Weaning down on methadone
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Planet Earth
Posts: 136
Good to hear you kicked the Done and are in a good place today Blood. Keep up the good work.
Some people can't do it and others can. Just like some people get more addicted than others, or some people get more outta control than others. Some people sell everything they have for the drug, and others just don't go that far. Everyone's different in that area.
I was more of the chronic relapser type before I got on to the Done.
And when it comes down to it, I know that if I wasn't on Methadone right now I'd be using. So if I have a choice between the Methadone or the Opiates that destroyed every aspect of my life, I'll clearly choose the Methadone any day.
And just to clarify, I'm not saying that I wont try to come off sometime in the future. But I am saying that right now, I am not planning to come off anytime soon. If I plan to come off in the future now, than I’ll be looking towards it until it happens. And in my opinion, I don’t need that right now. I basically need to do what’s been keeping me going and happy right now. And I need all the time and energy to focus on actually getting my life somewhere right now as well. Plus, when it really comes down to it, a life on Methadone is a far better life than one on Oxys or H.
And sadly enough, I was that “some people” that I was talking about. And I know a big part of it is in my genetics.
Out of everyone I new that used, I was always the one who was using the most and seemed to love it all more than all of them. I always went too crazy with it. And this is not just with Opiates either. This has been with any drug that I got into. I didn't know why I was like that, but that's just how I was. I really didn't want to be that person, but I was. A lot of the time it was like I was just watching myself do messed up things but I couldn’t control any of it, I was kinda just stuck there watching myself do a bunch of damage. I honestly expected myself to die before I found Methadone. I was the one that sold everything he had. I was the one that used up all of his and everyone elses resources when it came down to money. That’s right, not only did I spend evey penny that I owned, I also spent everyone elses money around me. I would begg people for money without thinking what I was doing, and I got into thousands and thousands of dollars into debt all because of Opiates. I was the one who couldn't control a thing but pretended that he could.
And when it comes to the 'perfect dose', I'm not talking about a dose that gets you high. Maybe me and you might have different perspectives on what the perfect dose actually is. The perfect dose that I'm talking about doesn't change every couple of weeks. Once you find it, it usually stays. Than again, everyone is different.
When they first put me on Methadone I had been sober for a couple of weeks beforehand. And because of this, the first dose I had gave me a very small buzz. It wasn’t really a high, but compared to how the previous couple of weeks had been, it was more of a glow. This was a little over a year ago, but because of this I kept upping my dose at every chance, hoping to get that glow again. And I never did get anything close to that first time either. This is how I got to 90mgs a day. But their the side-effects were just too much to handle, and I wasn't paying attention to reaching the perfect dose at that time. I was still in the addict state of mind than and I still thought that more was better. This is the only things that I can think of that left since I've been on Methadone. But for me, once I am on the right dose, it doesn't leave. Once the receptors are saturated that doesn't change. That's one of the good things about Methadone in my opinion. You could be on the same dose for years and be maintained. But with short-acting Opiates, your tolerance always goes up extremely fast, and those Opiates were never enough for me. I was unsatisfied most of the time.
Also, I know that if I was able to live on lower doses than 60mgs for the past 5 months or so, than I should be able to be comfortable on a dose of 60mgs or so no problem.
And I figure, if I'm going to be on Methadone for a while, than I met as well be on a dose that I'm comfortable with and that doesn’t leave me sick and craving.
I have read that for people maintaining on Methadone, the dose might need to be raised a little bit every couple of years. But compared to short-acting Opiates, every couple of years is nothing when you think about it. I mean so what if I end up having to raise it by 10mgs or so every couple of years. That is an extremely slow tolerance build up compared to the other crap I was into. But I guess it makes sense, because we aren't using the Methadone to get high.
I first started weaning down from 90mgs to reduce the sweating. But I just kept going because of how easy it was at first. I figured I'd go as low as I can go and maintain at that. But I also wasn't aware at the time that you have a better chance of not relapsing if you're on 60mgs or over for a couple of years. Not lower than 60mgs like I was. The site I posted above in one of my posts has some more info about it, and an actual study. I’ll post it here again if any of the readers want to check it out, under the recommended dosage section: Methadone - dose, effects, therapy, withdrawal, drug, person, people, used
I guess I should have done more studying before I weaned down to 40mgs. Better late than never though.
It's kinda good that I went to 40mgs in a way though. Because now, I can find the "right dose" while going 'up' to it, instead of having to lower my dose, and find the right dose doing it that way. I think it would be better to have a dose upped to the 'right point', and not have to wait for your body to adjust to a wean, and than stay at that dose afterwards. Because in my opinion, finding the dose that stabilizes you properly by going ‘up’ to it, leaves my body feeling more comfortable with staying at that dose afterwards. Instead of trying to find proper stabilization by weaning down, and having to wait a certain period of time to adjust.
And I agree with the fog thing. I did have more of a fog at 90mgs, and I did notice it lessen during weans. But compared to how my life used to be, with using drugs, smoking Weed, and being on a high dose of Methadone at the same time, my life is crystal clear right now. This is another reason why I’m not going too high this time around.
I'm glad people like me can actually use Methadone and don't have to continue on the road with the other Opiates. It most certainly did save my life. And like I said , I don't think taking away the thing that saved my life this early in recovery would be wise, for me anyways. I was only weaning down to reduce the sweats at first anyways, and I was doing it for all the wrong reasons as well.
If Methadone is being used the way it is supposed to be used, with no other drugs, and safely the way it was intended to be used, than in my opinion, it can be a very great thing, and a very useful tool for the addict. It has helped me so much already, and it still helping me to. For people like me, it can be extremely useful.
I think that you are doing great without the Methadone blood, and I think it's awesome that you haven't used your old DOCs since stopping to. It sounds like you have things in control.
I think that once you are off, if you are actually able to control things, and you aren't having problems again, than you are one of the lucky ones, and you should be very thankful for that. The relapse rate after stopping Methadone is extremely high. Hell, even the relapse rate after stopping Oxy or H is extremely high. So if you are on of the people in the low percent range that actually stopped using Opiates and stayed clean afterwards, than you are a very lucky individual.
Right now things are still going very well for me, and a lot better than they were on the lower doses of Methadone. I was upped 7 days ago to 60mgs. I feel very "normal" throughout my days, and my thoughts aren't overwhelming anymore. They actually feel like my own now.
Thanks for the support everyone!!
I will update later on and post how things are going than.
Some people can't do it and others can. Just like some people get more addicted than others, or some people get more outta control than others. Some people sell everything they have for the drug, and others just don't go that far. Everyone's different in that area.
I was more of the chronic relapser type before I got on to the Done.
And when it comes down to it, I know that if I wasn't on Methadone right now I'd be using. So if I have a choice between the Methadone or the Opiates that destroyed every aspect of my life, I'll clearly choose the Methadone any day.
And just to clarify, I'm not saying that I wont try to come off sometime in the future. But I am saying that right now, I am not planning to come off anytime soon. If I plan to come off in the future now, than I’ll be looking towards it until it happens. And in my opinion, I don’t need that right now. I basically need to do what’s been keeping me going and happy right now. And I need all the time and energy to focus on actually getting my life somewhere right now as well. Plus, when it really comes down to it, a life on Methadone is a far better life than one on Oxys or H.
And sadly enough, I was that “some people” that I was talking about. And I know a big part of it is in my genetics.
Out of everyone I new that used, I was always the one who was using the most and seemed to love it all more than all of them. I always went too crazy with it. And this is not just with Opiates either. This has been with any drug that I got into. I didn't know why I was like that, but that's just how I was. I really didn't want to be that person, but I was. A lot of the time it was like I was just watching myself do messed up things but I couldn’t control any of it, I was kinda just stuck there watching myself do a bunch of damage. I honestly expected myself to die before I found Methadone. I was the one that sold everything he had. I was the one that used up all of his and everyone elses resources when it came down to money. That’s right, not only did I spend evey penny that I owned, I also spent everyone elses money around me. I would begg people for money without thinking what I was doing, and I got into thousands and thousands of dollars into debt all because of Opiates. I was the one who couldn't control a thing but pretended that he could.
And when it comes to the 'perfect dose', I'm not talking about a dose that gets you high. Maybe me and you might have different perspectives on what the perfect dose actually is. The perfect dose that I'm talking about doesn't change every couple of weeks. Once you find it, it usually stays. Than again, everyone is different.
When they first put me on Methadone I had been sober for a couple of weeks beforehand. And because of this, the first dose I had gave me a very small buzz. It wasn’t really a high, but compared to how the previous couple of weeks had been, it was more of a glow. This was a little over a year ago, but because of this I kept upping my dose at every chance, hoping to get that glow again. And I never did get anything close to that first time either. This is how I got to 90mgs a day. But their the side-effects were just too much to handle, and I wasn't paying attention to reaching the perfect dose at that time. I was still in the addict state of mind than and I still thought that more was better. This is the only things that I can think of that left since I've been on Methadone. But for me, once I am on the right dose, it doesn't leave. Once the receptors are saturated that doesn't change. That's one of the good things about Methadone in my opinion. You could be on the same dose for years and be maintained. But with short-acting Opiates, your tolerance always goes up extremely fast, and those Opiates were never enough for me. I was unsatisfied most of the time.
Also, I know that if I was able to live on lower doses than 60mgs for the past 5 months or so, than I should be able to be comfortable on a dose of 60mgs or so no problem.
And I figure, if I'm going to be on Methadone for a while, than I met as well be on a dose that I'm comfortable with and that doesn’t leave me sick and craving.
I have read that for people maintaining on Methadone, the dose might need to be raised a little bit every couple of years. But compared to short-acting Opiates, every couple of years is nothing when you think about it. I mean so what if I end up having to raise it by 10mgs or so every couple of years. That is an extremely slow tolerance build up compared to the other crap I was into. But I guess it makes sense, because we aren't using the Methadone to get high.
I first started weaning down from 90mgs to reduce the sweating. But I just kept going because of how easy it was at first. I figured I'd go as low as I can go and maintain at that. But I also wasn't aware at the time that you have a better chance of not relapsing if you're on 60mgs or over for a couple of years. Not lower than 60mgs like I was. The site I posted above in one of my posts has some more info about it, and an actual study. I’ll post it here again if any of the readers want to check it out, under the recommended dosage section: Methadone - dose, effects, therapy, withdrawal, drug, person, people, used
I guess I should have done more studying before I weaned down to 40mgs. Better late than never though.
It's kinda good that I went to 40mgs in a way though. Because now, I can find the "right dose" while going 'up' to it, instead of having to lower my dose, and find the right dose doing it that way. I think it would be better to have a dose upped to the 'right point', and not have to wait for your body to adjust to a wean, and than stay at that dose afterwards. Because in my opinion, finding the dose that stabilizes you properly by going ‘up’ to it, leaves my body feeling more comfortable with staying at that dose afterwards. Instead of trying to find proper stabilization by weaning down, and having to wait a certain period of time to adjust.
And I agree with the fog thing. I did have more of a fog at 90mgs, and I did notice it lessen during weans. But compared to how my life used to be, with using drugs, smoking Weed, and being on a high dose of Methadone at the same time, my life is crystal clear right now. This is another reason why I’m not going too high this time around.
I'm glad people like me can actually use Methadone and don't have to continue on the road with the other Opiates. It most certainly did save my life. And like I said , I don't think taking away the thing that saved my life this early in recovery would be wise, for me anyways. I was only weaning down to reduce the sweats at first anyways, and I was doing it for all the wrong reasons as well.
If Methadone is being used the way it is supposed to be used, with no other drugs, and safely the way it was intended to be used, than in my opinion, it can be a very great thing, and a very useful tool for the addict. It has helped me so much already, and it still helping me to. For people like me, it can be extremely useful.
I think that you are doing great without the Methadone blood, and I think it's awesome that you haven't used your old DOCs since stopping to. It sounds like you have things in control.
I think that once you are off, if you are actually able to control things, and you aren't having problems again, than you are one of the lucky ones, and you should be very thankful for that. The relapse rate after stopping Methadone is extremely high. Hell, even the relapse rate after stopping Oxy or H is extremely high. So if you are on of the people in the low percent range that actually stopped using Opiates and stayed clean afterwards, than you are a very lucky individual.
Right now things are still going very well for me, and a lot better than they were on the lower doses of Methadone. I was upped 7 days ago to 60mgs. I feel very "normal" throughout my days, and my thoughts aren't overwhelming anymore. They actually feel like my own now.
Thanks for the support everyone!!
I will update later on and post how things are going than.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,677
Hi clean,
Great to hear your update. I totally agree with you about the Done. You are perhaps the "poster child" for methadone, and hope you turn a deaf ear to anyone who tells you otherwise. Like I said before, the drug was designed to get people off hard opiates and give them back their lives. Hell, if anyone thinks that is not a good objective, then you know where they can go put it. I dislike "purists" who don't recognize the havoc that addiction can wreak in the lives of people who would otherwise be productive and happy people, trying to enforce their idea of "clean" on everyone else. "Clean" is relative, and I doubt you'll find many humans on this planet who do not take some kind of medication for something. There is a balance to everything.
I think your dose adjusting was a good thing. You've had the opportunity to discover how much is too much and how much is not enough. This is not a contest for who can get to the lowest dose. It is an exercise in finding the balance in your own life, and I think that you shouldn't mess with it until there is a good reason to do that.
Keep up the good work, and keep up the great informative posts you have been doing. I know I keep up with you when I can, and my guess is there are many others you don't even know are reading these posts who are helped by your journaling the progress you have made.
FT
Great to hear your update. I totally agree with you about the Done. You are perhaps the "poster child" for methadone, and hope you turn a deaf ear to anyone who tells you otherwise. Like I said before, the drug was designed to get people off hard opiates and give them back their lives. Hell, if anyone thinks that is not a good objective, then you know where they can go put it. I dislike "purists" who don't recognize the havoc that addiction can wreak in the lives of people who would otherwise be productive and happy people, trying to enforce their idea of "clean" on everyone else. "Clean" is relative, and I doubt you'll find many humans on this planet who do not take some kind of medication for something. There is a balance to everything.
I think your dose adjusting was a good thing. You've had the opportunity to discover how much is too much and how much is not enough. This is not a contest for who can get to the lowest dose. It is an exercise in finding the balance in your own life, and I think that you shouldn't mess with it until there is a good reason to do that.
Keep up the good work, and keep up the great informative posts you have been doing. I know I keep up with you when I can, and my guess is there are many others you don't even know are reading these posts who are helped by your journaling the progress you have made.
FT
Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: parkersburg, wv
Posts: 178
This post was actually what I needed to read today.. I have been on short term opiates for 12 years..Today is day two of being clean, I have an appointment at a methadone clinic on Tuesday. They turned me away a few years ago because I didn't have any vicodin in my system at the time (I had been clean for a week) so I am hoping they won't turn me away this time. I am been a chronic relapser and I felt normal the first time I ever took a vicodin. I just think my brain was programmed that way. I don't want to relapse again, I am killing myself with the drugs. I have three small kids and if being on methodone can give me and them somewhat of a normal life then I am willing to try it. I am tired of doctor shoppping and looking on the streets for my next fix. But my brain won't stop the cravings even months after being sober (I was sober when I was pregnant and immediately relapsed as soon as my kids were born.. within hours I was being shot up with something.)-I have been scared that I can't function without my opiates. I tried the 12 step meetings and they helped but the whole time I was thinking how can I feel normal. I mean even after months I felt dysfunctional and the cravings were awful. They never have gone away.. I hate living this way. That you for sharing your methadone journey, it makes me feel less alone in all of this.
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Planet Earth
Posts: 136
I'm glad you were able to gain something out of my post Sophia 
If you are going to the clinic on Tuesday, it's very important to make sure you still have Opiates in your system by that time, so you can actually be put on the Methadone this time around. Vicodin can be detected in the urine for 2-4 days after you take it: Vicodin half life: how long does Vicodin remain in your body? | Addiction Blog
As long as you have Opiates in your system, they shouldn't turn you away this time. You sound like the type of person that could really benefit from Methadone Maintenance.
The only reason I didn't have to have Opiates in my system when I went on, is because I was locked up in a hospital for a couple of months at the time, and I was considered an emergency case. I didn't get mine at the clinic back then. But where I live the clinics require that you have Opiates in your system as well, to be able to go on the Methadone program.
When you go there, they should provide you with more info. about the program, and they'll make sure you are stablized on a right dose eventually as well, as long as you are honest with everything and keep telling them how you are feeling things should go well. I'm pretty sure they will ask you about your using history, like the amounts you were using, what you were using, and stuff like that. It is important to be truthfull to them throughout your time there, that way they can help you properly and make sure you are given the right amount of medication.
I think you would be really happy with the life a proper daily dose of Methadone can provide. Compared to the short-acting Opiates, life on Methadone is fantastic. And I think it would be really good for your children as well Sophia.
At most clinics where I live, they give you a purple book all about Methadone to read before going on it. It is very useful if you are considering Methadone, and there's been times where I've even read it after I've already gone on, because of all of the useful information inside. If you want to read it ahead of time you can read the whole book here, by scrolling down to the table of contents section and clicking on whichever section interests you most: Methadone Maintenance Treatment: Client Handbook-CAMH
It isn't too long or anything either, and I think it can be really useful for anyone considering Methadone, and wanting to know more about it.
The life of an addict is no way for anyone to have to live, and I absolutely hated it as well. It was like hell on earth for me. And I couldn't stop on my own no matter what I did either, so this is where the Methadone really came in handy for me. It's really turned things around for me completely and saved my life in so many ways.
I really hope things get better for you Sophia. And I wish you the best of luck.
Update: It's been about two weeks since I upped my dose to 60mgs. The dose is perfect for me and it hasen't changed either. I wake up and I don't feel sick anymore. I'm held so much better at this dose. My cravings are gone completely and I actually like my dreams a lot now to. I get a new script today, and I have decided to stay at 60mgs this time around and not go any higher. This dose seems like the 'sweet spot' for me. It isn't too much, and it isn't too little. Things have been going really well on the new dose, and I finally feel stablized properly, and I feel the way I should feel. I don't have cravings for other drugs either, not even in the mornings before I get my dose, and my thoughts feel like my own, and not unwanted basically. I'm really happy that I finally found the right dose for me. It may have took just over a year to get here, but the fact in the matter is, I got here. There isn't really any side-effects at this dose for me either. I still have a sex-drive, I don't sweat a bunch like I did on the higher doses, and I am not all plugged up and constipated either, I just feel "normal". I still have feelings like any average Joe as well, I still care about things, and my dose lasts me at least 24 hours until I get my new dose the next day. I have great sleeps now, I feel in conrtol of things again, and I have more energy at this dose as well. When I was on lower doses, I would have the most energy for 5 hours or so after my dose, and than by the end of the day(12 hours or so afterwards), I wouldn't want to do much and wouldn't have the energy to do things that I would normally do after first getting my dose. But on 60mgs, the energy seems to last me the whole day. When the 12 hour mark comes around after a dose, I still have the energy to do anything that I would normally do right after taking a dose. Things are pretty much right where I want them to be at this dose.
I am definitely glad I went up to a proper dose, and I'm very happy that I didn't just keep going up this time around as well.
Thanks for all the support everyone! I really appreciate it.
If you are going to the clinic on Tuesday, it's very important to make sure you still have Opiates in your system by that time, so you can actually be put on the Methadone this time around. Vicodin can be detected in the urine for 2-4 days after you take it: Vicodin half life: how long does Vicodin remain in your body? | Addiction Blog
As long as you have Opiates in your system, they shouldn't turn you away this time. You sound like the type of person that could really benefit from Methadone Maintenance.
The only reason I didn't have to have Opiates in my system when I went on, is because I was locked up in a hospital for a couple of months at the time, and I was considered an emergency case. I didn't get mine at the clinic back then. But where I live the clinics require that you have Opiates in your system as well, to be able to go on the Methadone program.
When you go there, they should provide you with more info. about the program, and they'll make sure you are stablized on a right dose eventually as well, as long as you are honest with everything and keep telling them how you are feeling things should go well. I'm pretty sure they will ask you about your using history, like the amounts you were using, what you were using, and stuff like that. It is important to be truthfull to them throughout your time there, that way they can help you properly and make sure you are given the right amount of medication.
I think you would be really happy with the life a proper daily dose of Methadone can provide. Compared to the short-acting Opiates, life on Methadone is fantastic. And I think it would be really good for your children as well Sophia.
At most clinics where I live, they give you a purple book all about Methadone to read before going on it. It is very useful if you are considering Methadone, and there's been times where I've even read it after I've already gone on, because of all of the useful information inside. If you want to read it ahead of time you can read the whole book here, by scrolling down to the table of contents section and clicking on whichever section interests you most: Methadone Maintenance Treatment: Client Handbook-CAMH
It isn't too long or anything either, and I think it can be really useful for anyone considering Methadone, and wanting to know more about it.
The life of an addict is no way for anyone to have to live, and I absolutely hated it as well. It was like hell on earth for me. And I couldn't stop on my own no matter what I did either, so this is where the Methadone really came in handy for me. It's really turned things around for me completely and saved my life in so many ways.
I really hope things get better for you Sophia. And I wish you the best of luck.
Update: It's been about two weeks since I upped my dose to 60mgs. The dose is perfect for me and it hasen't changed either. I wake up and I don't feel sick anymore. I'm held so much better at this dose. My cravings are gone completely and I actually like my dreams a lot now to. I get a new script today, and I have decided to stay at 60mgs this time around and not go any higher. This dose seems like the 'sweet spot' for me. It isn't too much, and it isn't too little. Things have been going really well on the new dose, and I finally feel stablized properly, and I feel the way I should feel. I don't have cravings for other drugs either, not even in the mornings before I get my dose, and my thoughts feel like my own, and not unwanted basically. I'm really happy that I finally found the right dose for me. It may have took just over a year to get here, but the fact in the matter is, I got here. There isn't really any side-effects at this dose for me either. I still have a sex-drive, I don't sweat a bunch like I did on the higher doses, and I am not all plugged up and constipated either, I just feel "normal". I still have feelings like any average Joe as well, I still care about things, and my dose lasts me at least 24 hours until I get my new dose the next day. I have great sleeps now, I feel in conrtol of things again, and I have more energy at this dose as well. When I was on lower doses, I would have the most energy for 5 hours or so after my dose, and than by the end of the day(12 hours or so afterwards), I wouldn't want to do much and wouldn't have the energy to do things that I would normally do after first getting my dose. But on 60mgs, the energy seems to last me the whole day. When the 12 hour mark comes around after a dose, I still have the energy to do anything that I would normally do right after taking a dose. Things are pretty much right where I want them to be at this dose
.I am definitely glad I went up to a proper dose, and I'm very happy that I didn't just keep going up this time around as well.
Thanks for all the support everyone! I really appreciate it.
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Huntsville al
Posts: 1
weaning off methadone 2mgs a week, any success stories out there plz post
I started taking opiates in 2001, in 2005 I started going to the methadone clinic and stopped all pain Meds. My highest dose was 75 mgs daily of methadone. I started dropping here and there and ended up at 30 mgs from there I dropped 2 mgs a week I'm now at 9 mgs today and starting to feel bad ( headache,rapid heartbeat,insomnia,and the dreaded restless leg/arms. If anyone has tried it this way please let me know your experience and how taking the last mgs to nothing made you feel. I want to take a little more so I can feel normal. But I'm trying to push through, I'm sure wds could be a lot worse.
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Planet Earth
Posts: 136
You sound like you've done a really good job so far lnc. Congrats!
Getting off any Opiate is not an easy task.
From my own knowledge and experience, I think weaning down as slow as possible to avoid as much discomfort as possible may be a good idea. Even if you have to wean down by lets say, 1mg a month for example, it'll be worth it in the long run. However, only you and your Doctor should discuss the dosage and speed to go down by. Your Doctor should be keeping track of that kind of that stuff. And I am not a professional myself when it comes to this.
Just a note, we are not allowed to offer any medical advice here. And I am in no means telling you to do any of this. This is just what I have heard and found helpful myself. Speaking to your Doctor would be best though when it comes to anything related to this. She/he should be able to help you find what works best for you. And keep in mind, not everyone is the same. So what works for me or somebody else may not work for you. And some people interact differently to certain things as well, so that is also why it is important to speak to your Doctor before considering anything. Also, if you are ever going to mix anything with your Methadone, certain combinations can be dangerous and sometimes even fatal. For example, I have heard from someone that taking an Antihistamine along with their Methadone caused their heart to stop beating, and caused them to end up in the ER. So be cautious on your journey.
I've always found eating right(no junk food), and taking a mutli-vitamin/mineral to help during any drug detox I've had. It's always good to stay healthy. Now keep in mind, I am in no means offering any medical adivce here, but this is just what I have found to be helpful for me on my journys.
Excercise has also always been very helpful for me to. This was actually extremely helpful during my Opiate detox's. The excercise can help get our natural endorphin systems working again(excercise releases natural endorphins A.K.A. painkillers). Even if you aren't able to do heavy excersises at first, something as little as speed walking for example, can help quite bit sometimes. When I detoxed off of Opiates for the last time(a couple weeks before I went on the Methadone), excercising was one of the things that I found helped me the most.
I have always found music to be an extremely good tool as well.
I have also found that elliminating caffeine out of my diet helps my dose of Methadone to last longer. I don't run through the Methadone as fast as I would with the caffeine in my diet, and I wake up a lot less sick to.
I have found that using other substances can sometimes make things worse in the end to. For example, being burnt out from Marijuana and in Opiate withdrawal at the same time wouldn't be very nice at all. Just something to think about if you're using anything on top of the Methadone..
You also may or may not want to check out some of these sites for more info:
Methadone Opiate Detox and Taper Realities Part 2 - Research - Addiction Health Pages - MedHelp
About Natural Methadone Detox | LIVESTRONG.COM
The Thomas Recipe - For Opiate Withdrawal - Drugs.com
Getting Over Opiate Withdrawals and Making it Through the PAWS - Drugs Forum
Methadone Detox
And again, I am in no means offering you any medical advice here. This is simply what I have found helpful for me. But like I said, what works for some, may not work for others.
And again, always make sure to check with your Doctor before anything, and be safe.
Also, it would probably be a good idea to start your own thread to. This way people can see the title, and you would probably get more help that way to. but again remember, we are not aloud to offer any medical advice here.
Keep up the good work lnc, and stay strong!! You're doing an awesome job!
Getting off any Opiate is not an easy task.
From my own knowledge and experience, I think weaning down as slow as possible to avoid as much discomfort as possible may be a good idea. Even if you have to wean down by lets say, 1mg a month for example, it'll be worth it in the long run. However, only you and your Doctor should discuss the dosage and speed to go down by. Your Doctor should be keeping track of that kind of that stuff. And I am not a professional myself when it comes to this.
Just a note, we are not allowed to offer any medical advice here. And I am in no means telling you to do any of this. This is just what I have heard and found helpful myself. Speaking to your Doctor would be best though when it comes to anything related to this. She/he should be able to help you find what works best for you. And keep in mind, not everyone is the same. So what works for me or somebody else may not work for you. And some people interact differently to certain things as well, so that is also why it is important to speak to your Doctor before considering anything. Also, if you are ever going to mix anything with your Methadone, certain combinations can be dangerous and sometimes even fatal. For example, I have heard from someone that taking an Antihistamine along with their Methadone caused their heart to stop beating, and caused them to end up in the ER. So be cautious on your journey.
I've always found eating right(no junk food), and taking a mutli-vitamin/mineral to help during any drug detox I've had. It's always good to stay healthy. Now keep in mind, I am in no means offering any medical adivce here, but this is just what I have found to be helpful for me on my journys.
Excercise has also always been very helpful for me to. This was actually extremely helpful during my Opiate detox's. The excercise can help get our natural endorphin systems working again(excercise releases natural endorphins A.K.A. painkillers). Even if you aren't able to do heavy excersises at first, something as little as speed walking for example, can help quite bit sometimes. When I detoxed off of Opiates for the last time(a couple weeks before I went on the Methadone), excercising was one of the things that I found helped me the most.
I have always found music to be an extremely good tool as well.
I have also found that elliminating caffeine out of my diet helps my dose of Methadone to last longer. I don't run through the Methadone as fast as I would with the caffeine in my diet, and I wake up a lot less sick to.
I have found that using other substances can sometimes make things worse in the end to. For example, being burnt out from Marijuana and in Opiate withdrawal at the same time wouldn't be very nice at all. Just something to think about if you're using anything on top of the Methadone..
You also may or may not want to check out some of these sites for more info:
Methadone Opiate Detox and Taper Realities Part 2 - Research - Addiction Health Pages - MedHelp
About Natural Methadone Detox | LIVESTRONG.COM
The Thomas Recipe - For Opiate Withdrawal - Drugs.com
Getting Over Opiate Withdrawals and Making it Through the PAWS - Drugs Forum
Methadone Detox
And again, I am in no means offering you any medical advice here. This is simply what I have found helpful for me. But like I said, what works for some, may not work for others.
And again, always make sure to check with your Doctor before anything, and be safe.
Also, it would probably be a good idea to start your own thread to. This way people can see the title, and you would probably get more help that way to. but again remember, we are not aloud to offer any medical advice here.
Keep up the good work lnc, and stay strong!! You're doing an awesome job!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 64
I ran a methadone clinic years ago long before I became a freebasing cocaine addict, for 1 1/2 years.
Methadone is highly addicting and withdrawal must be very very very slow. We used to detox people 1mg every 2 weeks. ( more addicting than prior street heroin )
When to detox from it ? A very personal decision made with the help of an addictions counselor, NA sponsor.
You must have a commitment to a clean lifestyle and be searching for spiritual enrichment( 12 step helps a lot with this )
Otherwise - many stay on long term maintenance for long periods of time and do quite well.
We used to "zone out some" - who would otherwise steal and rob ( at that time to get heroin ) - 120mg - 140 mg / day - they would "nod out for the day "
A problem can be people mixing their methadone with other drugs. !!
Now its all about oxycontin !
Many take a relatively low dose 20-40 mg ( of methadone ) and do great long term. It does not seem to damage the liver or anything else. many take it early am, then go to work !
Dr Ira B ( MD )
Methadone is highly addicting and withdrawal must be very very very slow. We used to detox people 1mg every 2 weeks. ( more addicting than prior street heroin )
When to detox from it ? A very personal decision made with the help of an addictions counselor, NA sponsor.
You must have a commitment to a clean lifestyle and be searching for spiritual enrichment( 12 step helps a lot with this )
Otherwise - many stay on long term maintenance for long periods of time and do quite well.
We used to "zone out some" - who would otherwise steal and rob ( at that time to get heroin ) - 120mg - 140 mg / day - they would "nod out for the day "
A problem can be people mixing their methadone with other drugs. !!
Now its all about oxycontin !
Many take a relatively low dose 20-40 mg ( of methadone ) and do great long term. It does not seem to damage the liver or anything else. many take it early am, then go to work !
Dr Ira B ( MD )
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Posts: 18
Inc. I did the EXACT same thing. When I got to 10 I switched to 1mg a day. Stopped whenever I felt I needed to, Took it down to three and then quit. Notta problem one. But I didn't stay clean very long before I f'd up again. I just THOUGHT i had a problem the first time I went after having taken Lortabs ( Vicodin, whatever you wanna call em, same thing) Started a few of those here and there, you know, because I was better and not an addict anymore, and went from a couple 10's here and there to shooting Roxi's 2 at a time four times a day pretty quick.( FOK the OX ! FailedTaper lol. I feel like I know you.) Anyway, here I am today. Been back at the clinic for a year and a half, and for the most part all was well. But I've recently been presented with the option to either A. quit EVERYTHING and Go to drug court. Or B. Take a felony on my record and a couple years probation....FOK a felony too, so I started detoxing. Got down to 6mg last week without much of a problem just going down a little here and there over a period of months. Got to 6mg's and decided that 50 cents a mg was ridiculous and walked out. I've done every drug you can think of this week fighting off withdraws. With absolutely no effects really. I got high, but even then I still had the withdraws. I don't know what the heil to do. I gotta get off, for reasons other than the drug court thing. Financially mostly, But I relapse every dam time. Its sickening. I'm absolutely disgusted with myself right now. Not to mention kinda lost...
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,474
there's a lot of different kinds of support - NA's one...there's also SMART, Rational Recovery, counselling...certainly no shortage of help available if you were into that.
I just wondered. My drugs of choice were different but I bounced from one to the other and battled on for a long time alone too...seemed to go in circles mostly.
Coming here certainly helped, for sure. Hope you'll find the support and advice I did
D
I just wondered. My drugs of choice were different but I bounced from one to the other and battled on for a long time alone too...seemed to go in circles mostly.
Coming here certainly helped, for sure. Hope you'll find the support and advice I did
D
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Posts: 18
My problem as well Dee. Never met a drug I didn't like.(except benzo's YUK!...been there too though) And I've liked em all at twenty times or another. Snatched some pot outta my dads room when I was twelve and its been on every since. That was 24 years ago. Its all I know. I've never been one to take them to the extreme, haha, well let me rephrase that. I've never been one to take them to the point that its obvious that I'm on them. ie nodding off and slurring and the like. And asides from opiates, I've never had any trouble putting any of them down. But I am a drug addict in the purest sense. And I've posted somewhere on here ?lil lost? that I HAVE to quit going to the clinic. Other than the money and logistics of the clinic it was a god send for me. And I've gone long enough that I honestly thought that it wouldn't be a big problem quitting. And it wasn't except for the fact that I started working with me best friend (basically my brother, been together since he was 3 and I was 5) who is in the same boat I'm in. We were both down to 6 and 4 mg a day eact and doing ok. THen we decided that it'd be ok to just take a tab or two to help feel better and have some energy for work. LOL no matter how many times I do this I can still justify most anything to myself. And even that didn't go so bad, I was goodish about it. But it always starts out that way. Then I came up with a couple roxi's (MY DOC) and while I only did 1 and a half, its thrown me back months. So, here I am, looking for my way out. Looks like CT detox it is though from what I read. Please excuse my rambling....... I do that
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Planet Earth
Posts: 136
This road is definitely a tough one to be on SentencedToLife. And I know just how you feel. I remember those days very clearly.
Relapsing is one of the things that scares me from coming off of the Done completely one day. I'm terrified to wake up that beast and lose myself and everything important to me all over again. And now I know from my previous weaning attempt just how much my cravings can actually come back once I get down to a certain point, and gradually get held less and less.
I hope you continue fighting for your sobriety and stay sober doing it to. It can be really tough to shake such a beast eh? My prayers go out to you and all recovering addicts who have to go through this hell. And I wish you the best of luck.
I remember when I would be coming off of dope back in the day.. I would use everything and anything to try and make myself feel a little bit better through it all. Of course, nothing would ever work. Except the only remedy that is, the one that got me there in the first place
.
Maybe you can look at some herbal remedies or something like that to try and ease the pain. I know that my Doctor said that he would prescribe me Clonidine once I was at 0 to help me with the heeby jeebies.
I am actually taking a natural, over the counter anti-depressant right now known as SAM-e myself. It actually works wonders for my SAD, and it really helps a lot with the fog that Methadone can sometimes cause to.
I don't know if any of these things would help your situation, but these are just some of the things that I would look into myself during my journey. Now keep in mind, I am not telling you to take anything, and I can't offer you any medical advice here, but maybe speaking to a Doctor about your situation might help?
Support groups can also be very helpful. And if you don't like those, maybe even working on the twelve steps from youw own computer can help? Here's a site yuo can check out if you're interested: 12Step.org for Sobriety, Strength and Serenity
Recovery forum sites like these can also be extremely helpful as well. We need all the support we can get, especially during such a rough period.
Best of luck to you on your journey out bro. "Sobriety is what you make of it".
Relapsing is one of the things that scares me from coming off of the Done completely one day. I'm terrified to wake up that beast and lose myself and everything important to me all over again. And now I know from my previous weaning attempt just how much my cravings can actually come back once I get down to a certain point, and gradually get held less and less.
I hope you continue fighting for your sobriety and stay sober doing it to. It can be really tough to shake such a beast eh? My prayers go out to you and all recovering addicts who have to go through this hell. And I wish you the best of luck.
I remember when I would be coming off of dope back in the day.. I would use everything and anything to try and make myself feel a little bit better through it all. Of course, nothing would ever work. Except the only remedy that is, the one that got me there in the first place
.Maybe you can look at some herbal remedies or something like that to try and ease the pain. I know that my Doctor said that he would prescribe me Clonidine once I was at 0 to help me with the heeby jeebies.
I am actually taking a natural, over the counter anti-depressant right now known as SAM-e myself. It actually works wonders for my SAD, and it really helps a lot with the fog that Methadone can sometimes cause to.
I don't know if any of these things would help your situation, but these are just some of the things that I would look into myself during my journey. Now keep in mind, I am not telling you to take anything, and I can't offer you any medical advice here, but maybe speaking to a Doctor about your situation might help?
Support groups can also be very helpful. And if you don't like those, maybe even working on the twelve steps from youw own computer can help? Here's a site yuo can check out if you're interested: 12Step.org for Sobriety, Strength and Serenity
Recovery forum sites like these can also be extremely helpful as well. We need all the support we can get, especially during such a rough period.
Best of luck to you on your journey out bro. "Sobriety is what you make of it".
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Planet Earth
Posts: 136
So I was on the new dose of 60mgs of Methadone for quite a few months, and once the winter ended and the weather started to get better, I actually realised how much more numb or foggy I was to things on 60mgs(compared to the 40mgs of Methadone I used to be at). I felt like I was kind of an empty shell of my body, and I really started to HATE being on that high of a dose. I couldn't even enjoy the good weather! I felt like I just couldn't feel any good feelings anymore that I would usually get from a nice sunny day. And all this made me start to want to smoke Weed again, just so I could get a good feeling from something. So once this started to effect my sobriety and my life, I new it was time for a change. And luckily I didn't relapse on Pot during all of this either .
So I thought about it lots and lots, and I finally decided I would wean down a little bit and get myself at least a little out of the fog, but as well not to too low of a dose like it was for me when I was at the 40mgs of Methadone.
So today I went down to 50mgs. And already I am feeling a lot less foggy and dull .
The last time I was weaning down, I'm pretty sure that I didn't start to have any problems until I got down to the doses that were lower then 50mgs a day. So I think for safety reasons I am probably going to stay at 50mgs this time around. But I guess if I didn't try those lower doses and the higher doses, then I really wouldn't know which dose works best for me now, so I guess I kind of had to test the waters a bit.
I am so happy that I chose to do this though.. I noticed right when I went up to 60mgs how much things actually changed for me(not really in a good way), but I just kep blocking it out and trying to convince myself that all was good. My Mom even said to me one day that I laugh a lot less then I did when I was on the 40mgs, and I new she was right. I just felt like the 60mgs kind of stole my personality away.
I also got myself so damn scared of weaning down, that I almost didn't see it as possible to go down again to doses lower than 60, which prevented me from doing this earlier.
And when I went up to 60mgs, I held on to a lot of regret and I was kind of angry at myself to. I mean an increase was definetely needed at the time, but not as much as I increased it by, that's for sure (40mgs - 60mgs).
And then once I started to wean down, I started to realise that I didn't have to be super scared. And besides, even if I'm a little bit sick as first, once I get to the other side it will be totally worth it, and feeling more clear will be all the better. I really don't know why I scared myself away from weaning down again so much, it's almost like the fear was worse then the wean itself.
Plus, this September is two years since I've gotten high from or used any Opiates(other then Methadone), and two years is about how long I was addicted to Opiates for before I went on Methadone. So I do trust myself more now to. As long as I don't go down to the 40's again though, because that's when things started to get a little bit scary for me the last time.
I guess I shouldn't have went all the way up to 60mgs. I was going up by 10mgs until I got to 60, and at the time I was thinking of 10mgs as a small number and I didn't really think it would make much of a difference either, but it sooo did!! And I definetely don't think I needed that much. Methadone is soo damn potent actually, it's crazy
Anyways I'm rambling a bit here..
But yeah, I just wanted to update things.
Today is a new start for me, and hopefully this is all for the better.
.So I thought about it lots and lots, and I finally decided I would wean down a little bit and get myself at least a little out of the fog, but as well not to too low of a dose like it was for me when I was at the 40mgs of Methadone.
So today I went down to 50mgs. And already I am feeling a lot less foggy and dull
.The last time I was weaning down, I'm pretty sure that I didn't start to have any problems until I got down to the doses that were lower then 50mgs a day. So I think for safety reasons I am probably going to stay at 50mgs this time around. But I guess if I didn't try those lower doses and the higher doses, then I really wouldn't know which dose works best for me now, so I guess I kind of had to test the waters a bit.
I am so happy that I chose to do this though.. I noticed right when I went up to 60mgs how much things actually changed for me(not really in a good way), but I just kep blocking it out and trying to convince myself that all was good. My Mom even said to me one day that I laugh a lot less then I did when I was on the 40mgs, and I new she was right. I just felt like the 60mgs kind of stole my personality away.
I also got myself so damn scared of weaning down, that I almost didn't see it as possible to go down again to doses lower than 60, which prevented me from doing this earlier.
And when I went up to 60mgs, I held on to a lot of regret and I was kind of angry at myself to. I mean an increase was definetely needed at the time, but not as much as I increased it by, that's for sure (40mgs - 60mgs).
And then once I started to wean down, I started to realise that I didn't have to be super scared. And besides, even if I'm a little bit sick as first, once I get to the other side it will be totally worth it, and feeling more clear will be all the better. I really don't know why I scared myself away from weaning down again so much, it's almost like the fear was worse then the wean itself.
Plus, this September is two years since I've gotten high from or used any Opiates(other then Methadone), and two years is about how long I was addicted to Opiates for before I went on Methadone. So I do trust myself more now to. As long as I don't go down to the 40's again though, because that's when things started to get a little bit scary for me the last time.
I guess I shouldn't have went all the way up to 60mgs. I was going up by 10mgs until I got to 60, and at the time I was thinking of 10mgs as a small number and I didn't really think it would make much of a difference either, but it sooo did!! And I definetely don't think I needed that much. Methadone is soo damn potent actually, it's crazy
Anyways I'm rambling a bit here..
But yeah, I just wanted to update things.
Today is a new start for me
, and hopefully this is all for the better.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: palmyra ny
Posts: 1
Any suggestions???
Ok so this is my first time on one of these message boards bu I feel like I need to talk to some people who know a thing or two about Methadone. I am thirty years old and I have been on a methadone maintanance program since July 2011 and clean from all opiates other than methadone since then also. I was pregnant so I had a good reason to want to end my addiction of pain killers Anyways I started out at 25 mg of methadone and at my hightest I was dosing at 100 mgs. Well i had the baby Feb 17th 2012 and I promised myself that I wanted to start to wean down on the methadone after the baby was born. Well my daughter will be two months old on the 17 of april and last week I began the detox with a drastic 10 mg drop twice last week. I have felt really good too. I do not want to push it too fast but I am really wanting to get off the methadone. I am always tired and I feel as if I am in a sort of a fog all of the time i do not get high or anything but I just feel out of it. I am also sick of being tied down with liquid handcuffs. My family all want me off the methadone and the only support that I had was my bf of two years who was also on methadone. Well he had to do a ninety day jail sentence so he was forced to detox off the methadone he is in his second week with no medicine at all not even anything to help him with the withdrawl symtoms. He says he will never touch methadone or another opiate for that matter due to the sickness that he has had to undergo while being in jail sick detoxing off methadone and klonopin. So now I feel even more pressure and more will to want to get off the methadone, I just know that going cold turkey out here not behind bars I will not be successful. I have to take care of our infant daughter so that is not realistic for me to go cold turkey. So does anyone have any suggestions about weaning safely I know that there is going to be discomfort with this but I just want it to go as best as it possibly can. I know I am ready to be off this methadone and I want to do it as fast as I can without torturing myself.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Planet Earth
Posts: 136
aprilsaylor, All I can really say is that if you want to do it as safely as possible, you should go as slow as you can, and make sure that you are as comfortbale as you can be throughout your time weaning down.
In the beginning, since you were up to 100mgs, the weaning will be a lot easier at first because you have so much in your system, even from 10mgs drops. But later on, it does tend to catch up to you and it can become pretty tough, especially if you have to work and have respoisibilities. Plus once you have been doing it for a while, you could be feeling more then one drop at a time and not even know it, which will make things even harder. So it's best to let your body catch up when you can as well.
And like I said, the slower the better.
I know how it is to just want to be off of the Methadone NOW, but in order to be successful and not end up getting extreme cravings or relapsing, you have to go very slow until you are down to zero. Even if it takes you two years to get off, you will be glad that you did so when it is all over. Dropping too fast, or dropping too large of amounts at once can easily cause a relapse on your old DOC. Methadone is strong, and if you were to go cold-tueky from the dose you are on now for example, Heroin withdrawals would look like tylenol compared to Methadone's, and this is why it's extremely important to take things VERY SLOWLY.
The Methadone is built up in your system in layers, and it is important to remove those layers very slowly. If you did things like you would if you were to rip off a bandaid, you would most likely fail.
And just rememeber that getting off is not a race. Slow and steady wins the race.
Also, I would try to not go down no sooner then once every two weeks to let your body properly adjust before you make the next drop. Once you have been weaning down for a while, you may even have to stop for longer then two weeks to let your body catch up. I have even heard of it taking someone a full two months to finally catch up after weaning down for a long time.
And if you insist on doing big amounts, than it is very important that you don't drop anymore then 10% of your dose at a time. But even then it can get pretty tough, especially the lower numbers.
When I got to 40mgs, that's when I noticed things a lot more and found it a lot harder on me. I was only dropping by 5mgs at that point to, and I even found that to be too much. At that point I felt like I just wasn't held anymore, and I just knew that my receptors weren't full anymore. I was able to tell that if I went any lower things were only going to get worse. I have heard that 20mgs can be a 'wall' for some, but I would say 40mgs was a bit of a wall for me even. But that's just me.
I used to be at 90mgs. In the beginning, I dropped by 10mgs until I hit 60mgs, and then I weaned down by 5mgs until I hit 40, and that'w when I realised that I was doing this too soon and too fast, and how dangerously close I came to relapsing to. The wean from 70mgs-60mgs was really tough from what I can remmeber, but the 10mg drops from 90-80mgs and then from 80-70mgs were still pretty easy.
If I knew what I new now, I would have done 10mg drops until I hit 70. And then I would have done 5mg drops until I hit 50 or 45mgs. and then I would have done 2mg drops until I hit around 20mgs or so, and from there I would probably do 1mg drop until finally I got to 0. And all no sooner then two weeks. Actually for a lot of the drops, I was weaning down once a month.
When I got to 40mgs a day my cravings started to come back quite a bit, especially in the mornings before my dose, and I started to have drug dreams again to. This is also why going too fast or dropping by too big of amounts can be really dangerous in the long run.
I also would suggest going to some kind of meetings as often as you can and working the 12 steps, and even getting a sponsor for the rough times who understands you. Also, getting as much support as you can throughout this would be best IMO. If you can, go to some kind of program before you are at zero and learn some new tools that will help you stay clean.
Because once you get down to zero, you have to be prepared for what you are going to feel like. It's not only the withdrawal, but you are going to most likely be the person that you were before you went on the Methadone if you know what I mean, and you could feel a strong urge to relapse again to (Methadone is like a mask). And if you do things exactly like you did things before you went on the Methadone, whenever you tried to get clean and failed in the past, then you will most likely fail this time around as well (not to discourage you or anything). Meaning you really have to do things differently this time. There's a saying, "if nothing changes, nothing changes".
Also if I was the one weaning down right now, once I got to zero I would get myself into a good long-term rehab program, and afterwards a sober living facility. Something that's gonna help me make it to the other side, and at the same time teach me a new way of living and tools that are gonna help me stay clean. Not only are the withdrawals long, but the PAWS can be long as well, and I would want to be in those places until I'm on the other side and over it. Because of how I used to be, and what I went through, I know now that I wasn't able to get clean on my own. So now that I have more knowledge about what was happening back then and am where I am today, if I was gonna go for it, I'd make sure I had professional help ligned up, because now a days I can admit that I wasn't able to beat my Opiate addiction on my own, and that it most certainly was stronger then me.
And lastly, you have to absolutely be willing to do whatever it takes to stay clean and sober. That means everything and anything. Even if you are in a rehab for example, and you are being told to do something by someone but you don't feel like comitting to it 100%, well you have to do it and give it your all, or it just won't work. You have to take things seriously. A lot of people who finally got clean and stayed clean for years and years, after many failed attempts, many relapses, have said about treatment centers that, "the treatment centers worked but I didn't".
This is my opinion.
In the beginning, since you were up to 100mgs, the weaning will be a lot easier at first because you have so much in your system, even from 10mgs drops. But later on, it does tend to catch up to you and it can become pretty tough, especially if you have to work and have respoisibilities. Plus once you have been doing it for a while, you could be feeling more then one drop at a time and not even know it, which will make things even harder. So it's best to let your body catch up when you can as well.
And like I said, the slower the better.
I know how it is to just want to be off of the Methadone NOW, but in order to be successful and not end up getting extreme cravings or relapsing, you have to go very slow until you are down to zero. Even if it takes you two years to get off, you will be glad that you did so when it is all over. Dropping too fast, or dropping too large of amounts at once can easily cause a relapse on your old DOC. Methadone is strong, and if you were to go cold-tueky from the dose you are on now for example, Heroin withdrawals would look like tylenol compared to Methadone's, and this is why it's extremely important to take things VERY SLOWLY.
The Methadone is built up in your system in layers, and it is important to remove those layers very slowly. If you did things like you would if you were to rip off a bandaid, you would most likely fail.
And just rememeber that getting off is not a race. Slow and steady wins the race
.Also, I would try to not go down no sooner then once every two weeks to let your body properly adjust before you make the next drop. Once you have been weaning down for a while, you may even have to stop for longer then two weeks to let your body catch up. I have even heard of it taking someone a full two months to finally catch up after weaning down for a long time.
And if you insist on doing big amounts, than it is very important that you don't drop anymore then 10% of your dose at a time. But even then it can get pretty tough, especially the lower numbers.
When I got to 40mgs, that's when I noticed things a lot more and found it a lot harder on me. I was only dropping by 5mgs at that point to, and I even found that to be too much. At that point I felt like I just wasn't held anymore, and I just knew that my receptors weren't full anymore. I was able to tell that if I went any lower things were only going to get worse. I have heard that 20mgs can be a 'wall' for some, but I would say 40mgs was a bit of a wall for me even. But that's just me.
I used to be at 90mgs. In the beginning, I dropped by 10mgs until I hit 60mgs, and then I weaned down by 5mgs until I hit 40, and that'w when I realised that I was doing this too soon and too fast, and how dangerously close I came to relapsing to. The wean from 70mgs-60mgs was really tough from what I can remmeber, but the 10mg drops from 90-80mgs and then from 80-70mgs were still pretty easy.
If I knew what I new now, I would have done 10mg drops until I hit 70. And then I would have done 5mg drops until I hit 50 or 45mgs. and then I would have done 2mg drops until I hit around 20mgs or so, and from there I would probably do 1mg drop until finally I got to 0. And all no sooner then two weeks. Actually for a lot of the drops, I was weaning down once a month.
When I got to 40mgs a day my cravings started to come back quite a bit, especially in the mornings before my dose, and I started to have drug dreams again to. This is also why going too fast or dropping by too big of amounts can be really dangerous in the long run.
I also would suggest going to some kind of meetings as often as you can and working the 12 steps, and even getting a sponsor for the rough times who understands you. Also, getting as much support as you can throughout this would be best IMO. If you can, go to some kind of program before you are at zero and learn some new tools that will help you stay clean.
Because once you get down to zero, you have to be prepared for what you are going to feel like. It's not only the withdrawal, but you are going to most likely be the person that you were before you went on the Methadone if you know what I mean, and you could feel a strong urge to relapse again to (Methadone is like a mask). And if you do things exactly like you did things before you went on the Methadone, whenever you tried to get clean and failed in the past, then you will most likely fail this time around as well (not to discourage you or anything). Meaning you really have to do things differently this time. There's a saying, "if nothing changes, nothing changes".
Also if I was the one weaning down right now, once I got to zero I would get myself into a good long-term rehab program, and afterwards a sober living facility. Something that's gonna help me make it to the other side, and at the same time teach me a new way of living and tools that are gonna help me stay clean. Not only are the withdrawals long, but the PAWS can be long as well, and I would want to be in those places until I'm on the other side and over it. Because of how I used to be, and what I went through, I know now that I wasn't able to get clean on my own. So now that I have more knowledge about what was happening back then and am where I am today, if I was gonna go for it, I'd make sure I had professional help ligned up, because now a days I can admit that I wasn't able to beat my Opiate addiction on my own, and that it most certainly was stronger then me.
And lastly, you have to absolutely be willing to do whatever it takes to stay clean and sober. That means everything and anything. Even if you are in a rehab for example, and you are being told to do something by someone but you don't feel like comitting to it 100%, well you have to do it and give it your all, or it just won't work. You have to take things seriously. A lot of people who finally got clean and stayed clean for years and years, after many failed attempts, many relapses, have said about treatment centers that, "the treatment centers worked but I didn't".
This is my opinion.
All it takes is one try.
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Ireland.
Posts: 134
So just a quick update:
Day 58 without any Methadone. And day 38 without any Nicotine. Definitely stronger, that's for sure.
Definitely learning a lot each day to. More than I thought I would be. 58 days has done a lot more than I ever thought it would. Hard to believe where I used to be when I look back to. It really does just blow my mind. Once you find God though he really helps you through it all.
My advice would be to stay away from ALL substances if you wanna succeed to. It's all stepping stones, no matter the drug. (Alcohol, etc.)
Than again, for a lot I'm sure this may go in one ear and out the other. As most people have to learn on there own. But just thought I'd share my two cents.
It's definitely possible if you want it badly enough for you and no one else.
I remember when I was on Methadone I was convinced I was gonna be a lifer. Like seriously seriously convinced. Never thought it was possible to get off because of all the internet's BS I was always reading through, but it really is. It's great to have my soul back.
Good luck to any strugglers out there.
Day 58 without any Methadone. And day 38 without any Nicotine. Definitely stronger, that's for sure.
Definitely learning a lot each day to. More than I thought I would be. 58 days has done a lot more than I ever thought it would. Hard to believe where I used to be when I look back to. It really does just blow my mind. Once you find God though he really helps you through it all.
My advice would be to stay away from ALL substances if you wanna succeed to. It's all stepping stones, no matter the drug. (Alcohol, etc.)
Than again, for a lot I'm sure this may go in one ear and out the other. As most people have to learn on there own. But just thought I'd share my two cents.
It's definitely possible if you want it badly enough for you and no one else.
I remember when I was on Methadone I was convinced I was gonna be a lifer. Like seriously seriously convinced. Never thought it was possible to get off because of all the internet's BS I was always reading through, but it really is. It's great to have my soul back.
Good luck to any strugglers out there.
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