Prescription Drug Dependence and Withdrawal ?

What has your GP suggested Fanny? I think you need some professional input x

Hello Jane Thank you, yes, I’m phoning them tomorrow.
Our GP is absolutely brilliant (they are the best in Derbyshire) but I’m a bit ashamed and I’m worried that if I ever need strong pain relief they will be loathe to give it to me.
I know that this is daft! x

It is very common to become dependant on painkillers (or even alcohol or non prescription drugs) you have nothing to be ashamed of. Ask for help

I haven't ever become dependent on any drugs (apart from oestrogen) but have come off of medication very gradually when instructed. My advice would be to do it very gradually Fanny. So if you are taking one tablet three times a day try cutting a tablet in two and taking two and a half tablets a day for a few days then two half tablets and one whole for another three days followed by three half tablets for the next three days and so on. By keeping the routine going of three a day in this case and only going down by small steps your body is less likely to react. Good luck.

Didn't we discuss this on the Hipsters thread Fanny?
All you can do is take it slowly. The headaches and sleep disturbance will gradually disappear. It's normal with withdrawal, nothing to be ashamed of. Why would you think they would withhold appropriate analgesia should you need it in the future?

GLaine no, I haven’t been on the Hipster thread for a while for totally different reason.
I know that I’m probably being irrational.

And I can’t mention it to my dad, as he is having very similar problems to me, and he’s refusing to take anything more than paracetamol.
It won’t exactly help my cause!

Esspee I feel like they have built up in my system. I’m hardly taking any tablets, and yet they are affecting me more (if that makes sense).
I’m not sure if the tablets are actually causing the headaches.
I think that my liver needs a detox or something.
I do drink lots of water on the plus side!

GLaine re the Hipster thread - I had a very unfortunate thing happen at the hospital, and I felt that I couldn’t contribute anymore, because I really, really, really didn’t want to put anyone off who was having the jitters.
It was a one in a million type thing., and it’s sorted now.

FannyCornforth

GLaine re the Hipster thread - I had a very unfortunate thing happen at the hospital, and I felt that I couldn’t contribute anymore, because I really, really, really didn’t want to put anyone off who was having the jitters.
It was a one in a million type thing., and it’s sorted now.

Yes I remember the other thread about the incident & commented there. I do hope you've had a satisfactory resolution. It was a horrible thing to happen.
But I commented about withdrawal from prescribed opiates well before your surgery because I really hit a brick wall and wanted to warn others like me who had developed tolerance of heavyweight painkillers. I'm sure your GP will be able to reassure you.

PM. sent

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate it.
I’m definitely phoning tomorrow first thing (the usual 8am fastest finger first madness ?)

Fanny I sm in a similar position with pain but I now take morphine, after taking tramodole for a while but stopped because it gave me terrible headaches and I found I couldn’t think straight. It was paramedics who suggested morphine and asked my dr to prescribe it. I can go days without taking but then have a flare up, like now, and end up having two doses a day. It might sound strange but the best thing I find that helps is gentle exercise in the fresh air and I cycle, sometimes just a mile or two, as it’s none weight bearing and so doesn’t cause pain in my joints. I hope you find a way that helps with pain.

Good luck in the queue tomorrow Fanny! My DH had dreadful pain before 1st hip replacement so you wouldn't have had much choice about taking strong painkillers. Sorry I don't have a lot to offer--but Co-Codamol brought headaches for me. I hope you can get sorted. I think splitting tablets is a good idea to come off gently.

Good luck in the morning Fanny. Explain to your GP that you want to see if you can manage on a lower dose but if you can't would you be able to go up to the original dose again. My friend did that after a hip replacement her GP listened and was very helpful.

Definitely go to the doctors and get help. Withdrawing is not an easy process. Good luck

Tramadol is notorious for dependency. A friend of mine was waiting for a knee replacement and, just as it was in sight, he had a heart attack. This meant the operation had to be delayed and he spent an extra year on Tramadol. He got off them in the end but it took a while.

Be honest with your doctor fanny. Your symptoms may not all be about the medication, perhaps anxiety is making them worse. You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of - after all you didn’t prescribe them. Good luck. Please let us know how you get on.

I had a rough time coming off Pregabalin even with the dose being gradually reduced. I hope you get some good advice on how how best deal with the side effects. It will get better.

Over the last 34 years I have tried various tablets and then had to go through withdrawal when they don't work and each time it was brutal.

People worry about becoming addicted to long term use of tablets. All tablets are addictive one person can become addicted within a month others take longer it depends on your body.

I know on am addicted to the tablets I take and accept it as they help me.

A friend of mine has severe arthritis in her hands and knees . After my nagging she finally saw her GP to get some antiinflammatories . After a month I asked her if they where helping and found she hadn't taken them because she read they can become addictive. I told her off and glad to say she started to take them and isn't suffering like she was.

I know some long term use of tablets can cause serious harm it happened to me in 2017. I was on 2100mg sodium valporate and 800mg carbamazpine for decades they gave me jaundice and was told when I was discharged from my gastrologist I could have died.

But I don't blame the consultant who put me on them as he did what he thought would help me . This was in 1992. After all the tests available at the time he couldn't give me a diagnosis but only treat my syptoms . He was the top consultant at the time in the country.

This year finally got diagnosed. And no wonder all the tests I have done over the years showed nothing. It was only by genetic blood tests that I could be diagnosed. And I was born with a mutant gene. Now on a tablet to stop my limb jerks and seizures. I know I am addicted to it but I would rather addiction than what I have been going through.

It's not just prescription drugs people can become addicted to but vitamin and mineral tablets after a while taking them our bodies get used to them and your body craves them.

But all this is just my opinion and experience. Others will disagree .

Fanny, you cannot do this on your own, you need the expertise of your GP.
People on here are well meaning, but only your doctor knows your medical history and it's not wise to do it on your own.

I can sympathise with what you are experiencing, I wear a Fentanyl patch ( highly addictive) and if I am late changing it, the withdrawal symptoms are awful.

Get on that phone this morning and don't take No for an answer.

I agree contact your doctor ... many many years ago I took mild tranquillisers, doctor told me how to cut down, me I did it much too quick instead of cutting down slowly, thought I knew better ... made me worse, may take a few weeks , months or who knows a year, but with medical supervision I am sure you will be fine ... also personally I didn't give up ...

Just a thought ... Mondays are not the day to get on to the GP first thing for a situation that has been going on for a while and could be left to the next day or even later in the week...

I absolutely agree that this is for the GP to deal with. Good luck!

I was taking tramadol and it made me feel sick all the time so decided to come off it.
I went cold turkey and even though I'd only been taking it for 3 months max, I had terrible cold sweats and insomnia.
It worked though and Im glad to see the back of it.
It's a horrible drug.
It might not be a good idea to do what I did if you've been on it longer.
Hope the doc helps you!

Good to see you plan to speak to your doctor FannyC. You won’t be the first asking for this kind of help. I’m sure they’ll welcome yiu taking the initiative
Getting older isn’t a doddle is it x

Hopefully you managed to speak to someone today. I am incredibly sensitive to medication, I even get withdrawal after taking codeine 'occasionally' for migraines. You really are nothing unusual Fanny and the GP wont be fazed at all by this, I assure you