Need help quiting cough syrup!

[shadowknight]

Hi. I am 23 years old and have been abusing a cough syrup on a regular basis since July. Around 4 days back when I last consumed it, I felt weird and dull the other day so I paniced and made up my mind that I'll stop it. Since that day I've been feeling dull and my body feels weak. Also, I've a hard time sleeping. I feel scared most of the time, specially when I try falling asleep and because of that I am not able to sleep properly. Even though I am not able to sleep properly, still I am feeling sleepy most of the time. I would like to know how the recovery process for this works and how long will it take and if whether I'd need to take any medications?

Also, if I stop now, will I be ok in the future?

Please help.

[misseashell]

Wow, I have read a lot of these comments and they are inspiring and relatable.

I am 17, I have been taking cough and cold pills for about the past two years. I almost overdosed more than once and have witnessed my friend taken  to the ER during an overdose while mixed with alchohol. I have some in my system right now, actually. I need to stop. I was too young to realize what I was doing when I began taking these pills. I have dug myself into a hole that has changed me forever. Although dextromethoraphan has made me feel beautiful in so many ways i can not express, I can not go on with this drug addiction. Symptoms are slowly but surly increasing. Stomache problems, dizzyness, fatigue, ADD, slowness on reacting, weight loss, weakness.

Slowly but surly my body is shutting down on me and I think if i stop now I can preserve and repair the physical damage done due to the large ammount of pills consumed.

A scarry calculation :
2 boxes / week (each box containing 16 pills)
for 2 years = 3,072 pills consumed.

I love life so much, I wish I didnt hurt my body to the extent. But what is done is done and now is the time that I really need to snap out of it. Wake up! If I want to continue living, go to college, fall in love, have baby,
I must get off the dextromethorphan addiction.

Good luck to everyone who has a problem.
It is a crazy universe. Life is precious and fragile

[lonelyguyy]

i hope now u are clean. i had been addicted to cough syrup for 4year and my wife son left me, i had been so depressed, i know the pain of quitting cough syrup, i dont have much friend and i use cough syrup to make me feel better for my depressed for the past 4year. because of those addicted drug med it mess my life up and i regret taking it but i know it's too late for me to save my marry and painful past. right now i try to quitting it and take a new life may god bless me

[rewand]

This corex addiction is probably the worst of all addictions ! It surely messes up your life.While the initial high you get at the beginning is alluring, the prolonged use leads to acute depression and an attitude that "Hell, I care "  . I am a prolonged user almost six years and I can tell you that there's nothing worse than Corex. I have even given it up for a period of six months but then I again fell into it at the slightest temptation such as feeling low on a day, feeling victimised and so on. The point is you will always remain vulnerable even when you give up !  So even as you try to be clean, remember that everyday you don't take the syrup is a big accomplishment you should be proud of. I tell you guys, tell it to yourself everyday "Enough is enough with this ****..and I got to do so many things in life". I have given up this **** now but ever so, I always tell myself " Bloody, you are a guy for heaven sake....act like one. " Damn,it's the law of nature to fight for your survival and giving up this **** is only the first step. GUYS, YOU ALL CAN DO IT - God damn, there's more beauty in life than this ****

[gf2addict]

i have been helping my boyfriend fight the addiction to cough meds. the symptoms u describe is what he goes through when coming off the cough meds. he has no access to any money now. he has been clean for a month. he says its very hard to fight the need but its worth it. go to ur doctor and see u can be prescribed ambian for help on sleeping. he said thats best sleep aide and no side effects in the morning. best of luck.

[topchef27]

Hey All: I am 26 years olf and I have been addicted to sleeping pills and cough syrup going on 3 years now. It started with sleeping pills and then it wasn't working anymore and then I had to up them till I was taking like 13-16 pills just to go to sleep. Then it made me start feeling really weird like I wanted to go to sleep but couldn't. My throat would close up and I would just lay in bed for hours NOT SLEEPING. I then found cough syrup and that worked I switched between them but they get the job done. I tried really hard to quit and was good for about a month and then my itch came back and now it seems impossible to stop because I know what comes next. Crankyness and no sleep and feeling like crap. I know what it can do to my body and somehow that should make me care but it doesn't. I really want to stop and fall asleep like a regular person but I have been reading these posts and sorry to say but there are no real suggestions that would help me.

[Unknown_User]

Hi
I'm 28 years old and I've been hooked on to this habit for more than 10 years. It started when Once I bought Corex for an severe cough. I got a high and was addicted to it since then. What really disgusts me is that I'm also responsible for spoiling one more life along with me i.e, of my girlfriend. It gives me bouts of depression. She is also on cough syrups with me for all this time. My life really is in shambles. I've quited my job (I was working with American Express and had a good future) and have been sitting unemployed for past 4 years. If it wouldn't have been for my girlfriend who is working it would have been impossible for me to survive. We spend daily more than 350Rs on smokes and cough syrups. Right now I've been taking Rexcof which is a cough syrup of an different brand.

I just keep on playing computer games 24x7 with my room closed and am very attached to my dog. Who has incidentally suffered because of my habit. Couple of times earlier I did tried to kick this habit but could not cause one of us backed out.

But now as I'm growing older and getting depressed about wasting so much time of my life I've once and for all decided to quit this habit after discussing this with my girlfriend. I really donot want to go to an rehab.

It's been 3 days today and I will keep all of you guys updated what happens next.

Also I'd like to mention that my elder brother was also addicted to Spasmo Proxyvon and even after marriage he wasn't able to kick the habit. He is facing the consequences now and has gone to a very good private hospital in New Delhi which has admitted him for fifteen days to help him to kick the habit and live a normal life. This is what has really spooked me and led me to take this decision.

My girlfriend and me are also facing withdrawal effects of Cough syrups such as body ache especially in legs and arms while going to sleep. Any help will be appreciated to kill the pain.
UnKnown User

[Unknown_User]

Yes, it's been almost a decade and I haven't touched this ****. If I can do this so everyone can. Just believe in yourself folks.