coming off co-codamol

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Discussion

moanthebairns

Original Poster:

17,918 posts

197 months

Saturday 22nd March 2014
quotequote all
ive been on co-codamol for the last 6 months or so after a bike crash for my shoulder.

I went from full dosage down to about 2 to 4 a day now but would like to come off them as they are doing sweet fk all for the pain now.

for the last month I have had biblical headaches, at first I thought it was my electronic fags so came off them and back to real fags but the headaches still occur.

I stopped taking co-codamol for the headaches and just paracetamol which would work for an hour or so but then it would be back. they are fking awesome headaches, it feels like a bird of prey has actually sunk its claws into my brain and is tearing it out.

ive went cold turkey as it were for the co-codamol, im now on day 3 almost without any the last few days have been bearable but fk me today is woeful. I woke up at stupid o'clock, my legs hurt like fk, my head is pounding, I have cold sweats, I have mega sts, I have no energy, I cant concentrate and feel like I have the flu.

how long will it take before the codeine is out my body, or should I just take one or two every day or so an wean myself off?

Mr Gearchange

5,892 posts

205 months

Saturday 22nd March 2014
quotequote all
How many mg were/are you taking a day?

moanthebairns

Original Poster:

17,918 posts

197 months

Saturday 22nd March 2014
quotequote all
30mg 500mg caplets that's all I know.

I was dabbling with a Dihydrocodeine for a few weeks as well that seemed to cure the headaches no end, I felt great all hyper and waking up full of vitality. but these, cough, weren't prescribed to me.

AB

16,969 posts

194 months

Saturday 22nd March 2014
quotequote all
moanthebairns said:
30mg 500mg caplets that's all I know.

I was dabbling with a Dihydrocodeine for a few weeks as well that seemed to cure the headaches no end, I felt great all hyper and waking up full of vitality. but these, cough, weren't prescribed to me.
Dihydrocodeine is one of the only painkillers that seems to work for me.

Class B drug though when not prescribed!

z4chris99

11,221 posts

178 months

Saturday 22nd March 2014
quotequote all
I love dihydrocodine


evo4a

737 posts

180 months

Saturday 22nd March 2014
quotequote all
z4chris99 said:
I love dihydrocodine
Very moreish, I took quite a liking to them as well........

TheD

3,133 posts

198 months

Saturday 22nd March 2014
quotequote all
I once took Co-codamol and DHCs together. I was spaced out have the time. I stopped taking the DHCs last year as I was eating them like sweeties. Still on the co-codamol but very ineffective a lot of the time

goldblum

10,272 posts

166 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
moanthebairns said:
how long will it take before the codeine is out my body, or should I just take one or two every day or so an wean myself off?
Quickest way is just stop. Take up running and push yourself. It'll take about three weeks before you're 99% better. That last 1% will take quite a bit longer but then opiates are the real deal.

Or take a couple for a week, followed by one for a week etc. but you'll crash just as hard.

Like others on here I'm speaking from considerable personal experience...If it was me I'd just stop, it's more fun that way.

Pet Troll

1,362 posts

177 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
I take pain killers for epic headaches too, was on cocodamol and tramadol for ages and it helped the headache pain but I had awful side effect, sickness, weakness, feeling spaced out etc. I am now on Dihydrocodeine and it is just as effective for my headache pain but I get literally zero side effect, no drowsyness and no feeling like i'm drugged, no sickness, it's bliss!

Prof Prolapse

16,160 posts

189 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
How's the cold turkey you whacked out junky? Or did you taper it off?

Also don't forget your two types of soup, and three buckets for vomitus, urine, and faeces. But if all else fails don't forget the methadone clinic is by the train station in town, there's normally some junkies in that alleyway about this time everyday. I'm sure at least one of them will have some jellies, or valium to shove up your arse.

HTH,

Prof Prolapse


Riff Raff

5,086 posts

194 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
goldblum said:
moanthebairns said:
how long will it take before the codeine is out my body, or should I just take one or two every day or so an wean myself off?
Quickest way is just stop. Take up running and push yourself. It'll take about three weeks before you're 99% better. That last 1% will take quite a bit longer but then opiates are the real deal.

Or take a couple for a week, followed by one for a week etc. but you'll crash just as hard.

Like others on here I'm speaking from considerable personal experience...If it was me I'd just stop, it's more fun that way.
Only problem with running with a fked up shoulder is the big jolt of pain you get when your heels strike. I too am speaking from personal experience. Might work for moanthebairns though.....

moanthebairns

Original Poster:

17,918 posts

197 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
after i stopped stting myself I was fine, but the pain kicked in at night (id been out in the cold all day and it really kills my shoulder) so popped two on saturday night and two on sunday night (again out working on the bike all day in cold). Had a fking awesome sleep as well and they killed the pain much better.

much less headaches and generally feel much better

i can only conclude that the stting myself must have left me rather dehydrated and was a huge factor in me being run down.

once I had a roll on square and had stopped stting I felt remarkably better, not a few lines of base good but good.

http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/advice-support-...

I goggled withdrawal times etc and found this harrowing tale from mums net on co-codamol withdrawal


Prof Prolapse

16,160 posts

189 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
Glad you're feeling a bit better. Dehydration will never help with headaches, neither will the anxiety of thinking you're hooked on something.

I fking love mumsnet. It's classic bored attention starved housewives needing to feel momentarily important by debasing themselves and their families.

Ice chewers forum or the flat earth society remain favourites for me however.

Mr Gearchange

5,892 posts

205 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
Co-codamol is a seems to be a strange thing to try and cure headaches with - if you didn't have a headache before hand you soon will if you keep taking Co-Codamol.
I suspect that GP's just dish it out when you tell them Paracetamol isn't working anymore - so it's just the next step up the painkiller ladder.

I fell off my mountainbike and ended up with a collapsed lung, 5 broken ribs, a cracked sternum and a neck injury and when discharged form hospital was sent home with 60/500 tablets.

Everything hurt like fk for a good while and I was taking 8 tablets a day. I gradually reduced the dose as things improved and when I ran out I just stopped taking them.

I think that there is an element of addiction placebo with CC - I'm sure that if the box didn't say "CAUSES ADDICTION DON'T TAKE FOR MORE THAN 3 DAYS" then people would be less inclined to believe they had developed some kind of chemical dependency.

I came straight off them - no withdrawl, no side effects - other than being able to poop without exploding a vain in my head which was a good thing.

Good luck OP

Tonsko

6,299 posts

214 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
Those forums! ZOMG!

Prof Prolapse said:
Ice chewers forum



Prof Prolapse said:
or the flat earth society remain favourites for me however.


Edited by Tonsko on Monday 24th March 10:56

goldblum

10,272 posts

166 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
Riff Raff said:
Only problem with running with a fked up shoulder is the big jolt of pain you get when your heels strike. I too am speaking from personal experience. Might work for moanthebairns though.....
Yeah you're right. Let the shoulder heal a bit then come off them maybe.

moanthebairns

Original Poster:

17,918 posts

197 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
whooooooooo hold the phone, I am not going to be running anytime soon!

goldblum

10,272 posts

166 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
moanthebairns said:
whooooooooo hold the phone, I am not going to be running anytime soon!
Haha sorry!

Prof Prolapse

16,160 posts

189 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
Mr Gearchange said:
Co-codamol is a seems to be a strange thing to try and cure headaches with - if you didn't have a headache before hand you soon will if you keep taking Co-Codamol.
I suspect that GP's just dish it out when you tell them Paracetamol isn't working anymore - so it's just the next step up the painkiller ladder.
Having been twice independently prescribed these meds for migraines, I don't think it's that odd.

In any instance GPs have guidance, but they're free to use their discretion based on each case.








Mr Gearchange

5,892 posts

205 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
Prof Prolapse said:
Mr Gearchange said:
Co-codamol is a seems to be a strange thing to try and cure headaches with - if you didn't have a headache before hand you soon will if you keep taking Co-Codamol.
I suspect that GP's just dish it out when you tell them Paracetamol isn't working anymore - so it's just the next step up the painkiller ladder.
Having been twice independently prescribed these meds for migraines, I don't think it's that odd.

In any instance GPs have guidance, but they're free to use their discretion based on each case.
Migraine is probably a different kettle of fish - thankfully I don't suffer with those.

Worsening of headache is one of the primary side effects of co-codamol if taken over an extended period of time.

My GP prescribed it to me - I had terrible tension headaches at the back/base of my skull. Four weeks later I went back in and saw a different GP who was astonished that the other doc had prescribed it for a chronic headache. He stuck me onto low doese Imipramine which although a tricyclic antidepressant worked well as an a-typical pain killer.