Hey, so I'm addicted to codeine, I usually take 32 Nurofen Plus tabs every day at midday (in 1 go). This has been going on for a year but I started doing codeine in June 2011 after I had my wisdom tooth removed. Every day I tell myself this will be the last day I take them but of course this is never the case. My tolerance is so high now I don't even really get any effect from it. Sometimes I take up to 64 tabs in a day. Some days I get a buzz, others hardly anything. Anyone on here in the same position as me who would fancy trying to stop with me? Moral support & all that?!
nikki you must get some help but you really know that already. The ibuprofen in the tablets will be causing problems in the future for your stomach if they aren't already. The expense as well. Do you visit different pharmacies every day? I take codeine (on it's own) 2 tablets 4 times a day as I have osteoarthritis but I also take them when I'm not in pain so I'm also addicted. Please see your GP and ask to be referred to an addictive behaviour service before you cause any more damage to your body.
Yes I go to different pharmacies each day and went to the doctor in Jan asking for help but he was no help at all. I've since referred myself to a drug addiction clinic but the whole process is so slow.. I'm waiting to hear back about counselling but in the meantime I'm trying to stop on my own. I have a baby & can't afford to keep doing this (I had postnatal depression which is why I started taking so much codeine, it was the only way I felt I could get through the day back then) I didn't take it whilst pregnant. I thought it was helping me and didn't realise I was addicted until it was too late..
I was on 64+ a day of Nurofen plus! I went to my doctor who would only allow me 180mg a day!... It was torture but I stuck to it! I'm down to 90mg a day and some days its hard.
You will NEVER get that first buzz back!
Ask your doctor to put you on codeine phosphate.
OMG 180mg is nothing! Did you top up at first??! My doctor wouldn't help so I've since referred myself to a drug addiction clinic and I've asked them for CP & to taper down but the whole process is so slow I thought I'd try again on my own. Yeah I know you never get that first hit back, always chasing! I haven't taken any today and don't crave it at the mo as I've felt nothing after taking it the last 4 days so thinking what is the point.. So hoping this is maybe my chance to break away (fingers crossed!)
Hi Nicky.
It exteemly hard. It an addiction, and has come part of daily life. I went to my gp last week and she has put me on antidepressant for the anxiety It hard, but I had to do something. You can do it, you have already that there is something the matter. Good luck xx
Hi Nikki
I was in a similar situation only I took cocodomol 30/500 with three nurofen plus at each dose (usually every 3-4 hours!) I couldn't see a way to stop. Last Wednesday I chanced it with my Dr and asked for codeine phosphate 30mg. He said are the paracetamol not helping? I said no and I get the same level of pain control from codeine phosphate. So he changed my prescription. Since I have been on the codeine (and I only take 6-8 a day) I've cut out the nurofen plus. The only thing is I can only sleep for a few hours a night as I get terrible night sweats! The bed clothes get soaked.
May I ask you if you take lanzoprazole or omeprazole to protect your stomach?
Just hope you can get help soon and get off these tablets.
I'm just going to stick with my codeine tablets as I have a chronic spine condition and I wouldn't be able to walk without them.
Best of luck
Latchy
Hi, I'm up early too as my legs are aching since I haven't taken any codeine for 42 hours. No I don't take anything to protect my stomach, very silly I know. My partner gets the same co codemol 30/500's as you used to, that's how I first experienced codeine. He gave them to me when I had my wisdom tooth removed & was in a lot of pain for 2 weeks & I loved the feeling they gave me. That was in 2011 but I only used to take 5 of them twice a week so it wasn't a problem until he stopped me using all his prescription & I discovered N+. After that I was free to take as many as I liked as he wasn't in control of them anymore and a little over a year ago after I had my baby (I didn't take any during my pregnancy) is when the problems started. I had postnatal depression & the only thing that made me feel happy was codeine. That's all I looked forward to each day & that's when this addiction took hold.
I'm guessing once your body gets used to the reduction in codeine you're taking the night sweats will stop. Can I ask why you decided you no longer wanted the paracetamol, I would have thought that would help with pain relief or were you concerned about liver problems? Thanks for your reply btw 
That's great you haven't had any 😊. I did top up at first but the husband threatened divorce if I care on and that he would take the kids so they were my incentive ❤ its the achey legs and the horrible restlessness that makes me relapse! You are doing amazing keep it up you WILL beat it! 😊
Yes I took co-codomal 30/500mg but I was heavily addicted to them and relapsed 3 times. I was badly injured and doctors gave me 30/500mg I took 2 4 times a day nothing was happening so I took 3 4 times a day and instead of helping the pain I was so relaxed then 3 4 times a day did not work I then started to take 4 3 times a day again it made me feel good, when that stopped working I took 5, 2 times a day, when that stopped I took 6 in morning 5 at lunch and 5 at night trying to get that first feeling. At times I felt sick I was 20 stones in weight I am down to 11 stones. I was badly constipated till my bawls gave in at I had burning diarrhea. So I decided to stop now from 480mg codeine 8000mg of paracetamol a day from nothing. I had really bad stomach cramps, diarrhea every 5-15 minutes with cramps, blood coming out of my bawls. I was like this for good 2 weeks then I was fine. 3 months gone, I did my back in hospital gave me them tablets again I to 2, from that 2 it gave me a little relaxing feel good feeling. My brain focused on take 4 to get a better feeling which I did and guess what a little tingle before I know it I was back on same does 480/8000mg. 2-3 years went by so I decided to come off them but this time reduce. What I was taking is 6 in morning 5 at lunch 5 at evening - so I decided to take 6 in morning and 6 at night which -4. Then I reduced to 6 at night only which I started to feel bad etc. 1 week after reduce to 5 a night, week later 4 a night, week later 3 a night but in between these weeks I fell so ill. At that time I was off them for 6 months until I lost a close person top not feel stress I turned to co-codamol again I ended up back 480/8000mg… from 1990 – 2015 I’ve been on these but not at 480/8000mg its was in the last 6 years where I went heavy on them.
Feb 2014 – 480mg/8000mg - Day 1-3 (5x30/500mg = 3 times a day for 3 days) – Day 4-6 (4x30/500mg = 3 times a days for 3 days) – Day 7-9 (3x30/500mg = 3 times a day for 3 days) – Day 10-12 (2x30 = 3 times a day for 3 days) Day 13-15 (2x 12.8/500mg = 3 times a day for 3 days) – Day 16-18 (2x500mg paracetamol 3 times a day for 5 days ) in this process I was ill or with any stomach craps or diarrhea.
It is 28 May 2015 over 15 months I haven’t touched them, last week playing football I got injured doctors gave me anitiflamatry & co-codomal 30/500mg. I put the co-codomal in the bin not even once it cross my mind to take them.
People out there DO NOT TAKE CODINE MEDICATION avoid them if possible, Do not take more than the dosage required by your doctor, if they don’t work stop taking them ASAP see your doctor again.
I am helping another person who is doing great from 500mg codine/10000mg para. i manged with in 2 months reduced her to 62.4/1000mg a day. so 12.8+8mg codine and 1000mg of para 3 times a day . with minor pains. 1 week she will be off them and will have her life back. When she does complete after 1 week i have asked her to do a full health check by doctors liver, kidneys etc..
Sorry for the late reply Nikki. I did have a feeling that taking paracetomol in the Cocodomol for so long, since 2006, could have been damaging my liver. Also I saw an article on the news that the MRHA said that paracetomol doesn't help back pain at all and can cause more harm than good. This is what I said to the Dr, so he changed my prescription just to codeine, I'm over the moon that I still get the same pain relief from them. And safer too. am still getting terrible night sweats and waking at stupid hours in the morning. Just don't know when that's going to stop.
more importantly how are you doing? Any news from the clinic?
Take care
Latchy
Hi Nikki, I just came across this forum and saw your post. I've been hooked on Nurofen plus for 16 years and was taking over 70 a day at one point. Mostly I take approx 16 pills three times a day ( I don't even get a slight buzz now) recently I decided to taper down and am now on 10 pills 2-3 ted daily hopefully going down to 8 next week. I've gotten fed up of lying and having to travel miles to go to different chemists to get pills, also I was spending about £60 a week which is getting hard to hide. I can't confide on anyone so would be interested to hear how you are getting
Hey Jamie, I'm still the same, even a bit worse. I was taking 32 in one go but now I sometimes take another packet later in the day. I bearly get any effect either, apart from feeling tired. No one will help, I've tried my doctors & drug clinic but the drug addiction clinic don't have the funds to help. My mum has offered to pay for private counselling but I feel too guilty to accept her help. All the pharmacies are starting to question why they see me so often but my excuse is pretty good. I can't afford to keep doing it either. Why is there no help for us?! it's a mental thing as well as a physical addiction.. Have you not had problems doing this for so long? What about your stomach??
Hi Nikki,thanks for reply. Il keep it short as battery is away to run out and I'm at work. I can't drink alch now as I end up vomiting horrifically , I also feel tired a lot. Every now and again I wake up and feel terrible but apart from that and awful indigestion I'm okay. You are the first person I've actually discussed this with and it actually helps to know there is somebody going through the same stuff. The tapering seems to be working so far so fingers crossed on that. Let me know how your getting on and il get back in contact when I can. Thanx
OK will do. I'm thinking of tapering but quite quickly rather than gradually as not everyone gets withdrawal effects, they differ from person to person & with me it's more psycological than physical. And it's the worry of what MIGHT happen if you stop, it might not be as bad as we think. Plus you could always take a week off sick if you have to and say it's a virus or something. Good luck & keep in touch! Don't feel ashamed, there's a lot worse we could be doing than taking N+!!
Hi Nikki, sorry for late reply but I can only do this at work just now. You seem to be taking similar amounts as I used to and when I went on holiday for two weeks one time I stopped completely . I never slept a wink for the whole 2 weeks and my brain felt like it was wired to the moon. It's because of this that I couldn't go cold turkey and feel that tapering is only option . When I stopped taking 30-40 pills in one go and started to take approx 18 I never noticed any difference . You never get that warm high that you used to get. It might be worth cutting down a bit it might even ease withdrawal symptoms if you do decide to taper quickly. Some of the other forums seem to offer you hugs and kisses and all that but I've found some good practical advice on this one. Let me know if you start to taper and how it works for you, I'm planning to be off these things in just over a month and if I can do it anybody can!
Keep in touch
Hello Jamie and Nikki.
It's great you have found each other on here. Hopefully you can help one another, as with anything like this, having someone doing it along with you is a great help.
I think you're right to do tapering, as there can be some nasty side effects to stopping suddenly, as you, Jamie, have found.
I hope you can both help one another to getting yourselves off the codeine. Not enough warning is given about taking codeine for long periods of time.
Keep us posted on how you both get on!
Thanks Vauxhall Girl . I've looked at other forums and they all seem to go the tapering plan . Cold turkey isn't an option for me due to the insomnia as I have to work . I'm on 10 pills 2.3 times dail now and I'm not sure if I should jump down to 5 now. Would it make a noticeable difference? I've not even had a slight high of these things for years now and it's basically a habit thing now. What I would say to other people trying to stop is that you really have to want to come off them and be mentally in right frame of mind to do it. It may be that you have underlying issues in your life that need sorting first. Because if all is not right your going to have bad days when something happens and your going to reach for pills again. Anyway it's good to share this instead of bottling it all up for the first time
If it was me, I would decrease by just one tab per session....think of it like a Jenga block...slowly but surely...don't want to knock all the blocks down, and have to start again.
Then next week, decrease by another tab per session, until eventually you can give up the last tabs.
And yes, sharing is always a good thing if something is troubling.....
"A problem shared is a problem halved," my Mum always used to say.
Yeah, I can see what you mean but I've had this planned for a while now am I was always going to drop 2 pills per session each week. Works out at 42 pills a week which seems a lot but I haven't noticed anything yet. I know there are going to be tough days ahead but I'm more confident now I know other people are going throug the same thing.