stopping codeine

LegacyUser

I wrote about my back pain at
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055520566

Now I have responded very well to nueromuscular massage and the problem now is getting of the pain killers which had codeine. I am down to maybe 2 a day, each with 300 mg codeine and 500mg paracetamol. I used to take 6 or 8 a day.

I fell rotten tired but cannot sleep much. I get muscle twitches when i am on the verge of sleep and it wakes me. i never liked taking it and never used it for a high, but nowfind i have to take sometimes when i don't have pain to sleep or will be wrecked the next day. The doctor told me give em up slowly and I am but I so wish it was a couple weeks in the future, so i am used to not having that **** in my system.

Has anyone had this? Not looking for med avice or giving it but my experience of neuromuscular massage was vey good

LegacyUser

lukewarm turkey wrote: »

I wrote about my back pain at
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055520566

Now I have responded very well to nueromuscular massage and the problem now is getting of the pain killers which had codeine. I am down to maybe 2 a day, each with 300mg *codeine and 500mg paracetamol. I used to take 6 or 8 a day.

I fell rotten tired but cannot sleep much. I get muscle twitches when i am on the verge of sleep and it wakes me. i never liked taking it and never used it for a high, but nowfind i have to take sometimes when i don't have pain to sleep or will be wrecked the next day. The doctor told me give em up slowly and I am but I so wish it was a couple weeks in the future, so i am used to not having that **** in my system.

Has anyone had this? Not looking for med avice or giving it but my experience of neuromuscular massage was vey good

*should be 30 mg codeine, sorry

Odysseus

You could talk to your doc, however an easy opition would be to switch to an over the counter drug like solpadine or neurofen + which has half the dose of codeine for a few days then stop. Or if its tablets rather than caps just break them in half. You would be suprised at the amount of people who have difficulties with codeine, but it is a useful drug. At that dose it you will be fine, if your worried talk to your GP or pharamacist. Hope this doesn't go against the charter if so mods [sorry] please delete.

LegacyUser

Odysseus wrote: »

You could talk to your doc, however an easy opition would be to switch to an over the counter drug like solpadine or neurofen + which has half the dose of codeine for a few days then stop. Or if its tablets rather than caps just break them in half. You would be suprised at the amount of people who have difficulties with codeine, but it is a useful drug. At that dose it you will be fine, if your worried talk to your GP or pharamacist. Hope this doesn't go against the charter if so mods [sorry] please delete.

OP here, thanks for that I have checked with the gp etc and he says it will be ok but i feel so tired. I agree codeine is a useful drug but can cause problems. Thanks again

LegacyUser

My aunt is addicted to codine in solphadine. If she doesn't take 2 every couple of hours she gets a pounding headache, then once she takes it she's busy as a bee about her business. You should stop the codine and ask your doc for sleeping tablets (low mg's) temporarily. I heard it can damage your kidneys (or is it the liver)? One or the other anyway.

LegacyUser

Hi All, I'm a pharmacist and know from personal experience what a huge problem codeine can be. However, from what I can see OP, you are doing very well. As the previous reply says, people can get addicted to even Solpadeine which only contains 8mg of codeine per tablet/capsule. However, the key to success is slowly weaning yourself off of it. Take your time and work your way down onto Solpadeine or Maxilief (same thing, Maxilief is generic version). And then eventually working your way off pain killers altogether. I'm glad your therapy has worked out well for you and you're needing less and less painkillers. Good Luck, hope this hs helped.

The_Conductor

OP- you really need to talk to your GP about this.
Thankyou to others for your input. I am closing this thread however, as the advice is sailing very close to the wind, with respect of offering what could be construed as medical advice.

Thread closed.