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Posted: December 14, 2010, 8:37 PM
Hey yall its me again here I just wanted to add that being on methadone maintenance is not a bad thing in fact I think its a good thing especially for those of us who have the disease of addiction which the average person dont understand is a real sickness just like diabetes or cancer, being on methadone maintenance allows us to work at a prestigious job, raise children properly as well as attend any n all functions at school for them,manage money n pay bills on time, just like any medication for any sickness methadone takes care of the addiction and it does not get you high, I have been on it for 16 years n counting and it has never gotten me high or altered my mood in any way, I am a nurse who works side by side with people who may or may not have ever used anything and look just as if not better than them, no way has anyone I work with or around ever questioned me about my disposition or appearance or work ethic, so just as the bone theory is a myth so is the fact that methadone is another drug to get high on, I also dont go to narcotics anonymous meetings because they down methadone and lead people to believe that its another drug and u are not considered clean on it, which I beg to differ because its a medication just like insulin. I've done my research on methadone years ago and have come to the conclusion that it works if you use it for what its meant for, It saved my life cause at first I was under the impression that only Intravenous users could get on the program until one day a dear friend of mine was headed there for her 'drink' and I knew for a fact she was not a IV user, along the way she informed me that snorters of herion were eligible for the program as well, I signed up that morning, it was the best thing I could have done,mainly cause rehabs werent working I would go into rehab when things got heavy only to count the days to get out to use again, crazy right yall but the disease of addiction is crazy, our own family members have no idea what we go through but always ready to down us n point the finger n suggest where n what we should do instead of getting us the help we need, thats in most cases not all, I will forever be grateful to my family who had my back through the good the bad and most of all yall the ugly, good luck with your recovery and just know that a whole day is waaay to much to worry about, deal with your recovery a MOMENT at a time its much easier and more simpler, thanks 4 letting me vent some more lol
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Posts: 2
Joined: April 1, 2011
Posted: April 1, 2011, 8:44 AM
Senorrebo or anyone else
I have a question..i've been going down 2mgs a week and I'm at 66mgs now...you had said 20mg down was bad and u went to the hospital twice..once was justified. I'm just kinda curious like you went cuz of the withdrawal right? Did the hospital do anything? Back in 2005 i was on methadone 40mgs but I was into crack like there was nothing else in the world it got so bad my mom had me sectioned, where they locked me up for 30 days for my own well being so I had to kick the 40 and I only got medication - librium and darvon for 4 days and then that was it and i' will say I don't think i really started the withdrawal until like 3 days after my last dose but i didn't sleep for 12 days straight, my leg cramps were horrible. It got better after that but the sleeping didnt even with medication i couldn't sleep at all. So my "plan" is to get down to 30 or 20 and then go inpatient, it'll suck to have to deal with groups and s*** especially since i've been clean for years but i have support from my mom and stuff and she said she'll help with my son. Either that or there's suboxone which i've been on before but never weened off of but i live in a real bad drug area of mass and the doctors that do prescribe it are all full. Or I can just keep going down 2mg a week until we hit 0...........whattya guys think?????? Please help me out, i really want your opinions | ||
Posts: 2606
Joined: August 18, 2005
Posted: April 1, 2011, 2:20 PM
Many of you guys know that Im an advocate for the use of mdone for long time heroin addiction
There is a common misconception that methadone treatment is supposed to be a quick detox aid for those addicted to heroin or other opiates--something to help them quickly become "drug free". This is NOT the case at all. The purpose of MMT is to enable the patient to become free of drug ABUSE and to have a functional, productive life while controlling the symptoms of their illness. Long term abuse of opiate drugs shuts down the brain's ability to produce endorphins--our "natural" opiates. One the patient becomes abstinent from opiates, it can be some time before the brain recognizes this fact and begins producing endorphins again. During this time period the patient may suffer severe depression, anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure), exhaustion, anxiety and extreme irritability. For some, this will gradually begin to lift as the brain resumes production of endorphins. However, for many others, the damage done to the brain chemistry may be permanent. It may never resume producing endorphins normally, no matter how many meetings they attend, steps they work, or counseling sessions they have. These folks may require long term---even life long--supplementation with an outside source of endorphins/opiates, and methadone is particularly well suited to this task, as it does not produce a high in stable patients and remains at a steady level in the blood for a full 24 hours without the highs and lows of short acting opiates. Many doctors and scientists believe that some opiate addicted patients may have had low endorphin production even BEFORE they began abusing opiates, and that this may have made them especially vulnerable to the effects of opiate drugs. Whereas most people taking opiates simply feel somewhat sedated and perhaps a little nauseated, these folks usually felt energized, motivated and their mood improved--often for the first time--in fact, many say they felt "normal" for the first time in their lives when they took opiate drugs. Unfortunately, standard antidepressants are not usually effective against this form of depression, as they target serotonin rather than endorphins, so many of these folks may have gone from doctor to doctor looking for help with their problem, and ended up self-medicating with opiates. Those with lighter, short-term addictions, and those who had normally functioning endorphin output to begin with, have the best chance of tapering off methadone and doing well. Those with long term, heavy addictions and a history of relapses have a much smaller chance. The relapse rate for those leaving methadone treatment is 90% within the first year--however for those who remain IN treatment, the success rate is 65% to 90%--higher than with any other treatment method. But sadly, many end up leaving treatment prematurely due to several causes--family and friends who push them to "get off that stuff" because they do not understand how it works, or the patient may be unable to afford continued treatment, or they may become fed up with clinic red tape and bureaucracy--and this almost always ends in relapse and sometimes in tragedy. Most experts recommend a minimum of 2-3 years in treatment before considering a taper. It is important that you be stable, no relapses for some time, have a supportive home environment and no major stresses going on in your life, and that you truly want to taper off and are not being pushed to do so by someone else. It is also suggested that the rate of taper be no more than 10% of your dose every 2-4 weeks. It is crucial that you go all the way down to 1mg before stepping off as well. Many try to jump off from 20 or 10 mgs and become desperately ill. Don't let this happen to you. Also, if you feel at any time that you are close to relapsing, go back up a bit on your dose and WAIT until you feel stable and able to continue. People often blame clinics for "keeping me hooked" if the clinic shows reluctance at the idea of withdrawing from treatment- -however, the facts are > that clinics have plenty of patients waiting to take the place of anyone who leaves--sad to say--so they are NOT worried about losing YOUR money. It would be medically unethical for them to recommend tapering when they know the chances of a relapse are 90% and that the risks of a relapse are so serious--jails, loss of job, spouse, kids--disease, even death. But if you wish to withdraw after being informed of the risks, they owe it to you to support you in your taper. My very long opinion, jack ------------------------------------------------------ Statisics from SAMSHA records- 2009 This post has been edited by jackofhartzz on April 1, 2011, 2:20 PM -------------------- "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over." — Hunter S. Thompson[COLOR=blue] | ||
Posts: 2616
Joined: January 4, 2008
Posted: April 3, 2011, 1:54 PM
WOW...I sure got the answers I was looking for...and Im not sure I wanted them...I turned 50 this year and have been tapering for about 10 months now...I so wanted to get off...thought it wouldnt be all that hard...I was SOOO wrong...Im at that last jump and Ive been just literally sweating myself dry, not sleeping...top that with possible menapause that I thought had already gone through on top of the taper ...and Ive been upping a few just to get through a day, or have at least a bit of sleep...one one hand, good to know Im not all alone, on the other...whew...Im scared as all that....
The sweats...does anyone else sweat so bad its really terrible ? Its almost like a heat flush, literally Im soaking wet...cant decide if its menapause or the taper or both...sleep seems better when I add a bit more of the mdone to my usual dose...but the sweats...they just dont let up...It feels like Im in constant mini withdrawal... Im sooo glad to know their are others getting off or trying and who are in my age bracket... Constantine | ||
Posts: 1706
Joined: August 22, 2005
Posted: April 4, 2011, 7:48 PM
Sage Tablets 1 a day will lesson the sweats or stop them all together.
x -------------------- [COLOR=blue] Stay Strong | ||
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Posts: 2606
Joined: August 18, 2005
Posted: April 5, 2011, 3:35 AM
Hi again Con-
I dont talk to any of the ladies on the program about thier problems with mdone while going thru menopause , but I do overhear some things- - I would talk to your gynecologist if you could. All the sweating and mood swings probably wouldnt be as bad while your tapering if you were properly being treated for life,s natural changes. I know thru some of the meetings that woman feel uncomfortable talking to their doctor about these issues- - the mdone stigma strikes again!!- However, at the very least- a reasonably compassionate doctor would do what he/she could do , to ease a lot of the bodies natural changes, and in turn, it might help with some of withdrawal problems. That has to be some kind of hell, to be going thru all that without any medical help , or at least some professional information. Dont forget, a lot of women have to take hormones and other meds just to go thru the change- - now throw a methadone taper on top of that.... I can only imagine how out of sorts you feel at times And I should add >> us guys- in our 50,s also have some issues that should be taken taken care of. There are prostrate exams, and other "men issues" that mdone (tapering or not) that should not be overlooked. Hell, we stopped using heroin, being in methadone treatment gives many of us the chance to finally take care of the things we always put off when we were using- -dentist visits, eye exams, colonoscopies , even skin care...etc.. Now some of us have to consider the aging process also - just because we stopped using dope, we didnt stop the ageing process( Im still waiting for them to find the fountain of youth myself) So I guess the point is - to both guys and gals-- tapering or not- Its time for many of us to really start to take better care of ourselves.- -I know Eck and I recently has some health issues- sh8t happens, luckily they were minor problems in the scheme of things, but that might not always be the case. I dont know how I got on such a rant Con- - but be good to yourself . 50 shouldnt be that old, at least I keep telling MY self that. very best regards my friend * * jack This post has been edited by jackofhartzz on April 5, 2011, 3:36 AM -------------------- "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over." — Hunter S. Thompson[COLOR=blue] | ||
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Posted: April 9, 2011, 1:15 PM
Hi guys,...
Our health issues are really starting to get to me as mine in particular are draggin on and not getting any closer to being resolved if at all they can be..As most of you know i tested positive fr H-pirri or something like that which is some kind of bacteria that causes ulcers but after the course of meds that i was given my problem hadnt cleared up.I was then put on strong stomach tablets,n,told to come back in a month if they didnt work,n,get a referral to go into hospital to get a camera down my throat..So i went last tuesday there as the tabs havent worked expecting a referral but as i,m not bringing up acid etc the doc reckons its not an ulcer,n,after the symptoms i have given he doesnt think its my heart as i have pain in both arms right down to the tips of my fingers when affected.He has now given me a type of beta-blocker,doubled my prozac,which i dont take though cannot say that,n,told me i must not stop taking these tabs,n,come back in a month.... I cant say that i,m not taking the anti-depressants bcoz then i,m refusing to be treated but i feel that they have made me worse as i explained to Q-Bryn...After reading about the beta-blockers i was given it says that they are for heart related problems,n,anxiety etc so i started taking them but 2 0r 3days later i was very sick in the morning so i havent taken them since..To be honest i dont know what to do,,when i go back in a month i,ll ask what they are for etc bcoz i dont like being kept in the dark plus the Dr looked kinda stumped when he was thinkin bout things... Con!!!I dont know if women,n,men are different when it comes to where meth,n,sweats etc..I remember a time years ago when a certain girl was on it at the same time as myself,n,she sweated really bad with it though always during the night and it made her pretty minging!!But we are all gettin older,,best of it is if it wasnt fr my body although i look alot better than i did a few months ago due to the fact that i,m now eating regularly i wouldnt feel a day older than 25,,lol,,,,Though it really is about time i started acting my age...Dinner time!!!Catch yeez...Eck | ||
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Posts: 2616
Joined: January 4, 2008
Posted: April 10, 2011, 2:34 AM
Jack , Eck,
Thank so much for the compassion and the replies...God, yes, the Mdone stigma makes me just cringe when I think of going in and speaking to the doc...I think, ok, I;ll get off the mdone first and THEN go in...ha ha...but I know your right...Ive dropped two more mgs or mls or whatever they are and am at 1.8 now....the sweats are horrid, and mostly at night but not always...I thought I had already gone through miss change since that particular womans feature has disappeared many years ago..but whammo...now Im sweating like god knows what...might just have been delayed for awhile because of the dope and now its full force...I swear the taper isnt as a bad as the sweating and not sleeping....and Im not sleeping because Im waking up sweating...lovley circle...cant really do much in the way of hormone treatments because I smoke and because of the mdone....good start for a stroke they tell me....so Im suffereing it oout at the moment...but Im going to the doc...I DO know one who has been very very good...and is compassionate.....wish we had more like this one.... yes Jack you are SO right...the mdone allows us to finally take care of things...to get on with life, to HAVE a life...I will never ever be ungrateful for that...and if I cant make the taper then its not such a huge deal to stay on it....Its the med issues and the changes and everything at the moment though that is pompting me to get off... ECK !, isnt there another doc you can go to ? This one doesnt sound like he kbnows what to do...OMG, thats so hard Eck, I wish I knew something to help or recommend...my wife has alot of stomach related issues over the years too but nothing as bad as that, does nothing it calm it down ? tea ? milk ? anything like that at all ? as for the anti-depressents, I know exactly what you mean, I hate them with a passion; I really have my doubts as to what they help....sounds like they gave you a double dose... This post has been edited by constantine on April 10, 2011, 2:40 AM | ||
Posts: 8
Joined: April 14, 2011
Posted: April 14, 2011, 7:03 PM
Hey !!
I too could do with some advice on coming off the Meth.. I am doing a community detox from Crack and Heroin ( IV user) that I have been using for 12-13 yrs on and off with a few stints in rehab thrown in for good measure ! This time Im looking at losing my 2 beautiful little girls if I dont pull in together and without them I would not have a reason to live so they give me a bigger reason than myself to finally beat this... Problem I have at the moment is this..I have whittled my way down to 25ml of meth from 80ml quite quickly but I did this while remaining off of the street drugs. I now however have gone and had quite a big lapse and been using both the crack and heroin (snowballing) for about 2 weeks now..I am feeling positively low that I have lapsed again after 4 months clean but my main dilemma is can I survive on the 25mls that I had just gone onto before I lapsed.. I am REALLY scared and could do with my meth not going back up but I dont wanna try and be a soldier and care for 2 kids really ill...day 1 and Im going to bed feeling pretty s***ty but is it just coz Im tired?? Is my head gonna make this worse ??? HHEEEEELLLPPP PPPPLEEEAASSEE ??? -------------------- DO NOT JUDGE ME BY MY SUCCESSES,JUDGE ME BY HOW MANY TIMES I FELL DOWN AND GOT BACK UP AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!![COLOR=purple] | ||
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Joined: April 24, 2007
Posted: April 14, 2011, 7:41 PM
What's the rush to go down so fast? It's a recipe for disaster...never speed recovery,...it took you awhile to get where you are and you're not going to get out that quickly. I'm not an addict, but I do know that fast tapers rarely work...you need to stabilize at each level.
Hang in there ~ MomNMore -------------------- You will not change what you are willing to tolerate.  | ||
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Posts: 2606
Joined: August 18, 2005
Posted: April 15, 2011, 8:01 AM
Dont worry about too far into the future- - this a a one day at a time thing (see, I do agree with the XA programs -quite often) Get yourself on a comfortable dose - you gotta get stabilized so you have the focus and energy to get it together,- you can always taper later on- - When your head is in the right place. This disease creates for tough times for those trying to be hero,s-- take it easy best regards jack -------------------- "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over." — Hunter S. Thompson[COLOR=blue] | ||
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Posted: April 15, 2011, 6:49 PM
I sympathise with you as I have been on methadone many times and never been able to get below 10mls even with the likes of clonidine so in the end I went back to using and then think of a plan to get off without it and I must say that I am glad I did it that way because I have succeeded without the methadone.
With some plan and determination, I have done it and, you know for me that it was a lot easier than getting off methadone. Now, I just talk of personel experience and it does not mean it cannot work for you eventually. I dont want you to give up or use what I say as an "excuse "to go back to using heroin. If you are stble on 10mls ans not using as well, then, that's excellent in itself. No matter what route you go for, it takes time and determination, so hang in there. Withdrawls does not last forever, even it it feels that way. In my opinion, metahadone drags thind out and eventually, you have to hit the bad times, unfortunatly. For me, now, though, the memory of the bad times is a good deterrant to not go back to using and puting myself through that again. Good luck, dont give up | ||
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Posted: April 20, 2011, 10:29 PM
I am in the process getting off methadone after 20 years i got down to 10 then hit a road block.It took me 10 years clean off heroin and 10 years to get from 175mg of methadone.I was using herion and meth at the same time.I switched to suboxone then started at 6mg wasn't uncomfortable but had very bad heart pounding for 2 weeks.My plan was that after 20 years of meth it should take about 2 and a half months to get it out of my system so i set it up with the suboxine to get off in that time frame.Its been a month and a half and i am now on 1 mg of suboxine and its not that bad yet (YET) I really think the pain i feel is because the meth isn't out of me do to the short amount of time i have been on suboxine.In the end this was my only option.I am grateful to methadone because it saved my life BUT it also suppressed my feeling mentally and physically and stopped me from being what i can be. I am sure many will say this may not be a good way to get off but i no a very close friend on meth for 28 years do it this way and walk away pain free..If you use the suboxone only to cover the time you will be suffering meth withdrawal and no longer it will be an easier landing.Best of luck to everyone...
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Posts: 2606
Joined: August 18, 2005
Posted: April 21, 2011, 4:56 AM
Murph-
interesting- -Ive also been on MM for over 20 yrs- Glad you are doing it correctly , are focused, did your research, and so far things are going according to your plan As for me- you can see from my few post on this thread- Im focused on the stigma the medical community puts out there . The drug companies will say mdone is a viable treatment for pain- but not addiction(for what is was originally used for)- Thats why a doctor can write you a script for pain> but a addict has to suffer the indignity of standing in a line with all kinds of addicts with all kinds of motives- -even if thier motive is to straighten out thier life- at a clinic that often can care less about them- They will make sure you are paid in full and up to a week in advance though- Jobs will hassle you or wont hire you if you are on a clinic but if you show them a stript for pain -they make an exception- Mdone has saved thousands of people from a life of hell , people have regained thier confidence, family, job, etc... because of this treatment , why vilify the person on it?? - They (most?) are just trying to get thier life back- maybe stay out of prison , or court every week- - you get the idea.....they just want want the cycle of opiate addiction and all that goes with it on the streets to end- If and when I choose to come off of 100mgs a day - I think doing your homework, as you have , is the only way to go. Too many think detoxing off this medicine can be done by coming down a few Mg's a week- then jump off.- - - Only to be back shooting dope a week later Best regards, jack This post has been edited by jackofhartzz on April 21, 2011, 5:16 AM -------------------- "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over." — Hunter S. Thompson[COLOR=blue] | ||
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Posted: May 1, 2011, 7:41 PM
hi all...I am a chronic pain patient, and for the last 14 years I have been on methadone. Before that it was Oxycontin. I tried twice to quit on my own, and made it almost 3 weeks each time before I couldn't handle it anymore and caved in.Anyone who tells you you can be off methadone in a few days or a week or two is wrong...methadone withdrawal can last for months.
In April I went to a rapid detox place in Michigan. They make it sound like you have the procedure Weds. morning, are a bit uncomfortable Thurs and Fri, and you fly home Sat. Oh, I forgot, they put you under, and flood your body with Naltrexone which scrubs the neurotransmitters that handle the opiates in your brain completely clean of the opiates. It does that. I am 54 yrs old and I have been REALLY sick for the past 4 weeks. My brain is not working right, I am not walking or talking normally, I am physically exhausted 24 hours, yet I slept 2 hours last night. This has been really hard. They say methadone is by far the hardest to get off...something about its long half life and that it resides n your liver, body fat, the gut, and who knows what else. I am so glad to be off methadone, but so far the cost has been high, in money, but more so in a really difficult physical situation. I am getting better, but slowly. I am forcing myself to get up and shower and dress in the mornings now, but I havent been to work in a month, and still might be a week or two away. Actually I am going to TRY to go to the office tomorrow, even if it is just an hour or two. the problem is that my brain is not functioning anywhere near normal. Typing this is the hardest thing I have done since this whole thing happened. I empathize with you all, and just wanted to share my experince. Being on methadone for years does damage your brain as well as your adrenals, and other parts of your body too. It is a dangerous drug. I know from experience. | ||
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Posted: May 10, 2011, 8:22 AM
im currently on my third day of absolutly nuthin . i was on 4 mil and gone to nothin the pain is unbeleivible cant wait to get through it i know at the end it will be worth it the hardest thing is that i have work tomorrow and must go in i just hope i can get threw it !
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Joined: January 29, 2010
Posted: May 14, 2011, 3:21 PM
Hey just looking in, goodluck with your WDs I'm rooting for you keep checking in and let us all know how youre doing. Love Kitty xx
-------------------- lifes a picture you got to paint it colourful | ||
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Posted: January 8, 2013, 9:27 AM
I was on 50 mg of methadone for 5 years. I am on my last day at 5 mg and this has been a relatively easy thing. I am more scared of how I feel vs. Getting back on drugs. That part is over. Can anyone tell me what to expect physically?
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Posts: 1059
Joined: August 29, 2011
Posted: January 9, 2013, 1:19 AM
Hi Allie,
I have never detoxed off methadone but I would venture to say that if you are down that far you should be fine. At this point ,I would think it is about keeping yourself busy,working, whatever so your mind wont wander.If this detox was done in a timely, doctor supported way and you have a good support system to fall back on such as AA, NA, you have a sposor, and go to meetings you should be good to GO!!! Good Luck, and remember, you can always go back to the methadone. Dont ever fool yourself into thinking you can slam once in a while. Go back to your clinic before you ever use again. Good luck to you!! Granny -------------------- I NEVER KNEW HOW MUCH LOVE MY HEART COULD HOLD UNTIL SOMEONE CALLED ME GRANDMA. STOP AND LISTEN TO THE BIRDS SINGING IN THE TREES. WHEN THE BIRDS ARE SINGING EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS OK.[FONT=Courier][FONT=Arial] | ||
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Posted: October 13, 2014, 7:17 AM
I've been on 20mgs of methadone for the past 4 years. My Dr put me on that after I went through horrible withdrawal from IV Demerol, oxymoron, zanax and other meds. It was the worst year of my life because they cut me off to quick. So I'm on methadone not because of the detox but for my pain. My Dr thinks this is the best pain med for me because I have such a high tolerance and using the standard dose If any other pain meds won't touch me. He says it's a great med to be on for ling term but the side effects I.e. sweating, not sleeping, poor appetite is driving me nuts. So I cut myself down to 10mg a day and would love to stop it but I'm terrified if what I went through in the past. Any suggestions?
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