Xmas myself . I see you had an issue with it .. How did you manage to get away from it. Any advice or information Mate would be helpful. I'm slowly tapering but a bad day can change the routine . Well it has in the past . I got down to 20mg x2 daily . Now I'm back uoto to 60-70 mg 2 x daily . It's tough May e and I'm really really at a cross roads . Having bad thoughts etc . Just ruined me mate .
Anyway speak soon mate
Daz
danny_66849
Posted
Dom05879 danny_66849
Posted
Hi Dan,
I'm sorry you're struggling with Oxycontin, if you're up to 60-70mg x 2 daily then it will take a bit of time to get off, but it sounds like you are reaching out for support which is the main thing to do. I wouldn't recommend cold turkey at that kind of dose, it would be possible, but would be pretty bad for a good 3-4 days and rough for another week (it varies with different people, but we can say for sure it wouldn't be a nice time). You may get off it by Xmas, which would be quite quick but doable if you can accept it will be a difficult time. For me, I was lucky that I wasn't using Oxy daily, as that time I was almost alternating between alcohol and opiates, and sometimes other drugs (it was a bad time). I started with 20mg giving me a good high, but was up to 80mg, but the cost of getting enough of it was so high without a prescription that when I was getting tolerant to 80mg I was seriously considering heroin as it was much cheaper, and at that point I scared myself enough to stop taking it, and I just drank more and sometimes took other drugs so it's pretty hard to isolate which of the withdrawal symptoms I got when I stopped were due to the opiates alone, but certainly I had bad muscle and limb aches, diaorrhea and stomach cramps. I was only taking Oxy 3-4 times a week, and had only been for 1-2 months since I'd switched to it from Codeine/DHC, so I wasn't in as a difficult place as you with the opiates and I got lucky. I wasn't taking it for pain relief (well, I was for emotional pain relief but that's different) so I wasn't in the same boat as you as I assume you do require pain management. Unfortunately, that's not a plan for stopping Oxy, so it's of no help to you at all. I'm sorry I can't offer any more advice. What I can say, is that with any addiction it IS possible to stop. My experience after any prolonged opiate use, even when not daily, is that you will experience emotional swings, muscle pains, stomach cramps, diaorrhea, and restless legs (and in my case arms too). The slower the taper, the less chance of these being really bad, but you'll probably experience some discomfort at each dose reduction. I would be like you and want to get off it as soon as possible, so maybe come up with a taper plan, ideally with your GP. It depends on your self-control, but if you can pick up smaller but more regular prescriptions this may help you stick to the plan and not overdo it to overcome discomfort. Are you in the UK? If so, and if you pay for prescriptions, then you can get a pre-paid prescription certificate for £29.10 for 3 months, so that way you only pay that amount no matter how many prescriptions you get. If you're in the USA, or elsewhere, I'm sorry but I don't know that system well.
I gradually cut out all the crap, except alcohol, and it was only when I wasn't drinking that opiates crept back in over the last year, but I've stopped again because my tolerance means I have to switch to Oxy, H or maybe morphine to keep getting high, and I am fighting to not go back down that road. I feel your pain my friend and I am here if you need to chat at all. You CAN do this and you WILL do this as long as you are determined. The pain of the withdrawal will be worth it when you have a drug free life back.
Sending you good vibes and best wishes,
Dom