n65uk

Hi all

New here
Been using codeine for 3 years, variety of doses every day but I think I am finally seeing I need to stop this. My liver is probably screwed to hell already but I can try to save whats left of it.

I took 8 tablets of OTC 12.8mg most days, lately it increased to doing this with the tablets that combine paracetamol and the tablets that combine ibuprofen. So lately it has become a 200mg a day addiction.

Last two days however I took my sister's 30mg tablets, she recently has been prescribed these for short term pain management before she gets surgery on her back.

This increased my daily dose to around 340mg (8 * 30mg with paracetamol, 8 * 12.8 with ibuprofen.). This was not for recreational use - I have a lot of leg pain which local doctors have said is because of my job (in IT - I am sat down most of the day) and said bar physio regularly they couldn't do much. This is where the addiction started.

My question to you all is how hard is this withdrawal going to be, or how long will it last?

Really appreciate any info or advice you can give.

P.S
I think my leg pain nowadays is purely due to opiate-induced pain.

thejuiceman

Hey, hope your holidays went well. It will be tough to quit for sure but FAR from impossible or life threatening. Codeine is a mild opioid compared to the oxy I was taking or the H many take but its still an opiate, so buckle you're chin strap! Codeine, from what I hear, is easier to taper than oxy or hydros so that may be an option BUT consult your doctor to get there thoughts. I'm in the medical community but I won't give advice generically. Codeine is about 10 to 1 weaker tham oxycodone so even at 340 mgs a day, your still not that high as I personally was on about 13, 10mg perks/oxys a day or about 130 mgs of oxy. Read my wild ride thread to sobriety. You could taper down to about 50 or 60 mgs of codeine and jump off. You will have some withdrawals but nothing a person can't handle. Some flu like symptoms and sleeplessness maybe. God bless you and good luck!

dreamscape

have taken amounts of codeine to about 500mg a day and the withdrawal is not bad at all.
I could still go to work and manage ok.

stieg007

Hey guys, been on codiene for about 3-4 years. I see some people saying 150 - 300 mg a day??? Im on day 3 of getting off the yellow norcos 10mg. Through out the 4 years or so i stay between 1 a day to 3 a day and fight to go back down and then back up. Somewhere in there i even stopped for a few months.

Anyway, It was pretty bad the first 2 days. No i have pain all over. Right where im pretty sure my kidney especially. Really bad headaches, sweats, not my usual fun self. I deal with people in my jobs so kind of is effecting that alot. Any advice for me? My dosage seems mild compared to some even though it was over a long period of time... Long term effects?

WordGrrrl

I'm almost 3 weeks off of codeine. My peak usage was between 1200 - 1500 mg per day. I'm not gonna lie, it has SUCKED for much of those 3 weeks, but the worst is mental and emotional. The worst of the physical stuff lasted a week or so - Immodium and Gravol for the stomach issues, and ibuprofen or Aleve for pain, seems to be the best way to get through it. Also lots of water, and food that won't make you sick. It was like a really nasty case of the flu, with emotional misery thrown in. Reading the threads here on withdrawing from codeine really helped me. You can do this - good luck!

Luweez

I was taking about 400 mg per day and am approaching 3 weeks clean. My symptoms weren't easy but were manageable. The worst/longest lasting were leg cramps (up to 2 week mark), bowel trouble (about a week) and difficulty sleeping (still, but getting better). I timed my clean date with time off work and am glad I did as it made the mental/emotional battle a little easier in the initial days...I only had to worry about myself. Things that made a difference...ginger ale, crackers, lots of baths with Epsom salts, going for walks and logging on to SR every time my brain wandered to using or giving in.

stieg007

1 week and going strong