Opioids Quitting codeine

[christhefish]

Hi all

Forgive me if I'm raising a point already raised many times (I'm certain that is the case) but this is a spur of the moment "I have to quit" thing, and I'm looking for some support.

I started taking codeine, like most addicts, probably, for legitimate reasons. I had a head injury 18 months ago. My life turned around in several AWESOME ways, I quit drinking (full-time alcoholic), smoking (20 years), quit a job I hated (got a huge redundancy) and became the envy of many. I'm now happy in many, many ways. Running my own startup business, EXCEPTIONALLY happily married, healthy, everything is great. My wife is aware of my problem, I shield the amounts but she's basically aware. Worried, of course, but incredibly supportive.

That's part of the problem. There is no problem with my codeine addiction. I can afford it easily, it's fairly easy to get the amount I need "legitimately" without dodgy dealers (various online pharmacies, CWE OTC and a GP prescription for top ups) and it doesn't appear to be affecting me in any unpleasant way. I'm taking a maximum of 600mg twice a day, although I'm trying to reduce it, so it's 400-500 most times, and twice a day about 5 days a week now (once a day the rest).

I've never been even remotely tempted to "upgrade" to tramadol, oxy, heroin, or anything else. I think I'm comfortable knowing that I can stop it from increasing. It hasn't increased for about 9 months, and I don't intend to let it. I am aware that every addict says that, but having been through it with alcohol, and given the timescales, I'm fairly confident. The big advantage to codeine is it doesn't remove inhibitions. Any alcoholic knows that when you try to reduce, once you've had a drink you instantly decide to reduce tomorrow instead, and that isn't happening to me with codeine - when I go to bed having only had 500mg all day, I'm pleased about it. But then the next day, it's often easy to think "I did well yesterday, I can reward myself this morning with 600mg"...

I'm not asking a specific question. Just looking for some advice on how to get rid of this. Is there anything I ought to know, other than reducing gradually, keeping busy etc? I'm reluctant to go to my GP, who knows my history with addiction and can actually be a bit condescending.

I was hospitalised a couple of months back with an innocent stomach bug, and they put my on 60mg twice a day for the pain (knowing I was taking it for pain, but not knowing my addicted status) - they did various blood tests and such and said I was entirely healthy, so it doesn't seem to be killing me. I felt utterly terrible, but I'm not sure how much was withdrawl and how much was because I was so ill anyway. But I don't want to get worse, and I'd really rather get off it altogether. The idea of going on holiday scares me a bit because I know I need to get a good stash in the weeks beforehand, and it's an inconvenience more than anything else, at the moment.

Something like methadone seems like overkill, and I feel like I'd get more addicted to that than the codeine. The headaches I get now are probably caused by the codeine and no longer related to the head injury, but I can't be sure.

Any advice is appreciated. My life is awesome, and if I knew for a stone cold fact that it would remain that way, I'd keep taking it. But history tells me that I might end up heading down a path that gets a lot worse.

Does anyone know what 5 years of codeine addiction starts to do to you, that my ~2 years haven't started doing yet?

Anywhere else, the advice I receive will probably be "quit now or you're going to end up taking heroin or die" but I'm hoping this forum might give me some more honest feedback.

 

[freesolo123]

I would look to get some help from a drug service that maybe your GP could put you in touch with this could offer you some support.

If you don't wish do go that route I think you could workout a structured withdrawal over a month or two?

One thing to note If you go to a drug clinic and get offered Suboxone or Methadone never take it for your Codeine problem it would be like cutting your toe off for a ingrown toenail, complete overkill.

 

[christhefish]

I would look to get some help from a drug service that maybe your GP could put you in touch with this could offer you some support.

Would really rather avoid that. I'll try it on my own first - my wife is amazing, she'll support me.

If you don't wish do go that route I think you could workout a structured withdrawal over a month or two?

Thats my plan, I've been half-heartedly reducing, but I think I'm doing that thing where you think you're cutting down but you're not. Time to start writing it down.

One question I didn't ask in my original post - can I go cold turkey? Is it dangerous? Would it be horrific? I've been 24 hours before, and nothing happened, but I don't think that's long enough for withdrawl to set in. If it's not dangerous, I might just book a villa in Italy and do a DIY rehab...

One thing to note If you go to a drug clinic and get offered Suboxone or Methadone never take it for your Codeine problem it would be like cutting your toe off for a ingrown toenail, complete overkill.

Agreed. If I'm going to solve my drug problem by switching to another drug problem, I might just as well start drinking again!!

 

[freesolo123]

Going Cold turkey is not dangerous unless you have a underlining health condition and may be a good choice if you are not prone to anxiety and depression and can get some comfort meds.

From what I know Codeine withdrawal is not too severe on the opiate scale but will still be very uncomfortable and not pleasant at all.

Maybe some others can chip in with experience of codeine withdrawal.

edit: givin the length of your habit going cold turkey is probably not ideal and you will need to build something to take the place of the Codeine.

 

[Larimar]

Like others said you can do cold turkey if you are healthy . I was hooked on OxyContin and found out I was pregnant , took a month to taper than did cold turkey . Had about a week of laying around , restless legs and being mean lol, crying jags but that's about it. You can do it , good luck .

 

[axe battler]

I can't see any reason you couldn't cold turkey, and the villa in Italy sounds the perfect way to do it!
You can taper though, just start taking 30mg a day less every week. You won't even feel the difference, but you'll be making progress. Just take it at your own pace and never go back up, no matter what. Before you know it, you'll be on half the amount you're currently taking with no withdrawal, though you probably won't be getting a buzz anymore.