"How My £17k Painkiller Addiction Grew Unnoticed Amid Chronic Pain"

A WOMAN was left with a “snowballing” addiction after being prescribed painkillers following surgery, which she concealed from her partner, family, and friends for seven years.

Stevie Davis, 36, faced chronic pain, so initially, it wasn't apparent to herself or others that she had become addicted to opioid painkillers.

Stevie Davis struggled with addiction to painkillers for seven yearsCredit: Kennedy News and Media She was prescribed co-codamol after undergoing surgery for cervical cancerCredit: Kennedy News and Media

At her worst, she was consuming 20 tablets a day, purchasing the medication over the counter once her prescription had expired. Going just a few hours without the painkiller became unbearable.

Stevie was diagnosed in 2014 and underwent surgery to remove her cervix and lymph nodes.

However, when the cancer returned, Stevie, who also suffers from a painful condition, had a hysterectomy in 2018, during which her womb and ovaries were removed.

After the operation, the 36-year-old was prescribed co-codamol, a combination of paracetamol and codeine, to help manage her pain.

Opioid painkillers like codeine can provide highly effective pain relief when used for a short duration.

Nevertheless, prolonged use can lead to dependence, physical and mental health issues, and even fatal accidental overdoses.

Although Stevie began taking the medication for post-surgical pain in 2018, she soon realized she enjoyed the sensation it provided and began taking more than directed.

The complaints manager spent £200 a month on her prescription and additional tablets.

After consulting a pain management doctor in January 2025, Stevie finally went ‘cold turkey’ and stopped taking the medication, which she had spent £16,800 on, while enduring severe withdrawal symptoms.

Now, she is sharing her story to raise awareness about co-codamol and encourage others to seek help.

Stevie, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, shared: “I had a complete hysterectomy, where they remove your ovaries, womb, fallopian tubes – that entire system.

“They discovered I had endometriosis at the same time and treated it surgically, so I needed no chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

“I was prescribed codeine just to recover from the surgery. I had taken it a couple of times before, but only for two weeks, so I never thought much of it.

“The pain worsened, and I kept returning to the doctors, which led to a repeat prescription.”

Stevie struggled with chronic pain so it wasn’t obvious at first that she was addictedCredit: Kennedy News and Media Stevie pictured in hospitalCredit: Kennedy News and Media She underwent a hysterectomy in 2018Credit: Kennedy News and Media

“I've always struggled with addiction; at that time, I had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

“I should have seen it coming, but it [codeine] started just as a way to manage the pain.

“Quickly, I realized, ‘this feels quite nice’; it kind of numbs all the things you don’t want to think about or deal with.

“It made my days a little easier, and that snowballed rapidly.

“I naively thought for the first few months that I could stop; I was just taking it for the pain.

“Then I began to realize that if I didn’t take it, I felt quite awful. Admitting to oneself that you’re addicted can take a long time.”