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  • AADD Moderators: swilow | Vagabond696

What do pharmacists see when you purchase codeine OTC

Thanks so much Willow I figured at some point I will have to deal with the withdrawal I'm just hoping I can get myself down to a Lower level before that happens I'm down to 380mg at the moment and if all goes well that will continue to decrease

I'm trying to do this and continue working which is proving to be a little hard but I'm getting through it

I think I'm going to try and the GP and see what comes of it I mean if the best way is a program then I'll do it I just want to kick this and be able to live normally again

Thank you again I really appreciate it x
 
No worries. Codeine addiction is tough given how easy it is to get. Fwiw, w/d is unpleasant but short lived. Cold turkey from your dosage should be over in 2 days but there is the paws to consider. A supervised taper would be better than methadone or suboxone IME.
 
It's horrible and I'm so over it controlling my life I just want to be free of it PAWS are the other worrying thing but I figured I'd need to get counselling and attend some kind of group therapy both of which I'm happy to do

2 days really? God I had visions of it being weeks and a never ending horrific experience I have anxiety which I hate more than anything well almost more than anything I hate this habit more well I'll go and see the GP and see what happens from there

Thank you again I can't tell you how much it helps knowing that someone understands
 
Well, for me it was over in 48 hours, at least the acute stuff. Residual w/d for a day or two... Codeine withdrawal is weirdly unpredictable, I've stepped off high doses over long periods and had no withdrawal. Other times, its been rougher.

With loperamide and a bit of weed or a benzo (avoid if u can) the withdrawal is manageable. Its the aftermath that fucked me up, I found it hard to resist and still do. I'm probably really stupid for using it every few weeks, its playing with fire but I haven't been burnt again. Ive got to the point of not really getting much from codeine besides weird shakiness so I don't know why I bother.
 
Know exactly what you mean I'm only taking it to avoid feeling crappy any sense of enjoyment went out a long time ago!

In a way this real time business has kind of scared me into action as a pharmacist told me the law had changed (which we now know it hasn't well yet anyway) I had been wanting to do something about it for ages and always managed to talk myself around I know not all places are doing it but I have a feeling that will change

I think I will get down lower and then just go CT however hideous it is you have no idea how much better I feel knowing it could only be a few days to a week rather than weeks

I am worried about managing the craving etc however by the time I manage to do this I may not have a choice xx
 
The last part of your post I totally get. Its one reason I have almost hoped for codeine to be restricted. Maybe I am just weak but knowing I can so easily get this stuff has made permanently quitting difficult.

Do u have anyone to be with you when you withdraw? My girlfriend was really supportive during the many cold turkeys I've done. For me, it took heroin addiction and rehab to stop. Don't let that happen to you!
 
it's funny I went to Thailand where you can't buy it believe it or not and at the time I had no idea that I had a problem anyway I ended up with what I thought was horrible anxiety and some kind of tummy bug however I know realise it was withdraw and I actually made it through however since I didn't realise I had a problem I just went home and started again BUT now that I have remembered that it has also kind of spurred me on to kick this while it's still a problem of this size and not grown into something more the strange thing is I don't even think about any other type of drug my doctor prescribes me Valium for my anxiety which i haven't even filled so I'm thinking if I can just get through this part and then attend counselling or a support group or something then I can do it!

My family have supported me through so much and I know they would through this as well but I'm so afraid of disappointing them see I got my self in one huge gigantic mess and at one stage couldn't work due to my depression and they stood by through all of that however I live with my parents so once I'm ready to go CT I will tell them I'm so very lucky to have them I know they will stand behind me and do everything they can to help me

Honestly I have even thought of requesting a note to be put on medassist to not sell to me I know that probably sounds totally insane but when I think back to Thailand I couldn't get the stuff so it was almost like out of sight out of mind well apart from the sickness bit! As I said earlier it's not like I get anything out of it these days well nothing worth having anyway!
 
I think it is going to be in every pharmacy from the start of May, I thought it was going to start in June, aren't all pharmacies with the guild? Does that mean some would be exempt from these changes? Some places are alright but it's becoming harder and harder and I'm very worried about what is going to happen to me, it's the only thing stopping me from checking out. The w/d definitely does not last for only 2 days for my self, 5-6 days and then most of the physical stuff is gone except for the lack of energy and unbearable anxiety/depression and then comes the paws. I'm studying at the moment and have been aware that things were going to change but finding info about it is very difficult, I haven't been able to make a plan and I really cant afford to miss school, so this will probably effect all parts of my life in a very horrible way. I've tried various treatments to no avail and I am definitely not going to go on methadone or subs, the fact that this is what is going to happen to a lot of people in my situation is sickening, it would of made complete sense to have a program for those who are dependent to be able to continue the codeine and have a taper plan or something, instead they just expect people to get sick and seek treatments like methadone and sub which are many many times more powerful, shit, codeine would be the obvious step to taper down to after methadone and suboxone.

And people wonder why there is such a huge problem with painkillers in western countries, hmm maybe prescribing these drugs and then STOPPING people from getting them is what leads to all these fucking problems, I don't want to rant on this so I'm sure most people here know about it, and I'm not sure if I am allowed to mention books or anything so I will edit my post if need be but a book called "Chasing the Scream" by Johan Hari covers the topic of drug laws and addiction so well that if every single politician picked it up and based laws off it, we would see dramatic improvements, look at Portugal for fucks sake!

Anyway, good luck to anyone in a similar situation, this is going to fucking suck.
 
Yes, I think this program is going to be very widespread shortly. I spoke to a pharmacist and he said something about audits of pharmacies to ensure compliance but I think that would be very difficult and time-consuming. Incidentally, he didn't ask me for ID. The bigger chain pharmacies such as the discount places are all going to be doing this. I imagine the smaller locally owned ones may not bother.

It does suck and I really hope that anyone currently addicted is able to speak to a reasonable GP for assistance in either prescribed maintenance or a tapering program. It amazes me that the gov't think this is going to be effective. I think that various medical authorities are going to see an increase in drug-seeking behaviour and addiction specialists are going to be treating a lot more hard opiate users. Governments are unable to learn when it comes to creating effective drug policy.
scantraxx said:
it would of made complete sense to have a program for those who are dependent to be able to continue the codeine and have a taper plan or something
Click to expand...

Whilst there is not a dedicated codeine tapering program, you can definitely speak to a GP. If they are reasonable and good doctors they should prescibe pure codeine tablets to help you taper. It just means biting the bullet and having that awkward conversation. Good luck with it, I feel you- this is difficult situation but it can be overcome.

Regarding codeine withdrawal, the longest it lasted for me was 3 days. I had some periods where it would be over in less then 24 hours. I don't really know, but I used to joke that I was tolerant to withdrawal. ;) Of course, I never lasted and got onto harder opiates so my advice may not be that worthwhile here.
 
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willow said:
Whilst there is not a dedicated codeine tapering program, you can definitely speak to a GP. If they are reasonable and good doctors they should prescibe pure codeine tablets to help you taper. It just means biting the bullet and having that awkward conversation. Good luck with it, I feel you- this is difficult situation but it can be overcome
Click to expand...
Better yet would be engaging the services of a dedicated drug and alcohol detox and support unit (inpatient or outpatient)
They can help prescribe meds that will take a lot of the pain out of withdrawal (such as clonidine), monitor your health and provide counselling and support, should you need it - and IME, if you are experiencing PAWS, it is very helpful indeed.

I don't know about most GPs, but i cannot imagine many i've been to agreeing to script me codeine-only meds, especially for addicted individuals.
While it may work for some, it could see you labelled a "drug-seeker", which doesn't look good on anyone's medical records, and may have implications for the sort of medical treatment you recieive in the future.

Play safe, folks.
 
Yeah, you're right spacej. Probably most gp's wouldn't do this. And yeah. Consequences could be a stain on ones medical record. Unfortunately, with codeine, cold turkey is almost the only choice, maintenance with methadone or suboxone is not advisable. As you say, supplementary counselling as well as comfort meds may be the best choice.

Its a fucked situation because it doesn't seem the government have considered what the outcome of this program for addicts is. There's going to be a lot of hurting folks.
 
Clonidine and low (i'm talking way sub-dissociative - more like therepeutic-for-coughs as directed on the box - dose DXM) are probably your best bets, along with maybe a little loperamide a little something to help you sleep (but dont swap a codeine habit for a benzo habit - which is way worse, kids).
The ability of DXM to take the edge off opie WDs amazed me. Just dont take enough to "trip".
And don't, for the love of god, replace codeine with pst. Don't. Trust me.
It's a major escalation, but with all the same problems, really.
 
Interesting re: DXM. I had never considered it. I've used ketamine and MXE during heroin w/d and it did help mute the physical part.

The one good thing is that codeine withdrawal is comparatively mild. I've been able to endure it with no medical assistance but I think such experiences are traumatic and can cause relapses and fear of withdrawal. I used to just pretend/imagine that I had a cold or hangover...
 
Hi all I've done a bit of investigating due to my own situation and while MedsAssist is recommended it is not yet law however most if not all of the big chains are using it

It will be law soon enough so I guess the only way through this is to deal with withdrawal I have been tapering successfully however have booked a week off work and will just be dealing with it I have also contacted harm reduction place in Victoria and will be meeting with them to get myself in a counselling program I need to kick this without draining my medical record and I don't want to go on a program so I guess this is it!
 
Hi All as you would know from above I am in the process of preparing to withdraw this is for a number of reasons the main one is that I want my life back. I've done a stack of research and been given some excellent advice here, I have ordered natural remedies - vitamins, supplements and some other powders (all natural) that are supposed to help, stocked up on the recommended OTC medicines and arranged a referral for out patient detox support all of this will begin once I have the products (being sent from the U.S.) anyway if anyone is interested I am happy to share how it really was and if any of the above really helped out of all of this is once I'm on the road to recovery I am happy to help anyone as I know exactly how you feel xx
 
Keep us posted poss, you're not alone in this :)
 
Quick update from nsw. I don't buy nurofen plus or panadeine extra for myself. My habit graduated to much harder drugs long ago and I'm currently in a methadone program trying to get off my daily heroin habit. Annnyhow. I still occasionally buy nurofen plus and panadeine extra for my boyfriend every month or so. Based on the logic that they scrutinize girls less than guys. So far as recently as a couple weeks ago I can say most pharmacies in the western Sydney area still don't ask for ID, at least they don't for me. Actually one pharmacy does, but only that one so I just don't go there.

I dont take it since my tolerance would render it completely useless, and my boyfriend uses it for legitimate episodic pain. So fortunately for me I suppose this inevitable coming change won't be too big a deal for me. But just thought id update the thread that as recently as a couple weeks ago most pharmacies in the western Sydney area, and probably nsw generally, don't ask as a matter of policy for any ID or record keeping.

One other thing, don't get on methadone for a otc codeine habit. I reluctantly got on it as a measure of last resort and only because my tolerance was so extremely high (far higher than you could reach on codeine alone most likely) that me and the doctor were both concerned that if we tried subuxone id reach the ceiling limit of the drug before it held my dependence unfortunately. So yea, IMO methadone is way overkill for even a relatively large codeine habit. I'm not sure subuxone would be appropriate either, but in truth I don't really know for sure either way. It's up to you and your doctor.

Speaking of doctors. I gotta admit I'm amazed any are willing to prescribe pure codeine pills. By all means if you're thinking of trying a taper or harm reduction go ahead and ask your doctor. But I'd be very surprised if the people who's doctors prescribed them pure codeine didn't just get very lucky in having a good doctor. But hey, maybe I'm wrong, so by all means try.

Best of luck to my codeine pill popping brothers and sisters here. Opiate addiction sucks no matter what level of dependence you have. But can't deny id love to have my tolerance be low enough again that I could feel a few OTC codeine combo pills. Not trying to dismiss anyone's suffering. Just trying to give a little perspective and perhaps suggest that if you feel strong enough, cold turkey might still be the best option for some here. Others hopefully can taper down with codeine. Getting off methadone or poppy pods or seeds is gonna likely be a hell of a lot more painful. Best of luck.
 
Jess thank you so much for your post it put things in perspective for me and got me too look at and research other options I definitely do not want to go on a program as I have learnt that I would be essentially becoming addicted to a stronger drug so I haven't seen my GP about this yet but I have picked a date to withdraw and booked the time off work - another big thing in my case is I just got a new job that I love and don't want too loose it because of sick days! At the moment there are some places around my work and home that are not using MedsAssist all independent pharmacies however I know this will change soon and rather than having deal with CT at a higher dose I'm still successfully tapering my aim is to be at 60mg in 4 weeks time (my booked time off).

I have so far arranged the following -
A Valium script
Elimidrol - was expensive and apparently tastes terrible but if it eases it even a bit I don't care
Imodium
Melatonin
Vitamin C
Some herb that I can't remember the name of that can apparently block the symptoms (again I am not sure if I believe this this one wasn't expensive and since it all natural I figured it couldn't hurt)
Cough syrup with DMX

In the mean time I have cleaned up my diet considerably and getting to the gym as often as I can I figured the healthier and better shape I'm in the better, I have a juicer at home and will be making a stack of green veggie juices for myself prior to starting that week and last have got a referral for therapy and support once I make it through CT stage and I have spoken to my parents since I live with them thought it best to come clean and they are supporting me through this

In a strange way I'm actually excited it's like I can almost taste a new part of my life starting, sorry about this big long post it's just I don't know any people that really understand and would never have got to this place without the info and support from here so thank you all x x
 
^Its really good to read that you have some light at the end of the tunnel. Its euphoric to know that you are close to better days. Be excited! Your life may be about to really change for the better. :)
 
Ok, here's what happens with the MedsAssist database.

The database holds NO information about you.
They use your drivers licence number because that is an unique number belonging to you.
Your drivers licence number is linked to a MedsAssist number.
When the pharmacist punches in your drivers licence number all they see is....

What was purchased, the date and the postcode.
Nothing else, there is NO other information held in the database about you.

Why do they refuse to sell meds to me?
There is 5 days supply in a pack of MyDol.
So if you try to buy more before 5 days has passed, you will most likely be refused.
If you're in the chemist buying them every 6 days, you'll most likely be spoken to about addiction issues.

This info comes from a registered pharmacist.
 
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