Hi all.
I'm new to this community and entire Health Unlocked world, but it looks like a really rather wonderful support network! I wandered if anyone could help. I was prescribed Tramadol when I was 18 for a slipped disc in my back, however it didn't really agree with me, so my GP gave me cocodamol. 9 years later, I was still taking cocodamol, until 3 weeks ago that is... I was only on a set of 2 x 30/500 before I got to bed to help me sleep and to keep me regular. This was for the last year or so. If I ever missed my 2 Coco The Clowns as I ironically and affectionately call them, I would have horrid runny stools and deep horrid pit of the stomach burps, and I would be unable to sleep.
Oh also, as well as this, I have had quite serious depression and extreme fatigue for a about 3 years now, that has basically ruined my life in all honesty. That will make sense later...
Enough was enough I decided there and then that I had taken my last needless drug, so I quit that night, and took some sleeping tablets to get me to sleep. I then consequently needed to take a sleeping tablet for the next 5 nights, then I tried sleeping on my own, and that didn't work, so the next day, I did a hell of a workout at the gym to tire me up a little more, and still no sleep without additional assistance. This is not even my main problem either....
Whilst I was on Coco, at first I was constipated, for quite a few months, then it seemed like my body got used to them, and then, as long as I can remember, I've had really bad stomach issues, like constant bubbling and churning, and pain and discomfort in my stomach about 30 minutes after eating. Again, I thought that this was just a side effect of the tablets.... Now I've stopped them, my stomach feels awful, with a stomach ache nearly all the time, which leads me to feeling awful! I've recently started a diet of smaller, low carb meals, rather than my usual XL meals (I'm not massively overweight, but I do like my food!) and I work unusual hours so I might have breakfast at 6am, lunch at 2pm and tea at 10pm, so there are long breaks between my meal times....and I've realised the strangest thing - when Im hungry, like REALLY hungry, and my stomach is empty, I have NO stomach ache, and my depression and fatigue COMPLETELY DISAPPEAR! However, whenever I eat (and it really doesn't matter what I eat), within 30 minutes, my stomach is gurgling and churning and aching, and I feel depressed and fatigued again!!! Has cocodamol done this to me? Surely all of this can't be to do with a drug I took 2 of per day for the last year?! I was up to 8 tablets a day for about the the first 4 years, so could that have done damage to my stomach or something? It's been 3 weeks since my last dose, and still no letting up with the stomach problems and I still can't sleep naturally at all!
Any ideas, answers or suggestions anyone?
Thanks ever so much in advance, you wonderful people! xxxx
