| post replypost new topic |
Posts: 8
Joined: September 5, 2016
Posted: September 7, 2016, 9:53 PM
Hi guys,
I have been reading a lot about people withdrawing when they wean off methadone. This concerns me because I started weaning off methadone a month and half ago. I'm going off 10% a month from a steady 90 mg of 2 years. I'm at 75 mg currently and feel fine. Has anyone successfully weaned off methadone without feeling horrible in the process? Should I be worried ? | ||
Posts: 2616
Joined: January 4, 2008
Posted: September 8, 2016, 2:50 AM
Think it depends on the person. ..some wean and have mild wds.. others feel every jump...length of habit and amount before might play into it...you don't need to be in wds to get on it...lots of info from many here who have experienced both heavy and mild...don't fear it...safe detox. ..
This post has been edited by constantine on September 8, 2016, 2:53 AM | ||
|
Posts: 8
Joined: September 5, 2016
Posted: September 8, 2016, 11:24 AM
So far, I don't feel the jumps of 5 ml at a time every 2 weeks. I just pray it stays this way. Con, Have you gotten off methadone successfully?
| ||
|
Posts: 2616
Joined: January 4, 2008
Posted: September 8, 2016, 1:43 PM
I got off it...was on about 9 years....successfully? . ..depends on your definition. ..I'm struggling to stay clean...and not succeeding very well...been off 4 months now...cravings kicked my a**...behaviors back...not everyone has a hard time though so don't compare...you might do great...take it slow and prepare. ..I got jumped. .and they handed me morphine...long story that...anyway...I.wasn't prepared in any way....your doing good...hang in there..I tapered 3 times...didn't make it....always use..but I felt every jump it seemed....so everyone is different....you'll be fine...just don't worry...read some of the posts here...many many people have been successful...and have breezed through it. ..get to meetings if you can...they help...smile...it's all good...you've got this
This post has been edited by constantine on September 8, 2016, 2:02 PM | ||
|
Posts: 8
Joined: September 5, 2016
Posted: September 8, 2016, 3:02 PM
yeah your right everyone has different experiences. I'm at a point in my life where I'm so sick of drugs and how they ruined my life that I never want to be involved in that lifestyle again. I just want to be normal and live a normal life for my son and myself. I want to go back to college and get a good job. I have so much ambition right now and I finally got it back. I'm so determined and mentally prepared to wean off and stay off because i want to stay off so bad. I'm sick of depending on a medicine but I will take my time weaning off. When I mean successfully, I'm asking if you or someone else tapered off without feeling horrible the whole way through and finally got done weaning off and didn't go back to drugs after that. This isn't easy. I regret ever touching pills or heroin.
| ||
|
Posted: September 14, 2016, 11:26 AM
I'm kind of in the same boat as you, just a little further along. I've been on 40mg of methadone for the past year and a half, I had previously been on 120 years before and went to a detox all the way in Florida to get off. Well, needless to say, I relapsed a year after the first time. I really don't know why because it was the best time of my life and the first time in as long as I can remember that I could have fun without drugs. I just had some issues that I still needed to work on.
Anyways, the first time was a piece of cake until I left detox 2 days early at 5mg still. I thought, "hey, I've been fine this whole time. What's 5mg?". That was a mistake. I feel like the post-acute withdrawal was way worse and lasted a lot longer because I jumped off like that. Hey, maybe I'm wrong though. I basically had a month and a half of the s***s, restless legs, and general exhaustion. This time I've taken it kind of slow. I started going down 2mg about every other day til I hit 20. Now I'm doing 1mg at a time. I'm currently at 18mg, and I've gotta say so far it's been pretty easy. I got colonadine from my doctor and that's helping with the sleep. I'm more worried for when I get down to 5mg and under and about the PAWS. I feel like a good attitude and just the total want to be sober makes a huge difference. Excercise and eating healthy seem to make a massive difference this time around too. I guess I just wanted to share my experience with it. It's nice to know that I'm not alone. I don't know many people who have successfully quit methadone, but I think that's just because I don't know the right people. Anyways, good luck! I would love to hear other people's experiences about tapering off methadone and how they did with the last 5-10mg. Thanks! | ||
|
Posted: September 14, 2016, 11:41 AM
Hey Mackenzie, that's good you are tapering! I was on 35mg for nearly 2 years and started tapering at 5mg a month. All was smooth sailing and I got to 20mg and stayed there for awhile. Anyways long story short I really wanted off asap so I jumped from 20mg to 10mg nearly 4 days ago. I have been feeling really exhausted, just wanna sleep, don't wanna eat, have abit of upset stomach. I got some clondine and benzos from dr. Am going to go to 5mg tomorrow(Thursday, I live in Australia) then jump off at 5mg on Monday. I will let you know how I go and good luck with your taper
| ||
|
Posted: September 14, 2016, 12:23 PM
The exhaustion is the hardest part! So far I've been lucky and that's about all, so i can't complain. Good luck!! I would love to know how it goes!!
| ||
|
Posted: September 14, 2016, 5:02 PM
The key to getting off methadone is start eating right and exercising while you are tapering. Then hit the gym hard when your off, look you m right not feel like it but push yourself. I have been off for over a year now and this is what worked for me.
| ||
|
Posted: September 14, 2016, 10:40 PM
Thanks Mackenzie! Mojo, thanks for the tips. My doc said hitting the gym hard would help. I have a gym membership so hope to loose the weight that I have put on whilst being on the done. I am 32 and had been 50kg for about 17 years and since being on the done I have put on 20kg so I really want to get back to around 50kg. It's hard to eat at the moment as food is the last thing on my mind and have stomach cramps and that. Is there any food that you reckon helped you and found easy to eat/digest? Also did you take any vitamins or know of any that will help? I have clondine and some Valium and Ativan. Anything else I could/should be taking. Also not sure if yoga or meditation would help, I'm very agitated, edgy and angry. Any advice on getting through this crappy time would be appreciated
| ||
|
Posted: September 15, 2016, 1:33 AM
Hi Em, what are you able to eat right now? I noticed once I was off all my food HAD to be warm for quite a while. with the exception of bananas! One suggestion my uncle gave me was chew my food SLOW. it might sound worse prolonging the eating process with no appetite...But it REALLY helps. I imagine yoga and meditation would be wonderful in feeling better overall. Something I keep saying I'm going to do/try..yoga does feel amazing though. I remember the first time I went to a yoga class I was fighting on phone/heart racing, ready to leave. My friend dragged me in, and i felt almost euphoric after..and a complete 180 from how I was just 45minutes prior. Anyway point is if you have motivation to do it..definitely do it. Hang in there, once you get through this you will come out a much stronger person..already are..since just the thought of coming off keeps so many on forever.
-Mary | ||
|
Posted: September 15, 2016, 11:01 AM
So I started At my methadone clinic On April 8, 2015. I leveled out at 75mg around mid June 2015 and discovered that people on it for much longer have a MUCH MORE difficult time generally that timeline is 1 &1/2 years+. So, I decided to taper on May 1st and did 5mg a week and it wasn't terrible at first, not till my 5th day of being on 65mg did I feel it and only in morning I'd wake up sooner and need my dose, but felt fine all day and to sleep around 5-6th day on 60mg down to 55mg I got some night sweats and smoke little weed(hadn't smoked in two yrs, I have np w/pot) at night to sleep. Didn't want to keep smoking to fall asleep($$im not rich) so I talked to clinic doctor and he put me on clonidine when I finally went in and told him how I was feeling so since then which was at 45mg I've been on clonidine at night and no night sweats and could sleep. Stopped for 3weeks at 40mg, then did 1mg a day to 35mg then 1mg every other day and has not been that bad. I'll admit at 19mg I smoked around 5pm because I felt that kinda panic heart racing not bad but discouraging not as bad like 1/5 of full blown wd. I'm only at 17mg(today) and plan on prob going cold at 5mg, but it's only 10 more days if I don't. Last night no weed I slept okay as I took Melatonin, st. John's wart for first time so I think it helped. Ill share the rest when I finish this journey in a few weeks!!! Hurray, the light at end of tunnel makes it easier, especially since I'd like to leave country for couple months and my clinic won't do more than 8 days at a time!
| ||
Posts: 1
Joined: September 25, 2016
Posted: September 25, 2016, 11:39 AM
Here's my predicament...I'm 62 yrs old & have been taking methadone since age 45 (17 yrs) for my spinal-stenosis. Well, I'm sick of these 'medicinal handcuffs' & started weaning on June 24th. I went from 100 mgs daily for the past 8 yrs to 80 mgs daily for a month...then 60 mgs daily for a month...then 30 mgs daily for 20 days...20 mgs for 2 weeks...& am now down to 10 mgs daily for the past 10 days & after 5 more days of 10 mgs, I'm jumping ship Oct 1st to 0.
Didn't feel bad in the least until I went from 20 mgs to 10 mgs. Now I feel like I'm slowly dying & really wouldn't mind if that happened, as I'm sad, mad, everything's a chore, energy level is none. Running a low-grade fever for the past 6 weeks. I'm starting to think that after 17 yrs on this garbage, I've done permanent damage. I've felt terrible for the past 2 weeks, absolutely freezing in 90 degree heat, my wife & son really don't want me around with the switch in my personality. I'm a senior citizen with no moral support at home. Not sure if the methadone has been masking any physical health problems I may have obtained while in this fog. My gall-bladder exploded in Sept 2011 & had to have emergency surgery, but other than that, really no pains anywhere else. While in the hospital, they were administering my 100 mgs of methadone daily. Should I just continue on my weaning? Is 10 mgs a decent jumping off point? How long will I feel like death warmed over? I'm bound & determined to get off this stuff after my 17 yr ride. Any suggestions will be very much appreciated. This post has been edited by quasno on September 25, 2016, 11:42 AM | ||
Posts: 2
Joined: September 28, 2016
Posted: September 28, 2016, 4:54 AM
I'm right there with you just stopped taking my dose last Thursday I was at 60mg and went down 5mg every 2 weeks till about 25 then down 2mg every 2weeks till 10mg then down 1mg every 2 weeks till I got to 3mg and said f*** it I'm done and that was last Thursday. The no sleep for me suxs can't get any I'm up for 36 hours and then maybe 2-3 hours of sleep if lucky. I just keep saying the next day will be better and think about that first 8hrs of sleep when my body is completely removed of this s*** and how happy I will be to start life normal again..I tell my friends now unless they really have to get on methadone don't deal with the 4-6 days of WD it will be better than years on this and 30 days of WD of this... Brian from CT
| ||
|
| post replypost new topic |