Plz help us anybody :) Australian Law is about to change on Codeine..Rapid Taper

Treatment and medication
1

G'day Everyone,

Our laws change Feb 1st to script only Codeine. I've started a "Rapid Taper" a few days ago. ( i feel like crap, its day 3.5 now)

I had an injury yrs n yrs ago & began Codeine, it grew to me taking approx 20to30 15mg codeine daily, Last mth i dropped to 10mg.. & now i've started my own taper as there is no way i could survive a Cold turkey (due to another health issue), I cannot go to detox due to, well LIFE lol. I've let my Family know( no point hiding it anymore right?) & have a friend 24/7 with me so my intake is controlled & i don't sneak off to get more. Yep, how ridiculous does that read but the struggle is real dammit!!

Anywayzzz, i'll show my rough n ready table of what & how i am doing this.

I have done well the last few days, down by half really - and feeling it 

 Any experience/help/suggestions/advice/encouragement welcomed.

Please & Thankyou 

2

Hi BHB68....

Well done on jumping aboard the Taper train... It can be done and is alot less painful than cold turkey.

Alittle of my story.. I started Nurophen plus after giving birth to my first child 15 years ago. I had the worse dental pain which didnt ease up until well into a year after giving birth. I just took the recommended dose until I had no pain than simply stopped medicating.

Come 6 years later and stress, work and migrains lead me to dose with Nurophen plus again.. My dose went up fast! I was doon taking a box per day and spending so much time chemist shopping.

I did cold turkey in 2012 when I had another child and it was awful! 

I have no idea how I started using again but I know it wasnt due to pain more stress related. I was up to 30-40 a day again until November than I started to taper. My taper plan can be followed on my own thread.

I am happy to say I am down to 50mg per day and ready to jump in 10 days. I did want to start the new year free but everything Ive read tells me my body will tell me what and when I can drop a tab.

I started taking many different vitamins byt the one that has helped the most is Magnesium, its really helped with restless legs.

You too can rapid taper and be free before Feb 1st, keep on pushing yourself and believe there is a end to the pain.

Best wishes, happy to lend a ear when it gets tough... 

3

HiYa Kristy,

Thank you so very much for your story, i really appreciate the reply & encouragement.....And well done to you  [biggrin]  you are doing amazingly awesome.

You are very very lucky, let me tell you why. 

I take codeine/ paracetamol ONLY because Nurofen plus exploded a duodenal ulcer & i got peritonitis & was Hospitalised in ICU for a week in 2009. Worst pain ever & i almost died, So i am very pleased to see you are not a statistic. Surgeons said i can never touch ibuprofen or anti inflamms again ( which makes life kinda hard since i had an injury requiring anti inflamms in 2010)..onward we go a yr or 2 BOOM, Codeine + paracetamol it was. Non stop since then. I could seriously kick my own butt for doing this to myself but now our hand is forced ( thankfully).

Happy to see others Tapering as it's tough to do while we can still get them, a big THANX because now i am definitely more motivated by you.

I do not want to go to my Dr for this so i will look at your taper plan, all knowledge is good knowledge.

​Good luck to you and Thankyou again xx

4

Hi BHB68, just checking in to see how the taper is going? Hope you're hanging in there.

5

Morning Ellenbe,

I'm Ok, Thankyou.

2 days ago ( day 4 ) i was hurting really bad & felt heaps unwell. Other than that, it is tolerable. Skin crawling, stomach cramps, agitation comes in waves consistently.

Most Chemists have "run out" of Codeine ( wow, ppl panic buying), but i have enough to safely taper for 2 weeks. 

I'm under 50% of what i took daily & on a strict time schedule of when to take them.

I often just go to do it out of habit & then remember , Oops.

I didn't think tapering was the way to go initially but now i'm really happy i did it this way.

I WILL & CAN do this.

I hope you are going well Ellen & i thank you for your support x

6

I'm so glad you have enough for the taper, and it sounds like you're doing really well. You will get through this. It was never going to be easy, but doing something worthwhile and life changing never is. Keep on fighting!

7

Good morning BHB68..: how are u doing? I hope things are getting easier for you?

I am now down to 38.4mg per day!!! Woohoo nearly free. 

I find I go well on three day cycles... Drop a pill, next day is ok than the following day I feel like crap than day three I stabilise. 

I find that the lower my dose gets the more I feel th effects of the codein. I can happily say I have never cheated but I extended my taper so it works better for me, 

Anyway the time is neatly here ,,, no more chemist shopping, no more lies . 

8

Morning Kristy,

Your reply made me smile. Excellent job!! Well done.

Also, it was just what i needed to read right at this moment. I want to cheat!!! I have been fighting it for a cpl of hours ( its 6am). I won't cheat though.

i am down to 10 tablets a day & stuggling physically, Today is day 11 & i am very frustrated & over the rotten feeling i have & my bad mood. BUT i am aware i dropped fast from over triple that number, i'm just impatient with myself i guess.

Most Chemists where i am (not a big place & too far to travel to other places lol) are OUT of Codeine, luckily my friend has enough tucked away for me. omg the patience he is having with me is extraordinary lol.

Thankyou for your update Kristy, this gives me more power within myself to read it.

I need to remember, this will get better & it's only temporary.

Thanx Mate

 

9

Good morning BHB68!! Well done on getting down to ten... Your body is already starting to heal... This was the stage that things started looking up for me, the world looked brighter and I had energy to play with my kids again. 

I have a 5 year old and a 15 yeat old and they have missd their mum.

I have no doubt you can overcome the want to cheat but find a way to push past it.  

I went for a swim on Sunday, I dont think I have been in water since 2008 wow all a direct result of codein,.. I would sit on the bank whilst everyone else had a good time... 

What an idiot I have been. 

BHB68... You can keep pushing on... Ill keep an eye out for your updates! Everytime I hear someone else is going great it keeps me striving forward! 

Good luck BHB68

10

BHB68 and kristy, how are things going with you both? Hope you're still hanging in there. Ellen

11

Hi Ellen,

I am going Ok, i think.

I ring the drug & alcohol Helpline every now & then just to reinforce what i already know, but ignore myself.

I'm still taking 9 a day, i just can't seem to drop more yet. This is taking forever & i'm not the most patient person. My skin feels like crepe paper on fire constantly. 

How are you going Ellen? Are you ok

12

Hi Ellen...

Im doing pretty good! I am down to 2 tabs a day now... Wow only 25.6mg of Codeine per day. It hasnt been easy and I find it goes in cycles . I have to face the mental addiction now, change what I do first thing when I wake at 4am.

I have started to realise I have  been masking real pain which I am seeing a plastic surgeon about on Thursday.

Im sore and cranky today but the energy levels are positive.

Last day of holidays for my kids so Im going to keep busy today . I will take my last tab in 7 more days I know I could jump now but tapering has been much kinder and everything I have read tells me to do it each time I stabilise. 

How are you Ellenbe? Free and happy?

13

Hi all, I'm so glad I found this thread. It's such a bittersweet feeling to know there are people out there in the same position as me. Bit of background- i have been on nurofen plus for 2 years, I would take 30 tablets a day and as I'm in Australia as well, the feb 1st deadline has forced me to do what I've wanted to for such a long time but I haven't had the guts. I'm so happy to say I am now on day 4 of being codeine free. I took my last dose of 8 tabs at 11am Thursday and it is now Sunday. Although I have felt horrible for the last few days, nothing can stop the happiness I feel knowing I will never have to chemist shop again. Never having to do that walk of shame is the most freedom I've felt in 2 years. Thursday was the first day of the rest of my life. Would love to hear how you are all doing with the tapering plans, how strong are you feeling? I have surprised myself with my commitment to never touch this drug again and hope you are all feeling proud of yourselves! 

14

Congratulations Emma17168.., jumping off cold turkey is really hard but ends within the week or two.  

I was getting a script for one of my kids last Week and whilst in there I watched 4 people come in wanting Nurophen Plus and there wAs none to buy dispensed , I watched one man have a meltdown there and than . He was asked to explain what he needed the drug for and he was honest and said he was tapering and required 2 more boxes to get to zero... The pharmasict couldnt care less , told him he was only dispensing to real pain sufferers. He never asked him what he started taking them for, what a shame not offering support or advice, he just wrotehim off.

So no we are not alone , this country is going to have some seriously ill people over the next several weeks.... Lets hope this doesnt change things like they changed in America. 

Keep up the great work Emma, we will all be so much better without our DOC

15

It’s nice to read this discussion and know I’m not alone. Well it’s not nice but you get my drift! 

I was taking 12 tablets a day...the last day I took that many was on Friday. Then I heard about the change in law (I knew it was happening but didn’t pay much attention as to when. I wish I did as I would have started this process sooner.)

Anyhow on Saturday I took 8 and yesterday i took 3 (that was at 10am). I have 6 left in the packet. 

I’ve had an upset tummy and felt achey etc and just want this over with. 

One minute I’m thinking if I only took 3 yesterday should I just not take anymore and the next I’m thinking just take 2 today and for the next 4 days take 1 a day!!! I can’t make a decision for the life of me! I go back to work on Wednesday and have to function. I guess just play it by how I’m feeling?!?

16

Louise,

Yes play it by how you are feeling, but let it hurt a little longer til it almost passes before you decide to take some.

Decision making is really difficult, & frustrating that we somehow lose that ability during this time.

Keep dropping, you are forging forward awesomely. 

17

Hi BHB68

Thanks for replying. I haven't had any today so far. I just got the packet out though and went to take 2 as I am feeling pretty yucky. I have jumped from taking 12 a day on Friday to only taking 3 yesterday (sorry if I am repeating myself). 

I have been on loo a lot today and I am now feeling fluy but I just keep telling myself it is a good thing as my body is getting rid of the horrible drug.

I went to take 2 about half hour ago but put them back and thought I would persist a little longer. 

You're so right - decision making is really difficult. I think 2 is good as it is still better than 12 and I need to do this realistically but then I am like no just keep pushing. The test will be tomorrow as I have to work on Wednesday and focus but i believe day 3 is the hardest when your off them completely or is it just hard even when the drug is slowing being released?! It's been over 28 hours since I had my last 3.

18

You are doing AMAZING Louise 

I'm aiming for 8 today ( from 30 daily), 17 days into taper.

The Fluey/sick/poopie stuff doesn't really last that long at it's intensity, The gut anxiety & skin crawling, anger-omg sooo much cranky, and restless legs are all insane, BUT there's a plus side - outrageous sex drive from chemicals in brain changing lolol.

Louise, possibly it's different for everyone? i don't know. For me the affects simmer down for a while after i take them, then peak physically after a while - thats my body telling me to give it more poison.

Psychologically, it's just that ( all in the head) - if i'm distracted/busy i can put it off for longer.

I don't even remember what it's like to not have them in my system, it's been years & years. For now though, i just wish it would go away but know if i don't see it through properly, it won't be fixed properly.

I'll aim for cpl days of 8, cpl days of 7, and so on til zero by 31st. It's 1 hell of a ride, but needs to be done. 

I love not having to go to different Chemists ( i dont go to any now), i love not spending 50+ bux a week, and i'll soon love being free of Codeines rotten hold on me.

I need another surgery 1 day so that will be interesting to see how i go with what pain relief is needed, but thats for Future Me to worry about.

Remember Louise, you are doing awesome mate, well done you xx

19

Thanks so much BHB68. I have managed to keep myself busy all day today. I have have plain nurofen here as well as panadol that I can take if needed. 

Going on what you have just said I am going to push through this until as long as I can. If come bed time I need to take something I may take 2 but I am doing to just play it by ear.

That is fantastic that you're down to 8 considering your were on 30 daily. Was that 30 nurofen plus? 

I hate RLS - I've had that a couple of times and it is horrid - that is the whole part I am dreading. 

Also I do suffer from generalised anxiety so dreading that will go into overdrive. My boy starts high school next week and I don't want to be a mess for that. I need to be able to keep it together. 

I do see my dr tomorrow who is lovely so may get something to help me sleep if needs be but again, will just play it by ear. 

OMG how good is it not to have to go to the chemist and also its awesome not trying to figure out which chemist I should go to. The money saved is a bonus too lol.

Hopefully when it comes time for your surgery you will be mentally strong enough to be honest and make the right decision.  I think the mental side of all of this is extremely hard but hey if you can beat this (and you are and will continue to do so) then you won't have any problems I am sure. 

Again, go you! You're doing an awesome job too x

20

Ahhh I just remembered you can't take nurofen plus (ignore that question) lol