Codeine Withdrawal

[Sonya]

I recently (two weeks ago) had microscopic back surgery. Although the surgical procedure was successful, I believe I am now paying the BIG price for those "wonderful" little pills that "held me over" in the interim for the severe pre-op pain that I experienced as well as the short period of post-op pain that I endured. I was prescribed Tylenol#3, Lortab 7.5, Lortab 10 and Percocet and LOTS of it. I was legitimately in a GREAT deal of pain! The problem was, the more pain medication I took, the more I needed (and the more I TOOK). NOW, I don't HAVE anymore. I also have no legitimate NEED for the pain medication to ask my physician for. It's not that I "want" to take the pills - but my "body" is telling me otherwise. I can't sleep at night. I'm breaking out in sweats and chills simultaneously throughout the day AND night. I'm extremely irritable, depressed and cranky. I am convinced that these are the symptoms of codeine/hydrocodone withdrawal. WHAT do I do about this? I can't STAND it!!! I have three children to take care of (two of them are babies). I can't take care of myself now because I am "sick" so to speak. I have been completely honest with my husband about this. He agrees that this is probably withdrawal, I need to do "cold turkey" (what choice do I have anyway?) and tough it out for the next week or so. IS THIS WHAT I HAVE TO DO or SHOULD I INVOLVE MY PHYSICIAN WHO PRESCRIBED THESE NASTY DRUGS IN THE FIRST PLACE? Like I said, what choice do I have but to do "cold turkey" and SUFFER anyway? You're prescribed all these highly addictive pain medications pre and post operatively. Then you're "cut off." Two days ago, he told me that he was "concerned that I was becoming addicted to pain medication." I think we're way beyond "becoming." I had my husband tell him that we were already concerned about addiction and I had my husband ask him what the symptoms of addiction and withdrawal were. All he told him was "daily, ongoing use." That wasn't the answer I was looking for. I wanted to hear PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS! Should I call my physician back and tell him that I am SUFFERING here??? My husband and I like and respect my doctor SO VERY much. We're not angry nor do we hold him responsible for this. We just want help in getting me "back to normal." I am TERRIFIED that I am going to go back into a "withdrawal" state again today. The last time I had codeine was 5:00 PM yesterday and I have NO more resources to prescriptions. I WANT TO STOP TAKING PAIN MEDICATION NOW! Would you please give me some GOOD SOUND ADVICE RIGHT AWAY SO THAT I MAY GET MY LIFE BACK??????? Thank You SO MUCH and GOD BLESS YOU!!!!! Sonya :-)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[teri]

This is a very hard thing to quit.  I posted a message a week or two ago.  The important thing to do is talk to you doctor.  The best way I found is to slowly taper the medication.  They can also give you benyl for stomach cramps.  If you want to talk to someone I am here, I am at the end of the tapering and it still is hard.  I to am a mother to a baby and an older child.

Teri

[Kimberly Reed]

I can so relate to your problem, I hope you get this message because there is help for you.  I have had Kidney stones for the past 8 months and I also have been taking the same pills that you have and when I was cut off 5 days ago I had the same symptoms.  I was aweful, so I did call my doctor (Kaiser) she gave me no advice accept deal with it.  So I called around at Kaise and they have a Chemical Dependantcy center, this is a common problem for chronic pain sufferers.  The center put me on what they call a Taper.  You start of with a liquid that contains a dose of narcotics comperable to what you have been taking and every week they cut you back by 10%.  It is too much to go through alone, it is the same as herion withdrawal.  It's not your fault and you don't deserve it.  Don't feel guilty, even if you took them sometimes for mood enhancement ( I did ) don't feel guilty, anyone would.  I wish I could say I knew the Taper worked, but I am just starting on it myself.  Your not alone, I also have a concerned husband and 2 school age children.  I am 33 and to be honest with you I would rather just keep taking the pills, they make me happy.  But I can't my doctor won't let me so this is my only answer.  I would love it if you would email me so I can have someone to talk to and relate to (Zeldagirl_***@****)  I hope this helps some.  Thanks   Kim

[tc]

You should definately tell your doctor and go through withdrawal treatment and counseling.  John sounded a little harsh.
Good Luck

[Neena]

This is for Kimberly Reed.  Please e-mail me.  ***@****
Hang in there...you are not alone.  I cannot find your address in these postings.

[Jim]

i have just found this site....and i am very happy to know that i am not alone with this problem..I am a 50 year old male that has been taking atasol/8 with codiene for more than 20 years..what a nightmare i am living.i suffer from migrain headachs since i was in my teens.T he problem is that i take these pills not because they make me feel high but to avoid a headach.And i have tryed so hard so many times to stop cold turkey and was advised not to because of the danger of going into shock.i'm at the end of my rope now.I have spent a fortune on these pills over the years,and being from Canada codiene is bought over the counter.can someone really help me get off this merry go round....or do i just die with this?

***@****

[three]

Hi Jim. I'm also in my fifties and am trying desperately to ween
myself of T3's. What I understand is that the atasol has a very
limited amount of codeine in it. You're probably suffering more
from mental and emotional withdrawel than physical but that doesn't lessen the problem, does it? I'm searching myself for a detox centre in my area but we have very limited resourses. Have you tried cutting the amount you use down on a daily basis and keeping a record? This is the route I'm taking. I've cut all the pills in half. I use them for headache also but would rather put up with the pain than the 'panic' I feel when I'm out. My heart goes out to you and to all on this list. It's a double-edged sword, isn't it? Pain...or addiction, if you're an addictive personality. If we can get through those 'five' days doctors and others keep talking about, then it's one day at a time. Good luck to you and hang in there.

[Peter]

what i want to learn is that i am taking 19 pills, that is 10mg codeine/300mg paracetamol per a pill,every day. As

[three]

Hi  Peter. I don't know about the paracetamol but I'm sure you
can look that ingredient up on the net. As for the codeine, ten
miligrams x 19 pills are equal to 190 mg. of codeine a day.
I am on 120 of codeine and 1200 mg. of acetomenophene. [Did I spell that right?] In time the acetomenophene toxifies the liver.
If taken in high doses [somewhere between 4000 and 7000] I have heard that it can do this instantly. I have tried to cut down
the four T'3's a day but find myself almost impossible to live with. My blood pressure goes very high from stress. You are twenty and have a very good chance of beating this before you become a lifelong user. I have also tried to get help from a detox center and because of my headaches they won't take me.
If there is ANY chance you can get into a detox, do so. Believe me, you don't want to live in my shoes, thirty years from now and still be fretting on how to get clean. I wish there were more I could say to help you. After you admit that you have a problem, its' uphill from there. I have to go it alone. I'm trying. It's not easy. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Well here I am taking a chance.I have been addicted to
acetaminophen with codine since I was about 23 and today
is my 38th birthday.Living in canada you can get them over the counter and thats what I do.I travel around to different pharmacies so nobody thinks I might have a problem with
them,yeah right.I have been in detox 3 times the last time about 6 years ago.I cant go into detox again it isnt possible for me right now.I go through about 400 pills a week with each pill 8mg of codiene and 325mg of acetaminophen.I take anywhere
from 30 to 60 pills per day.Why am I not dead probably because my sysytem got use to them.I am sick and tired of being
sick and tired.Right now I have about 10 pills left and
I know this isnt enough to taper myself off but I dont want to buy anymore.I have been through withdrawl a couple of times and I am dreading it.The worst part is the headaches and at night
I know my legs are going to ache so bad,the leg aches at night are so intense it drives me nuts.So happy birthday to
me I have to stop now!Please if anyone knows how to withdraw
a little bit easier please pass along some info.No I cant
go to my doctor for help,this time its on my own and my
husband of 4 years has no idea and I cant let him know.
I am so glad I found this site,especially since I saw
the letter from a fellow canadian who knows just how
easy it is to get this stuff here.Sorry I cant put my
real name.thanks again anonymous

[brian]

I'm sure you must have your reasons for not wanting your husband to know, but if you really want to recover you MUST confide in him.  You need his support both for the detox and for the hard part, i.e. staying clean.  If he loves you as I am sure he does, he will accept your situation.  With respect to making the detox easier, if you are not willing to involve your doctor, will you involve another doc?  An addiction doctor can use drugs such as buprenorphine to ease the withdrawal.  Other helpful drugs include clonidine and benzodiazepines (xanax, valium, etc.).  If you are unwilling to seek medical help, your only other alternative is to slowly wean yourself off the codeine.  A typical approach would be to reduce your dosage no more than 5% every few days.  This gives the body time to adjust and makes the final withdrawal a bit easier.  However, there is no way around some withdrawal symptoms unless you use buprenorphine.  Finally, your biggest problem may be the amount of aceteminophen you have been ingesting.  You should have a liver test done, and should start taking milk thistle (which helps repair liver damage.)  Best of luck.  Brian

[Anonymous]

thanks for the feedback brian,though going to a doctor for a prescription to help is not for me cause if 2 are good 4 is better,know what I mean? So I am doing this slowly weaning myself off.And I am going to try the milk thistle.Herbs I can handle.Are there any more natural herbs that will help make this a bit easier?

[Brian to anonymous]

Well I understand your reluctance to get prescription meds, but clonidine is simply a blood pressure med that will help with the withdrawal.  It has NO abuse potential.  Benzos do, but if you have a small amount there is no real harm.  As far as herbal meds, Valerian helps calm you during withdrawal as does Kava.  Valerian or melatonin may help you sleep.  No herbal meds will do more than help slightly however.  Good luck with the taper!

[shelly]

I just like the rest of you am addicted to pain pills.  I have been taking at least 15 Lortab 10's a day for the past 5 months.  I am contemplating quiting them all together I am tired of hunting for them after my script has run out and it has begun to really control my life.  I have in the past gone through the withdrawal from them and I know how awful it is. For the next few days it looks like I will go through this again.  There is something else I feel I should say Two weeks ago we buried a friend of mine she was 30 and she died from and overdose of oxycotin and xanax.  This has also made me want to quit all the more.  Feel free to email me back either ***@**** or ***@****       Good Luck and God Bless

[C. Weston]

Hello everyone:

I, too, am a Canadian that has been addicted to Tylenol #1 for about 20 years. I was using about 300 pills a week. I found the only thing to do was stop cold turkey and refuse to keep buying them. I was also "burning down" various drugstores because I was ashamed of the number of these things I was buying. But I finally realized that I was so immune to the things that I really wasn't getting much out of taking them anyway, just ruining my liver and wasting money. I think a large part of the addiction to such small, repetitive doses is psychological. The main symptom I suffered was a very loose bowel, for which I took Imodium for a few days, rebound headaches for which I took plain aspirin - that was it other than the fear that I couldn't cope (I had a few panic attacks), but after a few days abstinence, I realized that I was just fine. I actually experienced some elation as my own endorphins began to kick in again. If you have access to a mild tranquilizer, that can prevent you from going too squirrely. Also, drink alot of water, everytime you would normally reach for that pill. Of course I will never touch another narcotic again because I would never want to go through this again. I also put in a call to Narcotics Anon. and spoke to a volunteer when I first decided to make the break. To be honest, smoking is a much harder addiction to break than these things. Take heart - if I can do it, anyone can. I was very afraid to try, believe me. But after a few days you WILL wonder what the fuss was about. And you won't believe how much better you feel. This experience has also given me the guts to stop smoking. For a good treatment of addictive behavior, try Allen Carr's books -some of them are even at the library. Good luck to everyone!

[Geoff H]

I can sympathize with you all. I am from Canada to, and have been taking Tylenol with Codeine for 22 years, I average about 40 - 50 pills a day. I am at the point now where I feel so sick all the time, I get bad headaches. I need to get major help. Can anyone help me out. I am so desperate, and feel that is is ruining my life, my marriage and my family. Whats the best way to kick this stuff once and for all.

[Brian to Sick and Scared]

Please find an addiction medicine specialist.  This way you can be detoxed with a minimal amount of suffering, enhancing your chances for success.  Furthermore, you are taking dangerously high levels of acetaminophen and should have a liver screen done to determine if you have liver damage.  I would begin taking milk thistle, an over the counter supplement which has been documented to protect the liver and even to somewhat reverse damage.  Finally, you are going to need the support of your family and a group like NA to learn to live without the narcotic.  You can do it!  Good luck.

[Diane Goguen]

I too have been dependent of Fioricet with Codeine.  Have been taking them due to having 2 spine/neck surgeries in past 7 years.
When I run out of them, even if its for 1 day....my body goes into severe depression, I become very emotional, and feel crappy all the way around.  Anyone out there have the same problem with Fioricet with Codeine, and if so...what helps when coming off these pills?
***@****

[Ann Marie]

I want to thank everyone that has visited this site.  I finally admitted to myself about 24 hours ago that I have been abusing codeine for probably 1 1/2 years now (200 pills per week).  I have received answers on the symptoms I am feeling and at least don't feel as stupid for having a problem with codeine anymore.
Thank you everyone

[ex junky]

I was a herion junky (no needles) I tried to wean myself of for 2 years It didn't work All my junky "friends" told me to go on  the methodone program. But I didn't want to change habits I wanted to get have no habits. I went to my doctor he give me cloidine YEAH RIGHT that lasted 2days and it was right back to the junk I've never had codiene withdrawal but herion withdrawal is not very nice But any way one way around the worst part off it was methodone but I bought some off of someone and waited till about 24hrs after my last herion fix then drunk 60mg 's off the juice then the next day I drank 40mg's then 30mg's then 20mg's and that was that i was able to get up and function in life for those 4 days i didn't feel the greatest but it was a hell of alot better then going through the major withdrawal I was told about this techniqe be many ex junky's The doctors told me there was no way "you must go on the methodone program" but from what I've seen and heard methodone withdrawl is worse then herion  which is worse then codeiene I think it is a government conspirecy to get all the junky's names and to get them wired to something that can be taxed But what do I know I'm just a junky or should I say ex junky.

[Chris. b.]

I am currently 6 days into a cold turkey from codiene. I've tried before and failed after about 4 ( I remember why now!!) I have been using approx 1500mg of codiene a day for about 4-6 months with very few days off. The problem with me ids I am addicted to the "fix" and this is the hardest. Last time I ended up going to the docs and they gave me a tapering regime (no good cos I was taking far, far more than they could prescribe using over the counter meds!!) ,so inevitably I started over again. This was about 2 months ago. In the end the "fix" had gone withthis amount and so the stotry goes. I have had limited benzos so's not to get hooked on them and I don't have control over them. The first 2 days weren't too bad, the came the cramps, diahorhoea, sweats,  restlessness and worst of all agonizing depression. I don't cry, but I have had to make an exception for this withdrawl. MY GOD THIS IS HARD. The docs won't give me more now in any case so I would have to pay a fortune off the internet and over the counter, which here in England are mixed with either paracetamol or ibuprofen (a nasty cocktail) if taken in too great amounts! I have another 3 days before I am back at work, so here's hoping!!   Chris, England.

[Chris. b.]

Notice i'm the first to write in 7 years, can't be that long since anybody went through their similar journies. Well I thought I would update from yesterday when I was on day 6 of cold turkey. Day 7 has been far more positive. I have managed to get up and stay up all day. Yers, I had to force myself but it has paid off. A wise man once told me an anecdote about the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, "Bill W" he used to suffer bouts depression in general and after 27 years of sobriety wondered why the 12 step programme was not working for this. It occurred to him that he was being too self indulged and not other centred. He practised by going from lamp post to lamp post at first in an attempt to force himself to do what he didn't want to. He then immersed himself in helping others and he never suffered again. Addiction, is addiction whatever guise it comes in. Anyway I feel far less depressed today and am sure I have turned the corner. I am fortunate in that I am not experiencing cravings, but still getting sweaty and am stilkl a bit low. More about the future without drugs or alcohol, but mainly just withdrawl. I'm pleased i've managed to stick with it cos believe me, it has been one of the toughest things I have done in my life and I have cold turkeyed from a number of drugs and alcohol. Yesterday I had pretty much spent 6 days in bed and cfelt I couldn't come out. Today has been a lot different and my legs have stopped aching too!! My symptoms are all above, but didn't include a runny nose, aching limbs and an inability to know whether I was too hot or too cold, never comfortable. (seem to remember that one with alcohol withdrawl as well - a long time ago fortunately). So its onwards and upwards from here. I still have mild symptoms, my appetite is moderate, nopt bothered whether I eat or not. I've found bannanas good and multi-vits. Bannanas have a natural "feel good" chemical in them anyway. Not that I noticed that yesterday - way too depressed for that and for the wisdom of Bill W. I think sometimes you just can't function, but with withdrawl it has ALWAYS been transient 2-5 days max, this time 3 days of horrendous depression and today on the up, but still not there. I have withdrawn from a list of drugs, some together and must admit I have found this to be as or nearly as bad as any opf the others for the depression, but just a nuisance for the physical symptoms.

[cmjmmorgan]

Thanks for your comments.  I too was searching for help and thought, gee wiz I know someone else is going through the same as I am.  Where in the hell are they?  Day six symptoms are much better.  Still very tired. No more runny nose, not depressed, still have mild palpitations.  How long will this last?

[pillgirl]

I am Canadian. I have taken 25 Tylenol #3 a day for the last 4 years.That's 8 at a time. 8!!!! I hate myself because of it. I ran out of resources and am taking about the same amount of pills of Tylenol #1 just to cut the withdrawl. The pills make me gag. I can just imagine my liver eating away at itself and I'm queasy all day. Does that stop me from swallowing 8 T#1's ? ! No.

I need to get off this. I'm afraid of the depression that comes with the withdrawl =(

[all too clear]

I, too have gone through the withdrawal, and it lasted about 7 days..... with some aftereffects which have now subsided. I am searching and reading today as I am getting those cravings again- the high- which isn't that high, really. I just want to remind myself that it isn't worth it. In adddition to codeine, I was also using fentanyl 'occasionally'. The withdrawal was horrible- lows, insomnia, muscle twitches, crying, emotional nightmare. Anyway- Chris- keep at it..... you will get through. Sounds like things are already improving for you.
And thanks for posting.... you just reminded me to stay clean.