I have been taking acetaminophen with codeine for about 8 years now I have been taking it for migraines I take 8 pills in the morning and 8 pills at night, I know I am addicted and it’s not like I take them for a buzz because I don’t get a buzz not anymore not for years now, I want to stop but every time I try to stop or cut back it’s like having a migraine 10 times over I can’t move my head it feels like it’s going to explode and I vomit a lot I have talked to my family doc about it and he told me there is nothing I can do but just suffer the withdrawals but I would rather take this for the rest of my life then to go through what I just went through I am looking for a second opinion on what I can do or talk to my family doc about
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
This is a fairly common problem with painkillers. It’s an addiction-dependency vicious circle. You just take the pills to feel normal and avoid the withdrawal symptoms. You are not taking the pills to get ‘high’.
Prolonged use of codeine or other opioids cause a strong drug dependency. The most common withdrawal symptoms are headaches, especially in the mornings.
As a matter of fact, prolonged use of just about any headache drug will eventually start causing the very symptom they were supposed to alleviate in the first place: headache. This happens even with ibuprofen, though the withdrawal symptoms are milder. Neurologists are very familiar with what they call “painkiller headaches”.
In order to liberate yourself from this drug, you must first consider the damage it is doing to your life: The acetaminophen is damaging your liver, possibly irreversibly. The codeine is causing constipation and related gastrointestinal problems. The addiction is damaging your mental health. You experience mood swings and irritation, and constantly worry about availability of the drug. Often your life will revolve around the drug to which you are addicted.
There is only one way out of this dependency: Suffer the withdrawal symptoms. They get easier by the day, and finally you’ll notice you don’t get the migraines anymore, or definitely much less than while on the drug. You’ll also feel and look better. You can minimize the withdrawal symptoms by gradually withdrawing from the drug with the help of your physician. Your physician can help make the withdrawal tolerable, and while you are withdrawing you may use sumatriptan or other migraine medication to ease the headaches.
Like with any addiction, you need resolve - you must make your decision and stand by it.
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