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Coming Off Methadone


Posts: 1059
Joined: August 29, 2011


Posted: November 11, 2016, 5:55 PM
MeMaDebbi,
I have been on MMT for almost 23 years. I too have 13 take-homes and am enjoying retired life with my grandkids.
Please talk to your clinic counselor and your own personal MD before you detox.
I wholeheartedly agree with Constantine though that if you do detox, DO IT VERY SLOWLY.
If you are having medical problems it may be real hard on you and like they say" if it isn't broken why fix it?"
Talk to your regular MD, the clinic doctor and your clinic counselor and see what you decide is best for you.
good luck to you!

granny

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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]
Nathan






Posted: December 8, 2016, 6:30 AM
I have had a drug addiction for about 12 years now. Although for the last 7 years I have been going to a methadone clinic. It was literally a life saver for me. Before starting there I was spending a minimum of $200 every day some days MUCH more on roxys and oxys. Needless to say I wasted a ton of money. About a year ago I made the decision to taper off Methadone after being on a stable dose of 75mg for 7years. I've come down 3mgs every two weeks. I'm currently on 12mgs per day and am eager and also anxious about finally getting off methadone. I've had a fairly painless detox so far. Just not sure exactly what to expect once I'm off my final dose.
animal






Posted: January 7, 2017, 6:45 AM
Methadone ruined my life. It's poison- get off it before it's too late. 7 months SOBER- my opinion you still have a chemical dependence which makes you in a far worse prison. Avoid the trap I jumped off at 60mg -I had been on it since 2012. You won't die , don't listen to everyone if you want something go after it. Good luck friends.
Cyprille






Posted: April 27, 2017, 6:15 AM
I have tapered from 50mls per day to 3.5mls and it's not been the loveliest of experiences although I still feel in control of my reduction.

What I am noticing is a decline in my mood. I am starting to feel quite depressed and am assuming this is because I am no longer experiencing the surges in mood that I got when the drug kicked in. I was one of those people who got a real buzz from the drug.

So I don't know whether to get some help for my mood or not. My GP has no clue I was/am using and it is out of the question for me to seek help. I obtained my methadone from someone with a script and I wanted to come off in case they lost their script. For professional reasons I cannot involve the health services.

I am planning to continue reducing my dose down until I get to 0.5mls then jump off. I hope there will be minimal withdrawal because I am not able to hide away until it is over.
loulou080482






Posted: April 30, 2017, 5:15 AM
hi people am on 30 ml off methadone resly want off it what Is best way to do it as driving me nuts I have 2 kids dont wznt to be on it anymore would be grateful for any suggestions thanks lou


Posts: 3
Joined: May 25, 2017


Posted: May 25, 2017, 4:39 PM
Thank all of you for sharing. Methadone still has a bad stigma to it by some but it saved my life. I have been on it for 4 years now, I am 50 years old with an opiate addiction for more than half of my life.

So, I have been at the same clinic all of these years and I feel chained to them. Any little mishap, ( I am on temazepam for sleep and the counselor had put an expiration date on my script so I came up hot for benzos. I am on a two week take home, they dropped one week and set me back from 130ml to 120ml. I talk to a counselor every month mandatory and they never went over my med list with me, I had no idea it was to expire six months after I turned in this ongoing script. No matter. Clean UA's for 3 years and it was still my bad. This is an example.)

So, I decide to try Suboxone. I have been weening myself off and am now down to 30 ml and going to see a new Dr in a different clinic Monday. Scared as hell! But I am so proud to have tapered down to 30 ml. Quite honestly, if it weren't for the temazepam, I wouldn't be able to do it. The anxiety from the withdrawal is the absolute worse for me because I am afflicted with it anyway. My appt is Monday which is 5 days away and I have opted to cold turkey it until then.

I hope Suboxone works for me as Methadone has. I just am so tired of feeling like the addict taking these little bottles home, calling in every day to pee test, bringing the bottles back for count and it is a strong opiate that will knock you on your butt if you take too much.

So, wish me luck out there in opiate addiction land! As I wish the best for all of you.
SCOTT






Posted: June 8, 2017, 9:00 AM
I've been on methadone 2.5 yrs up to 120 I've tappered down to 3 today I feel ok just really tired and restless legs and hard to take a deep breath I'm 50 yrs old with a high tolerance to pain if anyone can give an idea of what more will i go through if any do to the fact I've been on 3 for 2 days I started feeling really DIFFERENT at 20 please tell truth only sense I've tapered down is thus gonna be the worse or is more to come the 12th will be done off methadone


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bshank






Posted: July 26, 2017, 5:46 PM
I want off of this stuff so bad!!! I have only been on it since jan. of this year, and i am 95 mg. My mental state is so set of getting of this stuff, that i do not want to even taper down, and just want to jump off at 95!! please can I have some tips, advice, anything on what and how i should do this?

thank you
glenn






Posted: March 23, 2018, 5:30 AM
I seen a video where a guy used hemp oil to get off methadone and he had no withdrawals. I'm going to try it, can't stand having a drug control my life. Also what would happen if there is something that makes it where you can't get it anymore?
Rob S.






Posted: May 28, 2018, 6:38 PM

This is good advice, please read on...I started on pot (not to blame pot), progressed to black & white tiles (they called them trips) then speed, then someone introduced me to pethidine. I took the ball & ran with it, to heroin. When I couldn't support my habit anymore & the choice was crime, I turned to "done" (all my friends already had). After 2 years on done I got down to 7.5 mgs, then I got a job which led to take-aways...28 years later I finally got off done, the easy way. The second attempt, I got down to 10mgs & couldn't get any lower without hanging out, bad! My doctor wasn't much help as she would put me back up to a higher dose than I had been okay on, up to 15mgs (instead of 10). Then I yo-yo'd for a while because of hanging out & cracking. I started to stress out because I didn't know how to get down below 2ml (10mgs) without hanging out. The measured amounts my chemist would go down by were too large i.e. 1/4 of a mil was the smallest amount he would do & as the pharmacist had already told me, try to go down by 1/10th of your dose each time, which when you're on 2ml that's not possible when the smallest he would drop me by was 1/4 of a mil (1/8th). I spent a few days thinking/worrying & eventually decided to buy an eye-dropper...& take drops out, because after all what's a few drops. Luckily my pharmacist indulged me & I started taking 3 drops out each day. I would do that for 2 weeks. If you're going to hang-out, it'll take anywhere from 9 to 13 days to do so. At day 14 I believed I was safe, so I'd stay on that level for 2 more weeks to get use to it. Then (if I was ready) I'd start taking out 6 drops for 2 weeks...no hanging, again I'd stay there for 2 more weeks. Eventually when I was taking out 15 drops, I'd see my doctor & go down a 1/2 a mil. I continued that way but, I stopped telling the doctor to reduce at 1 mil. (because the dose bottle will keep most of your dose) but kept taking out drops. I was so close to off I started "practicing" NOT having my dose. On the Friday I picked up my TA's & was dosed. Saturday I thought I'd go without, then on Sunday I decided to do the same. Monday turned out the same again (no dose). On the Tuesday, on the way to the chemist I made up my mind to get off...& I DID NOT HANG-OUT AT ALL. Yes, using an eye-dropper was very slow but, right from the start I did NOT hang-out...why? because the reduced amounts were so small plus I gave myself time to get use to it. So, from 2ml down I didn't feel a thing & the same for jumping off. I guarantee this method will work & if you're patient & stick to it...you'll get off without hanging out. By the way, I also belted my done for 28 years (I gave that up at the same time). Don't think you can't do it, psychology is most of the battle. Most of us (including me) think if you miss 1 days dose you'll hang...BULL@#$%. It takes usually around 9 to 13 days. Stick to your guns. You didn't get to where you are over night, so why try to quit over night? Be patient, hope you have a good doctor & pharmacist who indulge you & you'll get off without hanging out, because that gets you no where. I gave up smoking the same way. Cut down slowly, not big jumps. Certainly on a high dose a big jump is possible but, when you get down to 2 ml...take out drops, it's easier psychologically. The funny thing about done is you'll hang-out pretty much the same whether it's 80 mgs or 2. DO IT SLOW! Screw the rest because nobody can get you off but you. If others tell you it's a waste of time, again BULL@#$%. I did it & its been 24 months now off. Good luck & keep trying. It's the old saying...never give up on giving up!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm posting this again for the benefit of others...


Posts: 5
Joined: October 3, 2018


Posted: October 16, 2018, 12:50 PM
Here goes. I was up to 175 mgs of liquid methadone after six years at the clinic and I4 years of IV heroin use. I stepped into rehab on a Sunday afternoon after taking my last methadone dose. The detox was horrible!!! On top of quitting methadone cold turkey,they wouldn’t allow me to have the Celexa and kolonopin(which I was prescribed and taking properly,dangerous!). But,I went tru the program and endured the worst withdrawals ever. I am now four months clean of opiates/opioids. I’m told and have experienced recurring withdrawals which I’m told will occur for the next 10-15 years at anytime. Heroin was gonna put me in prison or six feet under and then the methadone was exactly what it’s nicknamed,’liquid handcuffs’. I couldn’t go on vacations, the bueracracy of getting even a week’s take-homes was outrageous. I had to stop this cycle of going to a clinic,every morning and pressing a button to get my dose. I never believed in rehabs(I was a psych major in college). But this place and my social environment saved my life and I no longer am chained to a clinic or a drug dealer. I’m not putting down methadone clinics-they help us when we’re in need. But they never should’ve let me get to that high of a dose. Instead we should have had a plan for tapering and I could’ve avoided the hell I went thru. I can never say I won’t use again-nobody can. But I’ve got well over 100 days and I feel very good about it. I’m gonna give you all the key to quitting-you have to want it and need a social support system. I’m lucky tho,I have a great,sober husband and a great relationship with my family and non-using friends. Without that,you’re odds of staying quit decrease exponentially. The main thing is you have to want it. I just hope this helps someone.
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