Gill Owens, the sister of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, has spoken out about her addiction to the common painkiller co-codamol, which she was prescribed after suffering whiplash on a fairground ride. The 50-year-old mother-of-two says she initially took around six tablets a day for pain relief, but soon found the drug helped her cope with a stressful relationship.
Despite her pain subsiding after a month, Owens continued taking the pills at bedtime, eventually escalating to 12 tablets every night within four months. Her GP prescribed 100 tablets every fortnight for two years, fuelling an addiction that left her 'sleeping the days away' and struggling at her job in a hospital. She would 'panic' if she ran out, and 'begged and borrowed' from friends.
Co-codamol contains codeine, an opiate that the NHS warns is addictive, and paracetamol, which can damage the liver and kidneys in high doses. Owens, who also took antidepressants and diazepam, said she was 'on a cocktail every night' and felt she was 'basically overdosing'. She believes the drug 'would have killed her' if she had not quit.
In January 2020, after a family member voiced concern, Owens went 'cold turkey' for two weeks and overcame her addiction. She now works as a spiritual life coach and has shared her story on TikTok, where a video about her addiction has garnered over 25,000 views. She said: 'It ruined my life for two years. I have terrible guilt and I carry my guilt every day.'
