Tylenol 1 Addiction / Sense of Hopelessness

[mobiius]

Hello, I'm new here... I'm 31, married, and the father of two.  I'm also addicted to tylenol 1's.  On average I take 15 pills at a time, 3 times a day.  There have been times when I have taken 20 per dose.  About half hour after I take them I get the high I want, but it doesn't last long, then I feel sick.  By the end of the day (after eating 45 to 60 pills) I feel horrible, I'm pale, bloated, and have difficulty going to the bathroom.  I know what I'm doing is wrong, but I don't really care.  I've been struggling with depression nearly all my life as well.  I look at myself as "damaged goods".  I feel that I'm broken and can never be fixed. I'm taking a lot of medication for the depression (Effexor 75mg x 3,Effexor 37.5mg, and Prozac 20mg, all that once a day)I like to drink almost every weekend, I smoke cigarettes like others breathe air, and I take tylenol.  I know that the tylenol is doing damage to my body, they must be by now - I've been taking pills like this for almost 2 years pretty much every day.
I'm not even sure what to do anymore...

[Brooklyn77]

I can't believe I found this thread.  I have been taking T1's or 222's for yrs.  I take 7 at a time now (my max).  I was able to stop for a few months about a yr ago and I am now trying to stop again.  I am in Calgary, Alberta Canada and hate that Canada has it OTC.  I take it for chronic headaches and nasty shoulder and neck tension.  But I think there is a rebound effect from the tylenol & codeine that causes you to have headaches once you have not taken the 222's for 24hrs or so.  I love to run and I would take them before and after a run to be sure I did not get a headache (so dumb and sometimes a severe headache would happen regardless when I excersise & take the T1's).  

I will take them for the high (not really a high anymore) if I am stressed or having anxiety.  It is expensive also to have to buy them.  I know the initial withdrawal is only about 3 days but takes months for the body to repair.  For those that are trying to get off T1's and get headaches....take liquid Advil Caps.  It does help a bit.  

I have depression also and take 300mg Effexor daily.  Ironically the withdrawal from Effexor is WAY worse then T1's.  I think those that have depression are susceptible to abuse of other drugs if they have access...well I am anyway.  The doc wanted to give me benzo's for anxiety and I had to say hell no!  For fear of addiction....maybe I have watched too much Intervention shows Lol!!!  He gave me Seroquel instead.

I don't tell anyone I take them (except my best friend who has her own issues).  I have kept this from everyone close to me.  Especially the idealistic boyfriend who frowns upon anyone that has to take pills of any sort, for anything grrr....  

The thing is....you can get off T1's.  You need to have a few days were your home and safe.  You will feel better after the withdrawals.  It does get better!!!  The relief and gratification that you have when you do not need to keep the secret that you take them, and to not have to hunt them down, and spent a fortune on them is SOOOO worth it.

Cheers Everyone!!!

Brooklyn

[pharma9]

Consider yourself lucky that you still have no obvious kidney or liver damage and take this opportunity to stop taking this drug.
Are you taking it for pain or the high?
You have to make up your mind that you want a clean life more than the drugged hazed life and endure the discomfort of detox.
Then the hard part starts and you have to have some after care to stay away from these opiates because it is even harder when one can buy them legally otc.
Methadone is far too strong to use for Tylenol #1 addiction.You will have a worse time trying to go off methadone than the Tyl#1.
To the right of the page scroll up or down and find the Thomas recipe to help you during detox with vitamins and nutrients.
You can do it because I did it detoxing from Tyl#3 and am clean over 6 months now.
I can also but Tyl#1 otc but have no desire or cravings because I discovered that I did not need opiates in my life at all.
Good luck and keep posting

[mdog1]

i started the T1 thing when my daughter was born. she is 16 now. i average 11 pills at a time about 4 times a day i need to get off the **** and have tried several times only to fail on top of that i have just recently been diagnosed with bipolar depression so now im on seroquel and citralapam  the funny thing is last week the doctor ran me for a bunch of blood test and even after 16 years of T1 abuse my liver and kidneys are still very healthy weird i know but none the less i need to quit the money alone that i would be saving would be astronomical, i was wondering if anyone out there has tried the methadone treatment for this addiction and if they had any success?

[ali3674]

taking that much tylenol will kill your liver.  U are already experiencing the bloating and the problems going to the bathroom.  I would imagine you have already done damage to kidneys and liver

[TroubledDude]

I've read your above post and I feel so bad for you. It's amazing how our addictions become more important than even our own health. You obviously live in Canada to have the ability to purchase these OTC. I also live in Canada (Calgary) and abused these for a short time but it just wasn't my DOC. I don't pray often but I think I'm gonna start, I will certainly pray for you.

God Bless,
TD

[frocus3]

I have abused T1's for over 10 years and now I am having severe symptoms of liver damage. Here is what T1 addiction did to me;

Ears ringing from toxin buildup

Shortness of breath (hypoxia)

Bones breaking easily (osteoporosis) I got a leg fracture last summer

Cramps due to low zinc

Pain in liver, kidney's, and chest

Green bowel movements (strange I know)

Itching all over, especially legs

Abdomen swelling and showing more

Bruise easily (I got a softball sized bruise just from running into something lightly)

Weight gain around waste

Water retention especially around my legs and ankles (edema)

Weakness in muscles

   I am quitting T1 addiction for good because death and shameful exposure are right in front of me. I just know I must. It's ironic that the very thing I used to alleviate pain and fear has caused incurable pain and terror as to what I may face next. Please pray for me.

[Snakerss]

Brother I do pray, Me 15 year T-1 usage  200-300 hundred a month !  Every symptom you named except the ( green ) And for what ? The feel good
left a long time ago.  Cant breath , Hip pain  , no money left. I haven't told anyone, with your post here my Doctor tomorrow... Stay Alive , you are needed