Codeine & tylonol... Stopping tomorrow. What will help with the withdrawal symptoms?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 12
Codeine & tylonol... Stopping tomorrow. What will help with the withdrawal symptoms?
Hi everyone severe codine and tylonol abuser here. Been using since 22 and I'm now 38. My body is showing signs of going downhill so it's time to get off this garbage.
I have been taking about 45 to 60 pills a day for a number of years, these are the ones that contain 300mg of acetaminophen, 15mg of caffeine, and 8mg of codeine phosphate.
It's not so much the codeine that's killing me it's the acetaminophen.
I have quit in the past for up to 2 week periods but end up tweaking my neck or back or my legs get restless and ache so I go back on. I have good will power but a lack of knowledge on how to deal with the aches and pains associated with withdrawal. Any advice is appreciated on some alternative non addicting drugs I can take to ease the physical withdrawals. I can deal with the mental side.
If anyone else is or has been an abuser of this drug please ve in touch. I need to beat this for good this time.
I don't do any other drugs and hardly have 1 beer a month. I have done the following drugs in the past but never was addicted to them or have any desire to do them again:
Pot
LSD
Mushrooms
Mescaline
Cocaine
Percocetts
Oxycontin
Morphine
That's about it.
Thanks in advance to all who reply!
I have been taking about 45 to 60 pills a day for a number of years, these are the ones that contain 300mg of acetaminophen, 15mg of caffeine, and 8mg of codeine phosphate.
It's not so much the codeine that's killing me it's the acetaminophen.
I have quit in the past for up to 2 week periods but end up tweaking my neck or back or my legs get restless and ache so I go back on. I have good will power but a lack of knowledge on how to deal with the aches and pains associated with withdrawal. Any advice is appreciated on some alternative non addicting drugs I can take to ease the physical withdrawals. I can deal with the mental side.
If anyone else is or has been an abuser of this drug please ve in touch. I need to beat this for good this time.
I don't do any other drugs and hardly have 1 beer a month. I have done the following drugs in the past but never was addicted to them or have any desire to do them again:
Pot
LSD
Mushrooms
Mescaline
Cocaine
Percocetts
Oxycontin
Morphine
That's about it.
Thanks in advance to all who reply!
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 379
Hey
Hey Skate - welcome - glad to see you posting.
I am a fellow opiate user - my love was oxy all the way - that way I could get the "good" stuff without the acetaminophen.
If you have health insurance it would be good to first check with a Dr. to see how your liver is still doing.
The detox - if codeine is the only thing you are coming off of - should resemble that of several posters here - if you go through some of the detox threads here everything is explained in great detail.
I will sum up pretty much what you can expect for the next couple of weeks:
Withdrawal symptoms include: drug craving, runny nose, yawning, sweating, insomnia, weakness, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle spasms, chills, irritability, and pain. Basically a bad case of the flu...
While some sites on the web state that this acute phase can last anywhere from 3 - 7 days - it went a wee bit little longer for me - but I was doing more than you when I finally threw the towel in.
It sounds miserable but as you read through the threads here there are many of us that have been through this process - some of us went cold turkey from much higher dosages than you are coming off and we have all made it to the other side...
I found it helps to post here often - especially when you are miserable - you will find a lot of people will pop on to share their experience and help you through the tough spots. THIS IS TOTALLY DOABLE and there are some long time clean people here (I am not quite there yet but lived though a nasty little detox and am now working on getting my $#&% together)....
Good luck to you, some things that will help if you detox are immodium for the tummy, ibuprofen for the pains and multivitamins to get you back on track. LOTS OF FLUIDS!!! Get some comfy clothes, take warm baths/showers and stock up on some good DVDs or CDs.
There is a secondary phase to the detox that goes by the acronym PAWS (Post acute withdrawal symptoms) - nothing like the detox phase and not to worry about now but once you are through detox I will be glad to share some links that one of our awesome members shared with me to give you some extra info. (That is unless someone else beats me to it...)
All the best to you. Post often and let us know how you are doing...I am still a bit of an insomniac so I am usually on here at all kinds of odd hours. Also feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.
Keep us posted.
I am a fellow opiate user - my love was oxy all the way - that way I could get the "good" stuff without the acetaminophen.
If you have health insurance it would be good to first check with a Dr. to see how your liver is still doing.
The detox - if codeine is the only thing you are coming off of - should resemble that of several posters here - if you go through some of the detox threads here everything is explained in great detail.
I will sum up pretty much what you can expect for the next couple of weeks:
Withdrawal symptoms include: drug craving, runny nose, yawning, sweating, insomnia, weakness, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle spasms, chills, irritability, and pain. Basically a bad case of the flu...
While some sites on the web state that this acute phase can last anywhere from 3 - 7 days - it went a wee bit little longer for me - but I was doing more than you when I finally threw the towel in.
It sounds miserable but as you read through the threads here there are many of us that have been through this process - some of us went cold turkey from much higher dosages than you are coming off and we have all made it to the other side...
I found it helps to post here often - especially when you are miserable - you will find a lot of people will pop on to share their experience and help you through the tough spots. THIS IS TOTALLY DOABLE and there are some long time clean people here (I am not quite there yet but lived though a nasty little detox and am now working on getting my $#&% together)....
Good luck to you, some things that will help if you detox are immodium for the tummy, ibuprofen for the pains and multivitamins to get you back on track. LOTS OF FLUIDS!!! Get some comfy clothes, take warm baths/showers and stock up on some good DVDs or CDs.
There is a secondary phase to the detox that goes by the acronym PAWS (Post acute withdrawal symptoms) - nothing like the detox phase and not to worry about now but once you are through detox I will be glad to share some links that one of our awesome members shared with me to give you some extra info. (That is unless someone else beats me to it...)
All the best to you. Post often and let us know how you are doing...I am still a bit of an insomniac so I am usually on here at all kinds of odd hours. Also feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.
Keep us posted.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 12
Thanks! Ya codine is it. Can't go to the doctor out of pure fear of being labeled a druggie. My wife, family, and friends have never been made aware of my problem, it has always been a huge source of stress for me to hide it and I will be glad to kick this and move forward.
I have been getting a lot of acne and find it hard to heal up in recent months so I attribute that to the tylonol abuse and my liver not being happy. Luckily the liver is slf healing and if after a few months of being clean I am still having skin issues I will most certainly go to the doc.
Thanks again!!!
I have been getting a lot of acne and find it hard to heal up in recent months so I attribute that to the tylonol abuse and my liver not being happy. Luckily the liver is slf healing and if after a few months of being clean I am still having skin issues I will most certainly go to the doc.
Thanks again!!!
RIP Sweet Suki
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In my sanctuary, my home
Posts: 39,910
The liver can regenerate itself IF the damage isn't too severe. You've been taking A LOT of Tylenol and that can be deadly. The best thing would be to see a doctor, whether you want to be labeled or not. This is your life we're talking about.
The maker's of Tylenol and it's generic equivalent, acetaminophen, have been the subject of large scale government restrictions being placed on it due to the large number of liver failure deaths, and emergency room visits attributed to the drug. The restrictions call for lowering the single dose rate, and amount one can take over a 24 hour period. Acetaminophen is in many painkiller, and cold medications. The drug is the leading cause of liver failure in the US.
Many prescription drug addicts are taking massive amounts of the drug acetaminophen, found in the narcotic painkillers Vicodin, Percocet, Lorcet, Zydone, and others. Of course, narcotic addicts need to increase their dose as tolerance builds, and many are ingesting as much as 45 to 60 of these pills a day, sometimes more. The person in the video below was taking the equivalent of 700 Vicodin a day. Vicodin 750's contain 7.5 milligrams of the narcotic analgesic hydrocodone, and 750 milligrams of acetaminophen. Percocets come in 3 different strengths but the largest contains 10 milligrams of the narcotic analgesic oxycodone, and 650 milligrams of acetaminophen.
http://www.examiner.com/substance-ab...at-higher-risk
We are not allowed to give medical advice on this site.
The maker's of Tylenol and it's generic equivalent, acetaminophen, have been the subject of large scale government restrictions being placed on it due to the large number of liver failure deaths, and emergency room visits attributed to the drug. The restrictions call for lowering the single dose rate, and amount one can take over a 24 hour period. Acetaminophen is in many painkiller, and cold medications. The drug is the leading cause of liver failure in the US.
Many prescription drug addicts are taking massive amounts of the drug acetaminophen, found in the narcotic painkillers Vicodin, Percocet, Lorcet, Zydone, and others. Of course, narcotic addicts need to increase their dose as tolerance builds, and many are ingesting as much as 45 to 60 of these pills a day, sometimes more. The person in the video below was taking the equivalent of 700 Vicodin a day. Vicodin 750's contain 7.5 milligrams of the narcotic analgesic hydrocodone, and 750 milligrams of acetaminophen. Percocets come in 3 different strengths but the largest contains 10 milligrams of the narcotic analgesic oxycodone, and 650 milligrams of acetaminophen.
http://www.examiner.com/substance-ab...at-higher-risk
We are not allowed to give medical advice on this site.
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 379
Just remember the really uncomfortable part of the detox doesn't last that long.
You may want to tell your significant other - sometimes we get love and support from where we least expect it - I am dealing with the shame part of it, too.
I thought I had my son fooled for years (he's 21 and too smart for anyone's good - including me)...he called me on my crap (oxy use) a few months ago in a big way and that was the beginning of the turn around for me - when I realized that not only was my usage out of control but it had affected those I love most.
We can't stop for other people - we have to do it for us - but it is amazing how many people will rally around us when we open up and say we have a problem. The look in my son's eyes is slowly changing as he is seeing me get clean and watching the change in my demeanor - I thought I was too smart to get addicted - now I know there are people way smarter than me that have trudged along this same road...opiates change us... all we can do in the end is walk away and try to reclaim our lives...
Just a few words for thought...
p.s. I understand that Silymarin, the active ingredient in Milk Thistle is supposed to be good for the liver - maybe someone else can pop on here and
let me know if this is indeed the case...
You may want to tell your significant other - sometimes we get love and support from where we least expect it - I am dealing with the shame part of it, too.
I thought I had my son fooled for years (he's 21 and too smart for anyone's good - including me)...he called me on my crap (oxy use) a few months ago in a big way and that was the beginning of the turn around for me - when I realized that not only was my usage out of control but it had affected those I love most.
We can't stop for other people - we have to do it for us - but it is amazing how many people will rally around us when we open up and say we have a problem. The look in my son's eyes is slowly changing as he is seeing me get clean and watching the change in my demeanor - I thought I was too smart to get addicted - now I know there are people way smarter than me that have trudged along this same road...opiates change us... all we can do in the end is walk away and try to reclaim our lives...
Just a few words for thought...
p.s. I understand that Silymarin, the active ingredient in Milk Thistle is supposed to be good for the liver - maybe someone else can pop on here and
let me know if this is indeed the case...
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,677
Suki is right.
The maximum safe dosage of tylenol had been considered 4 grams/day, and you have been taking 12 to 18 grams/day for "quite awhile". I'm not sure what that means, but you could have liver damage now. The liver is a remarkable organ that functions well even if most of it is damaged, and if the damage is sustained or goes too far, permanent damage can occur that may even lead to a liver transplant. A simple blood test can tell you if you have liver damage, and then more tests can be done to see how much damage there is.
Recently, the FDA lowered the maximum safe dosage of tylenol to 3 grams/day. If anyone wants the journal article that addresses that, I'm happy to go find it and provide it.
The bottom line is that your level of acetaminophen (tylenol) has been way too high for way too long. And then there is the opiate component.... which is why you are here, but you've alarmed a lot of us here with the tylenol part.
Please get checked out by your doctor. I'd do it FIRST before doing ANYTHING else. Top priority, like NOW. If you can't get in, go to the ER and tell them you think you may have ingested a toxic amount of tylenol, and you should be able to get tested right there on the spot.
FT
The maximum safe dosage of tylenol had been considered 4 grams/day, and you have been taking 12 to 18 grams/day for "quite awhile". I'm not sure what that means, but you could have liver damage now. The liver is a remarkable organ that functions well even if most of it is damaged, and if the damage is sustained or goes too far, permanent damage can occur that may even lead to a liver transplant. A simple blood test can tell you if you have liver damage, and then more tests can be done to see how much damage there is.
Recently, the FDA lowered the maximum safe dosage of tylenol to 3 grams/day. If anyone wants the journal article that addresses that, I'm happy to go find it and provide it.
The bottom line is that your level of acetaminophen (tylenol) has been way too high for way too long. And then there is the opiate component.... which is why you are here, but you've alarmed a lot of us here with the tylenol part.
Please get checked out by your doctor. I'd do it FIRST before doing ANYTHING else. Top priority, like NOW. If you can't get in, go to the ER and tell them you think you may have ingested a toxic amount of tylenol, and you should be able to get tested right there on the spot.
FT
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 379
Suki - thank you for posting that article and video - that was an interesting read and an eye opener for me.
Thought for a minute that I wish I could have done the quick and easy detox in a hospital bed but I need to remember every bit of pain I went through to remember how helpless I am against the OX...
Hope the Dr's spent some time counseling their patients about the PAWS phase...
Thought for a minute that I wish I could have done the quick and easy detox in a hospital bed but I need to remember every bit of pain I went through to remember how helpless I am against the OX...
Hope the Dr's spent some time counseling their patients about the PAWS phase...
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 12
I will take your dr advice. Thanks. The tylonol abuse has not been in excess for more than a year. Prior to that I was taking these other OTC meds that had 300mg tylonol, 8mg of codeine, and a mussel relaxor in them but I only had to take 18 a day to feel normal. For some reason even though those had the same amout in them I got more off them than these ones I am taking now. I switched due to price. I got 50 of the afrorementioned pills for 28.00 and these ones I am taking now are 200 for 12.00.
None the less I appreciate everyone's input and tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. I will be back often I'm sure.
None the less I appreciate everyone's input and tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. I will be back often I'm sure.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 12
Well I am about 24 hours now with nothing. My leg muscles are aching like crazy but other than that not too bad so far. Keep telling myself I must do this. Brain is a little cloudy but just keeping busy working around the house.
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 379
Keeping busy is good - sometimes it is easy to psych ourselves out overthinking our detox symptoms - sounds like you are doing great!
Hang in there and let us know what the doc says when you are able to meet him...
Hang in there and let us know what the doc says when you are able to meet him...
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 21
Hi Skate!
Glad to read you have finally decided to stop using codeine!! I was an addict myself. I was taking 500 mg acetaminophen 30 mg codeine pills, about 6 to 8 pills a day, even more if I was stressed or had to much work.
Now I have been 7 months clean, and now I'm not even thinking about them at all, which is really good. The first few days were reallyyy hell, my stomach was like crazy, I had diarrhea, I couldn't sleep at all, I had this cold and then hot flushes, I had a runny nose... but before you know the worst part is over!
I tried to drink a lot during this first few days, and hot baths really helped too. The users in this forum really helped a lot too, just reading their nice words really gave me strenght when I really wanted to get "just the last pill".
Be strong, and let us know how you are doing!!!
Glad to read you have finally decided to stop using codeine!! I was an addict myself. I was taking 500 mg acetaminophen 30 mg codeine pills, about 6 to 8 pills a day, even more if I was stressed or had to much work.
Now I have been 7 months clean, and now I'm not even thinking about them at all, which is really good. The first few days were reallyyy hell, my stomach was like crazy, I had diarrhea, I couldn't sleep at all, I had this cold and then hot flushes, I had a runny nose... but before you know the worst part is over!
I tried to drink a lot during this first few days, and hot baths really helped too. The users in this forum really helped a lot too, just reading their nice words really gave me strenght when I really wanted to get "just the last pill".
Be strong, and let us know how you are doing!!!
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 594
assuming you're from Canada?
I've also taken 1000's of those 8mg otc codeine tabs over many many years. Same doseages as you.
The withdrawal was never really anything bad at all.
Felt like a mild flu.
Compared with benzos it was always like a walk in the park.
The cravings are something you should not deal with alone.
NA perhaps?
I've also taken 1000's of those 8mg otc codeine tabs over many many years. Same doseages as you.
The withdrawal was never really anything bad at all.
Felt like a mild flu.
Compared with benzos it was always like a walk in the park.
The cravings are something you should not deal with alone.
NA perhaps?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 12
Hey everyone, it's been 72 hours now and doing great. My mind seems clearer and I just feel much better physically aside from a few aches and pains, mostly in my legs and neck. I'm doing this for my 2 year old son and that is a massive amount of motivation for me Hense why I think I am not having a seriously hard time here.
I also started talking Milk Thistle supplements to help with any liver damage I have done. They tend to show a huge improvement in liver function over a 30 day period so I am going to go get a blood test at that time. I am feeling quite good though and just flushing my body with about 2 liters of water a day which is helping clean me out.
Thanks again for your continued support, I'm sure I am not over the hump yet but I am on my way uphill for sure!
I also started talking Milk Thistle supplements to help with any liver damage I have done. They tend to show a huge improvement in liver function over a 30 day period so I am going to go get a blood test at that time. I am feeling quite good though and just flushing my body with about 2 liters of water a day which is helping clean me out.
Thanks again for your continued support, I'm sure I am not over the hump yet but I am on my way uphill for sure!
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 379
Outstanding Skate - glad to hear you are on the mend and doing all the right things. Flushing our system greatly helps but remember to replenish those nutrients - I too am doing the Milk Thistle as part of my daily rebuilding.
Keep up the great work!!!!!
Keep up the great work!!!!!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Georgia
Posts: 242
Skate - Great to hear that you are doing well. I, too, was addicted to Codeine and Tylenol for a number of years and have been sober a bit over 9 months. I posted regularly on SR up until about a month ago, when my work really got busy and our office moved; but am happy to be back. This is a great support group.
It does get better as each day passes. Every now and then I have a bad night regarding sleep and leg issues, but most everything else has passed and I feel great most days. However, I have just read another post about someone who relapsed on another opiate after 5 years.
I also recommend hot baths for the legs and I wore tight socks as well which seem to help. The sleep deprivation is the problem that seems to linger the longest.
Keep posting and know there are many of us out there who have walked in your shoes and are here to help!
It does get better as each day passes. Every now and then I have a bad night regarding sleep and leg issues, but most everything else has passed and I feel great most days. However, I have just read another post about someone who relapsed on another opiate after 5 years.
I also recommend hot baths for the legs and I wore tight socks as well which seem to help. The sleep deprivation is the problem that seems to linger the longest.
Keep posting and know there are many of us out there who have walked in your shoes and are here to help!
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