Nice Codeine Megathread

[Pagey]

Alright just...be careful. No one really plans on trying the hard ones at the start. Codeine was gonna be an occasional treat for me and now I have a heroin problem. So yeah. Just be careful

 

[Obie]

Alright just...be careful. No one really plans on trying the hard ones at the start. Codeine was gonna be an occasional treat for me and now I have a heroin problem. So yeah. Just be careful

Jesus, i'm sorry to hear. If you don't mind me asking, how did you decide to first try that? I have certain no go areas that i just know i wouldn't push unless i was actually forced to (prettty much heroin, meth, ketamin and acid) - although maybe i would do them when i was like 70 and have little to lose.

Did you hang around with friends who did it? Or were you literally like one day "i'm going to go out of my way to find some heroin"?

I lead such a sheltered life i wouldn't even know where to get such drugs in London or switzerland.

 

[Pagey]

Nah I don't mind talking about it at all. Well I was very good at sticking to my schedule at first, I only used codeine like once a month, always spaced it out, etc. etc., and then I figured I'd be fine if that once a month turned into two week-ends a month and I started using more often like that.
Then I had an opportunity to try hydros & oxys (I'd been prescribed them a few years ago after an accident but didn't abuse them back then) because well um, I was staying at my grandparents' place for a couple months and my grandfather had recently died of cancer and there were tons of oxys left over so I basically spent the summer on them. Obviously realised they were much better than codeine. And they just made me happy so how could anything bad come out of that?
Then I moved to London and literally just happened to meet someone who had access to heroin. I was curious, thought I was stronger than everyone else, decided I would try it 'just once' to see what the hype was about, and used every single day that week. Downhill from there.

I honestly didn't go out of my way to get any of those drugs. They literally just fell into my lap. Felt lucky at the time but I'm not so sure anymore.

Obviously this doesn't happent o everyone, I'm sure lots of people manage to just stick to codeine and be fine but I've heard of so many people who went down the same road as me, I feel like I need to warn others of the possibility.

 

[Shambles]

Unfortunatley now I am on Oxy, but have just got hold of 300 30mg DHC tablets so am starting a taper today to come off, how often would you recommend spacing my doses of DHC. Would you wait until unbearable and then take or would you plan to take 5 x 5 times a day to keep the dhc in your system?

a) Space doses and wait until unbearable then take the minumum amount you need to not feel terrible.

or...

d) none of the above. 5x5 a day is kinda pointless cos you're just switching from an oxy habit to a DHC habit. You have a fair few DHC pills to play with so you don't need to go with the harsh a) option exactly. You have enough there to coast down reasonably slow 'n' steady. This is what I would do. It's hard to suggest exact dosages as you didn't mention how much oxy you are on and also everybody reacts differently to w/ds. If it's your first or second w/d then it should be a piece of piss. If you've been round the block a few times you'll be used to it but it'll be harder.

Good luck

 

[Obie]

Wow pagey, pretty intense story. Good luck with getting clean, this may sound naive as i am not even a 100th as experienced as you guys - but why not just check into rehab if you don't have any comittments such as work. (I am just assuming this because you are online at 3:45pm - and sorry if it was wrong or insulting).

Also to get this a bit back on topic, i have been up since 10am and haven't eaten anything and don't really feel hungry - although i feel like maybe if i started eating i would regain my appetite. Should i eat something or wait till i am hungry? I am just worried i might puke it up.

 

[Pagey]

Haha, fair question - I'm a full-time uni student, I'm just on my Easter break. Rehab isn't an option because 1. Well I don't want to quit (even though it's been ruining my life, great paradox), 2. Can't afford it so would have to tell my parents (I'm 19 so I can't really fend for myself yet), 3. Would get expelled from uni, 4. Everyone in my life would most likely find out.
So there are lots of reasons really. But mostly I don't feel ready to get clean yet. I'm actually a few weeks clean off H although I've been replacing it with other strong opies so not much better. But anyway.

Regarding the eating thing, if you're not nauseous anymore yeah, go for it. You're not actually sick so it's unlikely you'll throw up again at this point

 

[BadBesty]

Hi Shambles

many thanks for your reply

To give you a little back ground I have been through withdrawls a few times, but off a lot lower doses so just want to bring myself down slowly as have a demanding job and kids and want to affect that as little as possible.

My previous withdrawls were off 300mg codeine a day.

It has gotten to teh point now that I need around 160mg of oxy to hold me and just woke up to the fact that I am spending a fortune now to not get sick rather then enjoy the high it used to bring.

My story is very similar to Pageys above, started doing a CWE once a week, then all weekend, then throw in a Wednesday and then noticed shivers unless I dosed, but all was good as I then found DHC and the magic was back. this was in teh days of p4u and easily accessible. Same happened after a few months and found oxy and bang, teh high was back again!!

Now my choice is step up opiate or drop off where I am and I do not want to go the H route. the fact that I have no access to it at all is a blessing.

I dont want to stop using, I just want to not be dependant on it and go back to enjoying it once a week with a smoke.

To be honest my story will probably just be repeated and I should look to stop it all, but I am in teh fortunate position that I have a good job that pays very well and can afford to keep all of this going with noone noticing.

At a bit of a cross roads really.

I am a smoker at heart and have been a daily herb smoker since 18 and maybe should just go back to enjoying that, but oxy and a smoke is my favourite place in teh world!!!!

 

[Pagey]

^I'm at least very glad to hear you're deciding to get clean rather than move up to H. Be the smarter one

Honestly...I always kinda think going cold turkey is best (for opiates anyway,s ince there's no actual danger). Tapers just drag the whole thing out whereas if you go CT you'll be done after a few days and you'll be so much happier with yousrelf, in my experience. But if you really don't want to I would go with Shambles' a) suggestion.

also, don't get your hopes up too much about being able to just use occasionally if you've got a real problem now...you'll need a pretty large amount of clean time before that's actually realistic, if ever

 

[Shambles]

As you can probably imagine there's a helluva difference between 300mg of codeine and 160mg of oxy. Is gonna be tricky if you need to be able to work every day. If you can get some time off work then do so. If you really can't then it's gonna have to be a longer taper really.

What I would do is probably start on a weekend (or whenever you have a day or two off) and use the time away from work to find the minimum dose of DHC you need to get by on. I'd recommend spreading doses - little and relatively often. Once you know what you need to get by on you can start dropping a dose every day or two. If you reach a stage when you're getting too ropey to work then maybe hold it at that level for a couple days to let your body adjust before starting to drop again. It's as easy and as hard as that.

It really is gonna be a bit of a nightmare if you need to be functional for work though. Even with a reasonably gentle taper you're still gonna be missing loads of sleep, sweaty, anxious, crampy, chronic diarrheah. Nothing like as bad as going CT but I get all those symptoms if I taper codeine too quickly let alone oxy. A week off would be a boon. There's actually another thread up at the moment with a couple doing a seven day detox from oxy and heroin. Might be worth a read as there's more advice from others in there that could apply to you.

Other option would be to taper with oxy the switch to DHC for the last push. If you've got enough oxy to do it that is what I would go for. Should be much easier as all you have to do is take a bit less each day then jump off onto DHC to ease off the last stretch.

 

[Shambles]

Honestly...I always kinda think going cold turkey is best (for opiates anyway,s ince there's no actual danger). Tapers just drag the whole thing out whereas if you go CT you'll be done after a few days and you'll be so much happier with yousrelf, in my experience.

You haven't quit though

CT is fine. But more or less guarantees relapse. At least in my experience. Never met anybody personally who went CT and stayed clean for any length of time. Have done it a gazillion times. Clucking is easy. Staying clucked is not. This is why I always recommend the longest, slowest, gentlest taper possible. Gives you time to adjust your mindset as well as your body chemistry. Is the only thing that worked for me anyway. YMMV as ever

 

[Pagey]

^I have in the past Shambles. Don't be mean

I actually have though. I quit benzos CT, which was a stupid idea but in the meantime I've never used them again except on rare occasions.

It just depends on circumstances and personal preferences. If you're gonna have to be going to work then no, don't go CT. It's just I know a few people who went the dragged-out taper route and they were pretty frustrated it was taking so long. But maybe it's more effective in the long run. Wouldn't know.

 

[Shambles]

Benzos ≠ opiates. Nice job on quitting 'em though - in some ways even harder than opies to quit. Different kinda problems and pitfalls associated with 'em though, I'd say. Obviously depends on the individual but I found benzos pretty easy to quit. Other people would say precisely the opposite. But personally I never craved for them - was just a physical thing. Absolute pain in the arse but there never was a time I'd have robbed you to score benzos. Opiates on t'other hand... I would've. Even you

Also, wasn't meaning to be mean - toungue was firmly planted in cheek hence flurry of "gentle mockery/only kidding" smilies. Which, for future reference, are...

Point I was making was that there is a world of difference between quitting and staying quit. For the latter there's just a lot more involved than the physical w/d. That's by far the easiest part. The mental and emotional stuff is not sorted in a week. That takes many months if not years to get back to anything like normal. The "high on life" you get when you've done your rattle just doesn't last very long hence relapse being nigh-on inevitible. Imo, ime, ymmv, etc, etc, anyway.

 

[Pagey]

Fair 'nuff. I found them considerably harder to quit (I knooow, I haven't properly quit opies, but I've voluntarily been through the immediate WDs a number of times, so, whatever, okay, my opinion matters ) simply because the WDs dragged on for absolute ages - that and having a couple seizures - but they definitely don't have the same draw as opiates. Still. The post-WD depression did get me to try and kill myself so they weren't a joke. 8(

Read: TAKE ME SERIOUSLY OKAY



But you're right, there's a big difference between quitting and staying quit. I was just recommending CT in case the OP is like me and just wants to get it over with. Otherwise I'm sure tapers are better.

 

[Shambles]

Read: TAKE ME SERIOUSLY OKAY

I'm not not taking you seriously :D

I totally agree that quitting benzos is srs bznz. Going CT is really pretty reckless (as you know) but staying off them is a big achievement. But they aren't the same thing as opies whether you find 'em easier or harder to come off of. It wasn't a dicksize kinda thing (I'd win by default due to having a dick... unless you've been keeping a very big secret ) but simply stating the obvious. Different drugs is all.

I would agree with you that CT is the way to go if the desired outcome is a tolerance break. Definitely the way to go. Perhaps even the way to go if not in too deep in terms of doses and length of habit. I really wouldn't fancy stopping 160mg/day oxy habit CT though. Yikes. Not when there are other options. And also impossible if needing to be at work is involved which seems to be the case. If time off is available then by all means just get it over with CT stylee. Especially if planning to get back on the horse at a later date (which I think was also suggested). If wanting to stay quit longterm then take the smoothest route humanly possible. Imo, imo, etc, etc, Again.

Aaaaaaaaanyway. I'm sure minor bickering over who's more well'ard is of little use or interest to folk wanting to taper/quit so will step away from the opinion difference.

 

[Pagey]

Exactly. Perfect picture :D

Haha I know you weren't dicksizing (although, who knows...). I'm just being annoying. I agree with everything you just said anyway.

 

[Opiumoftheworld]

I'm gunna mix 200mg of solpadeine with 150mg DHC. Is this mix ok.

 

[Pagey]

^To put it clearly, yes.

 

[BadBesty]

Many thanks for all of your help and advice so far.

I am going to taper down with teh DHC, and started this yesterday and I have access to pur codeine tablets as well, so will go down with teh DHC then jump to codeine and CT from there when I am down to a level where I feel comfortable jumping.

I have no rush for this is, so dont have to put myself through hell, but just need to make sure I do taper down and not stay too comfortable!!

For those who do this for a weekend laugh then keep it that way, dont let it get to a mid week thing because all of a sudden you find yourself having to CWE to keep functioning.

Why cant someone create a magic pill that takes withdrawls away!!

Shambles/Pagey - I have read a lot of your posts and you ibvioulsy still get teh buzz off codeine CWE's, is this from just bringing your tolerence down? Where are you guys at teh moment, are you daily? please ignore if too personal

many thanks again guys
xx

 

[Pagey]

^I don't get a buzz from codeine CWEs personally, unless mixed with a variety of other drugs which is dangerous unless you're absolutely sure of what you're doing. I only take codeine when I'm taking a break to get my tolerance back down/ don't have access to much else for a while and don't want to /cant deal with proper WDs/ am desperate for pain meds. Recently I've been at about ~700mg daily but that's just because I'm staying with my parents for a bit and don't want to be doing heroin or oxys around them 8(
Although 700 still has me in that uncomfortable 'not sure if in WD or not' limbo stage.

Good luck with everything! Sounds like you're really motivated to quit, I'm sure you can do this

 

[Obie]

Another update, i didn't get any constipation - seems like the only negative side effect i got was the puking in the morning.