PLEASE tell me what you think!(I need the opinion of an addict!)

[thanx2methodone]

Hi everyone, I would appreciate your opinion on something....

I have discovered fairly new treatment for opiate addiction called Ibogaine.
It is made from the root of a plant in Africa, and after taking it, it relieves you of 90% of withdrawl syptoms and diminishes the urge to use, and it only takes A FEW DAYS of taking IBOGAINE!!!!! It is completely natural, non addictive and totally safe.

Right now i am on the methadone program and have been for 5 1/2 months. I am currently on 80mls and have been clean of heroin the whole time. But the only drawback with methadone is that it is highly addictive and it will take years to get off of. (Even my job is wondering what is going on when i have to miss mornings every three weeks to go to my methodone clinic.) With Ibogaine, it would allow me to be completely abstinent from all drugs, including methadone, and i would no longer have to worry about planning my life around my clinic visits and pharamcy pick-ups for years to come.

Appartently Ibogaine is illegal in the US because it is a psycodelic drug. So i would have to go San Deiago and then the treatment center is a 15 min. drive from the Mexican border. Since methadone is the hardest drug to kick, treatment for me would be one week and $4500US, (but for heroin/cocaine i think it is a little less)

The treatment center said that after the week treatment, i would be a little uncomfortable for the next week or so (but not nearly as uncomfortable as if i were to go cold turky, cause the Ibogaine treatment takes away 90% of withdrawl symptoms. They said the worst of it would be trouble sleeping, but that that goes away within a week.(Which i think a week without sleeping is definitly worth being clean from drugs there afterwords!)

Does anyone think that this treatment would be worth it? Has anyone heard of it or know anyone who has been treated with it?

I have been researching it for the past few days, and it sounds very promising and like no other treatments available. But i was wondering what you guys thought of it, cause i would like all opinions from addicts that i can get, seeing as the treatment is alot of money for me ($4500US)since i live in Canada it would be more like $7500. I tried to ask my parents their thought on it, but they don't even understand addiction, let alone recovery/treatment, so they were no help.

I would like to know if other addicts think that this would be a good treatment for addiction, seeing as they are the only ones who truely "understand" addiction and the difficulty of abstinence/recovery.

Please, if anyone has a minute, could you please look at the website at: www.detoxnaturally.com and tell me what you think of it.

It would be greatly appreciated.

hey Thanx2methadone,
I looked at that web site and it sounds promising but I would be very carefull. You know what they say "Usually if it sounds to good to be true, It usually is!!" I've been on and off methadone and I've detoxed successfully several times. If done right it can be done almost painlessly. But, without a proper treatment plan and plenty of meetings I never stayed clean. I've been going to N.A. pretty faithfully for around six months and I haven't used. In the past I got off the meds and quickly returned to dope because I wasn't using the tools that I learned in N.A.. There is also a detox program in Atlanta that put's you "under" for the first couple of days. They use drugs to put you into severe opiate withdrawal while your under, and they keep you there until you have recovered physically. This eliminates the actual physical withdrawal but it's the mental aspect that's hard. I think this would be the same with this treatment in mexico. But my prayers are with you and good luck. Keep me informed about this. I don't mean to sound negative but If it was a really good treatment, I think we would have both heard more about it. Let me know what happens and I'll try to get you the e-mail address to the site in atlanta.

Mike

[thanx2methodone]

Mike,
Thanx for responding. Yes I would really be interested in looking at that site you are talking about. It is not that my methadone program isn't working, cause it is, it's just that i don't really like the idea of being on "the program" for the next few years. I don't like the idea of 'taking something" everyday to be able to live my life and function normally.
I have no problem with the mental aspect of recovery, I have no desire to use or want to use at all, it's the physical withdrawl symtoms that i am scared of, that is why this treatment sounded so good to me.

If you could send me the site and/or info it would be greatly appreciated.

[someguy]

Hi, I was on methadone clinic for years and I felt the same way you did. I noticed in your last post you said it wasn't the mental part your worried about it's the physical. Well the only thing i can say is that when weened off properly it's painless, you just have trouble sleeping for a long time. I would be more worried about the mental, I know your working the program just remember the less methadone you take the more the cravings start to come back. Remember your on 80mls of done right now so when your dose starts to get down around 20's the mental aspect really comes back into play. It's amazing how that stuff works. I was so sure that i would never use agian, I didn't even go to meetings because the methadone completely took away the cravings, i only had to go to one group meeting a week. I have a gd job, own a house, have a wonderful family and sure enough bam relaspe after about 3 weeks after coming off of methadone. I'm nobody to give advice, but just really look into weening off slowly if that's what you want to do, i don't think there is a drug that can get methadone out of your body in a week, methadone gets into your bones and is really a monster to kick unless done real slow. Prayin for ya kid. peace

[NOD]

Hey thanx,
I looked at the site and I'm leaning the same way as UeyNC. Almost sounds too good. All 3 of the people on this thread have been through the methadone treatment and here we are, still alive and kicking. You're doing something right now that's working for you. I see no reason to give up on it. If "taking something" every day is the solution for you right now then learn to work it into your life and so be it. It sure beats the alternative. I emphasize "right now". You don't have to stay on the 'done any longer than is nescesary to build up your resistance to the dope, get your recovery program in place and be willing to take the steps to detox. Is it going to be easy? No, but anything worth having has to come with some kind of price. The physical withdrawal is 'temporary' and can only serve to make you stronger.
I was on the 'done for over 5 years and I took just over a year to detox from 80 mgs. You haven't been on it that long and you already have 5 months plus of clean time. When you are ready to start comming off it shouldn't be as bad as those who have been on it for years. Don't give up something that works for something that has yet to proven to help. The physical part of your detox is not going to be your greatest challenge, the mental part is what you need to be prepared for. If your more worried about the aches and pains you may have to put up with for a little while then you are about the mental aspects of detox then you are well on your way to recovery.
Look, you sound like you really want to stay clean and I'm proud of you for making that choice. You've got the right attitude. Recovery takes TIME. we didn't get addicted all at once and we don't recover all at once. If you follow the right steps and learn from those who have gone before us you are well on your way. Stay strong!
Prayers for you and yours,
Jerry

[thanx2methodone]

Thank you all so much!! This site is an absolute GODSEND!!

You guys are the best!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!