Detoxing From Methadone

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Can anyone tell me how long withdrawls last and how fast I should detox? I need to get off this stuff but I'm actually scared of how i will feel. Can anyone help? Advise me on the best way to do this...no matter how long it takes. I'm not worried about detoxing quickly, just want to detox!

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Hi Gypsy63,

Usually for drugs like this the safest way to stop taking them is to tapper off them, if possible. Some medications can be taken in fractions (actually cut into pieces) and these smaller pieces can be taken in place of the regular dose for a period of several weeks until the body is no longer dependent upon them.

I would suggest setting up a time frame on a calendar as to how often and how much you decide to taper down your dose, until you feel comfortable going off of them completely. Others may advise going a different route, but for me personally, that is what I would do in your shoes.

I hope this helps!

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I am in a treatment center and have been for ten years, they don't seem to be very helpful in the detox area. I think they want you to stay, in ten years never once has anyone at this treatment center encouraged me to detox, instead they congratulated me on my tenth anniversary! I would think they would have scolded me for being there so long. After all don't think it's intended to be for the rest of your life, is it? Maybe had I had some encouragement from my counselor i would have been done a long time ago. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming them entirely, just think there methods are questionable and would never suggest a treatment center to anyone else. Thank you for the suggestions, I will check on the others

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I was on methadone for 8 years and have been off for 3 years now. The only way that I was able to finally get off methadone was to taper off really slowly. For me dropping my dose every 2 weeks worked better because it gave me more time to stabalize. So, I dropped 2 mgs. every two weeks and took it all the way down to zero. The last 10 mgs were the hardest. Once I was all the way off, I felt a little bit sick, but mostly it was lack of energy and to me the worst part was not being able to sleep. It gets better slowly. The worst was over for me in about 3 months. After 3 months I really started to feel like myself again and it just gets better the longer you are off. Hang in there. You have to really want to do it, for yourself. Not for anyone else or because someone else wants you to. It's not easy, but It really can be done. Good luck.

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Thank you so much for this Susan, you really give me hope. All I have read about are horror stories about detoxing but they never tell how long they took to detox. I have heard anywhere from 6 to 9 months of feeling bad. Was there anything you could take to help you sleep? That I think is my worse fear, not being able to sleep, it can be such a miserable feeling but I'm ready to try and get through it. Thank you!!!

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Hi Gypsy63! I was on the methadone ride for 7 years, up to 360mg a day. I have been clean for 8 months now. Over a period of 4 months I tapered myself down dramatically, w/ my Dr against me tapering off the entire time. I got down to 20mg, then spent 6 weeks at the Betty Ford Center on a 28 day taper of suboxen to come off that. Methadone is a real MUTHA to get out of your system. I did not sleep more than an hr for 24 nights. The Docs there told me for every year you are on methadone, it takes a month for the stuff to leave your system. And they were pretty much on it. I feel better than ever after these 8 months clean...but it was not easy. Worth it...YES! You can do this if you really want to. What got me thru the hardest part of the detox was telling myself "I never have to go thru this again". I would suggest having a great support system, get to some NA meetings. You don't have to do this alone! And I agree with you about the clinic you have been at for 10 yrs...from everything I have learned, that is entirely too long. Good Luck! And remember, if we stayed in our comfort zone as an addict, we would never get or stay clean. Being scared is okay, its a natural feeling. Just don't let it overwhelm you.

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Yes it will take 4 to6 months to somewhat feel normal.. But I hate to. Say it I went from 280 cold turkey n wanted to die so then went to the clinic again stopped at 150 mg anin 6 months cuz now I go to the doctor I'm down to 30 MSG a day.. Good luck if u need more heep my e mail is {edited for privacy} n I can help.. Also I have osteoporosis from being on methadone for so long.

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