Mum's Four-Year Codeine Addiction Hell After Weight-Loss Surgery
A mother prescribed codeine after undergoing weight-loss surgery has revealed the devastating spiral of addiction that consumed her life for four years, leading to financial ruin, personal neglect, and emotional distance from her children.
The Descent Into Addiction
Abby House, 36, from Gloucester, underwent a gastric sleeve procedure in 2021. In the months following surgery, she was prescribed codeine for pain management. Initially, the opioid pain relief became her "best friend", alleviating depression and anxiety she had been experiencing.
Without adequate warnings about its addictive potential, Abby began taking the pills liberally. She progressed to taking 10 30mg pills daily, even consuming them before work where she managed a team of 30 in her NHS job.
"I would count down the minutes until my kids went to bed so 'mum mode' could end and 'addict mode' could begin," Abby confessed.
Physical and Emotional Toll
The addiction took a severe physical and emotional toll:
- She hid her "stash" under her bed and constantly monitored her pill supply
- Personal hygiene became "non-existent" - she would wear the same clothes for four or five days without showering
- Basic tasks like brushing her teeth felt "like climbing Everest"
- The medication caused severe constipation, with one episode lasting two-and-a-half weeks
- She accumulated £8,000 in debt purchasing additional codeine beyond her prescription
Abby described the cycle of euphoria and crash: "After just 20-30 minutes, the effects would wear off and I would be left a shell of a person. My head would feel so fuzzy and on the verge of an intense headache."
Impact on Family Relationships
The addiction severely affected Abby's relationship with her two children, aged 10 and 14, despite her maintaining their basic care.
"My relationship with my children became distant," she explained. "Although I was doing everything I needed to do for them... our emotional connection was affected as I was so distant. All I could think about was codeine."
She noted that her children withdrew from her, transforming their once "loud and boisterous" home into silence.
The Path to Recovery
With her life "falling apart" and facing £8,000 of debt and unpaid bills, Abby recognized she was "on the verge of overdose every day" due to her consumption levels.
In October 2024, she finally reached out to her local drug and alcohol service and was placed on an opiate replacement treatment programme with a dedicated key worker.
"The first six months were really tough - I was in such a bad place," Abby recalled. "It took for me to hit rock bottom to realise I was the only thing standing in the way of happiness."
Life After Addiction
Now in recovery, Abby has started a TikTok page documenting her journey honestly, which has attracted 20,000 followers. Connecting with fellow recovering addicts and raising awareness about codeine dangers has become a passion.
"Life in recovery is amazing," she said. "I wake up happy and grateful for everything in my life. My relationship with my children is incredible - we have an amazing bond. I'm the happiest I've ever been, truly."
Abby emphasizes the importance of breaking addiction stigma: "No matter how isolated your addiction makes you, you aren't alone - and connecting with like-minded people will help you more than you know."
