Proper post methadone treatment...?

[Sav]

I've been researching post-methadone treatment for several months now. I've been tapering (on 15 now) and when I get to 0 in a few months, I need to be ready to take appropriate measures so I'm still able to function in everyday life and work.
What I want is advice on NON ADDICTIVE medications that will help with the inevitable depression, unability to sleep, and general all over physical weakness that lasts for months on end, until your body chemistry re-adjusts to not having *artificial* chemicals in your system. I did this a few years ago and wasn't prepared for all this and ended up losing my job because I was unable to perform. I can't afford a repeat of that.
Anyone have any advice or know any doctors in the NYC area that treat this appropriately (not more methadone, buphernorphine, etc...) I'd appreciate it.
My goal is to be TOTALLY drug free, not alternate-dependent.

I've noticed there area a few others here who are looking for similar advice. Maybe we can pool everything we find together.

[Alycia]

same here sav, I didn't realize that I will have to plan it out all the way down for months. For some reason I just thought, when I am clean my brain will work right! Yah right, I will find a new doc to help with this. Thanks for the advise!

[Sav]

Yeah, you kinda have to. I've been going down 5 mil's every two to three weeks. I hardly notice to much difference...it got hard around 40 down to 25, and then got easy again. (But it's different for everyone)
The trickiest thing is that you have to remember that everyone has an agenda, and they'll give advice accordingly. The Meth maint' clinics want patients to stay on, so they'll give advice accordingly. The buphinorphine (sp?) guys want to beef up their statistics, so they will too (I won't even say what the H addicts will say!!! ) But you see where I'm going. Your best bet is to find people who *sound* like they make sense and are talking from real experience. Not hearsay. Then make a judgement on what you think may work... go with it and hope for the best!
I spent two weeks researching buphernorphine on-line and going to different places, and ended up really not liking what I heard. But I had to really sift through to get to that point!

[Alycia]

thanks sav! I thought also they wanted me to stay on at my program cuz when I told them I wanted to go off, I asked how fast can I go down 20 mgs a wk? and she said 10 mgs. I said well I want to get off now, cuz of my weight, I gained 49.5lbs in less then 2 months!! She said you have to talk to your counselor, and do paper work, then she talks to Nora the director and has a meeting with you, then they all have a meeting, nora, my counselor kimberley, and the doc, then I see the doc and if he says no, that means no. I was shocked, this is my life! And I want to get off. Another thing is that I am numb 3 on the program in lax but they give waffers in water and it tastes really gritty and I have thrown it up many times, unless I put it with yogurt and eat it slowly. But they want you in and out. I am use to the pink liquid stuff that tastes like cough syrup. Anyways, I am rambling, if I go to the lax one I don't get charged or anything, they go right thru my insurance! That would be awesome. or do I just try to quit cold turkey. so many desisons!

[Lbad]

DPLA an amino acid supplement available at health food stores really helped me....
Bottom line is it hurts even with a slow detox.... I needed to be ready to just walk through the detox.. no matter how uncomfortable I got I just held on.. people offered all sorts of home remedies that were natural and most of them didn't work to well....
Faith that I WOULD EVENTUALLY feel better is what helped the most.
I was on methadone for 2 1/2 years. I have been clean/sober for 4 1/2... IV heroin was my DOC.
Good luck and God Bless.

[Sav]

The problem with this country (American site?) is that there are no effective ways to treat heroin/methadone addicts. We’ve created a country of addicts based on the rhetoric that” addicts can’t be trusted and must be maintained”, and If “we” (Gov etc.) can make a profit off it, well, there you go! (Addiction is a huge cash crop in this country) And by doing this, they’ve created a whole country of people who are now addicts who must be maintained.
The proper treatments are out there, but they’re very hard to access. Regulation and law makes it almost impossible (treatment in the 60’s was much more effective!)
Most addicts have a real problem with this, and feel morally offended and outraged. I know I was. I spent years bouncing in and out of the clinics, furious at the loss of power and control over my life.
But there comes a time when you have to recognize the situation and stop fighting it. All life is about accepting what life gives you and trying to seize it and make it into something you can live with... This DOESN’T mean giving up! You simply accept the situation as it is, and find a way to work with it and make it work for you. I have a whole “method” for dealing with my clinic. As a result, I at least have the illusion of control, and that’s very comforting.
If you stop focusing on all the ways being on a clinic anger you, are taking away your control, and are “messing up your life”, then you can focus on the positive points and make a plan with the outcome YOU want. Learn the rules of the game (their rules and yours) and then make a battle plan with the three outcomes; the best case to the worst case that you can live with. Then do it. This IS a war, and your survival is the victory.

[logo]

My experience with methadone post symptoms is for about a month I had a lot of aches and pains. Methadone gets into the bones and even after withdrawal I was in physical pain for about another month. I was on for 2 years 2 different times one time cold turkey detox (16days 45mg.) and the second time suboxone detox from 45 mg of Methadone which was not as hard as cold turkey. The bottom line is you have to want to get off of it real bad and go through what you have to go through, until you feel normal again. Where I live now at the state run methadone program they are now offering suboxone maintenance (trading one addictive drug for another). Suboxone is a great detox drug and much easier to come off of than Methadone.

[northbelle]

Sav..hey there..just wanted to let you know how much I admire your resolve with the methadone. Your posts have also made me rethink my own treatment regarding methadone. Heroin is my DOC and I just can't seem to let myself go thorugh the WD, Its really hard for me right now,,Today I just laid on the couch all day..unable to sleep and yet nable to function. I have suffered major depressoion for years . Anyway just wanted to thank you for being here and sharing your story. You are a valuable member of DR!!!!!
love north

[xjunkie4u]

I got relief from Bentyl (stomach cramps ) and clonidine for sleep and some withdrawl symptoms.I don't like the clinic system and think responsible methadone clients shouldn't have to go to clinics and be exposed to Ali Babba and the 40 thieves. Can't some get methadone RX instead of clinics? all the best

[Lbad]

I live in CA and only had to go to the clinics once every two weeks after the first month or or two of clean tests. There were lots of "troublesome types" there. lol I walked past because I was ready to walk past. Soon all at clinic learned I wasn't interested in "troublesome activities".

There is a guy in AA who says that most meeting are the biggest unlocked felony tanks he has ever see lol. If you think methadone clinics are the only place the bad guys/girls hang out your wrong. We can find them anywhere if we are looking.

[Sav]

Originally Posted by logo

...and the second time suboxone detox from 45 mg of Methadone which was not as hard as cold turkey. The bottom line is you have to want to get off of it real bad and go through what you have to go through, until you feel normal again. Where I live now at the state run methadone program they are now offering suboxone maintenance (trading one addictive drug for another). Suboxone is a great detox drug and much easier to come off of than Methadone.

Yes, but my biggest problem is I'm not in a position to take a month or two off from working right now, and won't be in the foreseable future. I don't mind aches and pains and the like, but I need to be able to function. Last time, I went back to work, and was asked to take an extended medical leave after two weeks because I was unable to produce efficiently and keep up.
The feeling of general weakness was, over time, terrible. It took me twice as long to get anything done, and I was making mistakes from it. That's why I'm so oriented on finding treatments for that period after you come off. If I need to take more than a week off again over this, I'll be *fired*

Tell me, what exactly was coming off suboxone like? I've been researching it, and the writings were conflicting and vague. I've also never heard a success story with it (it is so new), you'd be the first. Most people I've talked to about it who said it didn't work turned out to be "playing" with other drugs while taking it, so they invalidated their detox.
It does sound like it would have to work *really well* to justify the suffering you go through to get on it!