Admitted All to GP - Beginning Taper - Dihydrocodeine

Treatment and medication
1

Seeking fellow members who have finally had enough of Opioids and whom are willing to support one another during the long road ahead...

Almost 6yrs I have been dependent for. Started with sciatica and a few other problems, ending with a rather nasty dependencey.

I am deeply ashamed and feel somewhat like I have lost myself....I am a mother, a wife, I hold a respectable job, own a lovely home and should not be in this mess :-(

I booked an appointment with a GP last week, broke down and bared all!

At my worst, I was popping 4-5pills every 3-4hrs and spending £300 plus on internet chemists :-(

My biggest fear is the withdrawal symptoms...how can I take proper care of my children, housework, animals, laundry, clubs and work every day, whilst I can barely take care of myself!!? I have no family and my husband works away weeks at a time...it's all on me! Its petrifying...

Have you tried counselling? What physical activities worked best? Vitamins? Any advice at all, I'd be so grateful to hear..

Warmest Regards

S x

2

Hi

I know exactly where you are.. I'm still trying and have cut down from 8 to 4.. not much but as u know 4 is huge... all u can say..is try vitamins water and exercise.

But still feeling it.

Not easy atall.

3

Evening Rob, thanks for replying, it means more to me than you'll ever know!

Well done you...that is fantastic. How long was the period of cutting down? And how has it been for you?

So far, I am roughly x20 per day to x12 per day.

4

Hi there,

Let me give you some amazing advice. Ask your doctor for pregabalin to help with the withdrawal symptoms. Honestly, this drug cancels out most of the worst symptoms and will help you amazingly with getting clean.

Have a Google about pregabalin and gabapentin to help with withdrawal from opiates.

Best of luck, you've got so much to get clean for hun. Chin up and be stubborn, do not let the opiates win.

Charlie.

5

6 years on the pills.. 6 mnths of slowly getting them cut down. Drinking realy doesn't help I gave up drinking to help me. I had many years of binges and upsets in life dictated on amount taken.

Any addiction needs us to want to kick it.

Talking helps x

6

Definitely see GP for pregabalin, I didn't k kw about it until I was two weeks in and I could have saved a lot of suffering, taper slowly don't make the same mistakes as me and think by doing it quickly it will be over with sooner, that is not the case, by doing it this way you should barely feel the withdrawals, drink loads of water, hot baths, walking when you can, listen to relaxing music, eat well,

Also the pregabalin will help you sleep which you will need.

Don't beat yourself up about either, we've all been there.

Good luck! I wish you well! And keep in touch 💝

7

Hi There,

I feel your pain. I have ben on morphine for 9 years, and I just found a new dcotor as mine retired. But he tricked me and cut me back 25% at our second visit! I told him 10% was more reasonable, but with this whole "opioid crisis"...

He also prescribed clonidine, which is supposed to help with withdrawl—the chills, sweats, anxiety, tearfulness, etc. 

It was developed as a blood pressure med (lowers it) and also supposedly helps with ADHD, Tourettes, personality disorders, restless legs, hot flashes and rosacea. I haven't tried it yet, and imagine all the other uses will be side effects, but it supposedly helps.

Suboxone is sometimes prescribed, but it binds to opioid receptors, so you then need to taper from it (as it can lead to addiction).  

Otherwise for withdrawl (I just had a cold turkey day) if you can take some time in bed (a weekend?) and find some lorazepam or valium to just 'chill' you can reduce your tolerance remarkably in just 24 hours. You can then go to a lower dose more easily. Otherwise, I would taper at no more than 10% week. It may take a while, but you won't deal with many withdrawl symptoms that way.

Naturally, sugar (any type of hard or chewy candy*) helps with cravings, but not neccesarily the physical symptoms. Green tea can help remove toxins from your body faster, and peppermint or ginger tea (or Chimes ginger chews [candy* from whole ginger root]) can help with the nausea. Green tea with peppermint and/or ginger added, definitely. For the anxiety I would say have a glass of wine or smoke a joint (also helps the nausea), but....

Do you still have pain? If not, you should be good to go. 10% shouldn't give you withdrawl, but if you want to go faster, try the above. I would not go cold turkey completely. Do it slowly. Even look at what you have left, go without and take a half or quarter if the DTs get too much to handle. 

Good luck!