Hi
Excuse miss spellings. I have been taking paraceutimal with codiene for sinus pain and toothache-more the form. I'm very worried about addiction so will take a single dose of an evening 2-3 days a week. Then I can have weeks and 2-3 months of none. I don't experience withdrawal or addictions when I do not take. Is it ok to use paracetamol & codeine sparingly like this and avoid addiction. Can I have balanced feedbacks please-well weighed up good and not so good experiences.
Thanks.
No of course not. I became addicted as I didnt know they where addictive and would take 8 a day afyer a few months 8 wasnt enough and I got into a nasty cycle my mum who takes them as and when she has pain has no withdrawels and is not addicted. If you ise them correctly u should be fine just keep and eye on your intake of them as you are doing they are great for pain but when your addicted you b build tolerance to them and they dont work if you take them as and when you have pain only you should be fine x
If you only take it two to three days a week you should be fine. Don't get into the trap like me of taking 8 a day everyday. I'm addicted. I get terrible withdrawal symptoms if I don't take my daily dose. Stick to the lowest effective dose for pain as well. Hope that helps.
Godblessed, are you taking the over the counter codeine with paracetamol? It's very unlikely that you would become addicted within 3 days, however the warning on the packaging does say not to take for longer. If you're only using them intermittently and able to leave week's, sometimes months in between then you're not addicted. If you read some of the messages and posts on here of other people's experiences you'll quickly be able to gauge that for yourself. I was addicted to cocodamol, prescription 30/500, taking between 10-14 per day, for a number of years. I couldn't not take them, as the withdrawal side effects quickly kicked in if I did. Hope this has helped!
Yes, over the counter. What is the withdrawal symptoms and how soon does it kick in? Thanks for response.
I was taking the 30mg cocodamol which are nearly 4 times more than the over the counter (8/500). The withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person, but night sweats, anxiety, depression, sickness, diharrea, restless legs, and an inability to sleep, were the ones I experienced.
Me too Nicky. I get all of the same withdrawal symptoms. They are awful.
hi godblessed
firstly no you are only taking a small dose of each but if i was you wouldn't you be better of visiting your dentist and use a nasil spray that cuts out drugs altogether only a thought if you are worried as toothacke can be cured tablet addiction can't this is what i would do hope this helps you re;concider and nasil spray can't harm you.
christine
Hi christine
Thnaks for the respone. I will go back to gp and get a nose sray. Thanks for the nudge. You said that tablet addiction cannot be cured-can't it? Can you not wean yourself slowly off? I can be a bit of a worry wart.
Denise.
hi godblessed
im glad you took the advise of the nasil spray you need to read up on tablet addiction cocoadamol on its own as alsorts in it any drug that as codine or paracetmol can be very addictive if you stay on them for long periods of time
.thing is a lot of people take them when they don't have pain this and this is how they become addicted then when they get pain they take more and more to the pitch they can't control it to the point of taking other drugs along side the other they take this is why you are then classed as been addicted they cannot bring themself of them then some times they go on the black market to pay pouds to get them
i have read about people that is taking certain drugs up to 40 to 60 a day.
if your doctor stops them straight away wich they make that big mistake they should be weened of drugs slowley this is why its a lot harder im only telling you what iv'e read about your body thinks it cannot do without them so these people will pinch to get them a dr should only give them out for a month at a time but they don't once they put you on them they not bothered how long you on them so you use your own discrestion when the pain as gone ditch them not every one can only take them as directed but some go over the top then it gets harder to come of them you can get help if the dr wont help there are clinics to help you baering in mind it all depends how many you are taking.
ive heard of people locking themselfs in a bedroom to try to help themselfs to try and get through it but found it really hard
i sympathise with people if the dr told them before given any one long term pain killers without telling them the many side effects even though they may read the instructions not every one reads them when you are in pain you just take them but there are limits its when they popping them with no pain the brain sends signals out it needs a drug its weierd how it can effect the brain some people take a drug for an headache that might only last a few hrs but if it dosent go straight away they take some more before the 4hr period and when its gone they can still take some more then this is how it progresses to more and more till the can't stop themself .
im only glad if i have to take pain killers i will take less than i should hope it works then come straight of it i would hate to get to be an addict thats to depend on them.i really feel sorry for these people it can change the person drasticly in mind and physically they end up losing family members by turning there backs on them, children been took of them ,marrages splitting up been left alone this is when they have lost intrest in every thing they did and end up letting themself go get into a rut think they are worthless all through
a dr that dose not tell these people how bad a drug can effect you when it happen's they don't stop the perscription as they should becuase they getting paid to ruin peoples life's.i do hope this makes sence as im not an victem of drug abuse.
im on heart tablets but even this frighten's me i always think one must interact with another but i have to take them to survive .
withdrawal symptons can be very painful if you read about them.the only way i can explain this if you can take them till the pain as gone don't get any more untill it appears again then you cannot get addicted and instead if you can manage with one instead of what is perscribed they mainly put one to two then if one works over 4 hrs dont clock watch this is how it can get you addicted you cant double up or you will get addicted and go months without them then is been senseable.
probbly i will get people trying to knock me down now with there views such as im giving you the wrong advice but as ive said read up on here about drug abuse and drug addiction.
christine
You can get addicted to pain killers, and yes, Drs do give them out too readily, but the Des didn't force me to take them, or request repeat prescriptions, for that I take total responsibility. A lot of what Christine says I agree with, but having been addicted to cocodamol myself for 5 years, and beaten that addiction, it's not impossible to come off them. It's very hard, and if you don't abuse them in the first place you won't need to go through withdrawals. I don't buy people saying "I didn't know they were addictive". The leaflet tells you they are, and more people need to take responsibility for finding out what they are putting in their bodies.
I agree with what Nicky said. Nobody forces you you to take them. However, If they work for you're pain, then use your instinct. Just read the instructions and do what it says. Just don't take them incase you get pain. NOT everybody who takes tablets becomes addicted to them. There are only a minority of people in the country who are addicted to the painkillers. I'm in constant agonising pain with my back as I have 5 slipped discs in my lumbar spine and wouldn't be able to walk without them. Go to your Drs if you are worried and ask them.
best of luck
hi nicky
i agree with you if every one read's the instuctions take them as perscribed but how many people do that??? we all should no that any pain killer choose which you take can be additive when the DR give's out a percription how do they no if they not getting it for some one else without any test on the person they don't this is why i blame dr's.
i was put onto a repeat perscription for co-drydomol i had been on for 10 yrs im of them now i was took of them last yr these was prescribed from an hospital consultant to take 2 four times a day some days i never had to take them
they were for a disease in my spine that is incureable but some days i didn't get any pain so i only took them when i got the pain i used my own judgment if i needed to take 2 i did but not 4 times a day
same as youve said i cannot belive any one dosent no its additive course they no.
I had 2 hip operation one last october which was not done properly causing me to have another in May im still on paracetomol @ codine, plus ora-morph wich i take the codine only if it gets too bad been 1 or 2 a day but hand on heart i have not even realised im of the co-drydomol.
i have had numorous tests done why im getting so much pain just found out they have caused a lot of nerve damage
i don't get any of them on a repeat perscipion i have to request them; Also last June i had another op for cancer of the bladder wich they caught in time but have found out parocetomol and ora-morph works better for both my hip and my spine i don't get the pain in my back and hands as i used to this is the effect it as on you
but the dr told me even if i did get addicted to the ora-morph it dosen't matter so long as i only take 3 to 6 times a day i only take twice a day if it dosen't get too bad 3 times its the parocetomol im really worried about
i have a high threshold for pain but i have took up to 10 a couple a times as i don't get alot of sleep so its gone into another day ive had to do it through the night when it wakes me up.
.
if the operation had been done properly i wouldnt have to be on any pain killers
he offered me pain patches which i was told by the hospital i shouldn't take so im just worryed now i dont want to rely on these for ever i do have other illness beside's which i can control without pain killers
you no yourself they have a percription wrote out before you get the chance to tell them whats wrong with you instead of getting to the bottom of a symptom its just a cover up to get you out of the sugury
a simple blood test or urine test can explain a lot
im not a patient that is always at the dr's but you do no your own body i would take antibiotics rather than pain killers least you can't get addicted to them hope you can see were im coming from so yes you can come of addictive drugs if you don't abuse them like i said when it gets to taking 40 to 60 a day. a DR dosen't tell any one to take that many
look through some of drug addition answer's i read this they did it just to get high on co-codomol and glote in it they were the ones that was buying them of the streets and family members getting them of the DR'[email]ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddDR@S[/email] no normal person would do this.
I couldn't belive it i don't have any sympathy for them every one needs some pain killers at some time thats genuinely in pain like you say they can come of them i am lucky but
I just wonder by taking these two can i come of them as quick once i get sorted but what dose worry me they don't no if it can be sorted as yet till i go back in October 15th i keep telling myself these two im on now if i can only take them like i did with the co-dyromol i will do it but if they can't do anything were do i go then there are only certain tablets i can take to start with these are the only ones i can take now as im on wafrin. what do you think??? its worrying though.
christine
sorry nicky my keyboard had a fit and made a mistake just ignore from were it says email and all them des jump to no normal dont no what happened there .
Ok so I chose to take more, for my pain. So am I not a normal person, as you put it? I am an ex Royal Air Force medical officer. Yes I should no better. And not take so many pills. Today when I get my sedatives I am going to detox, stick to my 2x30mg codeine tablets four times a day for my severe pain. I know it'll mean a few awful days and nights, but at least the sedation should take the edge off. I wonder what the Drs will do though. I can't have an operation on my spine, I would end up paralysed. So does that mean pain and painkillers for the rest of my life? I will ask my consultant when I see him next month.
latchy
Hi Christine,
There's so much in your post that troubles me, but first up, the first thing I do when prescribed anything is read the instruction leaflet, and I would suggest that the majority of people initially take the amounts that Drs indicate to take. With codeine, or any opiate the trouble starts when your body starts to build up a tolerance to them, as you naturally up the doseage by which time you're addicted. I'm not proud of the fact I've begged and borrowed cocodamol off friend/family and work colleagues. But the fact remains, I took them, no one forced me. It's easy to blame the medical profession, and I've had poor experiences of GP's too, we all know the NHS is stretched but ultimately responsibility has to lie with the individual taking them. Drs won't be able to get you off them, if you're lucky they'll be supportive, but really we're on our own.
The difference here as I see it is that you need pain relief for your health problems, I didn't. I took cocodamol because it gave me a lift, a high to get me through the day. Or to escape from it. I'm not sure if you meant to say people who are abusing pain killers aren't "normal", who is? Define normal! But please don't judge people, we come here for support, and practical advice. Being in the throes of an addiction, whatever it may be is really tough, and I for one applaud anyone who has the courage and strength to come on here and admit they're taking 30 tablets a day.
With regards to your own situation, I'm not a medical professional. If you're concerned about the medication you're taking, ask them for a review, or even a referral to a pain clinic, where they may be able to suggest other strategies for coping with pain.
Good luck with it all Christine, take care.
Latchy please let us know how you get on this morning, I'm rooting for you.
Hi Nicky. I came clean with the GP. He's increased my sedative nitrazepam (sleeping drug) so I can take it during the day. Due to my daily intake of codeine he had no choice but to refer me to a methodone treatment centre. There's a huge waiting list. He's begged me to take no more than 8 ibuprofen and codeine as it rots the stomach lining. He said the nitrazepam will help a great deal. I've got 5 days to reduce the ibuprofen and codeine! If I have any problems I've got to go back. He was reluctant to give me codeine phosphate as he said I might be tempted to take extra. So it's sedation and reduce with will power. Did it with smoking, alcohol and diazepam in the past. So I will do this. When I'm codeine free he will prescribe Tramadol which is less addictive.
Before you jump to conclusion if you read my earlyer post i said i feel sorry for ppl that get addicted to pain killers you have only got part of a reply.
what i meant to say was is it normal to take that many 40 to 60 a day but through this keyboard went funny as you should be able to pick this out as an error on the keyboard.
i did appologise because of this i am sorry you both thought i ment you were not normal no way did i say that. You are not Normal i did not mean it like you have read it.
I had wrote my answer but how this happened with my keyboard i was supprised myself half of what i had wrote was missing and that appeared
but i cant pass judgment on ppl on how many tablets they take but i will admit i do not have sympathy with any one that dose take that amount every day for no pain as i read some of them did and not been satisfied went out and got more that is abuseing drugs.
I am sure you wouldn't even come into that same catogory to take that many a day even if you do this is your choice.
well i haven't reffered to any one as not been normal and sorry you have took it like you thought .
christine
hi nicky
I have made a mistake you are Normal sorry and i do hope you realise i am still having problems with this keyboard will have to get another one.
christine.