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This community is a place to share information and support with others who are trying to stop using drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco or other addictive substances. Discuss with others, the symptoms of addiction, addiction recovery, ways to quit like tapering and cold turkey, and withdrawal symptoms. If you are interested in general "chat", please visit our Addiction Social Community.
Codiene Addiction
by steve, Jan 04, 2000 12:00AM
I have been a long term user of codiene for almost 20 years. I started with a severe case of sinusitis in my early twenties that eventually required surgery.
After my sinusitis was gone I found myself still taking cold tablets containing codiene. I had been warned by my doctor that this medication could be "habit forming" but I was just too embarrased to ask for help.
I've managed to stop a few times. It's always very hard. But starting up again is so easy. I had a bad bicycle accident about 6 years ago which got me back on big-time.
Currently I'm taking between 6 and 8 9mg codiene/500mg paracetamol per day. I feel good when I take them and bad as soon as I miss a hit.
For reasons I don't really know I've always tried to hide this habit from my wife. She knows I have them around but would freak if she knew the dosage I was on. I hide them in coat pockets, my bike bag, in the car, at work, in my workshop at home. I even stumble across caches that I'd forgotten about.
I even hide my habit from chemist shops by spreading my purchases out over about 6 or 8 of them so no one store recognises I might have a problem. This is bad ****!
I haven't bought any new stuff since just before christmas and all my available supplies ran out 2 days ago. (Believe me - I've checked!!) Here in Australia we can get this over the counter without a prescription.
I AM NOT GETTING ANY MORE!
I feel like ****. Insomnia, headache, high temperature, aching legs. But I know these will be gone in a few days if I can stick with it.
The REAL problem is how not to start up again. Can ANYBODY give me some advice. I'd love to able to ask my doctor or someone, but I can't even bring myself to tell my wife.
I really related to other people stories on this group. This stuff is incidious. I keep saying to myself "what harm can it be doing? - I feel better when I take it!" and gradually talk myself back into thinking it's OK again.
I wish it wasn't so readily available. I'm not the sort of guy who could make up stuff in order to get it via prescription. I guess I have to sort this out for myself. Somehow.
After my sinusitis was gone I found myself still taking cold tablets containing codiene. I had been warned by my doctor that this medication could be "habit forming" but I was just too embarrased to ask for help.
I've managed to stop a few times. It's always very hard. But starting up again is so easy. I had a bad bicycle accident about 6 years ago which got me back on big-time.
Currently I'm taking between 6 and 8 9mg codiene/500mg paracetamol per day. I feel good when I take them and bad as soon as I miss a hit.
For reasons I don't really know I've always tried to hide this habit from my wife. She knows I have them around but would freak if she knew the dosage I was on. I hide them in coat pockets, my bike bag, in the car, at work, in my workshop at home. I even stumble across caches that I'd forgotten about.
I even hide my habit from chemist shops by spreading my purchases out over about 6 or 8 of them so no one store recognises I might have a problem. This is bad ****!
I haven't bought any new stuff since just before christmas and all my available supplies ran out 2 days ago. (Believe me - I've checked!!) Here in Australia we can get this over the counter without a prescription.
I AM NOT GETTING ANY MORE!
I feel like ****. Insomnia, headache, high temperature, aching legs. But I know these will be gone in a few days if I can stick with it.
The REAL problem is how not to start up again. Can ANYBODY give me some advice. I'd love to able to ask my doctor or someone, but I can't even bring myself to tell my wife.
I really related to other people stories on this group. This stuff is incidious. I keep saying to myself "what harm can it be doing? - I feel better when I take it!" and gradually talk myself back into thinking it's OK again.
I wish it wasn't so readily available. I'm not the sort of guy who could make up stuff in order to get it via prescription. I guess I have to sort this out for myself. Somehow.
She was very understanding and had suspected I had a problem for some time. The extent of the problem was the only surprise.
Anyhow, we had a long talk, and she is very supportive in helping me stay off them. We'll give our best shot. I feel very confident that we can do this. Probably for the first time since I got into this sorry state.
My withdrawl symptoms are lessening daily and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. And it's not an oncoming freight train like in the Metallica song!
Thank you Dr Steve and RS for your advice. Keep this forum going! It's a brilliant idea and gives assistance to people on a very tricky subject.
RS - Would you mind expanding on what the harmful effects of long term use of this kind of medication are? Apart from the psychological and physical dependence? I'd like to know some details on what damage it is doing. It will definately help me from starting up again.
hip surgery, leg surgery and for them both i found
myself taking more and more tylenol 3 i don't want
this kind of life anymore but what am i supposed to
do about the pain. i am also on prozac and it seems
like the more i try to get off the tylenol there is
always something else if anyone can understand what i am going through please help me
I have been on tylenol #3 for 10 years. Last week I decided to stop! It was ruining my life completely. Everything was revolving around getting another prescripion, making up false ailments to get the drug. I spent so much time and money in doctor appt's, and filling prescriptions. Just last week I decided to just stop cold turkey on my own. I just now found this forum and wish I would have alot sooner. It has been the week from hell and is enough to make me never want to go through this again. I did not do a taper program wich sounds like it would have definately been a great help. I had hid my addiction for all the years and i was just sick and tired of being sick and tired. You can achieve anything you want to in this life if you just put your mind to it. Find someone to confide in, thats what I did. I sat down with a good friend of mine and confessed it all and asked him for support and help. That is the key to recovery. Consulting your doctor is a great idea, they can help in your symptom reduction. It is not easy my any means but I can tell you your life will change for the better! In just a week I feel like I am finally getting back to the old me. So find a close friend or loved one, get moral support, and tapering will definately minimize your symptoms. I had been taking xanax for a year also, just at night to get to sleep, My doctor showed my how to taper to get off of it, that was not that easy either, but easier than cold turkey. Good luck..talking abou;t it is a great start. Do call a doctor, any doctor, or an addiction center for advice on how to do it safely. You have already made it past the first step,,,accepting the addiction.
After 3 treatment programs I am FREE!!!! All I take is Imitrex injectable and perhaps a few Motrin. I'm 47 and now feel 25.
Get help and 'if you first don't succeed, try like hell again until you do' Ain't easy but if I can do it ... You can to! Love yourself and do not give up. If you happen to fall back get up and try again. Good luck.
I have heard they will screw up my liver.I am married with 2 young children a wife and a bussines to run. I told my doctor about 6 months ago that I was taking around 8 a day, he was not concerned, I have ocipital neuralgia and some nerve damage in my rt arm and hand with pain, that is why I started taking the Tylenol with Codine in the first place. I have stopped taking these in the past for a month and the went back, stopped for a week and went back. The thing is , when I stop using them I am feeling like ****. I am on the toilet all the time and feel clammy sweaty and all around miserable. Is there some method by wich I can clean myself out and get rid of all this **** that must be in my system? I had a drug test done via blood sample about 6 months ago and it came back only to say that I was vitiman e deficiant. HELP ME..PLEASE! I can kick it if only I can get through the next few days. Can any one help with methods of doing this that have worked for you.