Nobody has a clue except for the chemists I visit on a daily basis. Some don't care and will sell me two boxes a day and then I guess they feel bad and refuse sale so I go to other chemists. I can't go a day without 40-60 sometimes. Most I have taken is 80 tables. Codeine and paracetamol based, sometimes with a mild sedative in them. I feel it's about Paracetamol (450mg) Codeine (10g) and Doxylamine (5mg). Sometimes 15g of codeine. What ever I can get. I can't do it anymore. It's been 6 years. I haven't overdosed or got any visable side effects. I need to stop now before this happens or I kill myself. I can't go to rehab and I have a job that I do really well and I am the main bread winner in our family. My children are all at school, they are clever and I know they would suffer if they found this out. Am I able to fix this on my own???
Find a doctor who will help you. Your situation sounds exactly like mine except I ended up in hospital twice due to low iron in my blood because the constant use of ibuprofen with the codeine was causing chronic bleeding in my stomach and intestines.
When I was in hospital the drug and alcohol people tried to get me to stay in the rehab facility but I was in the same position I was the main earner and I was a freelancer so if I didn't work I didn't get paid.
Anway once I found the right doctor I started on an opioid maintenance program. Now I visit a clinic twice a week and they give me my dose of Subutex and and I am slowly tapering off that. I'm not necessarily advocating it, it might not be the best solution for everyone but I'm nearly a year down the track and don't touch nurofen plus anymore. I'm now down to less than half the dose of that I started on and the end is in sight. Even though I'm still taking opiates daily, it's monitored by a doctor and I am tapering down at my own comfort. It's given me the stability to work on getting out of those old habits that kept taking me back to codeine when I was trying to quit in the past.
I think you can fix it on your own, but you don't need to. Taking Subutex has given me my life back. I've still go a long way to go but I'm on my way. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel now. I've gotten my life back.
Thank you for that. That gives me hope. I don't really stomach Nurofen Plus well but if it's in the house it doesn't last long just because of the codeine.
I don't even know how I got here. I am terrified to tell a doctor for fear they will call someone on my and take my children. Whilst my children are cared for and loved it has to be impacting them, I get annoyed so much quicker and we travel to get codeine.
I must fix this.
I understand, but the paracetamol can actually be toxic, you know how dangerous it is right? I hope you are at least doing cold water extraction?
I am so glad I found a doctor who could help me, otherwise I don't know what I would have done. But it took me a year to do it because I too was afraid. But, depending on where your located I don't think you should be afraid.
What country are you in?
Hi Daisy
Admitting you have a problem is a start. I used to take 40+ per day N+ . Forst time I gradually weaned myself off cutting down by one each time I took them so I didn't miss them so much and had no side effects that come with cold turkey. Then I mived out west wehere I could no longer have regular treatments for my back pain and the cycle started all over again. This time they brought in the real time monitoring so I really didn't have a choice but to take control of it. This time however, I was taking N+ panadeine extra and merayndol night. Sometimes altogether trying to get pain relief.
This time I discovered I could stop N+ with no problem and switched to Panadeine Extra which I can control. I can go days and weeks without it. There are no side effects like with ibuprofen and codeine. No sweating,shaking,diarrhea,headaches etc.
You have no side effects yet,make sure you quit so it stays that way. Good luck
Daisy youve already made the first step in acknowledgement and that you have an addiction.
First question is, have you been and had a chat with your doctor? If not I would advise you to do so asap if rehab isnt something you can do.
Your not alone here as there is a really good support network on here alone. There is lots of people going through this and either going cold turkey or tapering off gradually.
I myself have gone cold turkey and Im currently on day 12, its not easy but its been the best way for me.
I started my journey after being told that my liver is slightly enlarged and some of my blood readings were high and they said Im either a drug addict or an alcholic. I knew then that what I was doing is wrong but still took a few months for my brain to click and decided thats it no more.
They say its the paracetamol that will kill you not the codeine. The last thing I wanted was irreversable damage being done inside, to which of course you cant see so you dont know whats going on in there.
Good luck and we are here
Hi Daisy, I had the same issue. On them for about 6 years. Chemists would just sell them over the counter with no problem, I'll be honest with you and tell you it's one of the hardest things I've ever done when I came off them. The thing to do is cut down and take less as you can feel comfortable with. Eventually Just work down to 1 every few hours then go to zero. I went from 60+ a day to zero now but the first 3 days on 0 is really tough. You will definitely have restless legs which will be stopped with 2 magnesium tablets half hour before bed. I know the thought of cutting down to start sounds tough, I promise though that your body adjusts to less every time you cut down though. I've done it and I never imagined I could stop. When you eventually get down to none. (3 weeks is a good time limit to plan to) make sure you drink a lot of water asap from day one (2+ litres if you can) and definitely get magnesium and you'll have no trouble sleeping. I remember when I first cut down and I thought taking less would never work for me but you'll surprise yourself. Try it, plan it for 3 weeks as your stop day and never look back. Plan cutting down and when to do it (specific days, how many, etc) until you get to 1 and then 0 and you'll do it, you clearly want that more than anything just as I did and that's all it takes. Good luck. You can do it.
I think it's hard to say how it will be for people. Magnesium didn't work for me for restless legs or sleep in fact nothing did. I didn't sleep for days when I went cold turkey though each day things did get better. Also a 3 week taper from 60 pills a day? Somehow I find that hard to believe but again everyone is different
Yeah everyone is different but I gave the advice with regards to what worked for me. Can't say it will work but thought was worth a mention. Can't be a bad thing. Wanted advice and I gave it, everyone's will be appreciated and taken into account by daisy im sure.
I know it's dangerous but not using cold water extraction. I need to stop.
What country? I too have contemplated moving out west to make it hard for myself.
I'm going to try to go cold turkey. Day twelve is amazing!!!
I am worried about seeing my doctor and him reporting me as I have children.
Thanks so much, so much great advice. I have to do this. For myself, my loving husband who has no idea and my amazing children.
I live in western Qld, Australia. We have 2 chemists here in town, the next are 200km round trips. Believe me I have done this trip many times for N+ as well over the 2 years I was back on it. It takes alot of time out of your day. Working for myself, it wasn't too hard but couldn't imagine if I was employed somewhere.
Yes you do! Have you read other stories on this forum? Some of them are astounding at the medical conditions that people have goen through because of this rubbish. That was enough to shock me into cleaning up my act.
Good luck and please keep us posted with your progress!
Quitting is the only option if you want your life back. I know it's hard to remember what that was before codeine and it's doubly hard to imagine life without it.
ive tried cold turkey a few times and then started tapering. Tapering is easier and less impact than cold turkey but don't fool yourself into thinking its a breeze. I've managed to get down to 7 N+ a day (was 25) I've done this twice since February.
Focusing on what you want and the people you love will help maintain your willpower. Best wishes and Godspeed.
Where do I find such stories? Today is day one. I am getting quite anxious as the sun goes down and already doing the "Oh if I go three days with nothing I will reward myself with just one packet"
Daisy62185
I am so sorry to hear your story. But you shouldn't feel ashamed because
You didn't set out dabbling in drugs or something and didn't know you would become addicted.
It happens without you knowing and really it's the fault of the health system which allows this medication to be self-administered. That is irresponsible.
You need to tell a doctor you trust that you realize that you developed a dependancy on them
and that you need to stop. I am very thankful that I cannot take codeine as it gives me awful stomach pain, because I get headaches regularly and if I could use codeine, I would be addicted
too, not because I'm a weak junkie type, but because those meds are addictive and should never have been allowed to be so easily available. They are opiates! Lives in America have been ruined by
Opiates.
Hi Daisy, I have been in very similar circumstances, and hope that these words will shine a helpful light. I began my codeine hell with N+, as I'd just suffered a heart attack. which psychologically affected me and I hit the whisky bottle. I desperately wanted to stop drinking, but discovered N+ offered a calmness as opiates do. I was using around 16 per day, and descided to stop. But the very next day, I began sneezing, feeling really rough, zero appetite, scared. So I went t the chemist, necked about 8 and almost immediately began to feel better - and worry of course as I knew then that I was an addict. I got a strong head on, decided to stop and my doctor gave me some diazepam, but as soon as they were gone, the voice in my head seemed angry, and I went to get somemore. It's really difficult to describe the feeling of lonliness one feels when you're deprived of something you are addicted to. This is what I am doing:
I blurted out to the Dr :"I am addicted to over the counter painkillers". That sounded weird, but it was true. By this time, I was on 32 per day, and when I told him, he expleted, and made some phone calls which culminated in diazepam and a reducing script of codeine phosphate. To me, they just don't work - no-where near. Nothing at all, so I went again around in circles of 32N+'s. Eventualy, He referred me to specialist counsellors. I can hear alarm bells ringing in your head, but believe me, it is possible to do this under the radar. Accept where you're at, and begin to get better. I was placed on a Subutex program, initially 6mg per day which you disolve sublingually under the tongue. Even though they are an opiod derivitive, the block other opiods so co-co domol and N+ won't work. But don't worry - all anxiety goes and so to do the demons that control trips to chemists, feelings of worthlessness, of being a failure - because you are not. I am also receiving a small dose of Diazepam ro help - and it works for me.
Firstly, there will be those against 'substituting one drug for another' but these people are strict. After a short while, they will begin to reduce your subutex (buprenorphine) by 400 microgrammes every fortnight. THe buperenorphine is a strong drug - not in a mongy way, but if you, like I do your dose first thing, it lasts the entire day, with no fatigue and a desire to do things. So, I'm off codeine (my doctor sent me straight to hospital as I had some really bad news and had two boxes (64) around 2 months ago. You will have to provide urine samples, so the odd slip will show up, and this affects what I call the hassle factor, so I had to pick up daily. One of my jobs is in school, so I have to be there at 8am, way before any chemist is open so you can imagine I did everything in my power to 'behave' so I could regain trust. The first week, I had to take it there and then at the chemist (in a private room), then I was allowed to take it away (daily), and now, I pick up once on Friday and once on Monday.
So, there are 3 options: cold turkey I would not recommend, it is horrendous. I found it impossible to work or do anything. A reduction plan with codeine phospate may or may not work for you, or the buprenorphine route. I started on 6mg daily, now, I'm on 3.6mg daily - all thoughts of chemist rotation picking, rejection is all gone.
Your kids will suffer even more if you're not there - and paracetomol destroys the liver. Ibruprofen increases the risk of a heart attack by a factor of 20, puts huge strain on your kidneys.
But you and I know that addiction laughs in the face of any risk. Please take care of yourself, you obviously have a warm heart and it takes etreme courage to tell your problems to the world. Well done Daisy, it's (for now) the best thing you could have done and there is tremendous non judgemental support out there.
Take the road less travelled!
All the best,
Rich
Get yourself to a GP this is a massive amount of pills the GP should give you a substitute i.e. DHC then reduce your dose over 3-6 months or as long as you need you are not alone and no one in here wants you unwell with all these pills this also can be done without residential rehab good luck