quitting heroin

[losangeles]

i'm a heroin addict in LA. i've been throught a few rehabs before and unfortunately, relapsed two years ago and acquired a ****** habit that is in a word, miserable. after a lot of searching, my boyfriend and i found an inexpensive outpatient program that will detox us over a 21 day period using methadone. it starts in about a week, and i'm so unebelieveably excited and ready for this. i'm sick of living (if you can call it that) my life around my heroin addiction and i'm ready to REALLY live again.

i've detoxed before cold turkey and also with subutex, but never with methadone. i just want to know what to expect. How sick will i be during the 21 days?(will i merely have a runny nose or am i going to be puking? am i going to be able to sleep alright?) when should i do my last shot? (the night before i start the program? an hour before?) thanks for taking the time to answer me!

-j

[ex D-Boy]

hey welcome to SR LA...glad you found the site.

Reading your post I did something very similar to what your about to do. I had about a 2 bundle a day habit(20 bags) and i came down to Florida and went into a detox facility where they also used methadone to take me off. Now I don't know what your habit was like but they started me on 20mg of methadone in the morning and 20mg of methadone at night. Then each day they decreased it by 5mg. so after like 12 days I was not taking any methadone at all. Not only did I go through NO withdrawal symptoms while on the methadone, I also didn't have any when I stopped taking the methadone all together. A little bit of anxiousness but thats it.

Methadone was a L I F E saver for me. a lot of people give it a bad reputation but I believe (from my own experience) that if you are using methadone only for a short amount of time (10 to 20 days) and not going on a maintenance plan for 6++ months its the best way to get off the dope. Because i've heard from good friends that i met through this site that trying to get off methadone when your on it for more than 6 months or so is much harder than getting off any other opiate.

As for when you want to do your last shot..thats entirely up to you, I remember I shot up like half a gram about an hour before I went into the detox facility. Methadone isn't like suboxone where you need to wait until you are in withdrawals before you can take it.

Keep posting and good luck in getting off the dope :P hope this helped a bit

[serenityqueen]

Welcome LA!

Ok, I'm in a Methadone Maintenance Program, have been for nearly three years. I have a 25 year history of heavy opiate abuse so I am on a long term maintenance program. If I have to stay on it for life, so be it. There are some other threads on here dealing with Suboxone and Methadone that you may find helpful.

As far as withdrawls, I had very little symptoms. Sure, the first day or so I had a horrible headache but as far as a runny nose and sneezing, I had a sinus infection so I can't help ya there.

I hope you're going to get into a Program/Meetings when you begin your detox. I tried to "get this Recovery thing" for the 25 years I was addicted to the opiates with out going to Meetings, have a support system, staying away from certain people, places and things and having a conscious contact with my Higher Power, who I call God, (Don't be confused here with Religion, I'm not Religiou, AA/NA isn't a Religious Program) a well as abstinance from Heroin and all other drugs.

And we hope you'll stick around with us while the Miracle happens!

Feel free to send me a Personal Message if ya like. Help you in any way I can!

God Bless,
Judy

[ksos]

Best of luck, LA. My only hope here is that no one tells you when you should do your last shot. This is a recovery board and you are entering a new world, now, bless your soul. I pray for you that this works.

I believe that you received some excellent responses from the above posters.

I've seen people like ex D suffer extremely mild withdrawal symptoms on a rapid methadone detox, and always was amazed by that dynamic! I am not sure of how SQ detoxed with the symptoms of a sinus issue--which I also suffered from when on a medically supervised heroin detox.

I am on methadone for pain management, but ironically, have had a very long history of opiate dependence and I actually am reaping two "positives" from my pain treatment, for I have no desire to shoot dope again and my pain condition is pretty well controlled.

I once detoxed from H with clonodine over a 2 week period, and this was the only time I went this route. I can tell you that this was not nearly as uncomfortable as CT, but it still was very difficult. I do not have the experience of a very short-term methadone treament as you will have, but it certainly will be a more comfortable detox as compared to cold turkey which is the method I've used in subsequent relapses.

I was recently speaking to one of my closest friends who got completely clean from H in ONE WEEK under a doctor's supervision, using suboxone. She swore that she experienced only the mildest of anxiety and chose this method over methadone. Then again, the discomfort factor is probably best viewed from the amount of H used daily, one's tolerance for withdrawal symptoms, and the amount of the detoxing medication used.

I read in a pharmacology book that 20 mg of methodone SHOULD quell most, if not all of the withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin detox, irrespective of use. I wish I had the source to quote it, but I do believe that ex D is probably right on the mark with the 20 and 20 BID method being the method used with methadone tapering. Personally, I cannot even imagine that a heavy dope user could do with less than that amount, but I have seen it.

[ccgirl2]

I've never done methadone, so I have no words of advice. Just listen to the fine folks who do.

[MrsMagoo]

My AH is taking 30 mgs. of methadone (10 mg - 3 times a day) for an opiate addiction and pain management. He's doing really well on it. He was on methadone about 10 years ago and went cold-turkey off, I think he said, 120 mg. That was not pretty and he ended up in several psych. hospitals for about 6 mo. afterwards. He was hesitant to do a methadone program again after this past relapse BUT it was the only thing made sense since he does have chronic pain and needed something to control that AND the cravings. It's keeping him off the streets and out of the emergency rooms.

Good luck - you really do need to work a program when you come out of treatment. This is a great site for tons of support, encouragement and even empathy.

[ksos]

Originally Posted by MrsMagoo

My AH is taking 30 mgs. of methadone (10 mg - 3 times a day) for an opiate addiction and pain management. He's doing really well on it. He was on methadone about 10 years ago and went cold-turkey off, I think he said, 120 mg. That was not pretty and he ended up in several psych. hospitals for about 6 mo. afterwards. He was hesitant to do a methadone program again after this past relapse BUT it was the only thing made sense since he does have chronic pain and needed something to control that AND the cravings. It's keeping him off the streets and out of the emergency rooms.

Good luck - you really do need to work a program when you come out of treatment. This is a great site for tons of support, encouragement and even empathy.

MrsMagoo...

Not to derail the thread, but that is a not a high dose that your "AH" (What is an AH?) is taking for pain management and opiate addiction. To go cold turkey off of 120 mg is simply remarkable and a testament to the desire to not want to be in that high dose range. Obviously, he had some concurrent psychiatric issues--but methadone is considered to be the most difficult opiate to withdraw from--I mean, I cannot even imagine detoxing off of the 90 mg I am currently on.

I totally agree about instilling some sort of a program in one's life.

[MrsMagoo]

Ha, ha. I thought AH was addict husband (??). Am I wrong? No, 30 mgs. is hardly anything but his usage back in the day when he took 120 mgs. of methadone was strickly heroin. This time (10 years later) it was pain pills with some shooting of those and heroin when he ran out which was probably about 8 times (8 times too many and shooting the oxy's a couple of times was stupid too).

I think the 30 mgs. just takes the edge off psychologically and physically. I'm glad he's not on more because I do understand that coming off methadone can be pretty rough, even when tapered. I doubt he'll have many side effects coming off the 30 mgs. when and if he ever does. Although he only wants to be on it for about 12 mo., I don't think that is realistic. His pain will be forever so it will probably be a long term thing cause there are no other alternatives.

[losangeles]

okay, i'm going to try to respond to everyone:
i would most definitely prefer subutex or suboxone, but as it's extremely expensive, i can't afford it. this 21 day methadone taper program is the best thing i've found in a year, and i firmly believe it's the answer to my long-said prayers. i am going to meetings and trying to run some sort of program for myself. my boyfriend and i live together and are going to do this detox together, and i believe we'll be able to do it this time, since we won't be doing it cold turkey. both of us are so excited about starting this taper, because it's just what we've been looking for. summed up, we're just ready to live again. thanks, everyone, for taking the time to reply.

[acon4726]

Just remember that every painful moment that you go through is one that you never have to go through again. That is what got me through my detox and early recovery. Just do not forget that it will get better.

[MrsMagoo]

I think it's great that you are doing this together and that you are BOTH excited. I'm sure with ya'll supporting one another, things will go much smoother!! You have a bunch of cheerleaders here so please keep us posted!!

[losangeles]

quick update: we followed through with the detox, it's going well and we're almost done. we've been clean for over two weeks. already, life has improved immensely. we're both so happy! we've been trying to quit heroin unsuccessfully for over a year and now we have. thanks for the support!

[kj3880]

Why does everyone keep saying suboxone is so expensive? Is it the program that's expensive for you guys or is it the actual drug suboxone? I was wondering because for me, the medicine is $20 for a bottle on my insurance plan. And the doctor charges $100 for each visit (every month). He doesn't take any insurance plans, and I'm glad, because then it's more anonymous. This was a whole lot less than what I was spending on drugs before. Is it more expensive in other areas? I'm living on the East Coast of the U.S. We need to find a way that every addict can afford this who wants to try it.
KJ

[kj3880]

By the way losangelos, go you!!! Good job!

[ex D-Boy]

Thats great news LA!!! really glad to hear that you are 2weeks clean and almost done with the detox plan. Thanks for the update and stay sober ~~~

[MrsMagoo]

Good Job! Don't forget the tools you have available to you in the outside world. Please keep us posted on your success. I'm very excited that you are reclaiming your life!

Congratulations!

[windysan]

I CT'd only. No methadone. Plenty here did that program though. Good luck.