Dihydrocodeine Withdrawal

[arwyn]

Dose was 6 x 30mg a day.
This was reduced by 1 pill each week for 6 weeks.
**Now no dose for 2 weeks**.
The questions is, will it now be totally out of a persons system?
TIA x

[Sqad]

It would be well " out of sight" within a week.

[Sqad]

That is within a week of stopping the medication.
So in your case, that means that it was out of your system one week ago.

That was for clarification of my post above.

[Peter Pedant]

yes completely

the half life is given as 4 hr

( so 1/2 is gone in 4 hr and 1/4 remains after 8 hrs and 1/8 after 16 )
so after 14 d there is none left

[arwyn]

Thank you both for your replies.
That means these symptoms must be from the new drug Gabapentin 600mg a day.
This was slowly introduced to replace the Dihydrocodine.

[BlackadderV]

I was on the same drug (I think it went under the name of DF118 in those days) after a very serious motor accident when I was a young man 42 years ago and ended up in a military hospital. It gave great pain relief. What I did not realise was that I was becoming addicted, and when they suddenly stopped them because I was getting physically better I had the most awful withdrawal symptoms, even suicidal thoughts. They were the worst two weeks of my life until I finally got over it. I can understand what drug addicts go through when trying to stop. This was not due to any abuse, just daily medication administered under supervision. I would advise caution when using them because you never know when they will take over.

[arwyn]

Blackadder, this was why the G.P said to withdraw slowly as *Codeine* in some shape or form had been prescribed for about 17 years.
Your's sounds an awful withdrawal.