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We need help

Posted , 9 users are following.

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Guest

Does anybody know of anywere in the UK that is a free rehab clinic for DHC users, my father has been taking them for 30 years and now cannot go on, the doctors are useless and no help is offered, sorry mistaken if you are an alcoholic you will be offered rehab but not if you are dependant on DHC. I would love to know of any groups out there for prescription painkiller addiction.

My father was put on this monster tablest 30 years ago after having several operations for kidney stones, now he is on 30 a day, he lives round his prescription and we dread it when he runs out a week before after taking to many, he has tried to taper them down, but he doesnt have the will power. Today he begged to the doctor to be sectioned and he wouldnt here of it, he just gave him his new prescription and sent him on his way. I no longer know what to do. Does anyone know of any groups in the north west of england that i could contact.

Many thanks

5 likes, 31 replies

31 Replies

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  • gary56171
    gary56171 Guest

    Posted

    I was on them for 6 years and they are partly responsable for ruining my life, However I stopped 6 days ago and the withdrawals were quite bad although they have eased up now, I went cold Turkey , I feel like ive just woken up from a nightmare I can feel my own immotions and although i still feel achy my mind feels a lot sharper . if you want to give up bad enough but cannot do it by yourself (dont feel bad if you can't cause its not easy) get help from NHS and get your life back. I have a lot of rebuilding to do in my life but I no longer feel hopeless if I can get through the withdrawals like ive done I feel I can do anything to better my situation. Godbless all
  • craig33246
    craig33246 Guest

    Posted

    I have just referred myself to my local Community Addictions Unit after it became clear that my GP wasn't taking my addiction to DHC & Tramadol seriously. He was of the opinion that I should just keep taking it, despite it causing me life destroying apathy to anything & everything. Search online for whatever help is available in your area. Communiy Alcohol & Drug Teams are out there, maybe under different names, but they can provide medically assisted reduction programs, in hospital or at home; referrals to other needed services eg. Mental Health teams for your Dads depression, pain clinics, counselling etc. the trouble is finding them. I found Narcotics Anonymous really helpful. I only went a few times but the people I met knew exactly where I should start and gave me phone numbers for drop in centres, support groups,  counselling services etc. and the much needed medical treatment centres mentioned. I start treatment in a month. I wish you and your Dad all the best for the future.
  • gary56171
    gary56171 Guest

    Posted

    9 days after going cold Turkey , I'm still quite emotional which is to be expected but all the bad stuff is over stomach cramps ,diaria ,aching body its all over now thank god If anyone needs any support im always here to help others .It's not easy to give up especially if you have genuine pain but it can be done if you want it enough , its taken me 6 years and I decided I must give up or I may very well die within 3 years what a wasted life . Good luck to all x
    • UK-Ven-medicate
      UK-Ven-medicate gary56171

      Posted

      Its great you have had the stremgth to move on in your life nd get thru the stages Well done Gary, I hope the future is brighter for you 
    • robbie1967
      robbie1967 gary56171

      Posted

      yeh well done fella...and good luck just 1 ?.....how many did you take each day approx?....i did stop 2 times and never had any for around 3 to 4 wks but then i was to weak i suppose and went back to them because i never felt the same person,they made me feel like i used to before i ever went on them if that makes any sense....i just used codeine phosphate for 3wks instead of dhc and when i stopped the cod phos i just had cold sweats n dihoria for 2 to 3 days and then i was fine but the sciatica returned and i ended back taken the crap again...its the emotional side i cant seem to shift and thats 1 thing i am not going to live with so if it wont subside i will just have to face up to the fact i could be on them a while...years probably....betrayed by the doctors for lack of info me thinks!!!
    • gary56171
      gary56171 robbie1967

      Posted

      Hi buddy , Thank you , I was supposed to take 8 perday ,However I was taking 3 times that just to stay in a good mood. I was prescribed them for Sciatica to im 6ft 8 and always have back trouble sad but was using them more to elevate my mood  , you are not weak in anyway mate they are so addictive . The cold sweats and stomach cramps are horrible but only lasted a few days and Yes the emotional side is pretty horific but it does get better, If you are worried about the emotions you could ask a dr for a mild antidepressant (I am on them) it does help. Its terrible as you say it does feel like a betrayal by the dr cause they never warned me how addictive the horrible things are but the positive thing you can take from this site is you can see you are not alone we are all going though the same thing , I wish you well wink
    • MGSz
      MGSz robbie1967

      Posted

      Yes very well done GARY!  it shows immense determination from you. Unfortunately not everyone has your will power. I know where you're coming from Robbie, it is NOT easy but Gary has shown it IS possible. When your on very high dosages (over 300mg per day) it will deplete your serotonin levels in the brain which will definitely cause low moods and depression -even BEFORE you start to try and lower the dose, so you may need to go back to the doctor and ask for some SSRI's "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors" these are anti depressants. I don’t use SSRI's now but I do use amitriptyline which also helps me sleep and helps with pain. Trazodone (molipaxin) was also very good for my pain and has a calming effect although it is normally prescribed for Anxiety. There is no easy way out, you just have to put up with the side effects and NOT GIVE IN to them. Yes they are very unpleasant but as I said in my earlier posts you need to lower the dose by very small amounts (half a tablet a day) and stick to it for two weeks then drop by another half a tablet and so on. The first things that will happen is your body will ache & sweat a little more and you may get loose stools and a bit of stomach cramp so don't reduce by too much to quickly, even if it takes 6 Months to get down to no more than 2x30mg three times per day or less, then you will have a much greater chance of stopping them completely or just using a maintenance dose in addition to other pain meds like Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. If the nerve blocks lasted more than 6 Months then you got lucky, mine only lasted 3 Months. Ask to go back to the pain clinic where they can try other procedures and newer drugs. I have found Hot baths ease the pain and small regular sessions on a UV Sunbed help boost your mood AND ease back pain, find a sunbed that has old or low power tubes so you can spend longer on it without getting burnt (turn off the face tubes) ask the person running the salon. As I have said I have been on a long journey with DHC (over 10 years) and learned a lot over that time about it so please TRY some of the things I've mentioned. As each week goes by as you slowly reduce the dose you will start to feel EMPOWERED and more in control. Of course I wont come off them completely as I do require pain relief for my sciatica and DHC in combination with Diclofenic and Amitriptyline works the best for me, but I WILL NEVER again go over my 3 x60mg per day dose of DHC. If you really cant cope on your own then the best route WILL be a detox center, your GP can refer you. Good luck my friend.
    • robbie1967
      robbie1967 gary56171

      Posted

      cheers fella i se doc next week i am going to sort sumit out ...thx again robbie.biggrin
    • robbie1967
      robbie1967 MGSz

      Posted

      will do fella thx for info and i will keep in touch thru this forum yehconfused
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