• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Only walking high on sugar and over leafing painkillers (codeine). Afraid to eat or walk.

ickihun

Master
Messages
13,696
Location
Sunderland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies
I'm in a hellava state.

Ive asked for a callback from dn as my bgs and weight is out of control. My gp is insisting on codeine as tramadol stopped being effective last month.

The pain is horrendous.
I'm still awaiting ultrascan (6wk await). For possible gallbladder.
A&E pushing me back to GP (whose gone on holiday) . Stretched GP blaming all on being an overweight person. Awaiting bariatric surgery.

Ive told anyone willing to listen this is not pain because too heavy. This is something wrong pain.
Progressive pain which is going to put me in a wheelchair due to no investigation. Guessing games only.
Is England a third world country now?

If no joy tomorrow I will be asking my MP to help as I need some help for my young family. Partner is exhausted.
 
Good luck! When I had codeine I vomited a lot, hope you can tolerate it ok!! I understand your worries, pain tablets may fix the symptoms but you still wonder why it hurts in the first place. If you need to wait 6 weeks there's a lot that could go wrong in that time (why such a wait? Seems dreadful!) so hopefully you will be feeling better soon. Perhaps it will be something minor (cross your fingers!). Go back to hospital if you feel you need to, better safe than sorry. I can imagine it is difficult for your partner too, good luck to him/her as well.
 
Oh my darling <3

Firstly, commiserations on the Tamadol: Codeine is a different (and I find much, much harder) beast and will certainly not replace the Tramadol. I'm surprised that there's been no talk of a back-up pain management plan, given that when I was posting last year, we were talking about Tramadol and how lucky you felt that it was still effective for you. But, goodness, Codeine as a replacement... firstly it's nowhere near as effective, but also many people find it causes them severe abdominal pains.

I don't doubt this is something other than "Lose Some Weight" pain - that dismissive drawl is facile, offensive and dangerous. You're in pain, that needs sorting. And your poor partner... my love to you both.

My only suggestions are to keep posting (especially if it helps) - if you want to PM me, I'm happy to do my best to stay in touch - and to keep trying those docs. Have you given 111 a go? Quite often they can open doors to services that a self-referral cannot. Also, a desperate and slightly devious measure can be to claim mild chest pains and trouble breathing (both an honest side-effect from lasting pain), which will prompt more serious investigations, but it'll be tough on your and your family whether they take it seriously or not.

Aaah, @ickihun , these rubbish bodies of ours. For what it's worth, I'm sending you oodles of love and hoping you and yours are at least able to get a bit of rest soon.

*As an aside, on my Pain Days I take Phenergan, an old-school antihistamine. Not because I feel suddenly allergic to everything but because it has the "Do no operate heavy machinery" type of drowsiness as a common side-effect. One of those and I'm asleep for 8 hours. I don't know if that's something which is an option, medically or whatever, for you, but it's the only other way out of constant, severe pain that I can think of off-hand: sleep.

I'll keep thinking. You keep calm, hug your partner and try 111 when you're able.

Sock xx
 
Hi ickihun. I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling so unwell. I was prescribed Tramadol for my arthritis some years ago but it gave me splitting headaches, so I had to switch to codeine, but with paracetamol (Cocodamol). Have you tried combining the two? They work very well together and produce a better painkilling effect? You don’t have to get Cocodamol but if you’ve been given codeine tablets you can just buy cheap paracetamol to take with them.
 
Last edited:
Sending you warm, gentle hugs ickihun. As you know, I live with chronic pain and can empathise with you all the way. I have no other suggestions to make other than those already made except to say that you must take things steady. Thinking of you. Xx
 
Try going back to AandE first thing in the morning on a week day, repeat this a few times and you who show up on their system as someone who needs helping.
 
A big hug from me -- you are my shining star - every time I think I'm having problems I try to remember what you and some others here on the forum have to endure, and it puts me back severely in my place... I hope that things will get sorted for you quickly!

Robbity
 
Try going back to AandE first thing in the morning on a week day, repeat this a few times and you who show up on their system as someone who needs helping.

Normally, @ringi you're right on the money, but this I disagree with (I think it's the first time!). Firstly, hours in A&E for a chronic pain sufferer is a lesson in misery and could very well make everything worse - pushing the partner over the edge, causing far more pain and stress to both.

But, also, repeated visits for the same thing, particularly when you're describing pain, have recently come off opiates and refuse to take no for an answer, could easily lead to you being labeled as an addict. Which then means your pain becomes almost disbelived and secondary to treating your "addiction" / need for drugs in the first place.

For anything else I'd definitely say "Keep going back!", but chronic pain + asking for drugs + repeat visits = a rabbit hole you don't especially want to fall down.
 
Hi, a relative has a long wait for a scan, I found online that there is a company that does for £99 apparantely within a week or so. Haven't gone down that route yet so can't vouch for them but looked positive: https://www.ultrasound-direct.com
 
Hi ickihun. I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling so unwell. I was prescribed Tramadol for my arthritis some years ago but it gave me splitting headaches, so I had to switch to codeine, but with paracetamol (Cocodamol). Have you tried combining the two? They work very well together and produce a better painkilling effect? You don’t have to get Cocodamol but if you’ve been given codeine tablets you can just buy cheap paracetamol to take with them.
I should have been more clear. I do mean paracetamol and codeine or co-codamol and codeine.
On tuesday I couldnt wait 4hr interval so ever since I'm 7am, 11am, 3pm then suffer til bedtime so I can get to sleep.
My poor family. I'm short tempered because of pain.
I'm still in agony in the codeine taking times. With constipation by evening from its build up.
Sitting is OK but once I move im in agony. Total agony.
On an evening I'm sitting in pain from constipation, back pain awaiting 9pm codeine and possible gallbladder pain from eating with family.
My whole right side is pain riddled all day til I'm asleep.
Leg goes numb or shooting nerve pain from pelvis. Baby toe no longer numb it's big toe getting nerve pain and severe both feet and calf cramps.
Side pain there constantly. :(
 
Do you know you can get co codamol with 3 different codeine : paracetamol ratios? I have to take the one with the lowest amount of codeine because codeine makes me feel completely stoned!
 
Hi, a relative has a long wait for a scan, I found online that there is a company that does for £99 apparantely within a week or so. Haven't gone down that route yet so can't vouch for them but looked positive: https://www.ultrasound-direct.com
I'd pay for a MRI rather than a ultrascan but cannot afford it on joint ESA.
A MRI would show me my spinal column/cord/back, ovaries and gallbladder/liver. I'm led to believe.
I don't know where to start fixing my pain. It's right back side prevalent. Pain resonating from there!!
 
Do you know you can get co codamol with 3 different codeine : paracetamol ratios? I have to take the one with the lowest amount of codeine because codeine makes me feel completely stoned!
I didn't.
I'm guessing more codeine strength... more constipation? I'm using 500/8mg co-codamol and 30mg codeine every 4hrs. I'm afraid to paracetamol overdose as I know 60mg codeine is max per 4hrs.
What is max codeine per 24hrs?
 
Heres the advice from NICE re max doses
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/co-codamol.html Cant comment on the constipation question - I just get stoned on codeine
The only time that was vagually pleasant tho was after a surgery when codeine phosphate and a can of Pimms made for a good start to a dreamy and pain free day!
 
Sounds like you need to up the codeine for the pain but with something regular for the constipation. Are you taking anything for the constipation? If so what?
 
diagnosed in 2005 type 2 im now on metformin 4x 500mg daily 2x gliclazide 80mg daily 1 x alogliptin daily and still on 95ml methadone and gabapentin 300mgs 3 daily to combat my back and foot pain which ive had most of my adult life currently trying to reduce the methadone but this constant cold feeling will not go away no matter what type of heating i use tried just about everything yet i feel freezing 24/7
 
Hi @gabastu72 - welcome to the forum, though I wish I was greeting you from a more cheerful context.

I have, unfortunately, no experience with methadone or the reduction of such. To be honest, I've been in such terror of opioid addiction that I've never let myself go more than 3 days on Tramadol at a time; the 4th day I tend to sleep, sob and suffer.

There's a lot of chronic pain sufferers on the forums, though I hope you'll be posting more regularly in all kinds of discussions, not just the darker, more difficult ones; the community here as a lot to offer (as I think you've seen by being tempted out of hiding on this thread) and I hope you find your feet here quickly.

Why not post a thread on the introductions forum so we can all welcome you properly?

As for your freezing problem... I doubt I could suggest anything you've not already tried, but will think on it anyways and see what others posters suggest.

Welcome :)
 
Sounds like you need to up the codeine for the pain but with something regular for the constipation. Are you taking anything for the constipation? If so what?
Fibrogel twice daily.
I'm now getting morning movement on this but still feel blocked and very very uncomfortable with pain constant on an evening. Pain after eating. Off breakfast and nibble on lunch time but family dinner eaten very very slowly. Then pain and discomfort til asleep for the night (a few hours).
 
My brilliant dn called me back and asked if I wanted to go to A&E. She said my insulin won't improve my high bgs til my pain goes.
I cannot sit in A&E tonight. I just cannot do it.
I've resolved myself to seeing what my GP can do for pain in the morning at 08.50 appointment.
The wonderful lady in x-ray has booked my abdominal scan for Monday morning. What a weekend I'm in for. :( :( :(
GP in the morning is different to gp who booked within 2wk scan but booked wrong one. X-ray depart have rectified.
I just need some pain relief which I'm hoping gp can give me, in the morning. Codeine still isn't working and constipation brewing but no dinner yet. I'm scared to eat as I know I'm in for h&ll.
My blood pressure is up with upset of it all. Dn has mentioned pancreatitis was looked into in my last blood tests but didn't get detected so scan may show more. Gallbladder problem not ruled out and even A&E on last visit seemed to think abdominal related and being investigated by gp so they were happy with that. A&E assumed 2day rule was applied by gp but it wasn't actioned that way.
My practice going to get my upset. Its looking like neglect. :(
Mr ickihun's illness is going crazy over the whole upset.
For everyone's sake this should be resolved asap .

I'm lying flat and dreading dinnertime and its aftermath.
If I moan one more time to family... they will combust. (maybe). They cannot take anymore either!
 
Back
Top