I HAVE BEEN PRESCRIBED THESE DIHYDROCODIENE 30MG TABS 2 ...

Treatment and medication
1

I HAVE BEEN PRESCRIBED THESE DIHYDROCODIENE 30MG TABS 2 4XDAILY =8 A DAY,AS A RESULT OF SEVERAL MUSCULAR SKELETOL INJURIES SUSTAINED IN AN RTA MAY 1984. AT FIRST THEY WORKED AND AFTER A FEW MONTHS THE EFFECTS STARTED TO WEAR OFF, SYMPTOMS OF LOWER BACK PAIN IN THE KIDNEY AREA, SWEATS, HOT FLUSHES, MOOD SWINGS, TEMPER AND LEFT FEELING TOTALLY WORTHLESSS AND VERY IRRITABLE,I CANNOT FULLY DESCRIBE THE WITHDRAWLS YOU FEEL WHEN THEY WEAR OFF - CRUELTY IS MUCH A MILD DESCRIPTION MORE LIKE TORTURE.

I WAS UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FIND OUT THAT I COULD AQUIRE MORE FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE 8 A DAY BECAME 30 A DAY JUST TO GET RID OFF THE PAIN AND WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS, THAT WAS ME OFFICIALLY A SELF CONFESSED DF118 DYHYDROCODIENE JUNKIE. MY ADVICE TO ANYONE IS ONLY TAKE THIS DRUG IF PRESCRIBED AND FOR LITTLE A PERIOD AS POSSIBLE BEFORE YOUR HOOKED. FLU SYMPTOM WITHDRAWLS DONT COME ANYWHERE NEAR IT. I CAN IMAGINE WHAT YOUR THINKING - IDIOT - FAIR ENOUGH, I WAS BUT YOU DO NOT THINK AT THE TIME YOU JUST BANG THEM DOWN YOUR THROAT 5 AT A TIME TO KILL PAIN,IT WORKED BUT AT 50P EACH ITS A BLOODY STRONG PAIN KILLER TO BUY ON THE STREET FOLKS AND BELIEVE ME IT HAPPENS AND THATS HOW DESPERATE YOU GET IN THE END ,ANYTHING TO SHIFT THE WITHDRAWLS KNOWN AS RATTLE TO SOME.

I AM NO JUNKIE I HAVE NEVER TAKING ANYTHING ELSE IN MY LIFE AND FEEL PERSONALLY CLASSED AS A PRESCRIPTION JUNKIE WHO HAS TAKEN THESE TABLETS IN GOODWILL FROM A GP NO WARNINGS OF ADDICTION GIVEN WHATSOEVER IN 1984,IVE BEEN DOWN THE ROAD TO ■■■■ AND BACK CUTTING THIS DOWN TO 10 A DAY AT DEC2005 .A LONG HAUL AND ON REFLECTION IT WASNT WORTH IT.I AM NOW ON 10 A DAY AND CRAVE THEM AT EVERY GOTTEN MOMENT BUT I AM DETERMINED TO GET BACK TO 8 A DAY.IN THE END THE WHOLE MUSCULAR SKELETOL PAIN IS WORSE AS I AGED PLUS A DIHYDROCODIENE WITHDRAWL ON TOP SO HOW CAN ANY GP SAY THIS IS A GREAT PAINKILLER.8 A DAY WORKS WONDERS FOR FEW MONTHS, YOUR GP TELLS YOU 8 A DAY IS THE MAX DOSE YOU THEN GET SO DESPERATE WITH THE WITHDRAWLS YOU SEEK OTHER WAYS OF OBTAINING THEM, GET A HABIT, LOSE LOTS OF WEIGHT, DONT EAT, BECOME DEPRESSED AND ALL THE AFOREMENTIONED.ITS BLOODY CRIMINAL .

MY ADVICE IS DONT ACCEPT THEM LONG TERM GET OFF THEM AS QUICK AS YOU CAN AND SEEK OTHER ALTERNATIVES.I AM AN EX WRESTLER BY THE WAY WITH PLENTY COURAGE WILL AND STAMINA NEVER USED ANY OTHER DRUGS TO OVERCOME THIS EVIL DIHYDROCDIENE BUT WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM FOLKS WHO HAVE WEANED THEMSELVES OFF THIS EVIL TABLET AND HOW THEY DID IT.IVE CUT DOWN 1 PER WEEK TO GET TO THIS STAGE AND AS STATED GOT THE FULL ON MUSCULAR SKELETOL PAIN PLUS THE WITHDRAWLS. A PRESCRIPTION GONE WRONG IN MY EYES WHEN I END UP 6FT3 WEIGHT 10.5 STONES AND LOOKING LIKE I COULD HIDE BEHIND A LAMPOST AND NOT BE SEEN.THEY HAVE RUINED MY LIFE COMPLETELY AS IF THE HORRIFIC ROAD ACCIDENT DIDN,T DO ENOUGH TO ME. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED, IVE HEARD FOLKS BEING PRESCRIBED METHADONE TO KICK THE HABIT SURELY THATS ONLY REPLACING ONE HABIT WITH ANOTHER AND I THOUGHT METHADONE WAS FOE HEROIN USERS AND THE LIKES? IN A WORLD LIVING IN SEVERE PAIN I SYMPATHISE WITH EVERYONE AND WISH THEM WELL BUT PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE TAKING THIS TABLET. ANY EXPERIENCES ON THIS TABLET AND HOW TO STOP THEM COMPLETELY WOULD BE MOST GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED

This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience

2

I think you are being a little harsh here, not everyone will end up buying them on the street. ill confess I probably couldnt do without them but I take between 6-8 a day and have taken them for 8 years.

Like most things that work you have to show restraint, you have taken more and more because they work and the high they provide. The Doc has given you something that will work for the pain and you have indulged. As they are stored in your system your body will adapt to the reduced dose over time.

If you dont take them you will be left in pain, if you stop taking them completely you will remember why you need them in the first place.

Yes, these brand of tablets can be very addictive, and thats why YOU have to show caution when using them. While your doctor may not have said anything about the effects of the tablets, the leaflet that comes with every pack tells you the problems.

As for stopping them, switch to a less addictive codeine based pain killer, such as co-codamol, or take something like tylex, the effects last longer so you wont have to take as many. Remember though, your body will require a few days to adapt to the new stuff so you may feel a bit worse for wear.

As for the after effects, ask your doctor for a tablet for diarroea, or something for irritable bowel syndrome such as spasmosal, that will help your bowel movements. For your body pains the best bet is to eat bananas, the potasium in them does wonders for the joints. If you want to stop taking codeine based stuff completely, just make sure you have a pain killer from your pharmacy, Ibuprofen works pretty well.

3 weeks later you will be off them.

This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience

3

i am at present going thru withdral symstems of this dam tablet and was not told to wean of slowly or of there addictive nature.i am sufering with sciatica very very bad pain,had to have something to stop it these tablets did but not completly cant work so went to a chiripractor and am at present having treatment.this is day4 with no dyhy,afeter 4 weeks of them i have been in a very bad way panic attacks severe crying feeling i want to die,aching.i have had three very big babies and this is worse than that i am never going on them again i have been to hell and back still there but climing out.they are not nice and i am cross that my doctor did not advise me of the side effects and the last two phone calls i made in desparation to try to find out what was wrong with me they said it was unusual and it may be the tablets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!now after reading all this on here i am very alarmed but reasured that i no wot is wrong now.thank god i did not get hooked,i feel awfull but will get thru it,u have my synpethy,i cant think or spell im sorry

This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience

4

I know how you feel mate. I spent a couple of years getting off morphine tabs for Crohns disease. Five years clean and then started on DHC thinking it was relatively harmless compared to morphine. At 10x60mg a day (and crushing them for a stronger effect)I find myself absolutely fearful at the prospect of coming off. I'm now experiencing some more worrying symptoms and wondering if they're related to the DHC.

Also do they do any oragn damage? liver etc?:shock:

This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience

5

I had df118 years ago and found that I felt \"out my face\" on them so stopped taking them after 1 mth. Since then, due to an accident, I have been through a number of painkillers and recently found myself back on them but due to previous experience I opted for \"continuous\" rather then the tartate. I did not have the same experience on them but have now changed, to allow my doseage to become more flexible, back on the 30 mg tablets and STILL have not had the \"freaky\" exp I had previously! I am not sure whether there has been a change in them and whilst I would not recommend them for long term use (esp due to severe health prob's I suffered after being on coproxamol for 4 yrs) I would say that everyone is different. I know there are a number of people who have become addicted to them but I would say that these have NOT had the same effect on me as they have had on others and I know of other people who've taken these with no major additictions. TO \"test\" myself I take a break from them every few months to make sure I am not getting addicted.

6

i was on dihydrocodeine for three years, and i found they didnt work for me, I have ostioathritas in my writs and knees. i didnt find that i was addictict to it or nay of the symptoms you had, i now take numerouse, medication. which is paracetmol, tramadol and now i take a lower dosage of amtriployne, for the pain, for which when iam asleep my body is constanly moving with the pain so when i wake up i feel like i have run a marathon, and now i feel like i have had a good nights sleep, :roll:

7

Ive been on Dihydrocodeine 30mg for about four years now. I ended up on them by accident. My GP prescribed me them for Migraine!! I realised I got a buzz from them so I started taking more and more each day. At present I take about 30 a day. I've tried to come off them but I feel so ill. i know what Heroin addicts go through now!

8

I have just been put on D.H.C because I was taking much too much Co-codamol, I did take upto 64 a day sometimes, my GP was afraid I was killing myself because of this so he's trying just the codeine to stop me on the paracetamol. He started to give me just 2 days worth at a time and now he gives me a week at a time. They are very very addictive and I find I can go through a weeks worth in a day. I really do wish I'd never started on the co-codamol. I find now that I get panic attacks and can't go out of the house any more. I've fallen out with all my friends and have no family here.

So please please be very careful with these things.

Jonh.

9

Message to R.F.

I understand completely where your coming from with regards to dihydrocodeine and its terrible effects of withdrawl. I have been prescribed them now since 1998, started at 2 a day and gradually increased to and stopped at 8 a day. I suffer from lower chronic back pain since the birth of my 3 children who were all c-section births, after the c-section operations I was given DF118 to alleviate the pain from the operations. Since the birth of my children I have had terrible back ache and my doctors and surgeons have kept me on them. I have also had a problem with the dosage, I too have been taking up to 40 a day, ran out of them before I was next due to be prescribed and the withdrawl pains are far worse than the back pain. The cold sweats, sore legs, bowel loss, hot and cold flushes, was far too much to bear at times. I have learned my lesson when it comes to running out of them, I know my doctor will not prescribe them early anymore. Because of my liking of them I now have IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I cant use my bowels like any normal person can. I wish I was never given them by any doctor, This medication should come with a warning prior to being prescribed them. We should be made aware of how these pills will affect people in all respects. Then we should have then final decision whether we want to go through all that.

I have given them up in the past for 2 months and after an operation was given them again before coming round after the accident. I understand they have to give pills for pain but I also feel that we should be taken off them before we leave the hospital, thus making it easier on the individual concerned. I am still on them now, but I would love to be off them again, I used to have a normal life before DF118, I dont anymore. I get anxious when I dont have any when I wake in the morning, the withdrawl makes it so hard to contemplate getting rid off them.

My advice to anyone who wants to come off them is this. This is how I managed to come off them before.

When you next collect your medication from the chemist. Take 4 pills right away. Try to stick to 4. On the second day dont take any. You may experience the sweats but change your tops regularly when they become wet. Best to stay at home from work for a week. Remain in your pyjamis, changing them regularly. Try to abstain from the pills as much as possible. I have found it far easier to withdraw from them when I have had full prescription around incase of emergency. I would buy something for the cramps in your tummy and legs, regular baths and change of clothes.

I found that when you promise yourself or your child or someone you love dearly then you find it hard to go back on that promise. Dihydrocodeine can kill people and their insides. Go on. You can do it and so can I. If you want to, we can do it together and email eachother when the tough times are around the corner.

Beat the addiction and get your life back. Dont let it take your life away from you. Your far too important to someone.

Kara.

10

looks like i only just escaped.stopped a week ago after two months for broken ribs.became odd/jumpy/hot/cold/frequent bowel movements/insides feel out of shape/paniky rushes. sad

Sad

you guys have my sympathy as i could so have gone there!!!!!!!!!! love to all.

11

hi , just read the storys on ere . :shock: .omg, ive also been prescribed these for migraines..i had one hell of an head yesterday so i took one at 120clock, slept solid for 3 and a half hours , still had the headache so took another at 7,pm, not the best move in the world i made, i can tell you, i felt as tho i was out my face on drugs(past experiences), i was out of it for hours i was awake but not , i felt as if i was floating, my doc ad told me i can take 2 every six hours wen i get a bad head , im so glad i only one at a time and not the 2 , but today i still dnt feel 100% and im not sure if its me recovering from the two i took or needing more :shock: ... they cleared my head eventually but still unsure wether to take any more, maybe i wont get the same side effects next time ??

12

The Bottom Line

If you cannot control yourself to take only the prescribed dose

You need to get help ! :roll:

13

I have just started taking these tablets for servere back pain. i have been on them three months and feel away with the fairies half the time... I am beginning to feel other side effects including sickness and rashes... the works really.

The problem is I need them to take the edge off the pain so I can drive to work and not loose my job...

Let's hope the withdrawal isn't going to effect me as much as the side effects are....

Wish me luck!

14

I have been on and off dhydrocodeine for over 7 years now. and the past few weeks have been horrendous. I have had the not all there feeling, as if I am not in my body,, sweats, itching, confusion, forgetfulness in mid conversation. I was on dhc up to 6 30 mg tablets to get rid of the pain associated with my crohns disease, mouth ulcers and also osteoathritis.... i found that my tolerance to the drug was increasing so I was having to take far more than prescribed to alieviate pain.

I havent eaten properly in months. I am 27 I weight 10 stone and i too am skinny as hell. my menatl health has been very poor.

I would advise you never to drink on this as you get into so much trouble...

today i gave all my dhc to my sister i have asked her to get rid of them. I have gotten rid of all pain relieving medicines in my posession, except back patches....I am now getting of this stuff...by going cold turkey....doctors on Monday to tell them not to prescribe codeine containing or opiate based medication.....i want my life back....

my family have suffered hard aswell due to my mood swings and irritability and it is not fair on them. xxx

determination will get you off this stuff...

15

I HAVE BEEN READING ALL THESE STORIES ABOUT D H C THEY SOUND QUITE FRIGHTING I HAVE JUST BEEN PUT ON THESE TABLETS SINCE TRAMADOL STOPPED WORKING FOR ME I ONLY EVER TAKE STATED DOSE BUT I WILL WAIT AND SEE HOW I GET ON WITH THEM BEFORE PASSING JUDGEMENT I WILL LET YOU KNOW I GET ON . :D :D TAKE CARE

16

Hey, Just stumbled across this after discussing my 'current situation' with a close friend.

I suffer from Fibromyalgia. Before I was diagnosed I was prescribed many different and varying pain killers. From simple paracetamol/ibu, anti inflams, tamidol, co-codamol, codeine tartrate, gabapentin, oramorph and now DHC.

The pain i suffer is from a brain irregularity, so if i have pain in my legs it doesnt necessarily mean thats where its going on (obviously). But my experiences are as follows;-

- The basic paracetamol and ibuprofen had no effect on physical pail i feel.

- Anti Inflamitories made me feel very lathargic, anxious and bad tempered. They also made me feel like i was yawning all the time which is rather enbarassing in the work place. They did nothing for the pains i experience

- tramidol, OH MY GAWD! these made everything 'weird'. On hte prescribed dossage (i dont remember the mg strength of them) I had trips, total white out of time, extreme short term memory loss. All this for MILD pain relief.

- co-codamol, gave very mild if noticable pain relief, if i took them on mass and against the reccomended dossag the pain relief became ok, i had certain aspect of my life back.

- codeine tartrate was a step up from the co-codamol, it was instantly better than the previous and things improved yet further for me. sadly side effect, the usual chronic constipation and fatigue resulting from insomnia insued.

- gabapentin, which i understand to be a nerve blocker. took things in a strange direction. it would give me shots of pain relief for periods that included what i would describe as 'shooting' pains (to the level if i were taking nothing. I didnt last long on these either as they remdered my legs to numb and weak to use.

-*by this stage my illness had progressed to a severe level i was effectively house bound unable to assend flights of stairs unaided*-

-oramporph 10mg/5ml, this totally killed my pain, but as you can guess turned me into a sofa bound turnip. social skills became monosylabic affairs, i lost my GF, had to move house. again chronic constipation, incredible itchyness on my head ears, eyes side of my abdomen. I lasted on this taking 150ml bottle within 5 days. After 3 months I came off it and started my rehab (I finally found a private specialist for my condition!!!)

- under his guidance and with my gp i was put onto DHC. 30mg. the initial max dosage was to be 8 tabs a day. After being very strict and only taking the 8 a day for a 2 weeks the pain was no better, but mentally i felt alert and bright. I was on hte edge of regaining my life. i consulted my gp and specialist and we agreed i should up the dosage to become 12 a day (after signing over that it was my responsibility for legal reasons). Since then my pain is literally just background hum. Annoying as humming noises are, they are far more bare-able than a full on FIRE BELL style pain. I do occasionally take up to 18 tabs in a day, but it is not often and i do drop back to the 12 a day there after. I have little to no side effects from them, yes on the days where I take the odd few extra i get a bit euphoric and itchy. All in all DHC has enabled me to gain my life back. In the 10 months I have been taking them I am now back in full time employment, I am able to go to the gym and partake in gentle exercise (no high impact sports for me!), i can go back to racing in my amateur dragleague, i have had the chance to be in a relationship (didnt last she was a bitch! lol).

I'm fully aware that yes I do have that addiction to them there. But this medication has enabled me to regain my life back. Having an addiction to something that works for me and my condition is more than acceptable, it just joins hte ciggarettes.

I wish everyone who is currently trying to cope with and kick their addictions. Having miss timed a repeat prescription I have felt the begginings of the withdrawl. Its not nice.

At the same time to those who like me, have regained

17

Be Very carefull with Dihydrocodeine. I broke my collarbone a few years back and I was put on Codeine, Tranadol and Temazepam to help me sleep. I easily came off the Tramadol, and then the codeine, but switched to diazepam and temazepam. I recently obtained some Dihydrocodeine and I would warn people of how addictive this stuff is. It will eventually take over your life wheather its getting them, being on them or withdrawing from them. I know Im in for a rough time ahead of me but theres no other way. I will stop before itis too late. Everyone learns from their own mistakes, butmy advice is only use Dihydrocodeine if you are in severe pain and have no other choice, or If you are using them for minor pain, dont take more than 4 in 24 hours and 2 weeks maximum or youwill have trouble getting off them. If you are using them recreationally, make sure you know what you are getting into. its not like tramadol. Its very addictive and habit forming, and is hell to come off them. Take care.

18

Dont go on Dihydrcodeine mate deadly stuff was on them for six weeks Nausia sweats loss of weight stopped them dead going through terrible withdrawal symptoms sweating tremors feverish diarhea stomache cramps been off them 5 days now and the withdrawal symptoms are easing thank god.Have severe osteoarthritus but would rather put up with the pain than take that crap was on 2 120 mg per day slow release tabs take them back to the chemist and get rid they are potential killers

19

I have been using DHC for years and have had the ups and downs as you all on here have?.I used to use around 900-1500mg per day as I can buy them readily on the street. If you want to totally come off them I found the best way was to take amphetamine at very low doses 5mg max which will elevate most of the symptoms you will go through (your not addicted but like anything, your body get used to it and feels it needs it but what most people get is just a come down, at 1 point I had them every week for 3 and a half years and at the time I thought it was hell) after about a week you should be ok.. BUT if you take DHC for PAIN then you will probably like me have to keep taking them (because they are good at what they do) and you should learn how to control you med use habit, there are several ways you can easily search for on the net. I was lucky enough to start dating a pharmacist a few years ago and she has taught me several ways to use my prescriptions correctly or get the most out of what I am given. E.g. **** is a good way of bringing your dosage down and take all the rubbish out of your DHC (and all other codeine based pain killers right down to Paracetamol) but if you are taking DHC to feel high I can promise you?.YOU WILL NEVER get the same high as you did the first time you took those 2x30mg tablets, and the search for it will lead you to stronger opiates so please be happy with your little buzz unless you truly want an addiction (withdrawal will kill you if you think DHC is bad). The last point I would like to make for now is READ and learn? you get a pamphlet with EVERY DHC prescription by law, so as you didn?t read them?. start now, there are millions of us painkiller users/over users and there are millions of post about them or using them?I will answer anything anyone would like to ask and hope you get help even if its just off other users like me.

(Sorry but Patient Admin have removed information from this posting, as it is the policy of Patient UK not to publish this information on this forum.)

20

I have been reading all of the experiences people have written on here, and they have been making me laugh. People have been giving all sorts of excuses and blaming everyone but themselves for getting addicted to them but it is your own fault. I have been taking dihydrocodeine since i was 14 for rhumetoid arthiritus and having 2 prolapsed discs in my back from a biking injury, and have been in pain pretty much everyday since that age and i am now 22. I take anywere between 4-20 tablets per day depending on how much pain i am in. When i was first given this medication for pain relief, the doctor hadnt told me about the addictive properties of it, he just checked what meds i was on and just wanted to make sure i wouldnt have a problem with my breathing or anyting. So before i started taking it i had common sense and read the leaflet that came with it to check the side-effects and problems it may cause, and seen it was an opiod medication so knew it was potentially addictive. At first i only used them to relieve pain, then after about 2 years i started taking more as the high was nice as well as the pain relief, i was addicted to them taking around 15-20 per day and this went on for a while, but this was my own fault as i was taking them to get high. I then decided to stop taking them for a while, my own choice as things were starting to go bad taking that many per day. Withdrawal off this medication was not to bad as it was my choice to come off them and stop, i kept myself occupied with work and trying todo as much activity as i could, and this is the key, if you sit there doing nothing just thinking about dhc it will make the withdrawal symptoms allot worse than they actually are. Having the pain back acutally helped as the pain was in my mind, not when can i take more, or i want that feeling again, the worse effects i got was sweating, hot flushes, and muscle spasms every now again, and i only started to get the spasms when i was thinking of dihydrocodeine. I am now taking it again but i have self restrain, taking 8 maximum a day and only when i am in the most pain. People are saying dont touch this medication, tell your doctor no if he offers you it. But i say this is a really good pain medication if it is used properly, allot of people of blaming the doctor saying they were never told about it being addictive, but a doctor doesnt have time to sit there explaining all the side effects of all the medications, if he did you would need a 30 minute appoinment with them. The main point is if you have gone to the doctors and asked for a pain medication for relieving a moderate to serious pain, and have recieved an opiod pain killer and have taken it without reading the leaflet that comes with it to see the effects and side-effects of it and have gotten addicted to it, IT IS YOUR OWN FAULT AND NO ONE ELSE, IF YOU HAVE GOTTEN ADDICTED FROM THIS MEDICATION IT IS YOUR OWN FAULT AS YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY TAKEN MORE THAN THE PRESCRIBED AMOUNT. What people dont seem to realise is that it is only pain relief, it will not remove the pain only dull it, painkillers are not designed to completely remove pain, only relieve it so it is manageable. And if it has not made a difference to your pain, the answer is not to take more, go back to your doctor and tell him, dont take the doseage into your own hands YOU ARE NOT A DOCTOR. This is a good pain reliever as long as it is used properly and taken in the right amounts.