Took the advice and told my wife, she had no idea as we addicts can be careful to conceal these habits. After her initial shock , she has been great and very supportive.
It is now 31 hours since last tablet and I have a really fuzzy head and abdominal pain, with a general unwell feeling but nothing that I can't bear as yet. Sleep was very good to be honest and I am sure the symptons will probably get worse as I stay off the tablets but at least the first steps , which I thought would be the hardest , have been taken so now there is no going back.
Keep you posted, which in itself is a therapy.
Phil
Took the advice and told my wife, she had no idea as we addicts can be careful to conceal these habits. After her initial shock , she has been great and very supportive.
😉 Well done... stage 2 complete.
It is now 31 hours since last tablet and I have a really fuzzy head and abdominal pain, with a general unwell feeling but nothing that I can't bear as yet. Sleep was very good to be honest and I am sure the symptons will probably get worse as I stay off the tablets but at least the first steps , which I thought would be the hardest , have been taken so now there is no going back.
Keep you posted, which in itself is a therapy.
You'll get there. Now you have the doctors support, your wife's support and the support of us complete wierdo strangers on the internet. (ok maybe I'm just referring to myself with the wierdo bit :D)... Seriously though... everyone's behind you. 🙂
Hugs
Giles
Hello again
Hi everyone, and welcome Phil
Sorry i havent been on for a while.
First of all, that's 8 weeks and 1 day since i took my last Solp.
Just thought i'd share that with you all!!
Dont get me wrong, during this 8 week period i did get a realy heavy cold, and i resorted to taking a couple of paracetemol each day for 3 days.
However, i know this is nothing and perfectly normal.
Anyway, i've been reading through all the posts and i just wanted to say that i think you've done the best thing Phil by explaining it to your GP and wife etc.
Well done on your time so far off the tablets.
The main thing to remember (in my opinion) is that the first 2-4 days are the worst, after that you're body gets back to normal and then it just leaves it up to your will power etc.
The hardest thing i found, and this did come back to haunt me about 1 year ago, was when i kicked the habit but then found myself in the grip of a major cold and i had also hurt my back at the same time, so i started taking some paracetemol.
Needless to say i took my eye off the ball and ended up back on solpadeine.
Not this time though!!
I now go out and about, overnights on business and dont even realise that i havent got painkillers with me.
Anyway, got to go and get some work done.
What i would say Phil is that support is crucial and you will get excellent support on this forum.
The guys have been great with me and please dont hesitate to get in touch if you want to discuss anything or just want to talk to someone.
All the best and just hang in there.
Regards
FS 🙂
Hello again
Just thought I'd post to keep myself on track. Today is my 6th full day without a Solpaol and it's been very hard. Stomach problems and general feeling of lethargy and flulike symptoms have made me glad I took my owed holidays and stayed home.
Starting to lift a bit and feel the best I have since stopping so hopefully, the worst is over but I am a long way from feeling well so I know it is a battle for a lot longer .
I can honestly say that, despite feeling terrible, I haven't even wanted to take a tablet, I know if I did I'd be right back at the beginning and the last few days would have been wasted, so I am hanging in ....just!
Phil
Good news
Hey Phil
Good to hear from you.
The worst bit is over in my opinion!
Just hang in there and i'm sure you'll start to feel better pretty quickly.
It was the same for me, its just you body basically going into "cold turkey" mode as it's now having to go without Codeine.
You're doing well matey, just keep fighting!!
FS
😀
Good to hear from you again Phil and well done for your progress so far. Keep looking forward, it can only get better... even if at times it can seem worse. 😉
Hugs
Giles
Well done! You're doing so well. I can relate to this kind of thing and I know it's horrible, but you are definitely over the worst.
Love and light
Louisa
Hi all,
I have never posted a message on anything but felt compelled to join in here.
I am 51 and have been dabbling with solpadeine for about 25 years. However, not seriously until the last 5 or so. Until last week in the last 6 months I have had a dose on waking and then between 1 and 3 doses every say. For the last 10 years I have also suffered from chronic migraines. The last time I visited my neurologist I was told I really needed to kick the painkillers, but it needed to be when I was ready and he told me what sort of symptoms to expect. I have tried before and failed using naproxen.
The last 6 weeks have been constant migraines with nausea, which have required lots of solpadeine and also several doses of sumatriptan. Last weekend I started to think the time was right as how could it be worse without the solpadeine? I took my last dose on Monday, as on Monday evening I discovered this site! Many thanks to you all, as you provided the stories that gave me that extra push. I also visited GP on Tuesday, he said get out and exercise and drink lots of water. My GP was great and told me not to go to work-he signed me off for a week -I can go back for longer if I need to, but don't want to.
Here I am on my 5th day without. Ok so the symptoms for me are: extreme fatigue, a bit difficult to get out of bed, flu like symptoms with runny nose and some aching of limbs. I have generally been sleeping better than usual (though I had a period of wakefulness last night with night sweats). I have the"muzzy headache" -though headaches are not as bad as my migraines.
My dog loves me even more as he has been well exercised every morning!
I am taking the cold turkey option and I am determined to succeed!:)
Thanks again to you all for your inspiration.
Struggling with solpadeine addiction on and off for over 30 years. Down to 4 a day at the moment and trying hard to have courage to stop
Hello
Hi Carrie
And welcome to the forum.
That's great to hear that you're now on day 5 off those solps!!! WELL DONE......
Just stick with it, and keep telling yourself that things will improve, as i know it will.
Its also good that you have a supportive GP, the practice i go to is pretty rubbish, so i've had to tackle this myself and research on the internet etc, so that's also a positive for you too.
This forum is great, and it really is inspirational at times.
I dont where i would be without it!!
The main thing is on here is that everyone knows what you're going through, this is the key.
Keep strong and you'll be back to normal in no time.
Remember, dont hesitate to get in touch should you need to talk.
All the best
FS
🙂
Hi CarrieT - Welcome to Healthypages :wave:
Delighted you have joined and to hear you are well on the way to kicking the habit. It really is an effort, but as you have learned the consequences of not doing so are not good either.
You have got over the worst, but any journey has its ups and downs. keep posting and know you have support here.
You might like to look at EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) supporting your withdrawl symptoms - it has had some [url]amazing results[/url].
Cyber hugs :hug: and keep in contact!
Hi
Hi Harv 🙂
How are you and welcome to the forum.
Well done on being down to 4 per day. The way i done it was just to say that today was my last day on them, and that i would need go cold turkey.
I knew that it would be tough, as i had done it before and then let myself go, but this time i just said "right, that's my last one and i'll have to do without!"
To date, it's worked and i havent been near them for over 10 weeks.
Just build yourself up for it, stick the date in the calendar and make it ur last one, you'll only suffer (a wee bit) for a few days and then it'll boil down to willpower.
All the best with it and keep us posted on how u get on.
You can do it Harv!!
FS
🙂
8 days clean
Hi everyone...I have been lurking on this board for a while reading stories of people who are struggling with addictions to OTC codeine containing pills..I can see myself in all of your stories...I have been addicted to codeine for about 8 years..I am on the 8th day of cold turkey and how do i feel? A bit emotional, prone to getting a bit weepy for no apparent reason....ashamed that I let myself get into this state...humiliated that I am probably well known amongst the chemists in my hometown as a pill popper...terrified that I will relapse as soon as a stressful event occurs which used to send me running to the chemist....Hoping that I can make it this time...
My physical symptoms are slowly getting better...3rd day was the worst.....the restless leg problem was driving me mad but an early night after a very hot bath with lavender oil followed by a glass of water with valerian in from Holland and Barrett is helping....today is day nine and hopefully the physical aches and pains will diminish.....I feel as if i have had a case of the flu....
anyway..sorry to rant!!!
Hello
Hi Seanie
How are you?
Welcome to the forum.
To be honest, i did the same, lurking about in the background for a bit then decided to join and make some comments.
The first 3-5 days are always the worst for me without doubt.
You're probably over the worst, just focus on how good you'll feel when you eventually get off these things.
I also know exactly what you're saying regarding the chemists, i used to get paranoid about it thinking they knew how frequently i was coming in to buy them.
You're doing well, just keep up the good work.
You'll get some great support on here and we're all here to help.
Dont hesitate to get in touch if you need a chat.
All the best
FS 🙂
day 12: nearly slipped!!!
Day 12 and I think I might be going a little insane!!! Somehow convinced my self this morning that it would not hurt if I had a few soluble co-codamol from Boots as now I had been clean for 12 days..’I could control it….’Bought the pills in my lunchbreak, sat at my desk, stared at the pills for an hour and then….ran to the loo and flushed the lot away!! Why did I buy them in the first place??! I scared myself with how easily I nearly rationalised using again….I guess this proves that once you are an addict you are ALWAYS an addict..it can creep up on you if you are not careful.. …I don’t understand why I nearly used after all that I’ve been through…My physical symptoms are much better, I am sleeping better, not so many aches and pains, at leat nothing that can’t be got rid of with normal paracetamol…why did I nearly put myself back to square one? Just goes to show that I absolutely CANNOT go near chemists shops…