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POSSIBLE ADDICTION TO FIORICET WITH CODEINE????
by pharmdee, Feb 27, 2003 12:00AM
Hello, I am writting for the first time on this site, I have been taking Fioricet with codeine for about 4 1/2 years for migraines.. I am taking 4 capsules daily and have been for a long time..My question is about addiction..I have not increased the dose at any time.. the max dose is 6 capsules a day ..so i am not taking more than directed per day..i still have the same effect from 4 capsules except less drowsiness and more funcntionability on the medication..i take the same amount daily and do not have any desire too increase the dose.. even though this may sound like i do not have an addiction.. i have tried to stop and i have had withrdrawl syndrome,my research has shown that people who are on schedule drugs for chronic pain can have withdrawl syndrome without actually having an "addiction",i do like the way the medication males me feel,i do get a "buzz" from it,without increasing the dose,i have "doctor hopped" to get meds early.. because perhaps the doctor does not know i take 4 per day..30 pills last about 8 days and i see that as a problem...also i take 4 pills daily weither i have a migraine or not..self treating or prevenitive for fear of a headache or addiction or denial i dont know which it is..also i take about 3-6 excedrine daily so i think i have "Chronic daily headache" due to withdrawl syndrome from excedrine and the fioricet with codeine.I am in the healthcare field so i have alot of info but i really need some advice,also my mother has has a serious addiction to RX meds since i was a little kid...she takes opioids,benzo's,exc..thanks in adavnce
As to whether you are an addict or not...yes. But who cares. Nobody here, we all are. So WELCOME.
With a long and slow taper process you will be able to get off the fioricet with the help of the excedrin, because you are addicted to the butibal in the fioricet, as well as the caffiene and will have rebound headaches which are inevitable.
I will say though, at 4 a day, you are doing great. It is a lot easier to taper down from a dose that low per day.
Keep the taper, low and slow and you will do fine. The others on this forum that are addicted, recovering, or have been through it all, will be of more help and assistance. There are people here that have successfull tapered down from 3x your intake...
Welcome once again, you are in the right place,
Chezz
.......but I am sure by the time I do many will respond.
Hang in there,
Linniesue
I don't want to go into too much detail about my experience except to say that I got started the same way you did. I would take the pills when I didnt' have a headache thinking I could avoid one. Gradually it got to the point where anytime I was stressed at work or was worried I would fear a migraine and take some pills.
This lead to a long struggle with addiction and I eventually ended up having 11 doctors who were all prescribing the same drug and none of them knew about each other. You can stop this now and not have to suffer the way some of us did. At four pills a day you could taper off very easily. Although the mental part would be the hardest physically you should be ok.
I got to the point where I was up to 8-10 pills per day and there is another one of us who is currently away on vacation who was up to 20 per day.
We also post over on "DrugAbuse.Com" under the support section. When you log on you will see a long thread called fioricet addiction.
Please keep posting here and visit us on the other forum.
Best of luck
Golden Slipper
What I do know though is I don't want to be this way but I am having such a hard time. This is so insane. I never thought my life would come to this. I am is such a bad mood today...I think everything is everyone's fault. And I know It's me.
I have a plan....I just have to do it. I hope your doing well...
Linnie,
Never give up
I know it's not easy but I started out just like you. And that was twenty years ago.....I am taking triple what you are. I have been in two rehabs. With not much sucess. Please.....this is a very dangerous drug. It has consumed my life. I am looking into a rehab.now. I hope to go soon.....trying to taper is very hard for me. I don't think I can do it. FiorinalJR and Golden Slipper have been very helpful. I am sure they will respond to you as soon as thay can. Please hang in there.....We all care.
LinnieSue
Sorry I have been trying to post on the new site but it keeps telling me my passcode is wrong. I don't know what is going on but I will keep trying.
Pharmdee - I also don't see why you would have to enter a detox if you are only taking 4 a day. I'm not saying it will be a breeze, because it won't you will have some symptoms and mentally you will have cravings for the drug.
Perhaps you could speak with an addiction doctor, that is what I finally did, I have been off the fioricets since the end of November and I do have cravings, not as bad as I did at first. I also have had some pretty bad "rebound headaches" which I have treated with Imitrex.
I see a counselor once a week and also attend a women's recovery group that meets once a week. I don't think I would be able to stay away from the stuff if I didn't have these tools in place for me. This forum and the other forum (which I can't seem to post to at the moment) have been very supportive as well. I was taking 8-10 per day and did not go into a detox. The doctor put me on a tapering program which although very difficult I managed to stick to. I also take "neurontin" 3 times a day. You probably are familiar with this drug it is used to avoid seizures but they also use it for pain control and anxiety. It has helped me to sleep at night during WD and also helped me to stay calm as I get extremely anxious when I WD from the fioricets.
As far as the codeine component there are people on this board who can help you with the WD that you will experience from that. I know they say you have flu like symptoms, although I think at your dose they may not be too bad.
I hope I have helped in some way, please continue to post and I will keep trying to get onto the other board. I don't know why it won't take my passcode.
Have a restful evening and know that there are people here who can help you.
Golden Slipper
Linnie Sue - Good to hear from you I am so sorry to hear how you are struggling. Please keep posting and send me an email when you get a chance. Again my address is: ***@**** and Pharmdee please feel free to email me as well.
Take Care Guys
There is a poster named fiorinalJR who has had experience with the fiorinal with codeine. He is away on vacation this week but I'm sure will be back on line next week when he returns.
Watch for his posts, he has alot of experience and I'm sure can help you.
Take Care
Golden
Imagine my suprise when I went back today and was told that I was an "undesirable patient". What they really wanted were "street addicts" and that I was being discharged immediately. It is a dark day when you find yourself a misfit even amoung misfits. Because I did not fit the usual stereotypical down and out drug addict that I was somehow less in need than others. Or maybe it was all about the money and if I did not want or need all of their other "services" they would find someone that did.
What do you think?
I think you went in there with a know it all attitude and they said "NEXT!!!"
Just my humble opinion,
Chezz
Sometimes it helps to be a little less agressive with the attitude and be a little more open to something new like what they had to offer.
Just something to think about,
Chezz