Asperger's Syndrome and Medication Overuse.

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As I have posted about before, I have been addicted for Codeine for 4 years now, over the counter preparations with ibuprofen and paracetamol. I live in the UK, and Codeine can be sold over the counter here without a script in combination with other meds like paracetamol, asprin and ibuprofen.

I have someone coming to see me tomorrow from a drug addictions service funny enough, to get me on a replacement dose of codeine/other opiate substitute ASAP because of the risk to my health from the ibuprofen and paracetamol. I am dreading it of course, but that's because of my communication difficulties, not my addiction. They know I have AS and have taken that seriously, so hopefully they'll be aware what problems AS people experience. I'm just unsure about being able to explain myself so they understand, and me understand them, as that's my biggest area of difficulty really, verbal communication.

Anyway, with me aside, I just wondered if anyone else has problems with overusing medications, albeit over the counter or prescribed ones. Do you have problems with developing an obsession related to using the pills? I know I sure have a big obsession with taking Codeine, and the anti anxiety properties it has with me. I also have the obsession with the shiney pills, I see them as a cure for everything life has to throw at me. Right from the sound they make when I pop them out of the packets to the taste of them in my mouth, obsession obsession obsession.

It doesn't need to be an 'addictive' med like opiates, benzos or sleeping pills, just any medicine you find it hard to resist taking or abusing.


I'm like a smoker with the whole hand to mouth thing some smokers have a hard time getting used to not doing, but for me, it's the act of taking codeine, and the feeling ti gives me, it's all tangled up with my obsessive side.

Well this not quite the same thing.......but I have been trying to cut down on smoking ciggerettes without much success. Then again right now I'm a bit stressed because I have a new college semester starting and am moving cause my mom got a new place and I'll be staying there until I can afford to find an apartment or something. So now is probably not a good time to try and cut down or quit. But yeah I enjoy how it feels to be smoking a ciggerette not so much even the effect which is not all that impressive but moreso just the habit of lighting the ciggerette, and holding it to smoke it.

I take quite a lot of Ibuprofen but that's to cope with prostatitis, chronic fatigue symptoms and pain caused by stress such as back, neck and head aches.

None of this is strictly to do with AS but I do wonder if a lifetime of living with near constant background anxiety has taken it's toll on my body.

I've never tried Codeine products but years ago in the UK you used to be able to buy medicines for stomach pain which included opiates. I've forgotten the brand name now but I used to take that far more often than needed. Sadly not available any more.

I would be woried about the harmful toxic affects of these drugs. Ideally a safe option that works is a good option.


Or better still life without drugs, though you may need some support.

Well... I drink. I must admit that. Alcohol. My shrink called it "self medication".

From my understanding a light to moderate pure opium addiction is one of the least harmful addictions. Frequently the old guys to hang out in opium dens live till 90

So much unhealthy s**t is added to cigarettes and alcohol too. For me 2 small healthy beers a day and some cannabis is effective. I had 2 stouts last night, so good for you! Really! Only a few quality beers get my approval of not just 'safe' but 'good for you'.

Transitioning to something else that is healthy may be a way to do it

I was prescribed Clonazepam for anxiety several years ago and ended up abusing it. I was taking 10-15 times my prescribed dose in order to get the sedating effect. I was mixing it with alcohol at the same time, and I could have accidentally overdosed and killed myself. I'm glad I didn't. I still have to watch myself, because if I ever got my hands on the pills again I could end up right back there.

I went to AA. Scary place for a suspected aspie, but I can stand it for short periods and that's how I managed to get off of substances and into school.

I had a short codeine addiction but had to stop because the pain is was supposed to be easing was becoming less harder to treat. And that pain is the most excruciating pain I've ever had and continue to have.
I liked being on Ritalin too but I think what went wrong was that I didn't know how to correctly use it. But now I use it more responsively.

It's not actually that messed up. They are "diluting" it, basically, with weaker painkillers that are harmful only in huge doses, and only when abused by people who already have a high tolerance to codeine. Lowering the dose by adding other non-codeine painkillers reduces the number of new addictions.

In any case, Misery, good luck tapering off the codeine. I remember getting off Lexapro--an antidepressant, don't know the generic name--and the doctor telling me it should take about five days. I had ridiculous withdrawal symptoms and eventually took matters into my own hands and lengthened the tapering-off period to a full month. That worked. I don't know if your case will be similar, but it seems like it might be an idea for you--schedule your doses to gradually decrease so you can get off slowly, and you can prevent withdrawal symptoms altogether.

BTW--if you really just like the pills themselves, you could always switch to gum or breath mints instead. (Sugar-free, to prevent tooth decay.) You could safely swallow some kinds of breath mints whole... It might seem silly, but hey, whatever works.