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  • H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist | cdin | Lil'LinaptkSix

Need help getting off codeine

I see. Methadone can be used just like buprenorphine to treat the acute withdrawal from codeine. I think what you're pointing out is that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to trade a habit on codeine for an intense methadone habit. That probably wouldn't be a good idea for any except the most extreme codeine habits.

With methadone, there is maintenance, extended detox and detox. Methadone maintenance is probably what you're thinking of with long term methadone treatment. The average a lot of people stay on it is just a couple years, but it isn't unusual for someone to use it longer term (as in decades). It's all what the individual needs. A lot of people also use methadone for six month periods of extended detox (they stabilize on methadone and taper off over a six month period). A lot of others use methadone just to manage the acute withdrawal from other opioids.

Again, it's what the individual needs. With buprenorphine becoming more common more people use buprenorphine to treat acute withdrawal. There are some benefits to it for sure. Methadone works very well for a specific population, and not at all so well for others.

What kind of codeine habit are you dealing with? I've known people who take maybe 300mg over the court of the day, 300mg three times a day and multiple gram doses multiple times a day. For each other those folks different medicines/treatments would be more or less appropriate.

I appreciate how sensitive you are about the variety of needs people have, but also how you stick to your guns about what you feel is right for you. That is a very, very useful quality to have in recovery.
 
Yeah, I get your point with regards to really high doses of codeine. I don't know how 2g of codeine compares with the big boys, but again it's just seen as a different thing culturally almost. I mean you can order 200 x 30mg DHC online and get them next day; or be one of the thousands buying out pharmacy's stock of "Solpadeine Max" (I never quite understood how one company has the right to sell stronger codeine/paracetamol than others?) There are so many middle class office staff on codeine, it's hard to imagine them queuing up with the "junkies" to get their methadone. No, they quietly pass the methadone administration section, perhaps holding their noses, on route to the counter to purchase codeine-paracetamol/ibuprofen.

I was on from 400 to 600 for 2 years (maybe 800 on a good/bad day), but recently I made a real breakthrough (fingers crossed), and am down to a mere 60. I also know from my own experience with methadone many years ago that it would be totally wrong for me.

I'll not say much about my (so far) successful withdrawal this time except that the drugs that helped me are often referred to as supplements or nootropics, and the results have been dazzling.
 
Dude, that is pretty amazing! Did you ever try DHC to replace codeine? That used to be a popular treatment in your local.

What kind of nootropics helped you?

I'm thinking of starting piracetam again. It wasn't crazy or anything, but I thought it was helpful when I used it when I got off heroin once upon a time (and I think it helped a bit with depression interestingly enough).
 
I sort of veered between DHC and (mostly) codeine. I never placed any great distinction between them. I tried to come off numerous times but failed when the feelings of utter despondency kicked in around 3 weeks. I had basically resigned myself to my fate when 2 things occurred:

The first was a chance encounter when I met a guy I was close to way back, after 20 years. Ended up trying phenibut, which I'd never heard of.

The second was another friend who gave me a couple of pregabalin 300 tabs.

The phenibut seemed to lift my mood a bit, and I actually achieved coitus with my wife (raaarrrr), but I didn?t think the drug was a big deal really.

The pregabalin completely killed any craving for codeine. Dead.

Therefore, I marched into my GP and more or less demanded to be put on a pregabalin script - an idea which was greeted with shock, horror and a flat NO. I kicked up shit and demanded to see someone else. Anyway, in the meantime between appointments I started pondering on a similarity I had perceived between the feeling of pregabalin and the phenibut I had tried earlier. I got back in touch with the phenibut guy and he ran me through all different supplements/nootropics/drugs (whatever the fuck they are) and gave his advice on what I should take to get off codeine.

I took 1 gram of phenibut that night and ended up laughing like a mad man, and just generally FEELING GOOD for the first time in what seemed an eternity.

Literally, my withdrawal so far has actually been the happiest time I've had for over 2 years. Almost scarily so. Now I have to make the final cut at some point, and it's strange how hard the last wee bit can be. I also have no idea how things will pan out regarding these new substances. I can certainly see how phenibut and tianeptine could be a problem, but my initial feeling after taking 3 days off them is pretty decent.
 
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