Take 2 on attempt to come off 600-100mg a day
Posted , 11 users are following.
have been addicted to codeine for 5 years now. It started when my mum died and I started to get migraines. The doctor prescribed me Co-Codamol. I found not only did it take my migraine pain away but my emotional pain too. Within that first year I found another source for getting codeine without it being mixed with paracetamol so I could take more. I have attempted 5 times to cut down slowly - we even bought a safe to keep them in. Then in April I took some time off work and was going to go cold turkey but a friend suggested using sub. I was doing okay until I started to read how hard it is to come off of sub!! Harder than codeine! I had to go back to work so I just switched back. I've decided this is it. I'm out of control. I have an appointment with my dr on Tuesday and I'm going to tell him everything. I am hoping he will support me doing a detox cold turkey and hoping he will sign me off work for anything but the truth! I'm so worried I will loose my job as I am the only wage earner in the house. I don't want to be referred to a drug and alcohol place as that's where I went last time and basically the guy scared me off getting help with them cos he said I would always be down as an addict - it would affect my career, getting insurance and even a mortgage. I just wondered if anyone has found that their GP will help them with this kind of addiction or do they just pass you on to a drug/alcohol centre? I want to stop but I also want to continue with my life once I have - not have it follow me around for the rest of my life. Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this
1 like, 31 replies
Louisaluvsrio sue45192
Posted
Have you got any medication to help you taper off the addiction.
I tried cold turkey with morphine and I was sweating and then said "God. Either take me now or make me feel better".
I had to take a morphine pill and it stabilized me. I didn't feel like dying then.
I'm also in a new job so I understand your concern. I love my job and don't want to get fired. But ignore me saying that. I am a worrier.
How are feeling now Sue?
sue45192 Louisaluvsrio
Posted
I do have a little bit if sub. I had to take 0.3 at 5.30AM this morning.
Hoping I won't have to take anymore cos I just want to be free of everything.
I know what you mean about saying that to God - that was exactly the state I was in this morning - not a nice place!
Are you off everything now?
oly958 sue45192
Posted
Warning - your pain receptors will take a while to recover that means pain is more intense in the short term. I struggled walking far for the first month clean but it's been gradually improving. Evil nasty horrible drugs, caused me nearly as much bother as my smashed up body.
3 days is always the magic time as that is how long it takes for it to get out of your system and get to full withdrawal.
I totally understand not wanting to take any more, short term pain = long term gain. You are doing bloody great, keep that strong spirit and it will all be over in 2 or 3 weeks.
sue45192
Posted
It has been nearly three weeks and I still haven't had my apoointment with the drug centre!! It is on Tuesday.
I have been taking 2mg sub for about a week. Everytime I try and drop I feel so bad I end up taking another 0.5. I have had a bladder infection that went to my kidneys. The symptoms from the infection are so similar to withdrawals - I dont think that has helped.
I have been to see occupational health at work - I referred myself. I was really lucky - the woman was so understanding I admitted I was addicted to codeine, had seen my dr and was suffering badly psychologically (I am a total mess but then I do suffer from depression plus all the sh*t that has happened in the last 5 years of my codiene haze has just come hit me in the face) however the dr was treating me for that and had referred me to the drug centre. I said i had been signed off till the 22nd of September and she said that she doesn't think that will be long enough and she will tell my manager and HR i will not be returning to work till mid-october. She referred me for some free counselling. Most importantly she told me not to worry about being off sick - everyone gets sick - and she is not telling my manager or HR about the codeine she is just saying I also have some medical issues. Phew!
I have mostly spent the last 2 weeks desperately trying to find a detox or better a detox and rehab that i can afford. I mean are you kidding with these prices?? A friend suggested a place called promise - I called them last night - 4500 a week - they would want me for 4 weeks - thats 18 grand!! Who has that sort of money!!! Even the non-luxery ones are a couple of grand a week and when you think as I am also addicted to benzo's i really need about 12 weeks - well I can forget it. No more sitting around dreaming that I am going to find somewhere to go, they would come pick me up, I would have day in therapy, get clean and come out equipped to do my life clean.
So I have a new plan. I cut to 1.5mg today. 1mg the day after. 0.5 then stop. Start eating - I have lost a stone and i was a size 10 to begin with. My dad who is my only family has told me no way he can help me finacially - him and his wife are splitting and the NHS have no rehabs anymore - can you believe that?!
Anyway then Saturday I am going to go to Bournemouth (I am in Surrey) with my friend who is also detoxing to her mums. Her mum knows why we are coming and my mate is scary (when my husband told me to try getting in the bath or we need to go for a walk I can say NO!) she will get me eating and exercising.
So thats the plan, I felt if i shared it with you lot then maybe I will stick to it.
So here goes. Oh and how unhelpful is it when friends that do not understand in ANY way say things like 'oh just go back to work the routine will make you better' I mean my emotions are all over the place how can I work with patients?? And then one said 'oh my mate he said sub is so easy to come off, 2mg is nothing, whoever it is must not want to come off them' I want this more than anything I want my life back!!!! How weak did that make me feel?!!
I have my dad over tomorrow, he doesnt have much to do with me - unless he has no woman to look after him!! Need to keep my calm....
oly958 sue45192
Posted
I would have thought that your withdrawal symptoms from Codeine should be gone after about 3 weeks of taking none. Hopefully this means you can get off the Sub fairly soon to avoid that one getting it's claws into you - your plan looks perfect.
And yes, people have no idea how bad all this stuff is when they haven't gone through it or been closely involved with others who have - I tend to give them it straight "What do you think is more unpleasant: a) crashing a motorbike head first into the tarmac at 70mph, breaking your spine and half the bones in your body, or b) coming off Opiate's prescribed by your GP over a period of weeks. WRONG, a) a) a) my friend!"
Keep on keeping on
sue45192
Posted
Managed to get myself out of bed but only as I knew my dad was coming over.
Did the housework - covered in sweat!
My dad's gone now, he is clearly being emotionally abused - he looks awful but he is too afraid of being on his own to leave her. Talked a bit about my childhood - he admitted neither of them were really interested in me as a kid. I can proudly say that wasnt the case with my daughter - I have kept her out of trouble, always studied with her at home, instilled ambition - she got all A's and A*'s in her GCSE's.
A friend has called and said there is a chance she may be able to get me in to a detox her friend works in - I hope so as I feel bad but I KNOW the worse is still to come...
Actiquser sue45192
Posted
HI Sue, I know you posted this ages ago, how did you get on?
I'm coming of Fentanyl .
sue45192 Actiquser
Posted
Wow 11 months ago - the very beginning of my journey.
I have tried cold turkey, weaning down on subutex and spent 20k in rehabs.
I definitely believe the subutex helped me get clean, however everyone's different. I also needed the support of rehab but I have a 20+ years drug habit. I also have suffered with depression since 13.
I got clean first time 10 weeks but was so depressed and still had tummy problems badly. I gave up. Second time I did 13 weeks completely clean. Again the depression got the better of me.
The positive is that the second time apart from the depression I was getting no withdrawal symptoms. First couple of weeks are always going to be hard, then everything gets less severe but annoying.
I've gone back in subutex purely because I diagnosed myself with dopamine deficiency. I take an SSRI however still severely depressed. I take 4mg of subutex a day and I'm not buzzing or depressed. Just normal (ish). I treat it like an antidepressant.
Unless you have similar mental health problems or drug abused for so long you can get off the opiates. If I could anyone can.
Use the support in here and all the advice. I'm guessing you are tapering off - this works for lots of people.
Good luck!
Actiquser sue45192
Posted
Hi Sue Well Done you should be proud of yourself for suceeding in getting of codeine and staying clean.
The loss of a mother is life changing, especially if they are relatively young. I know as my Mum died when I was in my 20's and still miss her dearly. The lack of opiates would make your seratonin /dopamine level very low and could lead to your depression. If the subutex works for you I'm glad.
Its wonderful 11 months on and you have turned your life around.
Its Great to hear a succesful ending. It inspires others to do the same.
I have stopped Actiq the oral form of fentanyl and my final Fentanyl patch comes of tomorow. I had an ultra fast taper since June.
Best Wishes
ian29885 sue45192
Posted
Hello Sue , I'm going through a severe codeine addiction as well and I know how desperately awful it is. In my experience when I went to see a GP about it they referred me to a local counselling centre , which I'm going to next week. I believe these guys assess you and if your willing to be honest and keep going to counselling sessions can advise the GP on a replacement medication . I would very strongly recommend you do that as well sue because the codeine addiction will only get worse over time unless your able to start and cut your codeine intake slowly (I know that's really not easy sue) . If you don't get yourself off codeine sue your life will really suffer , it's cost me so much already. Going down that route is infinitely better that struggling along as you are sue. A few things to note if you do that though are - your doctor will probably stop prescribing codeine as soon as you admit you have a problem. Shamefully I've spent a fortune buying it on the Internet. If you do go to the doctors I would recommend you have some codeine spare to put you on until you get a replacement therapy to avoid going cold turkey (I've been through it and it's not nice).
To me sue it looks like you have 2 choices - keep it to yourself and cut down slowly (I don't recommend this) or go to your GP and tell him everything which I really think is the best thing to do. If your GP is a good one they will try and give you the best support possible in the shortest time possible. The only thing I would say not to do is go cold turkey as it's very unpleasant and you will need time off work and need looked after !
Get yourself off to the GP pet and good luck but get off codeine