Getting Off Of Methadone
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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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I am currently looking to wean off of methadone. I have done fairly well by myself just slowly lowering my dose. Can anyone give me some advice?

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Ive been on methodone for 15 years.im in California. Here if u r low income and on poverty heath insurance you should get it for free. In CA its called Medi-Cal. Maybe you have similar there in your state? I pay 185.00$ a month.

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Re: Trissy (# 178)

Go down 3mg a week and you should be good. Only thing that may bother you would be severe tiredness, weakness and maybe a little leg cramping. But it wouldn't be anything compared to bad withdrawl atleast from experience . A lot of it is mental when you go down. Try to stay busy even when you feel exhausted. Somedays just sleep if you feel your body needs it. Think happy things, be proud of yourself for doing it! Good luck!

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Your less then honest your friend was on a maintenance dose but he let you have enough to addict you?? Then a Doctor evaluated the both of you and figured he would put you on a dose so high 100 ml (as you called high ) ,as no Doctor or Clinic would take you on !!! Please!!. my self I am on 250 ml and when i first got on MM before your Daddy was even born , in NYC Beth ISRAEL hospital 1968 !!!! AND BEEN ON EVER SENSE !

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I took methadone for only a week or less and was given the 20 mg liquid form. I stopped going because I was given 25mg and was feeling sick and throwing up. I felt more sick than better. I was given methadone to help with pain. Am I supposed to feel sick still knowing I was only taking it for a week or less? And can I take thermaful pm while getting off methadone? I haven't taken methadone in 3 days.

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People think they just go down and finally get off drugs and you will be fine. No you have to go to counseling and other group events, and you may have to go for the rest of your life. So look at the big picture. It's great that you want to stop but you just don't stop after you're off of drugs. Good luck to everyone.

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Hey I'm confused !! I'm finally down to 45 mg this morn dr jus gonna taje me down to 30 mg will I still go threw bad withdrawls Comn off 30 mg cold turkey ?! Cus I will not go the sub route an it cause me withdrawl worse

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What's the best way to come off methadone? I've been going to this clinic for about 7 months and been up to 110mg of methadone but ended up going down and stabilizing at 80mg. I'm tired of being tied down to something, and spending every cent I make on meds to feel normal. I just want to wake up and feel fine without dosing or anything. So the doctor at my clinic says going down 10mg a week is as fast as he will let me go. My concern is, am I still going to withdrawal if I'm going down this way? Or would it be best to switch to subs? I tried that before and the clinic said wait 24hrs to switch and it put me in the worst withdrawal ever and i had to go back to methadone to get out of hell. Bad advice from this supposed to be doctor huh.. Anyways I've been clean this whole 7 months and have no desire to relapse. I work, and I'm about to go back to school, so any input on the best way to go about getting off would be great! I'm down to 70mg of methadone now and every Tuesday I go down 10 more. It takes about 1 day for my body to adjust to lowering and I feel fine again. Thanks everyone in advance!

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What is rapid detox?!
I'm in a methadone clinic I've worked myself diwn to 55 mg my dr got upset wen he saw I was tryn detox myself out an ordered a fast detox 5 mg away daily but I refused to sign the paper this morn and it stopped them fr doing it I go for an appeal Monday before they'll do so I want out really but now I'm scared of the withdrawl that fast so I'm hopen they'll agree let me stay at 55 mg cus I'm haven so many complications to the methadone fr day one an my bp is better on the 55 I dint wanna go up either as they wish

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Methadone can be weaned off of its just not easy and it takes time. 1988, you said your on 30 mg daily. Decrease to 25 mg daily for 1-2 months then incrimentally 5mg less after that until you are done. I made the mistake of going cold turkey off 60 mg a day and I thought I was dying! It can be done but its very risky. My addictive brain sent me on to other street drugs to handle the withdrawals, that was 9 years ago! I just recently went through a 28 day in house rehab facility, and am 48 days sober today! I feel better than I ever have! Keep the fight, it gets better!

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To the men that were treated unjust...if i were u id go to a clinic, get on 50 mgs, half of what u were on and come down one mg a week until you're detoxed. After three days with nothing switch to suboxone and you will feel better. You have to come off safely. As for the physician who left you to suffer alone, sue his ass. What he did was awful to leave you that way. Im on 75 mgs of methadone and have been since april of 2010. I was originally addicted by my doctor. They prescribed me percocets for my csection...then for my wisdom teeth...then one day nothing...and guess what i felt so sick...so i entered the clinic and now 7 years later still there. Try to get off. Good luck

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Suboxone actually has naltrexone not narcan. Narcan brings you back from an overdose unaltered supposedly stops cravings and WILL cause "precipitated withdrawal" if you use. Kind of like anabuse did with alcohol back in the day. Subutex is the strips and doesn't have the naltrex in it.

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What state are you in honey? I am in kentucky. There are several local facilities here and in Ohio that will help.

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Currently im on 50mg of methadone. I have 2 weeks to get to 30mg and gwt a letter stating im on 30mg. My doctor will not decrese due to positive tox. Any advice?

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Wow, what a great journey you have been on!
Pema Chodrin has written some great books to help when times seem impossible. One of her books is titled: "When Things Fall Apart."
I hope you are well, happy, healthy and content in your new life still!

Love & Happiness,
Vanessa

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I'm really happy to read that although it was hell for you to come off, you continued not knowing you would feel great!. I admire your courage. Enjoy your drug free life, your free

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Gee Michael I have no idea where you live but not traveling because of call backs? That's a whole lotta crap. I have been on maintenance since Feb 2001 and I have 13 bottles. I go on vacation all of the time. Don't you know that all you had to do was tell the dosing nurse you would be on vacation and if your name came up they would have excused you. Whenever a patient needs extra take homes all you do is ask and as long as your not using they will give you up to a months supply. Methadone doesn't get in your bone marrow that is the biggest lie anyone has ever made up. I too gained a lot of weight after I got on methadone and all I heard was "I told you so". Well turns out it wasn't the methadone it was my thyroid and as soon as I started the thyroid medication the weight I gain came off and within 6 months I was back to my normal weight. As for tooth decay, it's not directly related to methadon, any opiate dries out your mouth so if a patient on any opiate doesn't keep their mouth from getting too dry that will cause problems. As for them not telling you that if you want to taper off you need to do it slowly, that clinic didn't do their job. Plus you were on opiates before methadone so I would thought you knew about long acting opiates and withdrawals I have many friends who tapered slowly and felt very little discomfort. I am very glad you were able to get off although the way you did it is a lot harder on patients like me who are older and have health problems. At your age I would have tried to stop you from getting on maintenance, I would have asked you to try a 180 day taper. I didn't get on maintenance till I was in my 40's, anyway this is just my opinion I am no doctor, I am going by my experiences

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Thanks Preston.. I am an opiate addict who struggled for decades. I am 61 years old and I have been on methadone since Feb 1, 2001. I have a wonderful life because of methadone. I'm glad your life is good too!! For me it was the best decision I ever made.

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Ok. So you are both addicted to opiates and have been for a long time. What your doctor did is illegal. A regular PCP can't by law give methadone to an addict in any circumstances, so consider yourselves lucky that he was willing to lose everything to keep you both well. I am not judgemental but I am finding a hard time feeling any empathy for you and here is the reason why. Pat yourselves on the back for not abusing dope. That was me telling you that you are no better than me. See I am a junkie but so are you. Wake up, grow up and get a clue. You have two choices keep doing what your doing and lose everything you have including friends family houses cars and maybe go to jail or stop acting like a spoiled child and go to a methadone clinic. Your not too good but thinking you are better makes you worse. There are all types of people at these "scum of the earth clinics". People from those who are homeless up to millionaires. There are doctors lawyers housewives business owners and even very famous people. Your post insults all addicts who have our lives back because of the clinics you think your too good for.

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I'm 63 and ive been on Methadone since 1980 without missing a dose,so i know what you're going through. The thought of getting off methadone after being on it so long scares the s*** out of me. Because back in the late 70s i was on it for a year. When i jumped off methadone the withdrawals lasted a month. I wasn't the same a year or later and i started taking dilaudid and other opiates. So in 1980 i found myself back on methadone and ive been on it ever since. Methadone The Breakfast Of Champions!

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