Nurofen plus withdrawal

[chewey]

Hi everyone - I have just come across this forum - and would like to ask help and advice.  I have been taking nurofen plus (ibuprofen + codeine sulphate 12.8 mg per tablet) for 5 years - I take about 24 tablets per day (all at once - like the feeling along with the pain killing effects)
I must give these up - for I understand this is addiction - and must find another way to deal with pain.
I guess nurofen is much like tylenol (2? 3? 4?) - dont know which one.
So on Sunday I took 24 and on Monday I took 12 - felt lousy today and took another 12 - the plan is to stay on 12 for 3 days and then go to 6 for 3 days.
Do you think this is feasible?  I have to continue working and functioning - I have a family of 4............ So - I cannot just go c/t.  I am thinking that perhaps cutting to 6 on Thurs might be too much, but I am due to go to the US on the 14th for a week with my daughter - work and fun - and I want to be off for that trip.
Any advice would be so helpful.
Thank you in anticipation
chewey

[cerebrus]

Sometimes the medical profession has a preferred treatment option that they defer to rather than talking through the other possibilities. If you or your husband are not happy with him going on methadone - and this does seem an extreme step - ask to talk through these other options.

From your reading of this group you probably know these already; the three ways to get off codeine are:-
1. Cold Turkey.
2. Taper off your codeine dose, preferably with prescribed codeine rather than the N+.
3. Substitute the codeine with another medication and taper off that.

On the last point, there is an alternative to methadone called Subutex - or Suboxone or just Subs. This has far less addictive tendencies than methadone and would be worth asking about if the addiction team want to substitute your husband’s codeine.

Many years before I became a codeine addict - now on day 65 without codeine - I had a serious road accident and took Subutex (then called Temgesic) for 10 months for pain relief. I had no idea that these pills were for anything other than pain relief, never got a buzz from them and stopped taking them when I no longer needed them for pain relief, with no withdrawal or side effects. Temgesic are a lower dose form of Subutex but defiantly worth asking about.

And, in dealing with medical people, I learnt three things from spending some time dealing with them when I was younger – certainly the good old NHS; always talk to your doctor from a position of knowledge rather than just put yourself in their hands; doctors are just as fallible as the rest of us and medicine is not an exact science; and thirdly always ask if there are other or alternative options available in addition to the treatment they are recommending.

Good luck and all the best, Cerebrus.    

[louisa218]

The drug team have now been in touch with my husband and he has an appointment with their doctor in two weeks time.  However I was very shocked to hear that they want to put him on METHADONE!!!! Isn't this a drug to get people off heroine?????  
They have said that it is another opiate and although I realize heroine and codeine are both opiates I'm dumbfounded that he could be put on such a powerful drug to get off N+

It's really hit home today how massively dangerous this addiction is.....

Louisa

[pump88]

I didnt realise this was such a common issue. I have been taking N+ for 5-6 years since i broke a bone, but have continued to use it daily (15-20 tabs a day). I found it calmed me initially, then progressively I didnt feel i could face the world etc without taking them. I have tried twice to stop, the agony of the headache and body pains were so horrible, I went straight back to them. Hiding them from friends and family. I swallow 5 at a time, around the same time each day, regardless if any pain or not. If I do have a headache or bit of a hangover - then i increase and include valium and phenergan.

I have no idea how to stop this. Obviously it cannot be good to do so.
For those who have experienced intense agony from not taking - please please suggest how you began/ tried/ succeeded/ reduced quantity.

I still cant believe there is a forum here that expresses exactly how i feel.

[AnniePhD]

I quit nurofen plus 1 week ago today. Was addicted for about 10 months, but did quit a few times the first few months. Since January I it just escalated, and the last month I took 20-30 pills per day. I am a pharmacist and I KNEW BETTER, but it was just out of my control. I think its terrible that its so easy to get these highly addictive pills just by going to different pharmacies every day, most of the time without showing ID. I'm from a European country where the equivalent drugs can only be obtained if you have a prescription. Shortly after I moved to Australia 1 year ago, I got a flue and was offered these pills from a colleage. Few weeks after I found my self taking them even when I didn't need them,

Have been under a lot of pressure at work recently so I was taking about 30 per day, until last week when I went to a birthday party and had a few drinks. Stress, alcohol and the pills caused my body to shut down. I threw up, felt weak, had severe pain in my stomach the following days and got really scared. So I decided to quit once and for all. Was the toughest week of my life. In order to cope with the withdrawal I bought cough syryp with codein, which does not give a kick like the pills, but removes the withdrawal symtoms. And now I'm off the cough syrup as well. Feeling better and better and have been to a doctor to deal with my stress, anxiety and depression. He prescribed me oxazepam, which also helps with the withdrawal a bit, and calms my nerves. Didn't tell him about my codeine addiction, though. I feel so ashamed, and nobody knows about it!

Read an article about a woman who died due to kidney failure because of nurofen plus. The ibuprofen is very dangerous in large doses - causes stomach ulcers, damage to the kidneys and increases the risk of stroke. I just hope I wont fall back into this downward spiral ever again, but I know it is so easy...

[Calidore]

Hi Louisa,

I don't want to say much while your husband is receiving treatment except to say that I am happy as Perch said that he has looked for it himself and I think this is a good sign and means he is on the road to recovery. It is likely that the amount of pills he has been taking is causing many of the unpleasant symptoms he has been experiencing, and due to the addictive nature of the drug also generating a short term relief when he has felt the need to settle his nerves each day.

I took a large number of pills, about 30, a day for about eight months and only stopped when I developed an ulcer that started bleeding and becoming life threatening. I got back into it after the ulcer was treated and over time the ulcer returned, but I have stopped taking them regularly and have found my mood and temper have improved a lot. I think when taking them I wasn't giving myself real rewards in life and was really mildly depressed as pills were all I wanted to look forward to. Likewise I think your husband will be much happier once he has got over the physical withdrawal and is able to spend more time engaging in constructive activities. Sounds a bit like jolly hockey sticks but I'm sure you'll both be fine once the 60 pills a day are not hanging over your life like a cloud.

Cali.

[perch101]

I am so very sorry to hear about your Mum :-( Times are indeed tough for you right now.....

It is GOOD news that your husband has initiated his recovery... this really does make a difference because his need to want to  change and overcome this addiction needs to be strong... It does sound like he wants to be better.

When I was abusing them my short term memory was affected... I didn't slur my words though but I was taking about half of what your hubby is so maybe thats why... When he's clean I think you will see a marked difference in him.

Please take care of yourself.... I know your husband needs help and it's great you are standing by him (in sickness and in health hey! Hopefully you will get the health soon!) but you have so much going on yourself ..... your dear Mum so sick... you have a baby....(18 months is a real handful!)  your hubby has his bi-polar and now addiction...... Get any support you can. You can google al-anon in your area.... they are a free support group for people who have people close to them battling addiction. They can really help in ways you can't even imagine - because it will be full of people going through what you are with your husband.

I can totally understand you not wanting to burden your Mum with this at the moment - do you have a girlfriend or another family member you can confide in? It does help talking about it. Otherwise a counsellor or psychologist can help ....

Also... another good idea is to copy and paste your original post and post it in the addiction-living with an addict (I think its called?) forum, have you checked that forum out? It's pretty new....

When your partner is an addict - you want to do everything to surport them stopping the addiction and nothing to support it continuing (which it DOES sound like your doing) so yes, tough love is often needed. It can be easy to 'enable' an addict with out even realising it.... is he still on 60 a day or has he tapered down, or even gone cold turkey and in withdrawal? Or is he wating until he has assistance from the drug team?

Some people can taper, but most addicts find it hard (can always find a reason to pop a few extra) and go 'cold turkey'. There are things he can take to make withdrawal a bit better... but unfortunately coming off that level of codeine taken each day is going to be uncomfortable and unpleasant. A good GP can prescribe something appropriate to help... but some of these can be addictive in themselves so need to be taken short term and under careful supervision of a doctor....

Does he have any stomach issues? The level of ibuprofen taken each day will cause ulcers, heartburn and more. It caused a stomach ulcer for me and that and much worse for others who have posted on this thread.

Hang in there....I'm sure other regulars on this thread will be along soon...A lot of them wont check the thread for a few days...In the meantime I'm sending prayers for you and your Mum....... :-)