Thank God for the internet as I would have felt alone with this forever I know. I have been addicted to Solpadeine Plus for15 years.I went to my Drs 3 years ago and confessed to my Partner and my family. All were shocked but supportive and they think I kicked the habit(the Dr advised to taper off after checking my liver wasn't shot, which it wasn't). I tried but didn't and rather that than worry them I now "fix" in secret. I am taking 20-30 tabs per day plus approx 6 cocodimal from my docs 30/500 per day for a compressed disc- I don't even know if they work any more.
I started as they were in the med cabinet at work when I had a headache. A great fix at the time and I proceeded to top them up as I took them. Being a recovered alcoholic I recognise the symptoms of my addiction. Taking in secret, hiding around the house, the office, discarding empties in bins when out and buying from different chemists.I actually unwrap every tab from a 32 box to put in my handbag before coming home, quite sad really.
I have 23 solps and 38 c.c left and intend to wean off so that when finished I will not replemish. This is not recommended for alcohol but having read the side effects for this mis-use I am unsure if I could function in my job with the withdrawals,ironically admin based in a Drs surgery. My own Dr was horrified when I suggested c/t last time.
I can't afford this addiction health ,monetary or sanity wise any more and feel I am cheating my loved ones which brings tears to my eyes as I type it.
I hope to keep reading the posts on here as they are so inspirational and honest and so familiar in circumstance to my own in many cases.
I don't think I can share this with my family or Partner again. He works away sometimes and is home tomorrow . I am also back in work tomorrow after a week off so hoping a combination of the 2 will help.
I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to share this and hope it is the start of recovery from a long term easily found addiction.
One member posted that as well as w/d ,OCD,restless legs,the runs,headache,backache etc she wasn't sure how she as a person was going to be at the end as she felt she had been living a split personality, which is exactly how I feel.
I hope for a better future even at 51, life can begin again.
Thank you for being here.
Oh, Bared, I really feel for you! You've come to the right place; as you've read, there are others here in the same boat and I'm sure you'll be able to beat your addiction this time. 51 is no age - plenty of time to get your life back on track
Have taken 6 solps today and 2 c.c which is not c/t but a great step down for me from 30. I have started a journal and picked it up many times today to note my thoughts and feelings. I do not feel a failure at some usage, but a triumph that I have made a decision and am working towards a goal. It helps to check in here to get encouragement and advice....so thank you....so very much.
Hi there Bared - what a dilemma position to be in, but as you can see you are by no means the only one. However, as you can see not impossible to escape from, but not easy on your own. I would suggest c/t is not a good idea though.
Personally I'd recommend you take quality multivitamin/multiminerals to support you while going through this - no matter how good your diet, the drug will have depleted your stores, and to detox your system your liver needs all the nutrients it can get, especially B vitamins. Zinc is often in short supply - essential for over 200 enzyme actions in the body and for hormone balance among other things. But the amounts needed to be therapeutically beneficial have to be ascertained correctly.
I would strongly recommend you see a registered nutritional therapist who will do a full assessment and help you gently and positively through the process. You have so much of your life ahead of you and you owe it to yourself to enjoy, it do you not? Taking the step of admitting there is a problem is enormous and you have done so well to do this. The next is starting your plan and taking it one day at a time. I might be wrong but I would suggest that decreasing by 1 tablet every 2 days might be possible and you wouldn't get bad withdrawal symptoms - or even half a tablet daily (in divided doses if necessary). That way by the end of a couple of months your intake should be vastly reduced - just think, by spring you could be almost free of them and how much better you will be feeling and a summer of freedom ahead - wahey!
For psycological support, I would thoroughly recommend Emotional Freedom Technique which can raduce the angst very considerably and support you through the process - see here (lots to read), and here.
Seriously though, I do wish you well, don't forget to see a nutritional therapist and let us know how you get on.
Have taken 6 solps today and 2 c.c which is not c/t but a great step down for me from 30. I have started a journal and picked it up many times today to note my thoughts and feelings. I do not feel a failure at some usage, but a triumph that I have made a decision and am working towards a goal. It helps to check in here to get encouragement and advice....so thank you....so very much.
I have spent a not too bad nights sleep. After reading further I did take 2 pre bed to avoid the restless legs. I am off to work now. I have taken 2 this morning and will take 2 with me just in case but as I finish at 1pm today I am hoping I can make it at least until then, that is my goal. At present I do have slight stomach cramps but nothing unbearable. I intend to get some zinc today as per the advice to help my body recover. My Partner is home tonight for 2 weeks so I am hoping him being here will give me strength although I don't intend to share this with him at present . Thank you for your support. I will be checking in again when home.
Thank you for your words of encouragement.
Its been good so far I think, for me anyway. I have taken the 2 I took to work but 4 up to this point in the day is incredible. I went into a chemist for the 1st time in a very long time to just buy zinc and made it. I was waiting for the lady to reach for the solp as it's 1 of my regulars but she didn't.I have a slight headache and stomach cramp but nothing serious and I noticed I was more articulate at work. I hadn't really noticed before how the codeine dries your mouth out so your words stick. Will busy myself with the housework I think to keep my mind from wandering, and write up my journal.
Glad you had a good day at work, and are already feeling the benefits of cutting down. You sound very determined to do this, and have made an excellent start. The journal is a good idea - you can write down any negatives as well as positives so you have a record of how you're progressing. Good luck!
Week going really well and please to say that I am down to 8 per day in total which use to be a morning dose alone.
2 solps left and no intention to buy more. Just the script meds from the Drs then and intend to go and see him and discuss my addiction.
Keeping my journal noted when at work as company at home..
Thank you for your words of encouragement. It has really motivated me to carry on getting clean, I feel like the fog is clearing a little more every day.
x
First night alone for a couple of weeks.Still managed to cut down but had a couple of shakey days and it made me realise I treat these pills as a crutch to deal with emotions and not pain.
I found it more difficult not being alone as I was not as in control of my emotions, Things have vastly improved though , it seems in all areas and I am determined to beat this addiction.
You will have ups and downs, but you sound really determined. I'm sure the success you've had already will give you strength to confront any emotional problems you may have been avoiding - well done!
Thank goodness i found a forum that talks about codeine addiction , i've been feeling so lost and alone and pretty much helpless over the past 7 years . I'm Amy and i first became addicted to solpadeine plus when i was 12 in 2004 , obviously being so young i didn't realise i was addicted but i was taking 2 every four hours 24/7 , i wasn't quite sure why i felt the need to take them but whenever i did they gave me a relaxed , without a care in the world feeling and being an severe OCD and depression sufferer it gave me a content feeling i never got with anything else , even with my antidepressant i was on at the time, so after trashing my room looking for a tablet when i ran out my mom realised something was wrong but didn't know that you could get addicted to codeine so i basically went cold turkey , it was without a doubt hell , i got sweats and chills , i was so restless i wanted put my fist through a wall and i had permanent insomnia . Since then i have been struggling , i feel like my addiction is like a monster always creeping up behind me waiting to pounce when i'm weak , when i was 14 it started up again but i managed to fight it of but its always there and its dragging me down, the problem is noone i talk to believes i could still be suffering as they say codeine isn't a proper drug like cocaine or heroin , of course they won't listen to me when i say it is actually and opiut form . I feel so alone and i don't know what to do , i feel like i'm on the brink of becoming a full blown addict and if its not codeine its going to be something else and i'm scared of feeling like i can't control my addiction
Punkchick - please don't feel you can't do this because you can - I'm now on day 537 of giving up (yes I keep a log!) and I don't even think about taking them any more. I'm
Currently in bed with a horrendous headache but taking solpadeine is the last thing on my mind.
When I gave up I literally got through one hour at a time. Then 1 day at a time. Read the previous posts about symptoms - it really helped me to keep going. I know I'm an addict and I won't even take one lot because I did that before and before I knew it I was back on them. Good luck and I hope everyone else is doing well too.
Hello everyone. I am here not as an addict but as a daughter if an addict. My mam took several versions of codeine over my childhood and I only came to realise what she was doing a few years ago..even though she is still in denial about it and says my childhood was perfectly normal and she was not an addict despite sending me to buy her solpadeine in boxes of 60 every week because she knew through pharmacist would not sell them to her. I want to say how encouraging it is to see so many people and such an excellent forum of support for people suffering with addiction. I wish you all good health and strength to overcome your obstacles. X my mother and I do not speak now but I hope she comes across a site like this soon before the anger and addiction take over. Xx best of luck.
How are you all doing?
Sorry (again) about the lack of posts, just busy as usual.
Anyway, thought it best to come back on and let you know that it has been a bit of a crappy time with these white blighters.
A combination of bad back and an old neck injury meant i did fall back into the rut and keep taking them, however, i'm now starting from scratch again.
During this time, i've also been trying to sort out prickly heat that i get when abroad, so the solp situation was "overlooked" to a degree.
I know it's my fault, but i'm determined to sort this once and for all. (this is the start of day 2 off them - i.e. cold turkey)
To digress slightly, i'm also concerned that maybe these things could be contributing to the prickly heat as i started painkillers (on and off) about 11 years ago (roughly) and this is when i started to get the early signs of prickly heat.
I was even at the Dr's on Monday and told him i was taking solpadeine every day (over a long period) and he never even bothered about - but i know he's not worth listening too.
Anyway, that's for a different forum........
To anyone that's new to this forum, it can be done and i've done it before - but sadly slipped back to my old ways, so it's fully my fault.
By the way, keeping a log is the best way of giving yourself a pat on the back about this and it's what i did too.
Stay on the forum for help and support as this is where i got my inspiration.
All the best
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Where to start?
Taking the step of admitting there is a problem is enormous and you have done so well to do this. The next is starting your plan and taking it one day at a time. I might be wrong but I would suggest that decreasing by 1 tablet every 2 days might be possible and you wouldn't get bad withdrawal symptoms - or even half a tablet daily (in divided doses if necessary). That way by the end of a couple of months your intake should be vastly reduced - just think, by spring you could be almost free of them and how much better you will be feeling 
. Keep up the good work!!!
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