JunkHead212

I know the name of the post sounds unusual but heres my situation.

I was a long term heroin / Oxy user. Got into methadone program got straight.

Been on the program 14 months, was at 80ml. I have tapered down to 35ml.

In 16 days I have to leave for a job up in Northern Alberta. So by the time I leave I need to be relatively withdrwal free.

As well as my time before I leave I need to do alot of preperation which I can't be dopesick for.

I was thinking of stopping methadone today. Waiting a couple days until the symptoms fully kick in then start using a small amount of oxy daily (80mg).

I could do this to mask the majority of the methadone withdrawals and then just do the usual 4 or 5 day Oxy / heroin detox.

Because I was on methadone such a short time I was told probably have about 10 days of bad withdrawals then a couple weeks of minor ones.

Relapse wont be any issue where i will be wont be any drugs or alcohol.

Does this sound plausile to you folks? or any other ideas?

scrambled2012

I'm with anvil on this one, big time. Your idea sounds extreamly bad and continues highly illegal activity.

talk to the professionals about your objectives and do what they say. Anything else is recipe for disaster.

100millionbirds

I kicked subutex with Xanax and adderall. Got hooked on xanies and I went back and forth over which would be easier to kick, xanies or hydros. I got on hydros and I stayed on xanies. So I just kicked hydros and now I have to deal with xanies.
So, I think it s a bad idea.

JunkHead212

Well I am going to a fly in camp where I am a emergency medical director for the operation. Definately would never risk my job to use drugs.

Might just ride out the methadone drawls. Will have to see. Bad timing but cant turn it down since after 3 months i will have cleared $36,000. To bad wasnt a few weeks later where I could have gotten my dose down another 20ml or so.

And yeah after being 100% clean for over a year would suck to hve a full blown relapse. Even though i have tottally changed my lifestyle I guess it is still a high risk.

THanks for advice

JunkHead212

dbl post

KuanYin

If you're going to be an emergency med dir, sounds like you have to be able to give sound advice, no? 35mg of methadone is not that much, barely a starting dose. Yeah, you'll feel some discomfort, but you can do it if you want to. Being in the medical field, you know what to take, otc, to avoid the vomiting and diarrhea. Suffer a little for a great career opportunity. What is your other choice if you relapse?

IvanKatz

Junkhead,
No offense buddy but you're not thinking straight on this one. This is like asking if you can put out a fire by hosing it down with gasoline.
If I may, if you're this serious about a job and if it were me, I'd suck it up and go cold turkey. Sure, you're going to go through WD for a week but afterwards you're free. Once you start your job, your mind will not only be occupied... But clear and free from your DOC.
I will say this one last time - the thought of getting off Methadone with oxy is just plain stupid, not to mention dangerous.

Marcus

In theory using a shorter acting (half-life) opiate to get off a longer acting one makes sense, but in reality not so much. If you have kicked H before I would think jumping off 35 ml of methodone would be very doable. Why not check with the clinic or a doctor for the best route? No time to waste though - 2 weeks will quickly turn into 1 and then none and then you will be detoxing when you get there which wouldn't be pretty.

Stopdropburn

I don't have a whole lot to add here, other than generally agreeing with what everyone has already said. Hate to see you go through hell while preparing for leave - but it's now or while you actually need to function properly after you arrive there......just get it out of the way now. I can see how you might think that this plan is logical, but I can see all the way in which it will just take you backwards and prolong the inevitable. Good luck.

JunkHead212

On day 2 no methadone still not to bad but I imagine tommorow things will start getting dicey.

Yeah I had kicked OXys and heroin a couple times before but ended up replasing a few months later.

It was only once I tottally changed my lifestyle ie. new friends, new city,new girl etc. was I able to stay clean.

Have a huge meeting Monday. So I'll be right in the thick of withdrawals at that time. Probly just take a benzo and some clonidine prior and hope for the best.

I wonder if taking a suboxen prior to this meeting would help. I dont think at 6 days off methadone I'd have to worry about it inducing withdrawls. Anyone know if a one time use of Buprenorphine would help?

Ill be seeing my Methadone doctor before it so will run it by him, but I assume hell probly say no.

I have never taken suboxen before so not sure if it would make me feel normal within an hour or 2?

Stopdropburn

Well, naturally, the Suboxone would of course help relieve some symptoms.........but you seem to be missing the point - EVERYTHING that you take is just setting you backwards...if you're going to go 6 days clean and nearly break through it - why would you bother taking Suboxone??? Especially if you didn't intend to keep taking it? Then you will just be withdrawaling again from more opiates put back into your system. Dude....just stop taking stuff and trying to "beat the sickness" - you can't. If you're going to take your benzo's, and Clonidine, then do what you need to....but to be "in the thick of w/d" and nearly through it then waste your time and suffering countering your recovery with Oxy's and/or Subs is just completely counter-productive to the whole process. You get to your meeting "Sorry, I'm a little under the weather today", and you make it through your meeting and keep on track....why keep prolonging it all repeatedly? You have done this more than once - you know very well that you're just talking yourself into using more and more rather than just kicking it. Not trying to be a jerk - just would rather not see someone keep kicking themselves back down when they are nearly through it.

Stopdropburn

P.s. - There's no telling how long the Subs would take to kick in for you anyway, between the dose, the severity of symptoms, your body chemistry....I can say it will wear off after it does work and then you will feel just as crappy and look for another excuse to cut those feelings again. Just don't. For yourself and your fight.

Dee74

Hi Junkhead

Welcome

I'd just like to remind everyone we;re a peer support group here - we ask that people not ask for or give medical advice, thanks.

I agree with the others here that seeing a Dr yourself would be a great step forward and I think far more beneficial to you than all these ideas and attempts at self medication.

D