bexalee

Hey guys, don't know if anyone is going to read this but I've just started stopping taking panadeine and nurofen plus due to an injury I incurred 3 weeks ago.I decided to just harden up and put up with the pain. Oh the last time I had some was yesterday around 5pm. I decided to get the pain meds once I woke up last night, felt really sick and didn't feel better until I took some meds. I woke up at 3am this morning and once again couldn't go back to sleep, it's now 6am and I am feeling really sick and have to go to work today. I've read a couple of threads about codeine withdrawals but I think I just really need to document my experience as by the minute I am feeling worse and worse. I'm not sure how i'm going to get through my day at work. Hopefully someone here who has been through this will provide me with some support.

AtomChick

Welcome to the site and (((hugs))) to you!!!! I just went through this 3 weeks ago and I can tell you I feel so much better!!! I documented my first week, and Day 2 was by far the worst!!!! I would have felt better too if I had taken some to take the edge off, but I went cold turkey... Read my whole story on here if you want and if you have specific questions and want to PM me, please feel free!!! All the best! Oh yeah I also wanted to add that I had a few days off when I decided to do this. I never would have been able to work.

missy812

You can definitely have codeine withdrawal. It is an opiate, just more mild than Hydro or Oxy Codone. All opiates are easily addictive physically and it sounds like you are addicted. You can either taper down, or quit Cold Turkey. Tapering is hard for some people (like me, I could never taper. If i had the pills, I'd take them.) but it works well for others with minimal WD symptoms. You should talk to your Dr. about it for sure to figure out the best plan for your life! Good luck to you.
Keep us posted!

PM me if you'd like, I have LOTS of experience with addiction and Withdrawal.

woops

Hi Bex

Great site - will help you with either taper or cold turkey.

CodeineFree - Codeine free is a support group for people with dependency problems on codeine or dihydrocodeine based medicines.

Loads of helpful advice, medically qualified people too........... tons of anecdotal experience. You will get off codeine with tons of support and practical advice.

Good luck

woops

stillsleeping

Hey dude

Your work day's probably done around now - I hope you did okay.

My husband is a Melbourne boy and got hooked on codeine after being prescribed panadeine fortes - he used about 450mg a day for years - a box of 36 Nurofen Plus a day. In the end the ibuprofen gave him a stomach ulcer

If you've been on a prescribed dose for three weeks, you're not likely to go through bad withdrawals, but you might well feel uncomfortable for a couple of days - restless and crampy etc. You should have a chat with your doc if you're worried.

And hang out here - there's lots of chatter as well as all the drug wisdom! Well, the Yanks will mostly be in bed soon, but England's up and raring to go. Okay, it's 0628 so they're still in bed too. Hm, not sure how helpful I'm being here...

Welcome to SR anyway dude - and hope your pain is manageable

Still
xxx

Chrisy

Thanks for the link. I am having to go through withdrawals again as tapering off didn't work for me and have to wait three weeks before seeing the pain management doctor. I feel so frustrated as they don't want to deal with the problem of what is causing the pain, but just hand out pain pills like candy. I have been on them for 10 years, because first I was told I had fibro when I don't. It has been 3 years since they found out what was really wrong with my neck, but still nothing is really done. Shots in the neck every 6 months which is not lasting and doesn't last as long. PT isn't working, and I am not sure my insurance will pay for my shoulder surgery. We are in the postition of having to choose pain or being addicted to these opiate pain pills that are slowly destroying our lives. I hate being so dependent on these drugs that if I miss a dose or have to double up to cover up the pain then I go through withdrawals. Always having to make sure you have enough to last you through the month so you don't go through withdrawals. These withdrawals are hell.

Hopefull this will be the last time for me. Day 3 can't sleep, but am feeling a little better. I have a good friend in Montana and she got off the oxycodone and is learning to live with it and take tramadol when she needs it. I never did handle pain very good, maybe this is something that my Blessed Mother Mary will help me deal with and give it up to God. I am Roman Catholic, so Jesus and Mother Mary are my higher power. I think I am at the first step of admitting I am powerless over these drugs. I am an addictive personality and come from a long line of addicts either to booze or in my case drugs and using food to deal with emotional pain.

Thank you for posting the site.

To the orginal poster,

We will make it through. I believe we were all brought here for a reason. I pray that your withdrawals will be over soon. I am starting day 3 and I couldn't sleep so am on the computer at 4:20 am Saturday morning.

Good luck.

Chrisy

missy812

Chrisy, I was in a similar situation as you, but the pain is in my legs and lower back. It wears you down which is why I turned to pills. No dr.s have been able to figure out what the pain in my legs is caused by. And I too get shots in my back that work less and less. After 3 years of taking more and more pain pills, always going to the dr. early to get more meds, dealing with pharmacy issues, worrying about running out, etc I had enough. I realized I still had the pain no matter how much pain pills I took. Now that I've been clean for 40 days, I have to admit that my pain tolerance is better. I think the pills make our brains not be able to handle pain as well. We need to train our brains to handle it rather than leaning on the pills to put a bandaid on it. I was on pills for about 3 years and it has been the longest 40 days of my life, but I now feel better about finding other ways to deal with the pain and hopefully get at least my leg pain figured out because that is hard to deal with. I feel 80 and I'm only 33! It makes me frustrated when I want to go places that requires walking and I get more worn out than my mother!
I know you said you were on day 3 of wd, but did you choose to quit or run out? I really do believe you need to quit on your own terms in order for it to stick. It helped me to pick a quit day a few weeks out. I was able to prepare better that way. Feel free to pm me if you want.

Dante3588

Hi all,
I have been taking up to 40+ nurofen plus tabs daily for the past 4 years. It has literally taken over my life! Tracking down and trying to find chemists to buy my fix everyday.
I was having alot of stomach problems and decided to front up and tell my doctor about my abuse. The result was finding a 10cm ulcer in my stomach caused by all the anti inflamitorys in the nurofen plus.
My doctor said I had to stop taken them immediately, as a perforation of my ulcer would be my death, I would have bleed out internally. My doctor suggested to switch to panedeine which still has codeine and slowly ween myself off the codeine over a course of time.
I decided to harden up and go cold turkey, the symptoms were hell but I believe anyone can do it. I am now on day 7 and feel fantastic. I have alot more energy strength and stamina than I've had in 4 years. So my advice to all who are having trouble kicking the codeine is to suck it up and just do it! What's 7 days out of your life really. In the big picture it's nothing.

I really hope this helps somebody to motivate themselves to do this.
Stay strong, this really can be done!!!

Cheers,
Dante.