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You’re doing great Anja. I have legitimate pain also, I have rheumatoid arthritis and pretty much I just hurt. I medicated full time though and became totally dependent, anything became a reason to ‘need’ codeine not just bad days. I do have pain free days and weeks at times. I didn’t need full time codeine it was truly the pain of withdrawal that worried me the most!! I’m just over 4 weeks into my codeine free existence and today was my first day of having energy levels like a normal person. I’m about to go to bed (I live down under) and I have earned it for the first time in a month. Like you the lack of energy is the most intolerable thing to me. I have four very needy kids…3 have intense special needs. To be honest I stuck with it because of all the stories I read here. It gave me the strength to hold on. I read the entire thread over and over to remind me of my purpose. I’m soooo thankful and feel so blessed to have had the support of the amazing people on here. I do again recommend the diahrea medicine, it does help. Otherwise just so you’re prepared, I struggled badly with the weakness and fatigue and didn’t feel like I was ever going to come out of it. I felt almost detached from reality and purposeless. Day 17 was really my first day of feeling I would actually recover. Each day improved just a tiny bit. Today however I have attacked the incredible mountain of clean laundry I couldn’t cope with over the last four weeks. I even changed and washed every bedsheet, pillow cover, towel, cushion in the house, dried and…wait for it…put them away! I feel more hopeful than ever that I am really going to conquer this! Oh and for the first 2 weeks every joint and pain I ever had in the last decade reminded me of its existence but it will level out and you’ll find you can actually cope with plain Nurofen or Panadol. You’ve got this! xo ????. Oh and I vaccuumed the floors. I ache all over but it’s a normal ache from overdoing it.
That was supposed to say before ‘long’, not before ‘lunch’ … autocorrect ????????… But that’s a reality of what the future could look like I guess…
Hi Anja! You are doing the right thing. I started just like you with 8 30/500 over a decade ago. I didn’t start taking 8 a day but bit by bit every single ache or twinge became worthy of codeine. Before lunch by it was 9 a day, then 10, then 12. There really is no limit once tolerance starts to build. Your whole life then becomes about the pills. I agree with Magie that maybe a taper if you are too weak for the trip. Maybe take half what you were and taper from there just to get through.
If you feel strong enough to push on some diaohrrea tablets will help all your withdrawal symptoms. I took the maximum dose of 8 per day and then tapered down one tablet a day during the first well, 8 days of withdrawal ☺️.
xoxo ☺️
I just saw your post and I want you to know you are definately not alone! How you are feeling right now is most definately temporary! The next week will be tough. The days will feel so long and the nights…just as long! It will be four weeks for me on Monday and I never thought I would make it this far. I’m starting to feel more normal now. I read and re-read this entire thread over and over that first week and it helped me hold on for the whole ride. You’ve got this!
Sorry Rach I just had a thought ????. So because I got my ‘medication’ on legitimate script I think that has messed with my recovery a bit.. The worst of the withdrawal ie. the first few days is actually a familiar thing for me????. Over and over I would run out early and leave myself withdrawing for a few days because we can’t get over the counter codeine down under anymore. So I would have a rubbish few days and then be straight back onto my new script. This time I decided enough was enough and have just not gone back for my renewal. I think that I’d got myself into a pattern mentally of the withdrawal being followed within a week, with a codeine reward. So now that I’ve resisted it’s taking me a bit more for my brain to accept and realise there’s no codeine coming this time if that make sense.
Sorry Rach I just had a thought ????. So because I got my ‘medication’ on legitimate script I think that has messed with my recovery a bit.. The worst of the withdrawal ie. the first few days is actually a familiar thing for me????. Over and over I would run out early and leave myself withdrawing for a few days because we can’t get over the counter codeine down under anymore. So I would have a rubbish few days and then be straight back onto my new script. This time I decided enough was enough and have just not gone back for my renewal. I think that I’d got myself into a pattern mentally of the withdrawal being followed within a week, with a codeine reward. So now that I’ve resisted it’s taking me a bit more for my brain to accept and realise there’s no codeine coming this time if that make sense.
xoxoxoxoxo
I’m here Rach! Day 21 and still 100% codeine free. I’m pretty sure all withdrawal symptoms are gone now I’m still patiently waiting for normality to feel normal though????. I read Dadict early in these pages said that 4weeks was even better than the 18 day ‘milestone’ so I just keep pushing my goals forward and focus on getting there. I’m definately still fatigued and lacking in that internal motivation to get me moving on chores at this point. I am able to force myself to do what is basically necessary to get by each day which I was unable to even contemplate in the first 10 days. I don’t know that I would have made it this far without you all. You’ve been so kind and to think you’re all reaching out to a complete stranger blows my mind! It’s kept me accountable because I don’t want to let you all down! I went out again today and the whole time I still felt detached from the people around me. The whole time I was very aware that I was doing something I would normally rely on codeine to get through ????. I was quiet and withdrawn and luckily was able to fade into the background. I actually am lacking in motivation and stamina to even hold a polite conversation so I was relieved noone tried to engage with me. It’s the brain fog still hanging over me. I’m normally friendly and approachable and wouldn’t want anyone to think I was rude but while I’m working through this I have to take a backseat in social situations as I’m just not strong enough or ready yet. But yes! Thankyou! I’m still here and still pushing through! ????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Thankyou Steph!!!
Thankyou for this! I’m day 20 today and still think about codeine every day. I’m hanging in but reminders like this are brilliant! Thankyou! Are you ok?
Hi Mastbrunch1! You’re doing great. The restless legs thing is super yuck! I’m day 18 and it’s faded a lot but I had it almost through my whole body! Magnesium definately helps, so does a good stretch session (or a few every half hour as needed. I still feel it a little at night but it is fading. Hold on and it will pass. I did also have a feeling in my legs during the day like I’d already run a 20km marathon for the first 2 weeks but that is fading too. If I can do this you can too, trust me! ☺️
I’m DAY 18!!!! I drove the kids to school. I helped wrangle our 5 year old having a tantrum about school. I’ve put more laundry in to wash. It’s true. It does seem to be that at this point there’s a ‘click’ up to the next level towards normality in this whole withdrawing thing! I’m far from cured but I see and feel progress! I even called my mum which is serious test of endurance if you knew my mum ????. I do still think about codeine every day. I have this weird hollow feeling quite inside like something’s missing at all times and brain fog is still an issue but I’m having moments of clarity. I have a feeling almost like I’m a bit detached from reality and observing life from afar? I must see this through.
OMG MAGGIE! You’re there too!!?? I feel so privileged to hear from you! ???????????? All you ladies are my heros (even the ones who’ve recently joined in getting ready to leap). I’m day 17 and compared to yesterday I’m better again!!!!! I do see a light at the end of this tunnel…yesterday I thought it was my imagination but it’s real I see a faint glow and a pinprick of light! I drove my kids to school again! And I’ve been out with my husband to run errands and felt almost kinda normal ????. The thing is I was taking around 300mg of codeine a day for over a decade. At first it was for serious head pain but pretty quickly every tiny niggle became worthy of codeine… It gave me energy and motivation but pretty soon, now that I look back I wasn’t much more effective on it than before I started on it. I lapsed back into good days and bad days just like life before codeine but I had to take it to feel normal and to prompt the motivation I could no longer manufacture within myself. Except now I had the problem of constantly having to justify and continue getting prescriptions just to function. The guilt of justifying it all is a terrible burden to bear. The fear of withdrawal has held me back for soooo long! I haven’t liked withdrawal, not one little bit but your journey and honesty inspired me! I worship you ????.
xoxo ????????