Codeine Q

I have have been having trouble with my back. Long story short my back pain might be due my genetic disorder I have. After months of pain they did an MRI.
My new doctor prescribed condine as I suggested Hydrocodone since that is what I was always given in the past.
It's been six months W/O any pain meds, WILL THE CODINE HELP AT ALL?
I still have not drank which is what brought me to these boards. Close to 19 months now
Please help w/ question

First off, super congrats on the not drinking! That is huge

You certainly don't have tolerance to opioids if you haven't used them in so long, so I imagine it will help with the pain. What dose did they prescribe?

Just be careful not to use the codeine for emotional pain. That's how people end up we it problems

30mg. I will know once dinner is done and sitting on the couch. If I can sit all night w/o being uncomfortable and not having to reposition my back. Basically pain free. I just got the medication after work. I'm not too familiar with Codine.

Thank you, it's good to hear that as a reminder.

Dodger Guy LA said:

30mg. I will know once dinner is done and sitting on the couch. If I can sit all night w/o being uncomfortable and not having to reposition my back. Basically pain free. I just got the medication after work. I'm not too familiar with Codine.

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I hope you get some relief. Let us know how it works.

Codeine is pretty safe/simple to use. Of course, taking more than you're prescribed will get you that potentially highly addictive opioid buzz, which as you already know is something you are trying to avoid. But when used properly for pain, it is entirely possible to structure things so you only end up using your medication as prescribed (and thus avoiding experiencing the high).

Hopefully you never have to even need to know this, but be warned that doses of and over 400mg can easily cause a life threatening histamine reaction. You'll be fine with just a T3 or two though.

Stuff like promethazine may (or may not, I'm not entirely sure) potentiate the analgesic effect of the codeine (though it also causes added sedation), so something to be aware of.

toothpastedog said:

I hope you get some relief. Let us know how it works.

Codeine is pretty safe/simple to use. Of course, taking more than you're prescribed will get you that potentially highly addictive opioid buzz, which as you already know is something you are trying to avoid. But when used properly for pain, it is entirely possible to structure things so you only end up using your medication as prescribed (and thus avoiding experiencing the high).

Hopefully you never have to even need to know this, but be warned that doses of and over 400mg can easily cause a life threatening histamine reaction. You'll be fine with just a T3 or two though.
of.

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Thank you for responding, you always have excellent feedback that I feel I can trust I
On the boards.
Taking 2-T-3 should be ok? I did two in the evening and it was one of the more pleasant evenings I've had with my Husband without having to sit, stand, sit, stand all night, and didn't need the heating pad! I know it's b/c the pain medication was hiding it all but at least I had ONE evening with zero pain with my back/spine.
Thanks again

I mean, as long as you're taking what the doctor prescribed I think you'll be okay. Do they know anything about your relatively recent struggles with substance use?

It so difficult, because really, at least in theory, to provide the best medical case doctors need to know about any issues their patients might have with substance use. BUT, on the other hand, stigma of addiction and drug use being what it is, most doctors would probably end up providing some level of inferior case to patients with known substance use issues. Frustrating... I hope one day this changes for us in the states.

60mg of codeine isn't all that much. I'd suggest trying 30mg and seeing how that works too sometime - as an experiment if nothing else.

And we're always happy to respond super glad you enjoyed your night.

I'll be popping in here and checking in. I need to be very careful b/c I am a addict and life is great. Started a new job, got married last yr. I don't wanna fall into that whole. I haven't had to withdraws from opposites before, I always tried to be careful in the last with the pain Meds and hv been successful, but I still need to constantly remind myself.

It sounds like your doing it right. Just stay vigilant to how you feel. Try to keep your tolerance in check by only using when you need them. Try taking Tylenol or ibuprofen on days your not in as much pain. Generally I'd you take an opiate everyday for more than 3 weeks your going to end up with a physical dependance. That's Not A Big Deal As Long As Your Still Taking them as prescribed Because Your Doctor Will Know It's Gonna Happen and that you will have to taper If you decide to come off. As long as your not taking more then prescribed I think your fine.

No to mention it is generally fairly straight forward when it comes to discontinuing medication used to treat actual pain (as opposed to because it is pleasurable in and of itself).

Very true. Codeine is a mild opiate anyway I wouldn't expect a bad kick even after prolonged use.

Codeine and morphine (although in the form of PPT) was really shitty to kick - I'd actually rather kick heroin than PPT. I wouldn't be surprised if it sucked having to kick a long term codeine habit, but it seems like it is a whole different ballgame when it comes to treating dependency that is the result of treating chronic pain.

With pain related conditions, my understanding is that the necessity of pain medication decreases along with the significance of the pain itself as treatment of the underlying condition(s) progress and/or the patient finds healthy ways of adapting to and living with their experience of pain. Basically that's a long way of saying that the cravings associated with substance use aren't as much an issue when using pain meds to treat (physical/neurological) pain itself.

It's really the difference between existential or spiritual kinds of pain and a purely biophysical kind of pain. Opioids are highly effective at reducing psychological and physical pain, it's just that the former is incredibly more problematic given differences in how society (criminal and medical institutions for instance) treat people who use these types of drug for this purpose.

Ppt is well known for its nasty kick because of all the alkaloids. I just meant codeine want be bad because he is on a low dose and should be able to taper easily since it's a legal script. But kicking sucks no matter what.

What's mild to me may be hell to someone with less experience with withdrawal. Like my symptoms may get worse every kick but my mental ability to stand them improves because I have past experiences to lean on.

Well said

How goes it Dodger Guy?

Toothpastedog,
All goes well for the most part! I got married in November of last year. How are you. Did you end up moving into tht place you spoke about Months ago?
Hey with the. Codine, I read above if I took it everyday for three weeks I could end up with withdrawls or would need to taper? What if I took days off, would that help eliminate dependency? If I had to use them for one week and took a week break would or could there be w/d? I'm confused what people are saying above about ppt? What is the difference between hydrocodone, which is what I am used to?

What does nasty kick mean?

cj said:

Ppt is well known for its nasty kick because of all the alkaloids. I just meant codeine want be bad because he is on a low dose and should be able to taper easily since it's a legal script. But kicking sucks no matter what.

What's mild to me may be hell to someone with less experience with withdrawal. Like my symptoms may get worse every kick but my mental ability to stand them improves because I have past experiences to lean on.

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if I used them for a week on and few weeks off would AI need to taper?

Dodger Guy LA said:

Toothpastedog,
All goes well for the most part! I got married in November of last year. How are you. Did you end up moving into tht place you spoke about Months ago?
Hey with the. Codine, I read above if I took it everyday for three weeks I could end up with withdrawls or would need to taper? What if I took days off, would that help eliminate dependency? If I had to use them for one week and took a week break would or could there be w/d? I'm confused what people are saying above about ppt? What is the difference between hydrocodone, which is what I am used to?

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I kinda have a feeling it's the autocorrect or something doing this, but the medication we've been discussing is spelled codeine, not codine. Codeine is a pretty classic opiate, and if you use it everyday for any period of time you're likely to develop a dependency. Three weeks of use doesn't really necessitate a taper unless you're taking 300mg+ each day.

One week on and one week off will eventually lead to dependency as well, but if you're only talking about a supply of codeine that will last three months, extending that supply to last a total of six months by taking every week may not put you in the same position in terms of possibilities of dependency. If you're only taking 30-60mg 1-4 times a day, I doubt you have much to worry about with dependency no matter how you go about it.

Though this applies to recreational use, generally what I have heard about "working" is to have four days of abstinence from opioids for every day of use. However, for patients taking opioids for medical reasons, like pain, should use the medication as prescribed by their doctor without fear or dependency. If a dependency were to develop, you can work with your doctor and have them wean you off your meds. Remember, addiction and dependency are two different things!

Codeine, when using normal dosages (30-60mg) is a bit weaker than hydrocodone IMO. When used at higher doses it's effects, in some ways, are more powerful, but in others less desirable (I always noticed more side effects when using recreational doses of codeine versus recreational doses of hydrocoeon).

PPT is poppy pod tea, a tea made from opium poppies that has a lot of morphine and codeine and other alkaloids in it.

Dodger Guy LA said:

What does nasty kick mean?

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Where did I use this expression? Normally when I use this qualifier I'm referring to the worst case scenarios involved in detoxing. So total insomnia, total pissing out you asshole, possibly vomiting, horrible tap-dancing RLS, etc. But I'm not entirely sure what I mean in this case depending where I used the expression.

Ok, thank you Toothpastedog, there was a mix up in spelling. Makes complete sense and explains the responses.
yes it's Tylenol 3 w/ Codeine I'm speaking about.
it was someone else who used that term, and I knew you would know the meaning.
codeine is a little different in terms of pain management, but it at least takes the edge off my lumber area for a few hours, I should use the word "hides" the pain.
thanks again for seeing the spelling error.
The most I take is 60mg ( 2 tablets) at one time and have not exceeded more than 5 pills a day. Is that a low Dose?