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codiene help
Need some help regarding Codiene. I.
Three years ago I got in a major motorcycle accident. Was an hour away from amputations. My doctor at the time rushed to hospital and told staff at emergency. I know this kid he's tough we will fight the infection. I kept my leg and arm after daily visits to a clinic everymorning before work. For open wound dressings packed with Bactronban and Flamozine as well as sponges. To tell you what my Doctor meant about tough. The accident happened on a friday I was present for work monday. Sounds hard to believe but it is true... To the point I was on hydromorph contin 9mg daily, 4mg of dilaudid every 5 hours and oxycontin 40mg twice daily. Let me tell you I was happy to come off that stuff. I was mostly constipated during this time as expected. After I came off the medication it took one week and I was done. Not to be rude I could not leave the bathroom. massive cramps and horrible bowel movements that burned. I was in pain laying on floor. I had some tylenol 1's so I took some. Magically everything stopped. I knew codiene neurologically caused constipation.
So for three years to keep me functional I have to take 10 tylenol 1's in morning and 5 every so often during the day then 10 tablets again at night. I had my liver tested several times and it seems my liver can breakdown the acetominphin. I tried cold turkey and went into seizures. What should I do??
Three years ago I got in a major motorcycle accident. Was an hour away from amputations. My doctor at the time rushed to hospital and told staff at emergency. I know this kid he's tough we will fight the infection. I kept my leg and arm after daily visits to a clinic everymorning before work. For open wound dressings packed with Bactronban and Flamozine as well as sponges. To tell you what my Doctor meant about tough. The accident happened on a friday I was present for work monday. Sounds hard to believe but it is true... To the point I was on hydromorph contin 9mg daily, 4mg of dilaudid every 5 hours and oxycontin 40mg twice daily. Let me tell you I was happy to come off that stuff. I was mostly constipated during this time as expected. After I came off the medication it took one week and I was done. Not to be rude I could not leave the bathroom. massive cramps and horrible bowel movements that burned. I was in pain laying on floor. I had some tylenol 1's so I took some. Magically everything stopped. I knew codiene neurologically caused constipation.
So for three years to keep me functional I have to take 10 tylenol 1's in morning and 5 every so often during the day then 10 tablets again at night. I had my liver tested several times and it seems my liver can breakdown the acetominphin. I tried cold turkey and went into seizures. What should I do??
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Now you guys have me all nervous...
There are several different ways to approach your question. One way is to take it on face value; you are using codeine to reduce bowel activity essentially, and are looking for a way to stop taking it. Are you suggesting that you are not 'psychologically' addicted, but rather just 'physically dependent'? If that is the case (and I don't think it is), you can simply replace the tylenol with immodium, which has a similar effect on bowel motility. I would do a 'cross taper' where each day I would take one less codeine tablet, and I would take the immodium as directed-- essentially a dose after each loose bowel movement. Immodium is sold over the counter; after the change to immodium you can taper that by taking a smaller dose after each successive bowel movement.
It is certainly more complicated though; nobody becomes dependent on codeine for years just for the sake of loose bowel movements. A person as tough as you describe would certainly tolerate a bit of diarrhea.
I think that the situation is less complicated than it first appears. Codeine, as far as your brain is concerned, is morphine. Literally, that is-- codeine is converted to morphine by the liver, and the morphine is responsible for most of the effects of codeine. Also, most opiate addicts have reasons for taking opiates other than 'wanting to abuse opiates'; the reason I hear most often is 'self medication for anxiety', or for depression, or back pain... but self-treatment for constipation is really just another rationalization that the brain devises to keep us using. Realize that NO opiate addict gets 'high' from opiates after the first few fun weeks or so; after that point it is just a ball and chain that people keep returning to, to avoid getting sick. My point is that your best approach is going to be to place yourself in the same category as all of the other people who take opiate medications illicitly, and to find the treatment option that works best for you.
There is a phrase in addiction-- 'terminal uniqueness'-- that refers to the desire we all have to be different from 'those people'-- the people who are 'addicts' and have no reason to be so. 'Those people' don't exist; everyone has a reason to use, and yet nobody does, if that makes any sense.
You have a couple things that you mention about yourself, that work against getting better-- in MY experience, getting clean isn't a matter of being 'tough', it is a matter of recognizing and accepting one's weaknesses. I didn't get clean until I realized, and accepted, that I simply could not control my use of opiates. As long as I tried to win the battle of control, I kept using. Being 'unique' is a negative as well, as it makes it difficult to accept the advice of others.
Read up on the options for treating opiate dependence, and resist the urge to see yourself as different from others. I will point out-- my addiction to IV fentanyl started out with codeine, and my relapse 7 years after treatment was from using... codeine. It is not a benign drug.
I have to get to the airport-- I wish you the best, and hope things work out OK.
JJ
There are several different ways to approach your question. One way is to take it on face value; you are using codeine to reduce bowel activity essentially, and are looking for a way to stop taking it. Are you suggesting that you are not 'psychologically' addicted, but rather just 'physically dependent'? If that is the case (and I don't think it is), you can simply replace the tylenol with immodium, which has a similar effect on bowel motility. I would do a 'cross taper' where each day I would take one less codeine tablet, and I would take the immodium as directed-- essentially a dose after each loose bowel movement. Immodium is sold over the counter; after the change to immodium you can taper that by taking a smaller dose after each successive bowel movement.
It is certainly more complicated though; nobody becomes dependent on codeine for years just for the sake of loose bowel movements. A person as tough as you describe would certainly tolerate a bit of diarrhea.
I think that the situation is less complicated than it first appears. Codeine, as far as your brain is concerned, is morphine. Literally, that is-- codeine is converted to morphine by the liver, and the morphine is responsible for most of the effects of codeine. Also, most opiate addicts have reasons for taking opiates other than 'wanting to abuse opiates'; the reason I hear most often is 'self medication for anxiety', or for depression, or back pain... but self-treatment for constipation is really just another rationalization that the brain devises to keep us using. Realize that NO opiate addict gets 'high' from opiates after the first few fun weeks or so; after that point it is just a ball and chain that people keep returning to, to avoid getting sick. My point is that your best approach is going to be to place yourself in the same category as all of the other people who take opiate medications illicitly, and to find the treatment option that works best for you.
There is a phrase in addiction-- 'terminal uniqueness'-- that refers to the desire we all have to be different from 'those people'-- the people who are 'addicts' and have no reason to be so. 'Those people' don't exist; everyone has a reason to use, and yet nobody does, if that makes any sense.
You have a couple things that you mention about yourself, that work against getting better-- in MY experience, getting clean isn't a matter of being 'tough', it is a matter of recognizing and accepting one's weaknesses. I didn't get clean until I realized, and accepted, that I simply could not control my use of opiates. As long as I tried to win the battle of control, I kept using. Being 'unique' is a negative as well, as it makes it difficult to accept the advice of others.
Read up on the options for treating opiate dependence, and resist the urge to see yourself as different from others. I will point out-- my addiction to IV fentanyl started out with codeine, and my relapse 7 years after treatment was from using... codeine. It is not a benign drug.
I have to get to the airport-- I wish you the best, and hope things work out OK.
JJ
He will......give him a little time.......
would really appreciate If the doctor would reply to post, I read one of his....What an honest guy. To share his own life experience...wow..I,m sure he can help one way or another...
not true,, i have been taking opiates for 29 years ,, admittely the first23 years nott daily, couldn't get enough of them then , and until 1980 there wasnt muich except t-3"s but from 2003 til now i have taken opiates every day accept for 34 days in jail,, and i have been able to control it to where i still get high off 1/4 of an 30 mg. oxycontin and a 7.5/325 hydrocodone. i also have access to a+ grade marijana and have been daily smoker for 32 years accept when incarcerated.until just recently as i have a great desire to get my dl back after 19 years. which brings us to my other addiction , and the reason i really started on the opiates in later years,,HANGOVERS, yes i have always been an alcoholic, from 32 years back, the opiates took the hangovers away....
presently i rarely drink,accept for tonight ,, now i dont smoke ,,hard though cuz i have to process it,,but the fact is i still get high off small amounts of opiates ,as long as i dont ever take more than 20mg. at one time, wheather its oxy or hydro,,i am on a pain contract for a certain amount of narcotics per month with my doctor, that seems to help, although i have gotton more frome the underground if needed,,(for my wife ,another story i'm sooo worriede bout her)i also am prescribed 45 mgs of alprazolam a month ,but rarely take more than 5 mgs,, but just knowing its there helps, in case i ever have to totally stop the 30 mgs of opiates im allowed per day. sorry to go on but i have to disagree with wat u said ,, cuz i still get "high" off very small amount of opiate even after all these years........
presently i rarely drink,accept for tonight ,, now i dont smoke ,,hard though cuz i have to process it,,but the fact is i still get high off small amounts of opiates ,as long as i dont ever take more than 20mg. at one time, wheather its oxy or hydro,,i am on a pain contract for a certain amount of narcotics per month with my doctor, that seems to help, although i have gotton more frome the underground if needed,,(for my wife ,another story i'm sooo worriede bout her)i also am prescribed 45 mgs of alprazolam a month ,but rarely take more than 5 mgs,, but just knowing its there helps, in case i ever have to totally stop the 30 mgs of opiates im allowed per day. sorry to go on but i have to disagree with wat u said ,, cuz i still get "high" off very small amount of opiate even after all these years........
Thank you, Dr. J...........Really nice response.
NautyOne.........
NautyOne.........
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