codeine withdrawel

[peay]

How will I know I am going through withdrawel for Codeine?.I was taking Tylex for about 8 years. Severe back pain and the dreaded restless legs. If anyone has a cure for that I would be mega grateful. I started coming off Tylex six days ago as I was getting 24 hour a day itching.I had scratched all the skin of my back and it was bleeding and infected alot of the time. I didn't have a moment in those years without itching. I couldn't stand it any longer and last week I went to the doctors and she put me on Pregabalin. I feel awful but I don't know whether it's because I haven't had any Codeine or if it's side effects to the new drug. My head feels muggy and I go dizzy and nearly fall over. I have been sneezing alot since last week but I don't know whether it's due to this.Running to the bathroom alot. I want to go back to the doctors this week to come off pregabalin as I'm  blaming this but of course I could be so wrong. I've never had an addiction so I don't know what to expect. I'm 51 and female. Any help would be appreciated. Good luck to everyone who's fighting the miseries of these things.

[anon2031]

here is my experience I went to the doctor because i had a bad tooth ache that was really getting bad to deal with, but I knew it was only temporary.

I said i need something stronger than normal painkillers to take care of this. So he gave me codapane forte. This has 500mg paracetamol and 30mg codeine phosphate.

When I took this, I was really suprised, it felt like pure herion through my blood. I have never had herion, but it felt like my body was just constantly having an orgasm kind of feeling. I thought this is too much pleasure.

I was still having the toothache after a few days so I got more of it. You may think why didnt i go to a dentist. Well first i hate dentists so much i had bad experience with them trying to put fillings in my teeth when i didnt need them. So unless i know for sure i need to go i dont. And the toothache has since gone away and is fine now.

But anyway afterawhile i got addicted to this pleasure feeling it was giving me. I went back for my I think 4th packet of it. (the doctor so does not care and just gives a script away without thinking about anything)

So this will be my last packet im going to get. And I can tell you I think its the codeine in this, that is really really bad. I only ever took the recommended dose. Most I ever took was 8 in a day. But my body sure got use to it fast. I still get the pleasure feeling. But I tried to ease back on it reading some of the stories here and havn't taken any for a day. When I don't take it, my legs ache, and i feel weaker, i get flu symptoms and sometimes sorish head. and feel jittery and feverish. It's actually terrible.
feel like a junky, and I havn't even been taking much of it. But they feel like herion pills or something. When i get the withdrawels i think wow this stuff must sure be bad. I ended up taking it not for my toothache but for the europhic high it was giving me.

Don't take this stuff. Try only have normal painkillers and thats it. Cause Im telling you it's like using drugs, full on.

Now im going to have to go through withdrawel when this packet is finished like a junky. Just a warning to people.

[sudie58]

hi, yes, hubby is prescribed it from his gp, is an NHS prescription, i hope you get on ok at the doctors, if it helps the sort of pain you get, i cant see why you wouldnt get some, fingers crossed for you, take care.

[peay]

Hi, good to hear from you. I wanted to ask if your husband gets this drug on precription and if it's available in pharmacies. I so want to try it. it would make my life so much better if it works. Hope it available on a NHS prescription. I can't do anything until thursday but i hope he lets me try it. all the best

[sudie58]

its good to see you post again, its funny, i thought i recognised the name, my hubby has some for his hip/leg pain (sciatica) cant spell,  but as you know i am in uk too, i didnt realise it was non opiate, it does help him,i hope it can help you, take care,

[peay]

Hi to everyone,
I've been doing some research on painkillers. I have come to the conclusion that I must be allergic to every painkiller that I've tried. A month without Tylex and still I'm  itching to distraction. I've found info on a super drug. It's supposed to be non addictive. It isn't an Opioit. Doesn't contain paracetamol or aspirin. The drug also helps chronic fatigue and insomnia. It would suit me to the ground. It's called Flupirtine. Not available in the US but it might be possible to get it in the UK if you have an understanding GP. I think it has to be imported from Germany. I'm seeing my back specilist in a couple of days so I will broach the subject with him. It sounds too good to be true. Does anyone know anything about this drug? Please get back to me if you do. All the best.

[peay]

Hi
I'm getting through I think. Certain things have stopped now like most of the flu symptoms. Just have the phantom cough although it feels very real to me. No longer feeling dizzy and I think the diarrhoer is going off now. The dreaded itching is still with me. I think part of that could be due to other things I take. Trying to find a painkiller to get through the night. I'm using paracetamol at bedtime but it isn't strong enough. I'm not taking anything through the day. I've been researching pain relief but I haven't found anything yet. Almost three weeks now since i've been off Codeine. i hope everyone is doing okay and are finding a way to get through this. All the best

[atthebeach]

hey how are you feeling? you havent posted in a few days. when you post on the thread everyone can read it. please let us know how you are doing. keep the faith and stay strong
debbie

[peay]

Hi,
I'm not sure how this works, whether everyone see's the messages or just the people I send replies to. I've never tried one of these forums before. I've had some great responses. It's nice to know I'm not the only one. Thankyou to everyone who has got back to me and good luck to everyone who uses this site. We're all in this together,

[peay]

Hi,
i don't think the sleeplessness has kicked in yet. Still going through the fulike symptoms. It feels real in quite a few ways. My last two nights have been better. I can never sleep through the night but just getting off to sleep is a good start. Wake up quite alot but I consider it a good night if I can go back to sleep again. I'm worried more about lack of sleep than anything. So many withdrawel symptems to deal with. Losing track of the days but otherwise I'm not feeling too bad. I hope all is well with you and you're doing okay. Thankyou for the post

[sudie58]

i hope you are doing ok  and the sleeplessness not too bad.

[sudie58]

your right we cant get melatonin, i did use valerian root, and camomile tea, i think it helped a bit, codeine can be a depressive so i also got quite low coming off them ,but as with all these things it did pass. hot baths with epsom salts also helped. i think the best you can do with the lack of sleep is to try to just distract yourself from it, i did crosswords, watched films, read, anything to take my mind off the fact i was awake while others slept!
your doing well, take care, god bless.

[peay]

Thankyou for your message. I'm not too bad today. Felt quite normal really. I haven't felt the flulike symptoms today. Really despondant yesterday but quite cheerful today. I feel on top of things at the moment. I had a good swimming session and three of my mates were there and there's always alot of laughing between us. The car passed it's MOT so I will be swimming again on monday. I've had various treatments for the back and leg pain. The painkillers worked the best. After 8 years of taking them they still worked well so i didn't need to take any extra. I didn't think I could become addicted as I have never abused them. The itching was okay pretty much for the first couple of days. I still have it and it still drives me mad. My back is a mess of scratches and sores. The scabs barely have time to form without being scratched off again. One lady I know from swimming, she's Jamacan and very sweet keeps looking at my back and asks me if I'm okay. She touches my back and smiles at me full of pity. She means well.  

I didn't think we could get Melatonin here. Banned or not registered or something. I might have a look at herbal medicines. A few weeks ago I bought Sulphur tablets and also a bottle of stinging nettle tablets. The sulphur helps with the itching for all of five minutes.Nothing else ever has.In the meantime I will carry on with my fight. Hope to hear from you again. Have a great evening.

[atthebeach]

good morning, good for you. you thought about it but didnt take it. your desire to be clean has to be stronger than your desire to use. sleep will return, your seratonin that helps you sleep was blocked by your codeine use. it will start to transmit again. be patient. you put the codeine into your body for yrs. the toxins have to be cleansed out and the consequences there of. it will take your mind,body,soul and spirit time to heal. have you been to physical therapy,chiropractor,acupuncture for your pain? many times the pain actually is worse during use and immediately after stopping. your body has to begin to produce the natural chemicals again. try stretching,walking,over the counter meds. keep pn swimming.  try valerian root,sleepy time tea,melatonin for sleep.many times it helps. how is the itching doing? i pray it is better.
keep fighting the good fight.
blessings to you

[peay]

Hi, thanks for the post. You have done really well coming off codeine. I felt so ill yesterday I felt I was losing the plot. I just wanted it all to go away. I thought about taking it but i didn't.  I get desperate at night with my back pain. The worst of it is in my legs.I  would be interested in how you ,managed to sleep again and what you went through. My biggest fear is lack of sleep. You have done so well for 100 days. That seems a long way off for me. All the best

[sudie58]

hi, i also come from uk, and got addicted to codeine, prescribed from g.p, i just wanted to wish you well, sleep was the longest thing to return for me, it drove me mad!  i have been clean well over a 100 days now, you can do this and its so worth it!  god bless.

[peay]

Hi Debbie
The tag says you live in New Jersey. Never been there. Never been anywhere out of this country. I said I lead a quiet life didn't I? I'd like a life without pain and bad health. I think we just take what the doctor gives us and we don't even think about it. I was reading the autobiography of Johnny Cash last year. He had many addictions with precription painkillers.He had other issues too but he battled hard to get through them.

[peay]

Hi Debbie
Great to hear from you. I might well have other addictions but not many I'm glad to say. I've been taking sleeping tablets for six years. A godsend. I am on Celebrex too for Arthitis. Two months now. I was on it for about three years some time ago. I stopped taking it but I suffered no problems. I think I'm due off it again next week when I see the specialist. Other addictions, let me think. Can't think of anything. I don't drink alcohol, don't smoke or  do any class A drugs. I lead a quiet life. I have a very nice addiction. I love watching garden birds. I film them close up. They make me feel so good. Even yesterday when I had the worse of the flulike symptoms I was still able to watch stroppy Starlings on the feeder. I think hobbies and interests are important to make us feel good. Swimming of course has the same affect. I think everyone ought to have hobbies.Please tell me your story and how you're getting on. Which part of the world do you live in if you don't mind me asking. i'm glad I found this site and talking to yourself and MrNewhope.

[peay]

Hi,
My biggest concern is sleep or rather the lack of it. Nothing to do with Codeine. All of my life I have been unable to sleep. Maybe two hours every three nights. Just enough to keep me alive.I take sleeping tablets. One a night. I couldn't even sleep as a baby. I wonder about these tablets of course but I would have no life without them. My flulike symptoms seem a little better this morning. I felt so ill last night I just wanted it all to go away. I saw the Tylex there but I wasn't going to throw all of my hard work away. I might take the tablets back to the pharmacy today. Out of site out of mind hopefully, Can i ask your bugbear in the opiot world? Don't think I have spelt that right. If I feel better later I might go through all the threads again.About 11 years worth. Going swimming again. I can forget all of my worries there. Of course they're all waiting for me when I get home. Good to hear from you again. Lots of luck

[atthebeach]

Congrats on those 7 days. Good for you you went swimming.exercise as much as you can that will help your recovery. It gets the natural chemicals in your brain started again that was suppressed from the drug use. You said you never had an addiction before. Please be careful.  It is very easy to fall back into it  or to switch to another drug or alcohol. Oh yes addiction doesn't discriminate it takes all prisoners captive and binds them with chains that are very hard to loose. It is a monster. it spans the globe. keep the faith. Be encouraged. This battle can be won
Sending you hope acroos the atlantic
Debbie

[MrNewHope]

You're very welcome.  The sleep or lack of is perfectly normal.  I like to lower the bar and say you will get NO sleep whatsoever after a few weeks of withdrawal just because if I do get a little sleep, I feel lucky lol  But typically people get around 3-5 hrs of sleep for a few weeks.  Sleep has to come naturally, don't force it and just let it be if you can't sleep.

I hear you on the codeine laws there. My mother in law is in eastern europe and noticed she has glass of those solpadeine fizzing tablets every morning just about.  I know it's pretty low on the codeine meter but knowing about my addiction, I worry about her very much.

Keep posting, this forum is brilliant.

[peay]

Hi, Thankyou for taking the time to get back to me. I wish my doctor had warned me. She just stopped the Tylex dead and didn't say a word.I still have plenty in the house. I have no desire to take the things. I think it's day 7 now. Went swimming yesterday, felt ill but I didn't drown. Today I feel as though I have a bad cold. Runny nose and all of the usual.Running a temperature but surely I'm through the worse or am I? Lack of sleep is a big problem. I live in England. Codeine is governed I think by laws but it's still easy to come by if you buy it in paracetamol tablets. Strangely enough I am not bothered having the tablets in the house. I only took them for pain. I didn't get the Feel-good factor that some people have been writing about. I was only on a low dose. I'm wondering how long I will continue itching. That is by far the worse thing and the reason I stopped taking them. Tapering wouldn't work for me. I would need my GP for that and she doesn't listen to anything I say. Straight in the surgery and straight out with a prescription is her style. I've told my partner and my mates so I'm not working alone. This forum is brilliant. I had no idea so many people were having these kinds of problems. Thankyou for the support.

[MrNewHope]

codeine IS NOT as strong as hydrocodone or even oxycodone... sorry typo

but on that note, an opiate is an opiate is an opiate :)

[MrNewHope]

This sounds all too familiar and perfectly normal from opiate withdrawal.  The symptoms typically last a week for the physical withdrawal symptoms.

On the very bottom right of this site there's a link to Thomas Recipe and Amino Acid Protocol, take every bit of advise it has.

The legs is a b*tch I know. For restless legs there's bannanas, potassium vitamins, there's an OTC called Restless Legs by Hylands that you slip under your tongue, I usually put like 6 under my tongue lol, Hot baths with Epsom Salt, I also found that a massage vibrating device between your legs could keep you still for a bit.

Now these won't get rid of the restless legs, they just make it a little better and there might be a placeabo effect to some of them but hey lol

I take it your in Europe? Only coz I see codeine is quite popular there.  Now I'm no scientist but I think the good news for you is that codeine is as strong as hyrdocodone or even oxycodone, so your withdrawals shouldn't be as bad as others.   Just get through it and stay clean from codeine.  Look for alternate meds for pain that doesn't contain any opiates or is addicting.  

Trust me, lots of people know how you feel, keep reading and posting on here. You hit the jackpot coming to this site.