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I hope other people dependent on tablets read this because there is help out there with the home detox services - just ask your GP Ryan, UK

I enjoyed watching 'Real Story - Painkillers: Cure or risk?' yesterday and was particularly moved by Janet's story. She tried to give up her painkillers but, by day two of going 'cold turkey', was suffering from a terrible migraine and had to take Solpadeine. By the end of the programme, she appeared resigned to being dependent on Solpadeine for the rest of her life. I felt so sorry for this lady and wondered if Alexander Technique lessons would help her. I noticed that her neck was very tense and that she was pulling her head back and down onto her spine. Many migraine sufferers have been helped by taking lessons in the Alexander Technique. With the help of a teacher, Janet could learn how to let her neck be free and thus restore a good, dynamic head/neck/back relationship in herself. It because of what Janet is doing to herself (ie pulling her head back and down, and interfering with what Alexander called the primary control, which is the master-reflex of the whole body)

Are there hypochondriacs who think they are addicted to Solpadeine when they are actually highly strung depressives? Nick Huggett, England

that she suffers from migraine. If she can learn to stop doing this, the symptoms of her misuse - in her case, migraine - may well disappear and she would not have to be dependant on Solpadeine for the rest of her life. Janet can find an Alexander teacher in her area by contacting STAT (Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique) tel. 0207 284 3338 or going to the website: www.stat.org.uk, where there is lots of information on the technique. Beware of the many teach-yourself style books which misrepresent the technique. I would be very grateful if you would pass this information on to Janet. No one should have to be dependent on painkillers for the rest of their life.
Kate Lawrence, United Kingdom

Really enjoyed the programme last night. It powerfully conveyed the true powerlessness of over the counter addiction. I myself had been taking up to 120 nurofen+ tablets a day. It escalated over a period of up to three years. The only thing that brought it to an end was when I had a bleed in my stomach and was taken to hospital. This was the beginning of the end of my addiction. On a more positive note, the nurses at the hospital were a great help. They suggested that my GP could put me in touch with a home detox service that could provide a

How many painkiller purchases are actually addicted? Perhaps 1%? Darrell Nineham

drug called subutex, which I can honestly say has saved my life. It stopped all withdrawal symptoms and helped me slowly start to rebuild my life without any tablets. I hope other people dependent on tablets read this because there is help out there with the home detox services - just ask your GP. I know some might say that you're just changing one tablet for another, but subutex does not alter your mood - it just makes your detox a lot and does not damage your wellbeing, Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope it is of some use to someone. Best of health, Ryan.
Ryan, UK

Thank you for publishing your article about over the counter pain killers, but there were a couple of details that were not included that may shock some people to know. Codeine is a derivative of the same drug as heroin and morphine, which all come from opium. I have gone from one extreme to another. I started by taking codeine for a back injury in the Royal Marines. When I came out I carried on getting them from my doctor - 30mg. They were put up to 60mg. After a while the doctor realised I had a problem and took me off them but by this time I was hooked. What happened next was the worst time in my life. Somebody suggested trying heroin. I was on that for four years and realised I had to give up because of my health and expense. When I finally came off it I went to another doctor and got put back on to codeine - 30mg, but after a time I told the doctor I had a problem so as to cut off my supply. But then I went on to codeine 8mg from over the counter. I am now taking around 40 tablets a day. This is an extreme circumstance but people should be made aware. I am planning to stop taking the tablets in the very near future but am all too aware of the withdrawal symptoms.
M.L.F, UK

I have so much admiration for the two brave people who submitted their video diaries - it must have been tough for them Sue, UK

I appreciated your programme on painkiller addiction, but there are a lot of people who don't take painkillers, leading a very miserable life because of headaches. How about a programme on other headache remedies? You could still rightly continue the theme of pill addiction, but also help to stop the experts pretending that pills are the only solution, because they are not.
Alan Langston, England

Are there hypochondriacs who think they are addicted to Solpadeine when they are actually highly strung depressives?
Nick Huggett, England

How many painkiller purchases are actually addicted? Perhaps 1%? Occasionally, less than once a month, I get a terrible migraine (it actually feels like a knife is being pushed through my eye into my brain). After quite a few years of suffering I discovered that two soluble Solpadeine and 20 minutes in a darkened room stops it. Are you attempting with your campaign to get such drugs switched to "prescription only". So that 99% of the population who can sensibly use these drugs with great benefit will have to take time off work, flood over-worked surgeries and generally suffer for the unfortunate few who can't? If you follow the logic of your argument perhaps you should switch your campaign into getting alcohol available on prescription only. After all, more people are addicted to that and it's more damaging, more expensive and has no benefit aside pleasure.
Darrell Nineham

My husband currently takes anywhere between 10-20 Solpadeine tablets most days so this is a subject very close to my heart. Alex Skinner, Poole

Have any of the people suffering from painkiller addictions, ie the lady shown in the programme, tried Reiki? This is a self help/ self healing energy technique that anyone can learn, since it helps with the relief of stress-related disorders and I use it myself to help with pain relief from migraine headaches which has reduced my own dependency on pain killers, since my own doctor pointed out that my continuing headaches were a result of me taking strong painkillers. Please refer anyone to my website and if they email me with Real Story as the subject heading I will teach them for half the usual price with a money back guarantee if they feel the Reiki is not helping them. Kind regards
Elaine J Smith, [email protected], Essex

My husband currently takes anywhere between 10-20 Solpadeine tablets most days so this is a subject very close to my heart
Alex Skinner, Poole

With reference to the woman featured in today's programme about painkillers - she appeared to be trying to come off painkillers without anything in place to support her. The headache that she was developing on her day with no pills seemed to me to be a typical tension headache (indicated by the way that she was holding her neck), which is usually quite easy to relieve with massage by a suitably qualified practitioner. Psychotherapy might also help her to cope without her pills. I am a Sports and Remedial Masseur, registered with the Sports Massage Association.
Mike Ker, United Kingdom

Thank you so much for your excellent programme and for drawing attention to this under-estimated problem. I could relate to so much of the content of the programme, having been told by my GP to self-medicate with paracetamol since 1989 following brain surgery. In complete ignorance, I chose to self-medicate with Solpadeine. I thought it would be better pain relief because of the codeine content. If there had been a proper addiction notice on the box, I would never have chosen to use the product. I thought the warning about seeing the doctor after three days was due to paracetamol danger and carried on taking them, as the doctor said, �as and when". Paracetamol was OK to use long term in my case. I then quit and underwent hideous cold turkey withdrawal symptoms just over a year ago. This was after I'd casually mentioned my Solpadeine intake to a horrified GP (who unlike GSK totally acknowledged the addiction potential of over the counter codeine). I also got support from the excellent Solpadeine Help website. I now feel better physically and mentally than I have done for years. I would like to add I have so much admiration for the two brave people who submitted their video diaries - it must have been tough for them. What really sickened and angered me was GSK's refusal to acknowledge the addiction potential of their product. Thanks again for helping to highlight this growing problem.
Sue, UK

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