Thibor

Four years ago I injured my back, I tore all the muscles around L5S1 and L5S2. I won't bore you with the details of what I was on and why, but at one point after being in the hospital and having the anesthesiologist give me too much Dilaudid via IV, and almost being killed from it, I switched to Methadone. In retrospect I'm not sure if that was a wise idea.

For over 2 years I've been on Methadone, and I have weened down from about 120mg to about 20mg per day. The withdraw at this point is awful, but I have found some options to consider and want to see if I am missing anything.

I have read opinions on this and other forums regarding OTC and home remedy's to try to assist with the detoxification and weening off of Methadone.

I am not a drug seeker, I haven't had any issues with a craving to get high, so that's not my problem, my primary problem is the RLS effect I get when I try to sleep. The sweating doesn't really bother me, the aches and pains don't bother me, neither does the nausea or diarrhea (15 years of Ulcerative Colitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome means I'm used to both)

But this leg shaking is pretty bad. I have two doctors, one in Ohio, and one in Oregon, because I travel a bit and so I am in Ohio sometimes for a month or so and may need a doctor here. I am originally from Ohio, and my family doctor who has been treating me for 9 years is very supportive. My doctor in Oregon doesn't have the length of time in treating me, but he is also supportive.

I have been trying to ween myself down off Methadone and I'm down to 20mg in liquid form. I think the liquid form is more efficient then the pill form, and it's my impression from my body that when I get down really low, the pill form is almost ineffective completely.

Some things I have picked up to help with the withdraw is the following
supplements: L-Tyrosine, Potassium, Zinc, Magnesium, Copper, Phosphorus, Vitamin B6
Dextromorphen to help with the aches and pains, and/or ibuprofen (which I'm not supposed to take because of my UC/IBS)
no candy, no sugar, no sweets, try to only consume natural sugars
3 regular meals a day (I flew to CMH this time to help my mom recover from knee surgery, she's actually willing to give me some of her oxycodone's to help with my withdraw but I told her flat out no. Again, I don't feel that I have drug seeking behaviors, but I am worried about getting off of this by myself. I kicked Fentanyl patches 2+ years ago before I switched to Methadone, I was at 150mcg and got myself completely off of it. I guess I feel if I can do that, then I can get off the Methadone too.

It has put a huge strain on my marriage, my wife has a job, a PHD, and is stressed out by what this has been doing to our relationship.

Me being in CMH to help my mom recover doesn't help either. I've been going back to CMH about every six months for 1-2 months at a time to sell things from my father's estate, dad died a little over 2 years ago and left my mom and I with a large estate to contend with.

I like an idiot paid a lot of my medical bills with credit cards right after I injured my back, I've paid a lot of them off but they're still there, so I'm trying to get rid of that, and that's put a strain on my marriage as well.

I guess I'm hoping there is something else I can use to help with my withdraw. My doctors both have prescribed me Clonidine to help with the withdraw, and it helps some. I will not smoke pot or something like that, and I'm not really keen on getting on benzodiazepines since I feel I'll be subbing one addiction for another.

I have looked into Kratom, particularly since it's not illegal and from what I've read it's really not addictive beyond a day or so (like Caffeine is sort of). I've tried to cut down significantly on the amount of soda pop that I drink, right now I'm no more than 30oz a day.

I'm debating on going into a rehab center when I get back to Oregon next week, if for no other reason then to put my wife at ease. I've also looked at this rapid detox with anesthesia but from what I've read it's largely unproven territory, in theory it makes sense, put you to sleep while you go thru the worst of the withdraw, but I'm not sure how safe it is. I hear a lot people say it's ill advised, but I have to hear from a single person that's actually done it, every naysayer is just speaking on opinion.

So I hope that someone on here knows something I'm over looking. I am exercising as much as I can, I walk/pedal at least a mile a day and that helps some. I drink a lot of water and a Gatorade a day or so for the electrolytes. Is there anything else I'm missing or that someone advises?

jazz66

The detox hospital is the best bet in my opinion .ive done a simeler detox to the anersthetic one. rappid detox not fully unconshios but valiemd up and injected with some drug or othere for a few days to rush the methadone out of my system.
the hospital told me i would feal great when i left a week later
but to be honest i fealt the same as when i did my last detox witch was a 4 week detox about 2 years ago ..
both times i was so tyerd and week i coudent even cary my own bags out the door.... and i think enyone stoping methadone will feal the same..

for me its not the first weeks that are bad when clear of methadone its the monthes after when you carnt see eny improvment i only fealt ok when i did absalutly nothing.
even 6 monthes after getting cleen i still had no staminer
pryer to quiting i was running 5 to 7 milles a day gym 4 days a week and so on.
that for me was the hardest part to get my head round no staminer what so ever even standing up for eny period of time was exsasting
from what ive seen and read people dont often mention that
but thats the truth...{for me enyway}
as for supliments i woudent wast my money if i were you [eat healthy] because food tastes great the first few weeks when your cleen
one of the few pleshers of detoxing.

if i had to do it again witch wount happen ide take a year out
good luck on your journy stay strong...

FT

I'm sorry you haven't had any other responses. I think the reason for that is that most of us, at least the ones that post, seem to be getting off opiates like oxycodone, oxycontin, vicodin, etc. There are some codeine threads, some subox threads, crack, cocaine, etc., also.

But, having said that, there are commonalities along the spectrum of the different withdrawal from various substances. I quit alcohol many years ago and later became addicted to oxycodone for 2 years. Recovery has been different for me, comparing the two, but similar in many ways.

Lots of people come on here looking for ways to avoid feeling sick during withdrawal. I came here in December scared to death and sick in withdrawal, looking to see how people SURVIVED feeling so sick, let alone just feeling like crap. I was truly afraid I was going to have a seizure, I felt so sick. Most of us has the RLS thing going on. It's one of the hardest things to cope with. That and the insomnia, racing thoughts, crazy thoughts, "addict brain" thoughts, etc.

I don't know anything about methadone withdrawal. You already have experience with Dilaudid withdrawal. You might find them similar, I don't know. One thing we aren't allowed to do on this forum is give medical advice, even if well intentioned. So, no one will be able to tell you what to do. We can talk about our experiences, and a lot of us find that helpful.

One thing I always root for is staying tight with your medical providers about your withdrawal, and take their advice. Clonidine is a very common drug that is designed to treat high blood pressure, but is often prescribed for drug withdrawal. Some people think it helps, some don't. Ask you doctor more questions about it, and you can even ask for the patient drug pamphlet that comes with every prescription medication -- all you have to do is ask for it.

I also don't know anything about the "being anesthetized" way of going through withdrawal. Since withdrawal is far more than just the physical symptoms, I am suspicious about it being very effective on its own. My guess is they combine it with intensive counseling. I actually looked into it before I quit oxys, but it was so expensive I didn't go any farther with it.

I don't know if what I am saying is helpful to you or not. With your history, the first thing to do would obviously get with your docs and let them know how serious you are about getting clean. Partnering with them is always the best thing to do, especially since they got you into this mess to start with.

I wish you the best. I hope you'll get some other people posting here to give you their two cents worth, too.

FT

Oncorhynchus

Unfortunately, methadone is one of the worst opioids to withdraw from. Have you spoken to the doc about switching from methadone to buprenorphine? I know many (especially in NA) dont like the idea of trading one substance for another, but the partial agonist properties of bup, will make it much easier to taper off, and ultimately be free of opioids. In my personal experience, doctors over-prescribe benzodiazepines (especially the really hard-to-taper ones like alprazolam and ativan) Benzodiazepines are NO FUN TO WITHDRAW FROM, so try not to take them if possible. Check out the sublingual buprenorphine and taper down from that. This is my advice. Good luck man!