How to wean myself off Codeine...?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 9
How to wean myself off Codeine...?
Firstly, thank you for this site and opportunity to find assistance on my path to recovery. I am in a particular situation which I am hoping someone may have advice or experience to offer as I am faced with coming off my codeine addiction….again.
Briefly, my story: I realised I was an "addict" last year after years of drug abuse. I took the plunge last July and went cold-turkey. Yes, it hurt. I was very, very sick. However, it worked and I started NA meetings.
Unfortunately around October the symptoms of a serious medical condition (unrelated) emerged. The condition required surgery, but I unfortunately I had to wait in the hospital queue until the end of February (yes, I just recently had the surgery).
Not long after my diagnosis last year, I was in terrible pain, and scared, but did not take any codeine (codeine is the drug of my choice, but also Xanax, Valium, Temazipam, any opiate based drug when I could get it), until one day I was in the emergency room at the hospital. My greatest fear as a recovering addict was that I HAD to take pain medication for a genuine medical condition. I knew that moment would come. And I knew I would start to abuse again. Of course the rational was that I was taking codeine because it was prescribed by a medical doctor, and that was OK. But of course my opiate tolerance is very high and I quickly began self-medicating.
Now I am recovering from my surgery and the related pain is rapidly decreasing. But once again, I am addicted to codeine. I am sure others have experienced that time when you know you want to/have to quit.....you take more and more.
So now it is time to quit. I am very afraid to go cold turkey, given I have just had major surgery just weeks ago. I don’t think that would be wise. Or would it....?
I am interested in making myself a programme where I slowly decrease my intake over a few weeks/months. I would be very keen to hear from anyone who has done this. How did you manage, were you sick longer....etc? I would be most grateful for any advice. Right now I am spending everyday in bed, in my darkened bedroom, when I should be catching p on my university commitments, which are piling up! I just don’t want to be here anymore, but I feel trapped.
Thank you again - SG
Briefly, my story: I realised I was an "addict" last year after years of drug abuse. I took the plunge last July and went cold-turkey. Yes, it hurt. I was very, very sick. However, it worked and I started NA meetings.
Unfortunately around October the symptoms of a serious medical condition (unrelated) emerged. The condition required surgery, but I unfortunately I had to wait in the hospital queue until the end of February (yes, I just recently had the surgery).
Not long after my diagnosis last year, I was in terrible pain, and scared, but did not take any codeine (codeine is the drug of my choice, but also Xanax, Valium, Temazipam, any opiate based drug when I could get it), until one day I was in the emergency room at the hospital. My greatest fear as a recovering addict was that I HAD to take pain medication for a genuine medical condition. I knew that moment would come. And I knew I would start to abuse again. Of course the rational was that I was taking codeine because it was prescribed by a medical doctor, and that was OK. But of course my opiate tolerance is very high and I quickly began self-medicating.
Now I am recovering from my surgery and the related pain is rapidly decreasing. But once again, I am addicted to codeine. I am sure others have experienced that time when you know you want to/have to quit.....you take more and more.
So now it is time to quit. I am very afraid to go cold turkey, given I have just had major surgery just weeks ago. I don’t think that would be wise. Or would it....?
I am interested in making myself a programme where I slowly decrease my intake over a few weeks/months. I would be very keen to hear from anyone who has done this. How did you manage, were you sick longer....etc? I would be most grateful for any advice. Right now I am spending everyday in bed, in my darkened bedroom, when I should be catching p on my university commitments, which are piling up! I just don’t want to be here anymore, but I feel trapped.
Thank you again - SG
Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 2,391
Welcome to SR. There are a lot of threads (and maybe even a sticky) about detox off of opiates. I don't have any advice as I CT'd it and the last time I went through a rehab and Suboxone and a lot of NA/AA meetings.
Guest
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,707
I just stopped codeine after a seizer from heavy abuse only 17 days ago. Yep I felt rough for a few days (mostly the sh*ts for 7 days) and some shaking but i got thru it and so will you 
pm me if you want to ask me any questions ...k?
Joe
pm me if you want to ask me any questions ...k?
Joe
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 9
Thanks emmer - unfortunatley I am unable to pm as I dont have 5 posts yet!
Well done on your recovery. I would cold turkey again...but thinking that prob not a good idea post-surgery?? It is silly but I am afriad to speak to any of my doctors about it as I guess I had hassled them for extra drugs in the first place....
Well done on your recovery. I would cold turkey again...but thinking that prob not a good idea post-surgery?? It is silly but I am afriad to speak to any of my doctors about it as I guess I had hassled them for extra drugs in the first place....
Some French tart....
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Courville-sur-Eure. France.
Posts: 239
Hello Singapore Girl. It's nice to meet you.
You say that you don't want to hassle the docters, but your health is what they are there for. I messed around with docters in the past and certainly got rejected by some. Today I have found a docter that understands in spite of being "warned off".
I was addicted to codeine like you. It's real sh*t, isn't it?
How much codeine are you on?
You could start a programme by tapering,
a programme being where you stop and learn to STAY stopped.
I learnt about that on here.
The twelve steps work for many, many people.
N.A. or A.A. meetings may help too.
Feel free to message me if you want, now that you have
enough posts!!
I wish you the very best.
Ingrid
You say that you don't want to hassle the docters, but your health is what they are there for. I messed around with docters in the past and certainly got rejected by some. Today I have found a docter that understands in spite of being "warned off".
I was addicted to codeine like you. It's real sh*t, isn't it?
How much codeine are you on?
You could start a programme by tapering,
a programme being where you stop and learn to STAY stopped.
I learnt about that on here.
The twelve steps work for many, many people.
N.A. or A.A. meetings may help too.
Feel free to message me if you want, now that you have
enough posts!!
I wish you the very best.
Ingrid
Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 26
Hello Singaporegirl,
I successfully tapered myself off of oxy exactly one week ago. Here's what I did. It's going to take time, your body needs to adjust.
Try cutting down by 5-10mg / day (depending on how much you're doing... how much ARE you doing?) Once I got down to 7.5mg / day, I flushed whatever I had. Now I'm not going to sugar-coat anything for you, you are going to feel withdrawl. The worst is over in 3-4 days. You'll have symptoms like chills, diarrhea, sweats, muscle-aches, and sleeping through the night will be hard. BUT YOU MUST GO THROUGH THIS. Consider the pain and suffering as a blessing. You're still alive!!
For the chills - Layer your clothes and kick the heat up if you can!! Spending a little extra money on your heating bill vs. drugs isn't a bad thing!
For sleep - Take either melatonin or unisom. I found the unisom kept me asleep for a bit longer than the melatonin. However if I use unisom now (since I'm clean), I have a killer headache in the morning so I'm switching back to melatonin since I still have a bit of trouble sleeping.
Diarrhea - Immodium does the job.
Sweats - This is a good thing. Just let yourself sweat, especially at night.
Keep your mind occupied. You're gonna crave the drug but remember, if you cave in are you really going to feel any better?
Stay strong, I'm pulling for you!
I successfully tapered myself off of oxy exactly one week ago. Here's what I did. It's going to take time, your body needs to adjust.
Try cutting down by 5-10mg / day (depending on how much you're doing... how much ARE you doing?) Once I got down to 7.5mg / day, I flushed whatever I had. Now I'm not going to sugar-coat anything for you, you are going to feel withdrawl. The worst is over in 3-4 days. You'll have symptoms like chills, diarrhea, sweats, muscle-aches, and sleeping through the night will be hard. BUT YOU MUST GO THROUGH THIS. Consider the pain and suffering as a blessing. You're still alive!!
For the chills - Layer your clothes and kick the heat up if you can!! Spending a little extra money on your heating bill vs. drugs isn't a bad thing!
For sleep - Take either melatonin or unisom. I found the unisom kept me asleep for a bit longer than the melatonin. However if I use unisom now (since I'm clean), I have a killer headache in the morning so I'm switching back to melatonin since I still have a bit of trouble sleeping.
Diarrhea - Immodium does the job.
Sweats - This is a good thing. Just let yourself sweat, especially at night.
Keep your mind occupied. You're gonna crave the drug but remember, if you cave in are you really going to feel any better?
Stay strong, I'm pulling for you!
Go Browns!
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 642
I tapered off. I was at around 80-100mg a day of vicodin and tapered over the course of 3 weeks. It takes a lot of self discipline that most addicts dont have. I didnt have the discipline either but I didnt have a choice.
I felt the withdrawals the entire time I was tapering. Once I quit it wasnt that bad. Overall I would say that had I tried to quit cold turkey the withdrawals would have been a lot worse, but for a shorter duration.
It takes a tremendous amount of willpower to taper. But in my opinion quitting cold turkey takes a lot of will power also, I just know myself well enough to know I never would have made it. I fought and fought with myself over those 3 weeks begging to take more. Somehow I made it.
Good luck
I felt the withdrawals the entire time I was tapering. Once I quit it wasnt that bad. Overall I would say that had I tried to quit cold turkey the withdrawals would have been a lot worse, but for a shorter duration.
It takes a tremendous amount of willpower to taper. But in my opinion quitting cold turkey takes a lot of will power also, I just know myself well enough to know I never would have made it. I fought and fought with myself over those 3 weeks begging to take more. Somehow I made it.
Good luck
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 9
Yeah thanks Nallabelle ~ thats it in a nutshell. And I think tonight I really realised I am deep in it...and I am miserable. I cant do anything.
I think tapering will be very hard for me. I have enquired about a detox centre that I will find out more about tomorrow (it is night-time here). The reality is I just gotta get the f**k off them so will look at the possibility of an assisted detox (not sure what that is in this instance).
Yeah I gotta face it - or else nothing will move in my life.
And thanks for your tips idontwannadie x x
I think tapering will be very hard for me. I have enquired about a detox centre that I will find out more about tomorrow (it is night-time here). The reality is I just gotta get the f**k off them so will look at the possibility of an assisted detox (not sure what that is in this instance).
Yeah I gotta face it - or else nothing will move in my life.
And thanks for your tips idontwannadie x x
Go Browns!
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 642
Good for you. Me and Idontwanttodie both JUST went through it so I totally feel your pain.
I wish I could have gone to detox. I couldnt afford it really without taking from my kids college fund. something about that just didnt feel right. Tapering really did help, but like I said I had no choice but to quit (a million reasons I wont get into but one of which is that im pregnant). You just have to do it, but youll only succeed if you really want it.
I wish I could have gone to detox. I couldnt afford it really without taking from my kids college fund. something about that just didnt feel right. Tapering really did help, but like I said I had no choice but to quit (a million reasons I wont get into but one of which is that im pregnant). You just have to do it, but youll only succeed if you really want it.
Go Browns!
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 642
Escaped- Yeah three weeks of my multiple personalities fighting with each other. Everyone had thought I quit at the start of the three weeks. My husband cut off all means for me to buy tabs. Like I was going through the couch looking for quarters!
My parents had become aware of the situation and I was staying with them with my kids because my husband had a huge project at work. I need the help while I was tapering (and they thought I needed help because I quit).
So I managed to have enough dough to buy like 2-3 pills a day. Every night i would screw myself and only have a half a pill for the next day. So I would buy like 2 more pills that was actually gas money from my parents. You get the picture.
Then one day I woke up with nothing. No pills and no money. No way of getting either one. I lost, and essentially won, the battle.
The entire taper I had w/d. But they were SORTA manageable. Once I actually quit, the w/d wasnt that bad. Everyone gives props to the taper, but I have way more respect for those who quit c/t. WOW been there done that and never want to go there again. I couldnt even do it knowing I was pregnant and that is sad in itself.
Check out my other posts, you can see how I struggled daily. StageBear helped me alot. I dont know where I would be right now without the wisdom and support of this site.
My parents had become aware of the situation and I was staying with them with my kids because my husband had a huge project at work. I need the help while I was tapering (and they thought I needed help because I quit).
So I managed to have enough dough to buy like 2-3 pills a day. Every night i would screw myself and only have a half a pill for the next day. So I would buy like 2 more pills that was actually gas money from my parents. You get the picture.
Then one day I woke up with nothing. No pills and no money. No way of getting either one. I lost, and essentially won, the battle.
The entire taper I had w/d. But they were SORTA manageable. Once I actually quit, the w/d wasnt that bad. Everyone gives props to the taper, but I have way more respect for those who quit c/t. WOW been there done that and never want to go there again. I couldnt even do it knowing I was pregnant and that is sad in itself.
Check out my other posts, you can see how I struggled daily. StageBear helped me alot. I dont know where I would be right now without the wisdom and support of this site.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 9
Firstly congratulations!
I can understand where you found the strength to taper.
I think this detox may be government funded - but is more home based with a nurse visiting you. Will wait and see.
I think I realised tonight that I cant progress. It is like I have yet to fully recover from my medical conditon and surgery. My addiction is a part of that process. I am ONLY back on the drugs becouse of that process....and well obviously because I am an addict. Well it certainly confirmed that...lol. Couldn't take them only as directred on the label. Yep...I still have some recovering to do -
I feel like ****.....
I can understand where you found the strength to taper.
I think this detox may be government funded - but is more home based with a nurse visiting you. Will wait and see.
I think I realised tonight that I cant progress. It is like I have yet to fully recover from my medical conditon and surgery. My addiction is a part of that process. I am ONLY back on the drugs becouse of that process....and well obviously because I am an addict. Well it certainly confirmed that...lol. Couldn't take them only as directred on the label. Yep...I still have some recovering to do -
I feel like ****.....
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 9
Yes I did cold turkey last July. And I said then "I never want to do this again".
And I meant it.
That is why it took me so long and going into the emergency room at the hospital before I would take and opiates for my pain. I just didnt want to. But I had to. That was one of the most disappointing feelings in my life - becasue this is exactly where I knew it would end - back in addiction.
I suppose I could have gone throught it differently, with someone close to me administering the doses.... It will have to be that way if it ever happens again.
I think it would be too much of a shock to the body to go through CT when you are pregnant. That is why I am afraid of it post-op, and possibly not advisable. I have much internal healing still happening and scars on my abdoman. I figure all that pooping and vomiting and twitching not good for a healing body....!!
Will see what detox centre says - I think there is medical doctor there....just what I need. I dont want to go to my regular one.
Yes I know the feeling of lying and dodging around family and friends....it is the way of the addict. You have done so well though. thank you for sharing with me.
And I meant it.
That is why it took me so long and going into the emergency room at the hospital before I would take and opiates for my pain. I just didnt want to. But I had to. That was one of the most disappointing feelings in my life - becasue this is exactly where I knew it would end - back in addiction.
I suppose I could have gone throught it differently, with someone close to me administering the doses.... It will have to be that way if it ever happens again.
I think it would be too much of a shock to the body to go through CT when you are pregnant. That is why I am afraid of it post-op, and possibly not advisable. I have much internal healing still happening and scars on my abdoman. I figure all that pooping and vomiting and twitching not good for a healing body....!!
Will see what detox centre says - I think there is medical doctor there....just what I need. I dont want to go to my regular one.
Yes I know the feeling of lying and dodging around family and friends....it is the way of the addict. You have done so well though. thank you for sharing with me.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 1
Hi Singaporegirl.
I'm Pat, from Singapore and I'm assuming you're from Singapore as well?
A friend of mine is going through a similar situation and I'd like to help but am unsure how. Are there any detox centres or clinics in Singapore you could recommend?
- pat
I'm Pat, from Singapore and I'm assuming you're from Singapore as well?
A friend of mine is going through a similar situation and I'd like to help but am unsure how. Are there any detox centres or clinics in Singapore you could recommend?
- pat
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Mumbai, India
Posts: 116
I remember taking 100 mg and throwing the rest of the bottle on the road, the next day i went looking for it but it wasnt there. So i went cold turkey and once i got to 1 day i decided that this time i wuold really make it count. Everytime i'd get to 3 days and then i'd slip but this time i did it for good. This was 11 years ago.
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