Codeine Withdrawal In Practice

AlexanderNixon
AlexanderNixon Member Posts: 6
edited 18. Mar 2013, 10:36 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi Folks! Let me begin by saying “thank you” to those of you who have supported my desire to cease taking codeine. Let me give you some background.

I’ve been taking co-codamol for 26 years. I know this, as I asked my doctor to tell me when I was first prescribed the drug. This is over half my lifetime. I realised I was an addict, when I found myself worrying about missing one of my 4 daily doses. Because of the relatively low dose of codeine, 30/500 I presumed I was not an addict, and I disregarded the possibility that drug had a cumulative effect. Furthermore, after reading some academic papers, it transpired that codeine is not a particularly good painkiller. This is what I experienced.

As I am Bi-Polar, it was easier for me to speak to my magnificent psychiatrist, (herewith referred to as my doctor) who supported my intention to withdraw. On the forums it has been said that withdrawal has to be done gradually. For some of you, I am sure this is true. However, after advice, and with the help of my wife, I went “cold turkey”. As many of you know, codeine is an opiate, as is Heroin, an addiction to which may be broken by going cold turkey because it is fast.

What happened next? I stopped taking co-codamol in favour of paracetamol about 2 weeks ago, when I had time off work and I had no pressing engagements. I thought after one day in that the process was easy! But by the afternoon of the second day, I started to sweat and feel generally unwell. I ached all over, and had a slight temperature and a headache. In short, I felt as though I had ‘flue. I also felt my heart racing. I didn’t feel like eating, but my wife made gallons of chicken soup, which I was able to enjoy. There were also nights of broken sleep and night time sweating, and I went through two T shirts in the process. When I was awake, I had a sense of being in a dream world, nothing felt real, and I was unable to think clearly. I maintained my intake of fluids throughout the process to help flush my system.

The whole detox period has taken two weeks in total. The most severe symptoms having receded in four days. I feel fine. I am taking Paracetamol for pain and my anti inflammatory, which is working very well. My appetite has returned, and I took the remaining co-codamol to my local pharmacist to destroy.

The process has been difficult, and I could not have done it without advice. I must state clearly, THAT ANYONE COMING OF CODEINE MUST TAKE ADVICE AND HELP FROM THEIR GP. As Ernie Wise said, “what I have wrote,” is my experience of a process that worked for me. It may not be good for everyone.

Comments

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I'm so pleased you've had a happy ending :) You've been very careful and sensible about this and, with the help of your wife - and the chicken soup :) - have come out the other end. Well done! And thank you for sharing your experience with us.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,281
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello AlexanderNixon
    I am so pleased for you and really do admire what you have done, you must feel so proud having done this on your own..well with the help of your lovely wife.
    I am going to let my youngest brother read this, he is 58 and been on the cocodamols for at least 15 years...he has been trying to come down on them with help from his GP, but they have prescribed even more meds for him to do this.
    I take them but , usually only a couple at night...one night I missed them and could not sleep...I had these awful feeling in my legs not knowing what to do with them...its was only later that it hit me I had forgot to take them...very scary how these meds are not monitored...
    I do wish you well xx
    Love
    Barbara
  • freesia
    freesia Member Posts: 409
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks for the tips....

    I Live in hope that I'll be able to come off them soon, after surgery... :D
    hugs freesia xxx
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,908
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Alexander

    Well-done you!!!

    You have done amazingly, but it really sounds as though you were very careful about it too. You knew what was coming and so did your wife and she did her best to help you by feeding and watering you :)

    It was planned and supported by 'the doctor' and your wife at a sensible time to avoid any likely 'spoiling' of the attempt.

    You did right too to point out that this was YOUR experience and any others wanting to come off codiene really must seek their own doctor's advice.

    Glad to hear you are coping so well on paracetamol and anti-inflams too.

    love

    Toni xx
  • AlexanderNixon
    AlexanderNixon Member Posts: 6
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Dear Stickywicket, Toni,Barbara, and Freesia,

    I was really moved by you kindness and encouragement. Thank you. One of you mentioned a strange feeling in your legs and not knowing what to do with them. This was also my experience too. I found that I was jumping around the bed, trying to get comfortable. When I was in a state of light sleep, they tended to twitch and wake me, (and the Memshaib), up. I discovered that it would stop if I took the co-codamol.

    Concerning the paracetamol and anti inflame, I had to work through my own psychological hang up in this area. I assumed that there was a symbiotic relationship between the two drugs and that taking mere paracetamol would be insufficient to attack pain. I did have trouble for the first 6 - 7 days but I think this was due to the detox, as now I find the paracetamol sufficient.

    My wife is half French, and does not like to be reminded about Agincourt. However, she has a good doctor in Geneva. I was able to speak to her about where I was at the moment regarding analgesia and anti inflams. She was extremely interested. In France and Switzerland, it is possible to get Aspirin at 1000mg. She suggested that I MUST discuss with my GP taking the maximum dose of Asprin which is two 1000mg twice a day, and if that was insufficient to try three doses. As I am sure you all know Asprin is not only a good painkiller, and an anti infam. I already take a tablet to protect my stomach from the effects of the anti inflam and this should continue if I decide to try the Asprin, as this too, is harsh on the tummy. I am tempted to try this, but will discuss it with my doctor before making any decision. If I try it, I will let you all know about it's effectiveness.

    Thank you all once again, as I have said in the past, Detox Must be done sensibly and only with the cooperation and advice of your specialist and / or GP.

    Best wishes to you all, and thank you once again.

    Cuddles,
    Alex