Please Help Me With Methadone Questions & Withdrawl (Page 5)

I have been on methadone for 9 months... I was up to 80 mg but have managed to get down to 20 mg over the past 5 months or so. I am wanting to get off it all together but I am so scared because I don't want to feel miserable from the wd. Since I have been on it less than a year, will the wd still be horrible? Should I go from the methadone to suboxone to make it any easier or just keep going down on the methadone? How long will the wd's last once I am off everything? I go to the clinic so I am not doing it on my own, it is medically supervised. Can anyone PLEASE help me with some good advice??

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Kitty... Methadone metabolizes in to morphine if it helps.

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Hang in there, I've read your posts & I am praying that you are able to get this demon behind you. I am a 55 yt old with 14 yrs of chronic pain.,numerous surgeries , yrs of depression , never any street drugs though
All of mine are from Dr still I feel they have robbed me of a Happy button. I feel like methadone stole my soul. You stay strong* You've got this!

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Hi Lagale, thank you so much for taking the time out and sending some encouraging words! That was very sweet and I think we can all use as much support as we can get, right? Lol. I feel the worst for people such as yourself who are truly in pain and actually need the medication. It must be difficult. And these doctors are a joke...drug dealers with MDs. I am so fed up with the methadone gig, just as I am sure you are. I hate the fact I have gained 25 lbs on it and feel so fat. Not sure if you gained any weight but I know a lot of people who have. I am now on 13 mg and will go down to 11mg on Wednesday. If I can do it, anybody can...I had heard so many horror stories about the withdraw. I was super nervous to even try it. Thank goodness I have felt okay but no doubt the key is to go down slow.

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A few years ago I was on 30mg of methadone through a pain clinic. It was for pain and it no longer helped. I didn't want to up the dose so I decided to bear the pain. I cut down by 2.5mg per month and had no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. I finally regained my brain. Great having no brain fog. Living with the pain is not too bad. Good luck to you and God bless.

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Hi Stacee and everyone else! Hope all is well. This is a subject I know all to well. Was on Methadone almost 20 years a lot of that thru MMT. I suffer from chronic pain so I walk a thin line daily. Stacee I think you are doing great and should continue decreasing SLOWLY. I got jerked off a 100 mg (long story) ended up in mental hospital and got put on suboxone but thankfully weaned myself of in 14 days, I really think if you have weaned down so well that suboxone would be a step backwards plus you have to wait 3 days. Stan did give some good info. Gabapentin or neurontin is the medicine he's talking about and it helped me a lot,it's difficult typically prescribed for seizures and nerve pain. It is not scheduled so it is not as hard to get as most things. Keep talking to people they've been through it themselves and you don't listen to your clinic they don't want you off. If you start experiencing any physical withdrawals Google the thomas recipe it can be very helpful. If you'd like to chat let me know, would love to help anytime. cmd

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Hey Staycee,
Sounds like you are doing great! Keep up the good fight. Proud of ya.

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Hi Niele...I'm down to 11mg and will go down another 2 on Wednesday. So far so good. How are you doing?

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I was on 30mg from a pain clinic. My head felt so foggy and I still had the pain, so I knew my dose would be increased by the doctor since it wasn't helping me at that dose. Instead of losing more of my thinking power, I decided to go off the methadone and bear the pain. Doctors said I would have to be on it the rest of my life. I lowered the dose by 2.5mg per month. The last month I was only taking 2.5mg. I went completely off of it and it's been a few years now. I have NEVER had any withdrawal and have my brain back again. It took awhile but I think my brain cancelled out some of the pain, because it's not as bad as it used to be. Since then I have never taken any medicine for it, including Tylenol. Good luck to you and God bless you.

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Kitty....that is awesome! Good for you! Yeah, I am always in a fog, totally a scatter brain. I have always been on something for the last 8 years..either roxys, suboxone or methadone. So getting off the methadone should help. It's pretty amazing that you got off the methadone and your pain was not as bad! Hopefully it is pain that is managable for you!! Stacey

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hi there, I have been on methadone off and on for years and i am going through some of the same problems. I want off the stuff but have conic pain so i cant get off everything or ill die. but I do know this and that is you don't have to wait 3 days before getting on suboxin . It only takes 12 to 15 hours after your last dose before you can take the pill. So don't kill your self for 3 long days. I was on a low 3mgs and was going through hell for months after good luck in what ever you decide!!!

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METHADONE? Everyone one is is different stace, you prob will feel withdrawals if you can not take it after a while 3 to 4 days off done try small pieces of subs, i prefer subutex over suboxone.

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Stacy, Hon you are on a ridiculously low dose of methadone and at this point I think a lot of it is in your head. I am not only speaking from personal experience but when I was clean for 15 years (and I mean nothing.... no drugs or alcohol), I became a counselor. Never mind I relapsed-that was because I stopped going to NA mtgs. Finish coming off the methadone and go to meetings and establish a support network. Kicking the drug is the easy part believe it or not. Staying stopped and dealing with the cravings is the hard part.

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Hey Staycee,
It used to make me so mad when I would read on here that people were saying "it was all in my head." Still does. Makes me mad & feel protective of you. These are powerful drugs & a disease of the mind is a very powerful thing! Very! Also...maybe...I hope, powerful enough to be our salvation?
Listen, I am very ashamed to admit, my "disease" the one that kicks my ass every effing day, that Suboxone "magically" cured, ALCOHOLISM, finally sent me to jail. Yes, a morning after, drive to the store, 1st offense DUI, without the cell phone, don't know anybody's # by heart, can't make bail, week in JAIL.
I immediately snapped out of any kind of "situation" I may have been in psychologically. I went into survival mode & I was just fine. I think that was pretty cool. No withdrawals, panic attacks, nothing.
I feel like I can't really discuss my alcoholism on here, even though it is a drug; the rules are somehow different. I think we always get grouped with AA which is always been the black & white; never grey. I AM grey.
I consider myself a drug addict. I'm still "clean" as far as a test would consider. Right now...I'm trying to decide: which do I hate worse? Suboxone or alcohol? I hate em both, why am I so crazy I can't live without? Cuz I can't. My brain will carry on until satisfied. Nonstop. It. Never. Shuts. Up.
But, Don't let ANYBODY on tell you what to do. I used to get intimidated by the " I kicked subs with Gatorade & sit-ups in 3 days!" people. I kicked subs "talking to YOU" (you sooooo helped me do that, girl, I will never forget you), reading other people's posts, Gabapentin, Linosopril, h20, h20, and exercise (hated every second, sweat is necessary, not optional)
So, yeah, I think the whole sub thing is over. I'm depressed, but it's regular & it's bad; I'm sure I need help, but it's familiar, not like PAWS. Latuda? Have you looked into that? It's for bipolar depression. I just don't know if more chemicals are the answer...why can't God make me right? I've begged & begged....
To 11 mg from 80 mg is SPECTACULAR. Don't let anybody steal your joy, however you may be capable of tremendous feats of courage. I recovered in a holding cell!

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answer on done? now is the time to get off iy will not be easy everybody is different,i have been on for 16 years now if to do over never again go slow on detox on done if needed subs. but that is something else you would have to detox off off ?

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I just want to thank everyone that answered my questions, shared their experiences and have supported me along the way!! When I started this feed on March 2, as we know I was concerned about coming down from 20 mg. I had heard soooo many horror stories about how sick and miserable people had felt once they started lowering their dose from 20mg. I was very scared and nervous. But I knew that I definitely wanted off this stuff! I am now down to 8 mg and have not felt sick or any type of wd symptoms. I am pleasantly surprised. I have been going down weekly. I went from 20 to 17 to 15 to 13 to 11 to 8. So basicly, I first went down 3 mg the first week and 2mg after that and since I felt fine, this past week I went down 3mg. Everyone is different. Even if you just try 1 mg a week, you are making progress. But going down slowly is the key. No need to rush. If I can do it, anyone can. May 31 will make one year since I started Methadone and I know that is nothing compared to many. But prior to this, I was a daily opiate user for 9 years, spending an upward of $350 a day at my worst point of addiction. I was on and off Suboxone for 2 years but still using in between. The withdrawl from Suboxone was by far the worst type of withdrawl physically and mentally I have ever felt. It lasted for a good 7 days physically. After that, the paws was unbearable. My mental state and depression was like nothing I had ever felt before. This was due to the fact that Suboxone is NOT TO BE USED AS A LONG TERM DRUG. But of course I was never told this by the prescribing "doctor" who just wanted to keep me on it and keep collecting that money. Anyway, I will continue to keep you posted. I am here for ANYONE that is looking for support or just needs someone to talk to.

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You know what? My bad....I apologize for telling you it's all in your head. I can't even believe I said that. No matter what the dose. your body is still filled with that methadone and of course there will be withdrawal, sometimes severe. Unless my body makes a miraculous recovery, I need to be on this s...forever. I have severe pain and that's not in my head. All other pain meds I have tried, my tolerance is too high for it to be effective. I see this as the lesser of two evils. Maybe I said that because I would love to be young again and have other options. Honey, make sure you come down slowly(a mg. a week if necessary), but I still say you need a support system because those cravings are going to come back if they haven't already. Good luck sweetie.

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The Post acute withdrawal will last some time, maybe two -three months, so just put yourself in a positive place and tell yourself, no pain, no gain. As a Nutrient Therapist and recovering addict who was on Methadone six years, I know a lot. Try taking high doses of some aminos like 3000mg of DLPa-Phenylalanine, it goes right to the Mu receptor site in the endorphan syst where The Meth wentrt, it will take time to rebuild the site, but take it daily or when feeling bad. Also take the same dose, 30000 mg of Gaba, Tyrosine and Lysine, use zomega 3 to rebuild your brain and don't be sfraid to use a small dose of subutex or suboxen for when things get very painful. Like 4-6 mg is fine, every two days , but not daily or your brain will just get tuned to that instead. Use it with the nutrient's as a bridge back. Be good to you, get love from family and friends and don't see yourself as a dope fiend, but as a soul just thriving to grow and be better. Much peace. Scott. G

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Hey Staycee
Checkin in. You sound great! You know I just have one thing to say! Please don't do any subs. It seems like people keep recommending them-but we know the truth. I was recently surrounded by a lot of people on subs & I just made it really clear from the start how I felt about them & they kept it to themselves. Not out of respect for me of course! They were afraid I might tell them something they didn't want to hear! I'm tellin ya, I think it's becoming an "epidemic!" At my pharmacy, there's a pile of coupons for a free 1st refill....
If you must take something, you still have the other stuff, right? Well, you're almost there! Do you get PAWS like with subs? I hope not dear, I still have "spells."
Blessings, Niele

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Hi Niele! So happy to hear from you!! I am hanging in there...I am down to 3mg. I have NO intention of getting on Subs...I noticed that too, alot of people saying it is the way to go. But I think going down slowly on the methadone is the best way to go. I haven't had any physical wd symptoms but mentally, I have been pretty blah... I can't get motivated to do much of anything and just want to isolate most days which I know is not good but I know it goes with the territory. How are you doing / feeling?? What's been going on??

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Everyone is different and every body is different and everyone's psyche is different, My life (in a nutshell) went to rehab at age 22, stayed completely abstinent for 15 years, got a CAC, went to school, got a BA in marketing and stayed with the company that treated me for years, made good money, and relapsed 20 years ago. I am now on the methadone clinic and have been for the past 5 years. I am just treading water now. I never believed in methadone, just thought you'd end up on something else, such as coke or xanax. I feel like a hypocrite. I have many health problems. None of that helps with the feelings of hypocrisy. Any feedback would be most welcome.

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