Prophatcy

Hey everybody, I'm 31 years old. Throughout my twenties I've messed around with alot of different drugs, and since I was about 26 years old I have quit different drugs. All cold turkey. Pot, alochol, and cocaine.I was up to easily an 8 ball a day before I quit cocaine cold turkey. Painkillers though never posed as a problem for me then. Took vicotin or loritabs here and there for recreation. If I was on it for too long I just quit and feel like crap for 3 or 4 days and be done with it, then I found Roxys. Started off taking a half of a 15mg cause it was too strong. Eventually I got a tolerance to the point that I was taking 120-150mg a day, Didn't take long to reach that. Couple months maybe. Knew at that point I wanted to quit. Tried quitting cold turkey and the withdrawals were viciously hell! Tried tapering the Roxys but couldn't get it down past 90mg. Even tried loritabs as an alternative to taper throught the withdrawals. Was no different than taking tylenol. Finally found methadone and was glad for it. Started off at 30mg and it made me feel comfortable for a few hours before I started feeling the aches and withdrawals but they were so much less intense. Was just enough for me to get out of bed and somewhat function throughout the day and work. Wasn't feeling great by all means but was functioning. So I stayed on it and gave it a week to see if it got better. Didn't want to go up cause I knew the higher I went the harder and longer it be to get off. After a week or so it got better and now I feel fine throughout the whole day on 30mg. Now I'm to the point that I got control of my life again. I'm taking care of myself and want to fulfill my goal of being totally drug free. Eventhough methadone gave me my life back, it's still an opiate and won't feel totally clean until I'm off of it too. I know there are other methods like tapering and suboxone etc., but methadone is also getting to expensive for me, so I first want to try and get off of it completely and quit cold turkey. I feel I have the motivation and will to quit cold turkey and want to do it that way. Plus I'm not on a strong dose of methadone, but been online reading about people that were successful and unsuccessful quitting cold turkey. Wondering why some people can and some people can't? Is it the people on high doses or dependent on methadone a long time the ones struggling to quit cold turkey, or does it not matter how long or how high a dose you take? And if anybody knows how strong and what kind of withdrawals I will feel after taking 30mg for 90days I'd really love to know? Also if anybody here quit cold turkey, how did you do it, and how did it make you feel? Sorry it's alot of questions, but ready to quit and want to make sure I know everything to prepare myself. Thank you,

karma35

hi Prophatcy -WELCOME TO SR!

i'm totally with you on the bit where u said 'methadone gave me my life back' - my story in brief is that i've used heroin for 15 yrs with 2,3,and 5yr periods of being clean in amongst it all -also i've been abit of a garbage can for anything along the way..
i started a methadone dtox a few weeks ago and was hoping to taper really fast - like 10days - but it has worked out to be a lot longer...
i'm taking 25ml at the moment which has covered me ok - i def know about it in the morning tho...
do you have a decent doctor - wouldnt he be able to offer some meds to help - often we expect the worst reaction from the medical profession but occasionally some of us are lucky and if he was agreeable u could get stuff to help with nausea/sleep etc...?
i just wanted to say (i didnt want to hear this either btw so.. apologies in advance..)you could prob do with a lil bit longer and get ur dose as low as u can... i relapsed in the past as i hadnt coped with the wd's so i kinda set myself up for failure - i know that it is possible to go CT from the dose ur on but surely its better to give yourself as much of a chance as possible... idk...
if you are going CT get immodium. gatorade or similar - v simple food so if u feel like it its easy to prepare - lots of fluid generally - dont dehydrate as this exacerbates WD's
hot showers are great and lots of things at hand to distract urself... umm i started knitting just to takeup my hands lol - jigsaws,films,friends,drawing,reading -anything!!
do u have to work or do u have the time to do this because u will have almost no energy... and do u have mates/family who could help u thruthis?
k i've waffled enough.. just wanted to say welcome and empathise a bit...
keep coming back - this site has helped me hugely and i hope you find it does that for you 2!!
oh lastly chat is a really good place to go - we r normally havin a laugh to pass time but if you need to talk u only have to say and people get v focused in helping.. ie if ur in crisis come there!! there are also meetings in chat which are helpful too...
good luck - i'm right there too
pls if u need feel free to pm me or add me as afriend
Take care
Karma
btw 1'm 37 and i live in the UK!and i just noticed i have only half answered you - google the thomas recipe for ct - will post more when my heads working!!

boudiepitbull

This is a question you should refer back to an MD who is familiar with Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programs (MMTPs) and taper slowly...

Anna

Please talk to your dr and hopefully you can get your questions answered.