Getting Off Of Methadone (Page 5)

There are two of us males, early thirties. One of us underwent major back surgery three years ago and has been addicted to pain medication for a total of five years. I have been addicted for about three years just from simply being his main caretaker and dipping into the cookie jar a few to many times like an idiot. We went back to our general doctor (same guy) and explained that we are both full fledged addicts. We told him we have been obtaining Methadone off the street as is seems to be the only thing that works. He asked us what we where getting off the street and we told him Methadone. His response was, "Well that's the smartest thing you have done so far, because of its extremely long effect on the body". We told him we need his help, that we just have no money left and our livers are just a mess and we can't move on with life. He decided to put us both on 100 mgs of Methadone to keep us comfortable until he could make some contacts with the proper addiction specialists that he new. We went for an appointment to his office once every week. We made various contact to different areas, inpatient/outpatient programs, who would not even touch us because we were at too high of a dosage of Methadone. They told us they only work with Suboxone which means we would need to be down to around 20 mgs of Methadone to make the transition to Suboxone. What a nightmare. The doctor also did not have any luck with programs because they where either the scum of the earth clinics, not to mention everyone's famous new drug Suboxone that could be treated in the privacy of a doctors office. About 3 months ago our doctor fell, he herniated a disc or something, all of a sudden was going to be out of the office indefinitely! He never referred us over to another doctor or anything. He just simply CUT US OFF the most potent and dangerous drug out there. Now we are back a square one and no one will touch us because our dosage is too high and there really is nothing they could do. If we could just get us a general doctor to write for pain to get us down to 45 - 50mg, then all these options could open up. A detox would be my first choice, but there is no way in hell we can both come off 100 mgs of Methadone that fast. Anyone know a general doctor in the state of MA that can write for Methadone for pain. That would just help us greatly, but I'm starting to think that there is no hope for us, but I know I cant think like that. Desperate in MA here.

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Tkanks kat for the reply i started suboxone yesterday 8mil in am 8 afternoom and 8 at night and clonodine 1mil but i still feel like crap i don't know why the sub hasn't helped yet i still have crazy leg cramps i don't know but thanks for your comments have a blessed day.

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Im on 70 mgs of meth,my sike wants me to taper down to 40 mgs and then for 2 days,nothing,then the 3 rd day they put me on suboxone,will the detox of 2 days almostkill me or will i make it, im 57! Thanks

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@Barb
In my opinion and experience detoxing from methadone, no.. It will not kill you. Just make sure to keep following up with a doctor so they can monitor you. The experience as we all know, tapering/detoxing from methadone, is unpleasant. But you will get past it and hopefully be in a better place. Good luck to you.

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Hey my name is Lenny and I'm in the Bronx also could you give me some feed back ???

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Hi, my name is Anny. I am sorry the methadone and suboxone process has been so difficult for you. I wanted to take the time to share with you another alternative that is not substitution therapy, but an actual ticket out of the life-chaining effect of chemical dependency...Ever heard of "Ibogaine"?

Ibogaine is a psychoactive agent found in an African native shrub that has been found to have a very complex mechanism of action, targeting multiple neurotransmitter systems and brain structures that mediate and reinforce addiction.

Ibogaine has the unique capacity to interrupt the chemical dependency cycle to opiates. Now, because methadone has such a long half life, if you were to consider ibogaine as a recovery option for you, you would have to first switch over to a short acting opiate, like morphine or oxycodone for a period of 2 weeks before ibogaine could be administered.

Ibogaine has transformed the lives of many people i have personally known, and i am confident it can change yours too. If you are interested in learning more, please visit our website, or if you would like to speak with me, i will be happy to connect with you via phone and walk you over the basics of how ibogaine is able to reset the biochemistry of your brain so you can be free of withdrawals and cravings, and move forward toward a new, self-empowering life.

Kindly,

Anny :)

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I saw an episode, on a popular news show, about ibogaine. It's a antisocial drug that makes you hallucinate and you need a babysitter. Is this a form of brainwashing and is supposed to make you forget? (MK-ULTRA) Definately do your research on this before taking it, and I hope your money is long.

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It is sad that you would believe something that is on TV regarding Ibogaine, instead of doing a little bit of research on the internet, where you can find more neutral information. Ibogaine is a actually a schedule 1 drug in the US, and it makes perfect sense that it is. It is quite easy to see that pharmaceutical companies have absolutely no interest in allowing a treatment that would facilitate a person detoxing in a humane way, without the awful post acute withdrawal symptoms, because that would mean they lose millions. Of course media is also going to do its best to portray ibogaine as something negative. But, if you dig a little deeper, and do a little bit of educated research, instead of believing what the tube tells you to think, you may just find that this is something nothing short of a miracle. I have personally witnessed the treatment of a few dozens of people, of all ages, of different backgrounds, and i remain in touch with them after their treatment, and the majority of them do well off without relapsing. It is amazing to see them take ibogaine one night, after having completed proper medical diagnosis, like an EKG, blood work sample to ensure good health, and start their day the following morning FREE of withdrawals and cravings.

Ibogaine here is administered under the care of licensed medical professionals including medical doctors and registered nurses. All our guests have an IV line open so they can administered medication in case they should need it. They all have a heart monitor so the doctors can keep a close eye on heart activity throughout the treatment process. Dr. Martin Polanco, the director of Crossroads Ibogaine Treatment center has been conducting ibogaine treatments for 13 years, and to date, there has not been a single fatality at his facility.

There are several documentaries out there that depict ibogaine in a more neutral way. I'm dangerous with love is one of them, Rite of Passage is another one: youtube.com/watch?v=khhsboVsyrw

I invite you to allow your mind to crack open a bit, and consider something other than what mainstream media wants you to believe. And, if you want to stick to what TV says, then i invite you to watch the HBO's VICE episode on Ibogaine. Quite a few people that come do an ibogaine treatment actually first found out about ibogaine after watching that show.

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@Anny

Why don't you tell us what your experience was while using Ibogaine. That way everyone will have a better understanding of what you are trying to explain regarding the product. Thanks.

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Did you say 320mls of methadone a day?!?!?

and your off off it now?

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Really?! 10 to 100 WOW no wonder it s an ass kicker!

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Does medical cover the ritual and brainwashig regarding the latter.

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Have you seen my baseball?

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Did you have any withdrawal symptoms when got completely off of methadone? I have much the same story I am on methadone for pain in my back and knees and I am trying to taper off but I have been methadone for over 14years and was at 100mg am now at 50mg and I am having a difficult time with nausea,depression and anxiety. My doctor wants me to continue to taper down to 40 mg and then we will discuss what to do next.

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@Mirth
What is your goal? To come off of methadone completely? If so, your doctor should know to taper you in a safe time frame. I was on pain medication for 10 yrs (last 2 yrs with methadone), I decided to go to a rehabilitation facility. They put me on a 14 day taper while giving me clonidine, nausea medication, and vitamins. The 14 day taper was not as tough as I thought it would be, possibly due to the medications they provided for relief. The first day I was completely off of methadone was rough but manageable, second day still a little rough and on the third day it had gotten better. For the time frame I had been taking narcotic pain medication it could have been a lot worse. After the physical symptoms started to subside, it was time to start working on my mental state. It's important to get your mind clear and start working on your inner self. Once your able to do that, you start to get your spirit and life back. And what an amazing feeling it is to have the power to control your own life again. Good luck.

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@kat
How much methadone were you on when they took you completely off? i have heard that the withdrawal last for weeks and even months. Maybe not the real severe wds but no sleep,sneezing,gastric problems and of course pain. Did you not experience any of those things?

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I'm on 40mg's of methadone, which is half of my regular dose. I dropped 20mg's a week and I'm gonna start dropping 10mg's a week. I'm gonna transfer to norco after that, and and then taper. I've done it this way before, and I've done it cold turkey in a jail cell, horrible. I have a high tolerence for pain, but it can be a double edged sword and nothing compares to the power of addiction.

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@Mirth

My prescribed dose was 90 mg daily, but I was taking roughly about 180 mg. I was also on Klonopin 6 mg daily and exceeding that by half as well. Let me start off by saying that I was a tough case, so rehabilitation for the first month (eating, sleeping, etc..) was tough for me. But not tough enough for me to want to go back to using. As for pain, I had none (7 surgeries later). If I do have any type of pain today, I'm able to cope and work my way through it. It's very important to know that during the physical process you need to be working on your mental state as well. Keep yourself busy, find new hobbies, surround yourself with positive energy.. Don't let the fear of physical withdrawals keep you from finding yourself again and living life to the fullest. Good luck.

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Racheal I started off on 120mls of methadone after a ten yr H addiction and I stayed on that dose for nearly another ten yrs I know it feels like a death sentance ive been throgh the worst kind of withdrawals over the yrs even cold turkey its hell on earth ...but eventually the dependance of a methadone mantainance wheres you down dont get me wrong previos to that I was at deaths door several times and it has in its way saved my life...but its like a prison sentance...the only managable way to do it is slow reduction it took me the last 3 yrs ...but I have to say I never needed 120 just greedy I suppose 80mls should be enough for anyone as a starting dose...I was able to drop to 80 without feeling sick and even able to drop to 60 after that...but as you get lower even a small drop is kinda difficult I then stated dropping 5mls every month as I was on a monthly script for good behavior...I went on like this all the way down to 1ml...and im off methadone 3 weeks the1st two were hard but now it is just about managable ...so I am finaly free after20 odd yrs...it can be done..just gotta drag ur self kicking and screaming through hell ..bk to life...x

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I've been on done for about a year i made it up to 100mg at my clinic then i came up positive for benzos so they dropped me to 70 mg and then i did a 2 mg a week taper i quit my clinic at 20 mg i got tired of all the bulls*** fees at my clinic they don't care about u its been all about that 1550 a day because when i got to 20 mg i would only go 3 to 4 times a week so i never got take homes but overtime i would go to dose they would have me on hold for a UA or breathalyzer and that costs so with that being said its all about the money cuz if it wasn't your counselor would commend u for trying to taper that way. So my last week there which was 3 weeks ago they passed me. My 3 visit i came in that week and i said f it they were causing more stress to me than anything else so i quit. I tried cold turkey for 4 days and it was he'll so luckily i know people that get them and don't take them so i got 50 of them and started out for seven days of taking 2 a day then this past week 15 mg daily tomorrow im gonna drop another 5 and just do 1 a day next week a half a day but so far i have felt great especially not having to go to that god forsaken clinic etc it sucks that's why i believeit plays a mental part to try to come off and if i need more next month im just gonna get 20 and take a half only if i feel the withdrawals kick in plus these clozapens have helped me alot with sleep and drinking my 8 glasses of water a day wish me luck cause methadone is the devils drug!!

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I don't understand why they would drop your dose for benzos. Are you east coast? We all know that a dose mixed with benzos is a good high. I have a script for benzos because methadone gives me mad anxiety & I can't sleep. I end up taking more of my regular benzo meds from time to time. Have you seen the documentary," Methadonia?" I asked my Dr. to just give me something for sleep to stop the benzo abuse, but be able to frickin' sleep. I refuse to take any psych meds because I've seen the long term effects. I'm a musician & need my motor skills. Congrats on getting off, but are you totally clean?

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