Stroud woman survived cancer but life changed after doctors prescribed painkillers

Stevie Davis was prescribed opioid co-codamol, an effective painkiller, but one that can result in dependence, and this resulted in seven years of suffering

A woman who beat cervical cancer has revealed she faced a second devastating battle after becoming hooked on prescription painkillers.

Stevie Davis, 36, received her cervical cancer diagnosis in 2014, which resulted in the surgical removal of both her cervix and lymph nodes.

Following the cancer’s return, Stevie required a hysterectomy with her womb and ovaries also being removed. It was after this second series of operations that doctors prescribed her the opioid co-codamol.

Whilst co-codamol proves effective for short-term pain relief, prolonged use can sometimes result in dependency. Stevie tragically fell victim to this dependency as she continued taking the medication beyond the recommended period.

What ensued was a seven-year struggle with co-codamol addiction, which she concealed from friends whilst spending £200 monthly and consuming 20 tablets daily. By the conclusion of her ordeal in 2025, following consultation with a pain management specialist at the year’s beginning, Stevie had expended £16,800, reports the Mirror.

After overcoming her co-codamol dependency, Stevie has chosen to speak publicly and highlight the adverse effects she endured and demonstrate how others can overcome such addiction as she managed.

Stevie, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, discussed the circumstances that triggered her initial addiction. She explained: “They found out I had endometriosis at the same time. They treated it surgically so I needed no chemo, no radiotherapy.

“I was put on codeine just to recover from the surgery. I had been on it a couple of times but only for two weeks, I never really thought anything of it. The pain was getting worse and I kept going back to the doctors so I ended up on a repeat prescription.

“I had a smaller surgery [after 2018] and even after the surgery the morphine wasn’t helping. They brought in the pain management team and she said ‘you are dependent on opiates’.

“It’s quite scary, I hid it really well. I had spoken to my partner, my mum, my best friends and they said they thought I might be taking too much but didn’t realise you can get addicted to it.”

Stevie also revealed there were occasions during her struggle when she would attempt to quit, but abandon that decision within hours. She explained: “I kind of knew deep down for a long time that I really had a problem with it.

“It’s like with every addiction, I’d think from Monday ‘I’m not going to take it’ and then you get a couple of hours in and think ‘I don’t have the willpower for this’, so I did that for about a year.”

Nevertheless, Stevie says she feels significantly better now she’s stopped taking the opioids completely and now dedicates her time to raising awareness and attempting to help others in similar situations.

She said: “I saw the pain management doctor and the way he dealt with the conversation really hit home, he was amazing. I booked two weeks off work and I just thought ‘I don’t want to do this anymore’ and went cold turkey.

“I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody, it was awful. Restless legs were horrific, I didn’t sleep for about two weeks, going to the toilet a lot, being sick, just sweating through the night.

“Mentally I went into a bit of euphoria, mainly because I couldn’t believe I was doing it. I had a bit of a crash 30 days in and the anxiety and depression hit me. I reckon it lasted for about a month or so, around May I started to feel a little bit more normal again.

“Life is just a million times better, just waking up with a clear head is such a novelty. It’s so worth going through what you have to go through to get here. It’s really difficult and you really have to do the work and continue doing the work. My biggest advice is just talk to someone, anyone, just speak it out loud, and the addiction loses its power.”

What is co-codamol?

The NHS explains that co-codamol isn’t a single medication, but rather two distinct drugs combined together. They state: “Co-codamol is a mixture of 2 different painkillers – paracetamol and codeine. It’s used to treat aches and pains including period pain, muscle pain and toothache.

“It may help to take co-codamol if everyday painkillers, such as ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol on its own, have not worked. This medicine comes as tablets and capsules, including soluble tablets that you dissolve in water.

“It’s important to take co-codamol as your doctor has asked you to. This is particularly important because co-codamol can be addictive….If your doctor has prescribed co-codamol for you, they’ll tell you how long to take it for.”

If you or somebody you know has been affected by this story, contact Talk To Frank for free, confidential advice on 0300 1236600, texting 82111 or visiting their website, Honest information about drugs | FRANK