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

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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Hi Adam, so good to hear back from you. Sounds like you have had some heavy stuff that has gone on. So sorry to hear about your grandmother, very tragic. It's never easy. Some of the times when I used my very heaviest was when my grandfather was ill and passed and then a few years later with my grandmother. I was extremely close with them. So I feel your pain and you are definitely not alone. As far as the dosage, I just read a post about someone that was taking something like 240mg and it took her 4 years to get down to somewhere in the 100mg range. You may have read her post...so in the big scheme of things, 50 mg sounds much better. So you have been on it 7 years and you want to taper. Like I said, I went down by 5 mg until I got to 20mg. Would you be willing to try that? Please don't feel alone. This is my first time being on a "chat" site and people have been really helpful and kind. So how do you feel about starting to taper by 5??

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Hi Niele! Yes, I love that this thread has picked up! It's so great to have support and people sharing their expierences. I hope you are feeling okay today...

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Hi Emily....thank you so much for your post! 240 mg of methadone is some heavy stuff...wow! You should be so proud of yourself for being off it because that was no easy task. I agree with you as far as going down slowly on the taper....I don't want to relapse. What is the name of the medication you suggested for the anxiety? Is it a supplement you can order online or a prescription? I have some other questions for you that maybe you can help me with. Once you got completely clean off the methadone, did you have a lot of urges or obsessive thoughts about going out to use? I am nervous about that. Do you do a 12 step program? And lastly, I have gained so much weight on the methadone and hope to loose it once I am off...did you experience anything like that?? Thank you for your help!

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Hello again and thanks for all your input, replies and words of encouragement, it's nice to know I'm not alone. Emily you should be very proud of how far you've come. I could only imagine tapering from that much. Stacy thanks for reminding me I'm not alone sometimes that's the only thing that helps is being reminded. As far as going down on mg I have tried dropping down 5 at a time even 2 a week and that's what I'm gonna start with next Friday. From my personal experience I hit a wall, or get to a point where I just need to stay at that level for at least a few weeks. It's usually at around 30mg for me. So I'm gonna do 5 one or twice then slow down to 1mg a week maybe even 2 weeks cause then I can adjust more and still be going down. I don't care if it takes years. I'm so done with this monkey on my back if I could I'd stop cold turkey is do it today but I have crohns disease and if I withdrawal too much it flares up and I'm in the ER getting a few dilaudid shots and a few iv bags of that liquid for dehydration. So I have to go slow. I also have a gabapentin prescription to help with anxiety and some back pain. I've missed a weekend at the clinic and took 1200mg each day and barely noticed a difference so I know it will help with tapering. I think it's safe to take even double that but don't quote me on that. Also there are other things to help, kratom (Maeng DA) in powder for teas or capsule form that's helped me. I've heard of a few supplements and other natural things that help too. Also as hard as it may be any exercise, waking house chores any physical activity you can do will help more than you'd think. For you body and brain chemistry to get back to normal pushing through that feeling of sitting or laying around is very important, plus that will also help losing some of those extra pounds the methadone and sweets helped you gain. Thanks again for all your stories, advice and replies. I'm really glad I saw that first post and replied.

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I stayed clean for a year until my panic attacks came back with a vengeance. I took a few methadone and started off with a little bit. 10mg made me feel euphoric cause I had no tolerance, but didn't go back to taking it everyday. Got on tramadol and klonopin for 2 yrs and that helped until I lost my dr and had bad wd from klonopin. I couldn't find any doctors to get methadone from so I resorted to opioids n became a junkie for 2 yrs and got tired off the lifestyle n the shame/anxiety. Just got clean 4 months ago on methadone clinic now 180mgs and still wake up sick everyday n don't know what to do about that bs! But u asked what I used for anxiety - it's called clonidine - u need a prescription 4 it. I did get cravings but was head strong about not being on methadone. I gained 80lbs when I was on it. Off of it lost 40lbs in the yr I was clean. Anything else just ask. How r u doing now?

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I think trolling in some social media sites where people are just being stupid has its place for outing their ignorance. Sorry Myk, this just ain't one of them! For the 1st grade beginner, your math is off. Secondly, and more importantly, do you think these people are looking for an endorsement drink for their next trip to the moon? You should visit the States sometime, we can get "Tang Juice" OTC!!!
You're lucky I didn't pretend I believe you & took you right down through there. True trolling is a skill (that you ain't got) & this ain't the place.

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I am currently on 2 15mg oxycodone and 3 60mg oxycotin for a shoulder injury that happened about 10 years ago. This is daily. I have found a surgeon that will replace my shoulder but now I have to get off these opiates. I never knew what an opiate was till I was having shoulder pain. My doctor is starting to wean me off these but I'm gonna be in a lot of pain from the surgery alone. I'm allergic to methadone but hearing about suboxone is really scaring the hell out of me. Any suggestions? Any help would be welcomed with open arms. How did I get in this? My doctor at the time I complained about the shoulder pain. He's retired now and just pushed me off on to another doctor. If you can't trust your doctor, who can you trust? By the way, I'm not young, I'm 64!

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Hi wtarin,

So sorry to hear what you are going through. It is great that you are doing your research though. Has the doctor recommended that you start suboxone or are you just curious to know if it may be something that will work for you? Suboxone can really work miracles if used properly. It should be taken on a short term basis to help with opiate withdraw....and that's it! It is not intended for pain or long term use. Unfortunately many doctors have their own agendas. I was under a doctors care who had me on Suboxone for a year and a half. At first it was great, I had my life back and was opiate free. As time went on, I no longer felt human. I was literally lifeless. I decided to get off of it and the withdrawl was shear hell... physically and mentally. It lasted months. Ultimately, I couldn't take it anymore and began using opiates again and was right back at square one. But short term, yes it is a great drug. You must go into full withdraw before you begin suboxone... you have to wait a minimum of 17 hours from the time you took your last pill. But the relief is immediate. How long have you been on opiates if you don't mind me asking. Would you consider going to a 5 day detox? If you have the means to do so, that may be your best option. I have gone the detox center route as well and in my opinion, it is the least painful route when it comes to withdraw.

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Hi Emily,
Thanks for all your information! I went down 2 more mg today and am now on 13mg. The doctor prescribed me Clonidine so that should help. So it sounds like you gained weight while on methadone too. The weight thing and sugar craving for me has been miserable!! I have gained 25 lbs in less than a year and am hoping that once I get off the methadone, I can start loosing the weight. Did you crave sugar too? Was the weight difficult to loose? Is a lot of it water weight? I would love to hear back from you if you have a minute. Thank you!!

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subs write a book more drugs vals.? i was a addict for 23 years never get on methadone try subs.

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Thanks for the reply. No, suboxone wasn't discussed and I'm allergic to methadone. I can't afford a detox place, I can barely pay my bills. I don't know what I'm gonna do. Just hoping that after the shoulder is fixed, I can continue to slowly get off the opiates. That's the only hope I have and I'm hanging on to that by a thread! Again, thanks. All the information I can get will help.

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My pharmacy was out of my regular methadone 10mg last time I went so they made me up some caps, compounder #3 caps. My question is I was given a drug panel and they told me morphine came up in my system. Could those #3 compound caps contain morphine and would it be possible that they did give me some morphine in those #3 methadone caps compounder?

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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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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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Susan...why do you feel like a hypocrite?? Because you are on methadone?? If it is working for you and keeping you clean from other sustances, then why the bad feelings? I never ever ever thought I would be on methadone one day, but then again, I never dreamed I would be sticking needles in my arms either. We get so down on ourselves...we all beat ourselves up so bad. Being sober for 20 years is amazing and I know you are mad at yourself for relapsing. You are not the only one. Shoot, in the past 10 years I have relapsed at least 15-20 times. Anyway, it's not like you can't do it again. You don't have to be on methadone for the rest of your life...I don't know your story or if you have chronic pain...Personally, I set goals for myself which is something I never have really done. I have been on Methadone for a year and am down to 2 mg. Soon I will be done...I know I have a lot of work to do to stay clean but I am ready and willing. Hang in there. If I can do it, Anyone can do it...

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Yes, make the switch to subutex, rather than suboxen, even though Docs don't like to write for it?? Then add key Nutrients like DLPA, almost 3000 mg, GABA, the same amount and get clonipine to help you rest. Always be gentle with yourself, it will be a slow processe. be patients for sure.

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