Help with Codeine Withdrawal

[OpiateWDHelp]

Hi I'm new here and wondered if anyone could give me some advice and help with my codeine withdrawal. I'm literally going through hell at the minute.

I'm on my 5th day of withdrawal from around 300mg daily of codeine. I managed to obtain some Tramadol for the first few days and that did help slightly but since I ran out of those it's horrible. I'm on the edge of giving up right now.

I'm doing this by choice as I just can't carry on using codeine for the wrong thing. It was initially for a knee problem I have but it just got out of hand and I was taking more more and more each time.

After speaking to the GP he prescribed me around 15 2mg tablets of Diazepam, 30 2mg tablets of Loperamide and 30 10mg tablets of Amitryptiline. These have all helped slightly but not much. I managed to get to sleep eventually last night but woke up at 4am and just felt so agitated and my legs were so itchy and weird like I couldn't stay still. Eventually I just got up and sat down stairs suffering.

I'm just so useless at the minute and have a wife and two kids so I just can't carry on like this. If anyone has any help or advice for me and if they have an idea of how long I have left of this living hell?

Thanks.

 

[SS373dOH]

The good news is codeine is a fairly weak opiate, the acute wd phase usually lasts up to a week, depending on doses, how long youve used for ect. The tramadol might have only delayed it, so you may have a few more days to go. Take hot baths/showers, these feel great during wd. But then you have to deal with post acute wd, the mental aspect of things, this could last months to a lifetime, I suggest you read up on it ,to know what youre getting into.


- Hopeless 7nos

 

[ross46]

I used to take 240mg of codeine a day with 400mg of tramadol and a butrans patch. i forgot to put a new patch on and started going into withdrawal. i've never gone to the 5 day mark but use the diazepam to try and stop the legs twitching, get a cold towel and rest it across the back of your neck which helps with the chills/ sweats and i used nytol (diphenhydramine) to get to sleep. it was the unable to sleep because of my legs jerking and going through the chills and sweats which got me. it's mentally exhausting. i agree with the overhead poster that you should look into what to expect from the withdrawal and how long it takes. this site has loads of withdrawal information which is of use. stay strong and good luck

 

[Opiatehell85]

Hey Hunni, don't give up! I was addicted to 1000mg a day of codeine, it was absolute hell. A months script would last me three days then I'd buy online and from pharmacy, I know the withdrawal is hell I don't care what anyone says about it being a weak drug. If u read my first few posts on here you'll see my story on me begging for help. I ended up going to rehab and being put on Buprenophine, I couldn't taper and cold turkey put me in hospital. It usually gets better in a week, but the cravings last so much longer. I haven't touched one in 5 months and I still crave. Keep going it will be worth it. If you don't your tolerance will go up and up like mind did. Good luck and u can pm me if you need any advice xoxo

 

[Opiatehell85]

Also, if you can get hold of any gabapentin then they are great in withdrawal, if you've never had them then a small dose of 200mg will take away a few hours of withdrawal hell. There's also lofexidine. That helps brilliantly too. Ask your doc about them if you are struggling.

 

[Crack'r]

At 5 days you should be getting close to being over the worst of it. But I suppose you stopped cold turkey from 300 mg a day? That makes it much more rough than if you had tapered down to a small dose and then jumped. Tapering isn't necessarily fun but no where near the pain of WD.

50 mg of Benadryl should help you sleep and I try to sleep thru the worst parts. A hot long soak in a bath with epsom salt will help your legs. Though I just went thru it and didn't have any leg pain like last time. I had an old Baclofen Rx that seemed to really help. Loperamide is immonium (OTC) for diarrhea and is actually an opiate but too big to pass the blood- brain barrier. It does seem to help ease the withdrawal effects a little in a slightly higher dose, around 10-16 mg. It also lasts over 24 hours so technically only need to take once a day. I took 10 mg night before, 6 mg the morning of and then 4 mg more if I visited the restroom. Happened a few times a day and I used that as a sign to take more and think it probably stayed a pretty even level the 3 days I took it.

Exercise may sound terrible now but as you can try to go on some walks. It helps my legs feel better and gives you something to do to get out the house.

It's probably not great but I also self medicated some to ease the pain when I couldn't sleep. Pot and a couple drinks helps. But I would only drink 2 maybe 3 drinks or you may make things worse. Definitely don't want a hangover on top of it. I've heard people say drinking was terrible for them but it helped a little and was something to get thru a few hours while listening to music on headphones and trying to ignore the rest of my body.

But if you just don't think you can make it thru you can try a very small dose of opiates but you are playing with fire. Like at least a quarter or a fifth of what you were last taking at one time, or even less. Not a quarter of what you took over a whole day. Also, take it orally and not any other way you may have used. And I would do this at most once a day for 2-3 days max just to help ease WD to get thru worst part. If you feel high at all you took (way) too much. Want just enough to make withdrawls ease up and calm down slightly. I would try not to do this at all though and only if you are really about to use again to make the pain stop. I actually just did this very thing and this time was so much easier than last time. I don't know if it was a combination of everything? But when the pain got where I could barely take it anymore along with the pain I started taking opiates for in first place, and it was just enough to take the edge off and give me the strength to keep going. Without playing with this more I don't know how beneficial it is yet and it could possibly extend WD or at least the more minor things that seem to last longest. But the last thing you want to do is take the amount you were taking and possibly lose the ground you made over last 5 days.

You are almost thru it! Don't give up and it will be over soon enough! Just remember pain is temporary and just a little electric signal. You do have the ability to overcome it. Even if you have to stare at the clock and say I can make it 5 more minutes. And after that 5 more minutes. And so on. Sometimes things are easier in small steps. Also, a massage from the wife can't hurt. Or if your kids are small enough, have them walk on your back. Anything that can make you feel just a little better. And just think how much better life can be once you are clean and not reliant on pills. Do it for your kids! I think any dad is willing to fight hardest for his children.

It's almost over!

 

[OpiateWDHelp]

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for all your advice and support. It took another 3 days for the awful anxiety and sickness/sweats etc to go away but now I have trouble sleeping. I just can't stop moving my legs in bed and just can't get comfortable.

The other night I didn't sleep a second and had to go through the whole day after with no sleep feeling like death. Anybody know how long this lasts for? It's unbearable. I've been given Amitryptiline to help but it doesn't seem to knock me out enough to work effectively.

All of your kind words kept me pushing through. It really is the worst 'illness' I've ever experienced. I literally felt like ending it all and I've never felt that way before. So I thank you all. ???

Regards