I spent over £6k getting codeine from a drug dealer during 40 pill-a-day addiction – I needed it to function as a mother

GULPING down one pill after another, all Terina Moretto could think about was how to get her next fix. But the mum-of-five wasn’t taking an illicit drug – she was using a legal medication familiar to millions, and now she’s sharing her story as a stark warning to anyone who thinks routine prescription drugs cannot be highly addictive. Terina Moretto, 45, was hooked on the prescription drug for nine years Credit: SWNS Terina took 40 pills a day – forming a £6,500 habit Credit: SWNS Terina, 45, a former support worker, was hooked on codeine for nine years and says she relied on the tablets just to be able to “function as a mother”. She turned to the well-known painkillers, which belong to the opioid family, ten years ago after she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition which causes chronic pain. At the height of her addiction, she was popping 40 pills in one go, despite being told by doctors that it was a “miracle” she was still alive. Terina, of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, says: “I first began taking codeine around 2016 when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and following the loss of mum Diane, 56, and brother Leon, 37, who both died by suicide within the same month. “The medication helped with both the pain of the fibromyalgia, but also with the grief I was suffering by numbing the mental agony. But it soon got out of hand.” Despite the addiction risks, opioids like codeine remain the most commonly prescribed group of dependency-forming medicines in England, with 39 million prescriptions dished out in 2024/25. And while the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says it’s impossible to estimate the true scale of codeine addiction in Britain, research by ITV’s Tonight programme earlier this year found that almost one in five people who have taken codeine-based painkillers admitted to using them for more than ten days in a row – rather than the recommended three. The same survey reckoned around 10 million people in the UK may, as a consequence, have put themselves at risk of addiction. Guidelines typically state you should take no more than eight codeine tablets every 24 hours, but soon Terina was wolfing down dangerous amounts. “I began taking more than I should, and the numbers just crept up. I went from taking 10 to 12 a day to 20. “In the end, I had to go to a dealer to source it, because the prescription of 28 per month just wouldn’t cover the amount I needed. “I managed to find a guy on Facebook who would send them to me in the post. It’s crazy how easy it was.” With her codeine supply now unlimited, Terina was soon spending around £180 a month on the drug – which she did for three years, totalling approximately £6,480 – and unable to regulate her dosage. “After a while, I was taking 30 to 40 tablets a day,” she says. “And I wouldn’t space them out over the day; I would take 40 in one go. This went on for three years. I should be dead, really. It is a miracle I am here.” Terina, who has been single for four years, has two sons aged 29 and 28, a daughter, 18, and two younger sons, aged ten and three. She says she paid for her habit with the help of loans from friends and family, as well as her savings, and insists her children never went without – even at the height of her addiction. “The children always came first, but I regret not being able to take them on family holidays,” says Terina, who insists being hooked didn’t make her a bad mum. In fact, she says the medication helped her to function, whether it be driving to the shops or doing the housework. “My eldest two boys knew I was taking too many and kept telling me to get off them, but I needed them to function as a mother,” she says. “It sounds mad to say it, as for most people it wipes them out, but for me they gave me energy.” Common side effects of codeine include sickness, sweating and feeling tired or sleepy. Taking codeine requires a prescription from a doctor Credit: Alamy Terina turned to codeine after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia and losing her mum and brother back in 2016 Credit: SWNS The NHS advises users not to drive or use machinery if they experience symptoms, but despite the volume of pills she was consuming, Terina insists it didn’t hamper her ability to function. “I was still able to go out and drive the car to do the shopping, or do the housework,” she claims. “It didn’t hold me back and, if anything, it felt like the pills helped. I needed them in order to function and go about my daily business. “But they also gave me a high and a feeling of relief – and it was this feeling I became addicted to as well.” When Terina lost her dad, Giuseppe, 62, to cancer in 2020, her intake increased. “I was dealing with the loss of three family members in the space of a few years,” she says. “It’s no excuse, but it was definitely a trigger. “Codeine helped me feel relaxed and good about myself. It helped me deal with the hardships of life. “Sometimes I would run out and have a really bad comedown, with shakes, sweats and headaches. “But that didn’t happen often, as I was always so terrified about running out. “Once I’d get down to my last three boxes, I would get on to the pharmacy or the dealer to get some more.” Happily, Terina is now celebrating 12 months of sobriety after managing to kick the habit – and is encouraging other addicts to seek help. “Eventually, I knew enough was enough,” she says. “One day, in May 2025, I woke up, and I just thought: ‘Right, that’s it’. “I was struggling to afford it, and my dealer was threatening to put his prices up. “I needed to stop, and for some reason, that day I became deadly serious about doing it. “My friends and family had been saying I needed to stop, but you need to want to stop yourself. “That’s when I reached out and asked for help. I went to my GP, and they gave me a number for a drug and alcohol treatment service called STaRS (Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery System). “I was given Espranor, an opioid substitute, and my GP gradually reduced my codeine dose. “At first, I got similar withdrawal symptoms to what a heroin addict would experience, things like sweating and shaking. It was just horrible. “I also became very withdrawn and depressed and went through a stage where I didn’t want to speak to anybody, but I was determined to stay off those pills.” It took Terina a total of 12 months to get fully clean, and she now wishes she’d been warned just how addictive codeine can be. She says: “After my recovery, it made me wonder what the hell I’d been doing for all these years. “But I’m really proud of myself, and my kids are, too. “I want people to know there’s help out there. I felt trapped and thought there was no way out, but if I can do it, anyone can. “Now I can be here for the kids. And the extra money to spend on my family has been amazing.” DRUG ADDICTION - HOW TO GET HELP If you think that you have a drug addiction then please contact your GP. You can also visit FRANK for honest information about drugs and to find local treatment services. If you are having trouble finding the right help, call the FRANK drugs helpline on 03001236600Or click here to visit the NHS website for more advice and support