Please Help Me, Methadone Withdrawal Is Driving Me Crazy

I have a long story, I'll try to give some context with the important parts. History before methadone not important I guess. Been on 120mg for first 5 years and the last 5 years with 90mg (always liquid). Had some kind of nervous meltdown a couple of months ago and almost committed suicide. Started cutting myself badly. That urge almost got away now but I just want to feel something again. So a week(ish) ago I started drastically reducing dose, and stopped taking it 4 days ago. I had 2 hours sleep total since then thanks to some sleep medicine. My skin feels like it's burning, but it's a cold burning, all the time. I have this awful feeling in my belly that never goes away. When I lay down to try and sleep my legs hurt so much I only wish all the kicking, voluntary and involuntary, would alleviate it. I sneeze a lot. I have zero energy, sitting is the least painful position I can be. All this while going to work and in secret from everybody (wife and daughters included). I need to talk to somebody who knows what I'm going throw, and maybe have some advice or encouragement. Tia.

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When is this going to end?? Please tell me my life isn't going to be like this forever- I'm a wreck, effing legal drug this one.

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Methadone unfortunately is the worst drug to ever come off of. Worse than H. You have been on it for so long that bringing yourself off of it within a week can actually kill you and cause your body to shut down! You have to taper off of it and that could take months! The half life of methadone is so long that the feeling that u are having can last for months. I am not saying this to you to scare you. But you need to understand that the risks you are taking are deadly! If u can get back on it and taper down that is your best option. But if you can not for some reason not get back on it. You need to consult with a dr who can monitor you while u are going through this!!!!! Your life is worth saving and you will get through this and feel normal again! I dont know why u are hiding it all from your loved ones. But i dont believe that anyone who loves you will want to loose you! If getting off methadone is what u really need, want or have to do. Then be proud of yourself for taking that step in bettering your life and your families! But please do it safely so that once you have conquered it. You can be around to stand proud of yourself!!!

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Thank you vry much for your reply Amy, I'm literally crying right now. I really needed to talk to someone badly. I know that I shouldn't be going through this by myself but I just can't for reasons I can explain later (when I'm on a pc, it's had to type in this device let alone in the state I'm in) for you to hopefully convince me otherwise. You did scare me a bit, because I feel like I'm dying but I have this (stupid?) idea that that was going to be the case if I continued to take methadone or even taper it down for long. In a strange way my mind is feeling better now, although my body, brain/head included, is a complete train wreck. I've always been able to withstand H withdrawal so I tough this was going to be similar. How wrong can one be... I'm older so that could take some part. Thank you again and I'm sorry if I bable and for my english (not mother language). Hope to hear from you, I was very sad about no one replying.

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It seems that I get worse everyday, appart from head confusion everything else has not gone away (the burning feeling is even more unbearable) and it seems I've been off methadone for ages. How is it possible to take this long?? Even if I knew I wouldn't 'reset' it I wouldn't drink just a little, l don't want to touch this poison ever. Hope I live to tell the tale.

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I'm just curious...how are you doing now? Did you make it? I'm on day 4. Jumped at 5mgs. Tapered down ten a week from 80mgs. I feel awful. Confused. Edgy. But I've only been on methadone since August 2014. I did not want to be a lifer. Get on get off.

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I dont think you realize just how dangerous what your doing is. You cant just rapidly detox like that and expect to be ok. I have been on methadone for 13 years now, 140mgs per day. I was a H addict before i came to be on methadone. I can tell you, methadone is THE hardest drug to kick that i have ever experienced withdrawal from. I would take H withdrawal any day, over methadone withdrawal. Alot of the clinics will tell you that you will feel like your dieing but you wont actually die. That is a lie. A friend of mine and i decided to withdrawal from methadone at the same time bc we too, were worried about being on it forever. On day 7, he went into a coma and died the very next day. The doctor said that, the amount of methadone he was taking and the duration was just too much and when he started to taper, it was almost like a diabetic tapering from insulin. It was a fatal mistake. You better believe that i was back down at the clinic the very next day stopping my detox dead in its tracks! His family filed a legal suit against our clinic and won. They kept telling us that we would feel like we are dying but wouldn't actually die, which.....wasn't the truth. So, please be very very careful with rapid detox.

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Hi Tia. I'm a methadone user for chronic pain and have been taking it for years. I also have an ongoing history of deep seeded depression, ptsd as well as a panic disorder. I always have that sick feeling in my stomach but I take 5 different medications for it. I never do tho but if you need someone that's overcame a whole lit of obstacles you may have my phone number or email. I hated suffering through this all alone and I hate that's how you feel. Let me know

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I feel for you. Anyone who has gone through withdrawal knows your pain all too well.

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Methadone Withdrawals ! I Need some support Yikes here we go again. I was hurt and my Doctor put me on Methadone 15 mgs for a month then detoxed me in a weeks time. I havent had any for a week or two but whew. Up at 3 am.

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Rui, if you see this-how did things turn out for you?

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Hi. I will share my experience with you. I dropped from 37 MG's cold turkey. The doctor can prescribe clonidine, anti nausea medication and a strong sleep medication. Some Valium would be helpful. I also had marijuana. It helped. Drink lots of liquids. Smoothies are easy to make. Milk breakfast carnation packets with banana. Yes eat a banana every day. It will help. Take as many baths and soak in very warm water. Music is so helpful. Music baths. If you can't sleep get out of bed. Go to a different room and keep posting. This forum saved me. What you are going through is normal. I was freezing too. It felt like someone had stripped me naked and put me in the snow. Just know that you will and can do this. I suggest that you tell your husband. The withdrawal process is not easy and you will need his help. Nobody should have to hide this. The song by Haystak, my first day helped me. It is about coming off of Methadone and very encouraging. Pray if and when you need to. Take every bit of stubbornness and fight. You are winning. This will pass and when it does oh I know I felt so good. I hope this helps.

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After 25yrs of high dose methadone in stockholm (one of the most successful programs) I moved back to the uk. Decided I would stop after the mrs died 2008 and I decided to go for custody of my son. Unfortunately a car crash broke my spine leaving me in extreme pain. With advice from hospitals my doctor tried all kinds of pain medication, back onto the methadone physeptone in the uk which is two and a half times stronger than methadone linctus, plus fentanyl. Still not good enough. After trying others we went back but to super high dose physeptone - 230 milligrams daily, plus other medications such as benzodiazepine. A few years ago I moved to a small village where the doctor refused to write out methadone even though I was at a pain clinic and have never used drugs. I was told to go to an addiction center to obtain my prescription. 8 weeks ago my script was stopped with no titration at all. Reason being, the pain clinic was changing to zomorph and I had missed one meeting in 10 years with the methadone team. I wonder if anyone has been cut off after many years of using prescribed opiates without being able to access anything. My withdrawal almost killed me. 2 months in now and I am still in withdrawal and massive pain and they have given me 40 mg of zomorph which is a joke. Does anyone know if this affects mental health? I went absolutely crazy at one stage and ended up assaulting a police officer when I was at the worst of the withdrawal. Lol it's been bad all the time but right in the middle of the withdrawal. So that's my question. To me I was given a suicide note basically when they cut me off almost amounting to murder. Really it's amazing I've even survived this far and the doctor's don't care. Go on a water drop at the hospital was their answer.

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Re: ellen (# 7)

I need to ask a question about methadone. Most everyone is aware that the war on perscription opiote pain medication is going on strong. I wasn't aware that methadone was good for fighting pain. I've never taken H, but been on opiote meds for a long time after trying everything that the MD's could think of that was non narcotic. With this weaning of opiotes regardless of your condition is methadone an alternative that MD's are considering, if you know? They've already cut my dosage of fentanyl in patch form and breakthrough meds to the point that even though I utilize alternatives, accupuncture, exercises and supplements, I'm almost always in pain.

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I know what you are going through. Withdraw is the worst thing ever. Did your doctor take you off methodone or you? It’s dangerous for you to do cold turkey, if I were you I would seek medical assistance or atleast take a smaller dose of methadone to gradually wing yourself down. I truly feel for you. I am praying for you!

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Re: Rui (# 3)

Taper down please! It’s too dangerous to do cold turkey and on your own! Praying for you, I’m serious I am praying God bless you

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