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Methadone Vs Suboxone
Matt






Posted: August 15, 2016, 1:25 PM
Hi Everyone... i had a terrible vicodin/oxy habit for 5 years. In 2014 a friend pointed me to a methadone clinic. I cried in the doctors office that day, to feel relief and no longer constantly searching out drugs. Scary drives to Mexico. Waiting in strangers homes. I stayed on 50mg a day for 2 years. The clinic was very proactive... regular drug tests, one on one counseling weekly. As you gain trust they let you take a couple days worth home with you. I never felt high, never sought other drugs, and never raised my dose so all in all a complete success... but noticed that i had no testerone/sex drive. And I recently started feeling trapped. Couldn't travel or vacation freely and I know its very hard to get off. I just started seeing an addiction specialist and he switched me to Suboxone after a few days of taking nothing and laying on a couch. Now have a very positive plan to taper off, slowly and painlessly. Hope hope. I admit i wasn't ready to quit everything when i went for help, i have a lot of anxiety, but it helped get me here. Living a normal, sane life, great job, and ready to be free of it all.
Xsmacker






Posted: September 29, 2016, 7:21 AM
Hi I know you posted that a long time ago now but I really wanted to respond. I have been on Methadone maintenance for 12 and a half years now and when I started I really wanted to just use it to get a normal life back and then come off. I was using heroin everyday, had lost my 14 month old daughter to my mother and at my lowest point was even living in a car as I was too embarrassed to be around anyone while living that horrid lifestyle. In saying that.... I have had my daughter back in my care full time for nearly 12 years, she is doing amazing at school, I have a great partner who has never been into drugs and I run a household that I am proud of. While I was using, that was all I ever wanted, was to have a normal life like ""everybody else"". I have this, thanks to the Methadone. It hasn't all been roses, I still have to work at my recovery but the Methadone makes it so much easier. I fully believe that if your son needs methadone long term that's the best thing. He needs to be on it long enough to get his version of a "" normal"" life back. It really helps to stop the cravings but he has to be ready to stop and to have had enough of ""THAT"" life. It saved mine, literally. So if it means your sons on methadone long term but you have your son back it's a small price to pay... My family and I think so. To answer your other question, everyone is always welcome at AA/NA meetings as long as they haven't used before going, if he wants to go and it works then great, go for it. Personally I spent 1 month in a 12 step programme and it didn't do anything for me. When I entered odyssey house which didn't have a time limit on how long you stay and isn't 12 step, I ended up staying for 8 months and got clean. Everybody is different, and all users will be chronic relapse ts until they hit ROCK BOTTOM and decide they don't want to do it anymore, but they will need help and I'd recommend methadone any day. I really hope your son is doing well and is on the right track still, as his mother it's awesome your so supportive, not many users have such good support systems and that will make a big difference in his recovery. I wish you both well. Xxxx


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Joined: October 5, 2016


Posted: October 11, 2016, 12:53 PM
I've decided to see a private Dr in my area specializing in opiate treatment.He prescribes Bute. Anyway I need some advice asap! First let me begin I'm on 9p mugs of liquid methadone and I need to be down to 30 mugs before the 5th of Nov that's my appt with Bute dr.and I work any suggestions on how to make this transaction as easy as possible I was thinking of just going cold turkey 3 or 4 days before the 5th and forget weeping myself that just seems like I'm dragging out the enevadable ( excuse spelling please) anyway please give me advice I really need it ..


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Joined: October 14, 2016


Posted: October 14, 2016, 9:08 PM
I am researching Suboxone VS Methadone detoxification/withdrawal. I have been on methadone very nearly my entire adult life. I have attempted to detox methadone 4 times in the last 30 years. I relapsed each time. I have been on for 19 years since my last detox attempt. The withdrawal symptoms was the catalyst for every relapse. My clinic has recently begun offering Suboxone. Thus far, my research is baffling. Each testimony is different. Some state that the Suboxone withdrawal is the same if not worse than the methadone. Some state they felt no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever with the Suboxone. Has anyone been on methadone maintenance for for approximately 20 years and switched to Suboxone? What happened ??? I want off of the methadone. When I got on it in 1982 it was $6.00 a day. It is now $17.00 a day. I live in a rural area of the nation. I have read that methadone is FREE in large cities such as New York or Los Angeles, the only requirement is to have clean UA's, and it's FREE !!!!. Back to the suboxone, can/will anyone help enlighten me with the TRUTH. I need the TRUTH from someone whom has experienced these circumstances. Clearly at $17.00 per day for methadone and $21.00 per day for suboxone, the staff at my clinic is not going to share the TRUTH with me. I live a double life. No one sans mom and siblings know I am a methadone patient. I need to know the truth about the withdrawal due to employment purposes, i.e. taking a leave of absence. PLEASE SHARE YOUR METHADONE VS SUBOXONE EXPERIENCE WITH ME!!!!! THX JaneQCitizen.


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Joined: October 24, 2016


Posted: October 24, 2016, 8:22 PM
I've been reading all the posts that go back as far as 2013. There is a plethora of opinions and information, as well as some recovering addicts who want to achieve a normal lifestyle with the help of either Suboxone or Methadone. I am a 58 year old addict that has been on the Subutex for about 4 years. My drug of choice was OxyContin. I guess what I'm after here is some advice. The reason I'm on Subutex and not the Suboxone film is a purely financial reason. The Suboxone films even with my insurance would cost me over $400 a month. Where as the generic Subutex only costs me $10, or $65 when I'm in the donut hole. For some reason the Drs. are fighting me tooth and nail about giving me the generic. They are telling me stories about losing there licences if they don't give me the films. I checked, that's utter bulls***. They keep asking me why I insist on the generic Buprenorphine over the Suboxone films. And I keep telling them over and over that the difference in cost is monumental and I'm on a fixed income being on disability. It's been a struggle, but, they are giving me the generic but I don't know for how much longer. Another problem, the pharmacies around the Pittsburgh area don't stock the generics for some unknown reason. If the Drs. office gives me an appointment like at 4:30 PM, I play hell finding a pharmacy too fill them. Sometimes I have to wait 2-3 days until the few pharmacies that do stock them get their supplies and pray that they don't run out of them before they get to my prescription. Every month when it's time to go and get my script, I get so anxious just anticipating all the hassle I have to go through to stay on this med. I've been giving serious thought about going on Methadone. Then, I just go to the clinic, get my dose right there, pay the money and be on my way. No arguing with Drs. No going on a quest for pharmacies who stock the meds, just in and out. I do realize that I'll be on some kind of drug to control my cravings for the rest of my life. And to be honest, the Bupe does work well. It's just all the bulls*** that goes along with getting the generic over the brand name films. And after doing a little more checking, I've come to find out that the Drs. reason for insisting that I go on the films is the same reason that I insist on the generics.....MONEY!! I don't know the particulars but these prescribers are somehow financially motivated to keep their patients on the brand name film instead of the generics when they have insurance. If I had any other malady the Drs. would happily write me a script for a generic med if it was available. Why is Suboxone different? Why is it necessary to take a person who is trying to straighten out their life and rake them over the coals my MAKING them pay more money than they have to for the very med that helps them achieve abstinence. It's not right and it's not fair to those of us who have to account for every penny. We are forced to pay much more so a doctor or drug company executive can buy their next Ferrari while we are taking money from necessities just to maintain our fragile sobriety. I would welcome anyone that wishes to give me their take on this topic. I'm about at my wits end, the Methadone is starting to look like a more viable option for me, but I do have some reservations. Thank you friends.


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Posted: October 24, 2016, 11:54 PM
Hey jet...it's a hassle everywhere...even for methadone. ..to get my 7 take homes...b/c that's the max out here...I had to go to the clinic...pick up the script...drive to the only pharmacy that carries it to pick it up. ..and who more times than not got it wrong...and had to call the clinic..drive back...bc they need a signature... ..then there's the urine tests...blood tests...counselings...and all the bs from the clinic staff...depending upon who was working...who would make me wait sometimes hours knowing the pharmacy closed at 12 ....and I had to pay for it all....it's a money game everywhere...methadone side is no better sometimes. ..and that's my clinic rant for the morning...😊

This post has been edited by constantine on October 24, 2016, 11:57 PM
Old timer






Posted: January 17, 2017, 3:46 AM
I have an opiate addict for over 45 years before I decided enough was enough. I was on multiple methadone clinics. Had methadone prescribed by doctors and have been on does as high as 160 my per day. Methadone has completely deteriorated my bones and teeth and words can not begin to describe the horror of a methadone withdrawal.. I finally have given suboxone a try about 4 years ago and I have had much success with it going from 24 MG a day to 8 mg a day and about to get to 4mg a day. Unlike methadone you can not get high from suboxone and definitely not "ping pong" this is using opiates while "supposedly taking your methadone.. I get a 30 day supply of suboxone with a refill because I always give a clean urine and never ever even think about using opiates and even if I did I could not because of the nalexone that is included in the dosage.. I will get deathly sick if I take any type of opiate. For an old junkie who wants to stay on methadone it's fine and for pain it will work but be prepared to be on it for the rest of your life. For a young person with an opiate addiction I would highly recommend a "supervised" suboxone regimen and there are days when I forget to take my suboxone and I feel fine until I think about it. That is the reason why a young person can have quality of life, not abuse, and in thier own time eventually get off the suboxone. I know this one thing.. There is life after suboxone but there is no life without methadone!!!!! Btw, it works wonders for my chronic arthritis symptoms even as I continue to lower my dosage as opposed to methadone where the dosage only gets higher and higher until you either start using again, take benzos or just wait for your bones to deteriorate and your teeth to fall out..for the old timers the methadone game is what it is but for a young person suboxone is most certainly the way to go.. If they had suboxone 30 years ago I wouldn't be typing this post because I would have been opiate free for the last 25 years!!!!
Jess






Posted: February 16, 2017, 11:05 PM
I've only been on methadone for a month. My dose of 70mg wears off in the afternoon and I get so tired. By the time I wake up, I am very sick already. I've been trying to (twice) use other opiates to bridge the gap without any relief. The doctor said that my being tired when it wears down is because my dose is too high? I see people nodding out RIGHT after dosing, in their lobby. I don't nod, I don't itch, I don't feel anything except normal. I'm hoping for stability soon. I'm so sick of being like this. I truly want it. I hope the best for all of your families and that everyone is clean and happy!


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Joined: August 18, 2016


Posted: February 18, 2017, 5:38 PM
@Jess...I just wanted to clarify something..are you tired all day, or after dosing? It does take a few weeks to get acclimated to methadone when you first start it. If you are very tired, or "nodding" then your dose is too high. On a stable dose of methadone, you should feel essentially nothing. You should feel normal and that is it! Don't expect to have that warm, fuzzy opiate feeling on methadone maintenance. Even if you increase your dose, you will only feel the effects for a few days, then you will adjust to it and feel normal again. Don't go chasing a high or an "opiate feeling" that won't ever be there.

You mentioned that your dose doesn't hold you for the whole day. When does it wear off? By "wear off" do you mean you can no longer "feel" our dose, or are you experiencing actual withdrawal symptoms? Have you asked your clinic if you can split your dose?

If you can be a bit more specific, I may be able to help you more! Methadone is a great tool when used properly. If it making you feel "normal" then it is doing it's job!


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Joined: August 18, 2016


Posted: February 18, 2017, 6:06 PM
@Old Timer..I'm sorry that you didn't find methadone more helpful because it is a wonderful tool for a lot of people. I just want to correct a few facts though.

Methadone does NOT rot your bones or teeth. This is an old wives tale told in the clinic lines. Methadone is in no way toxic to bones, teeth, organs etc. The reason people on methadone often have dental problems is from the years of dental neglect during years of active addiction. The only side effect that methadone has on the mouth is that it can cause dry mouth. Severe dry mouth can lead to dental caries (decay). However, this side effect can be mitigated by drinking frequently or using a saliva replenishment product such as Biotene.

Methadone does not "get into your bones" Medications do not work that way. It also does not leech calcium from the bones or damage bone marrow.

I also just wanted to mention something you said about Suboxone. It is true that there is Naloxone in it. The manufacturer added it to discourage IV use. It will not make you deathly ill if you are on Suboxone and then take an opiate. You just will not feel the effects of it because buprenorphine(the active ingredient in Suboxone) is a partial agonist/antagonist and is occupying the opiate receptors so the ingested opiates would not be felt.

However, the opposite is much different. If you are taking an opiate or opioid and then take Suboxone you will get horribly ill with precipiated withdrawal. This has nothing to do with the naloxone. This happens when the buprenorphine, which has a higher binding affinity, literally knocks the opiates off the receptors in the brain. This is why you have to be in severe withdrawal BEFORE you induct on Suboxone. Many, many people have fallen victim to the dreaded precipitated withdrawal because they do not wait long enough between last ingestion of an opiate and the first dose of Suboxone.

That said, I'm glad you are having success on Suboxone. It has been a very useful tool for many people and have given them their life new direction and hope! Keep up the good fight!


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Posted: February 19, 2017, 2:19 AM
Old timer....neither subs or methadone gonna cure you in the end....young or old....imho both should only be considered as a last resort. ..both are a b**** to come off of...both can be abused...but both work if you work with it...it's a matter of which one works best for your chemistry...and everything got side effects....even dope...and if I'm comparing. ..i'll take the methadone. ..since my life expectancy shooting dope is pretty short...fair trade as far as I was concerned. .. effects you list are exactly what lollidee said...just old tales ....

Jess....did 9 years of methadone. ..first month after the cross over takes getting use to....if your sick before the day is over then your dose isn't holding you and needs adjusting...could be just a few mgs higher and you'll do better....you have to work with it a bit...took me a few months to get it right in the beginning...that said...depending upon your chemistry. ..it can make you tired...I couldn't keep my eyes open every night after I ate dinner....I'd doze off for about a hour..ya..it was a bit like a nod and you gotta be careful driving at night...and I wasn't on a over big dose..also..depending on how physical you are..your body can process it faster ..that is...use it up quicker...but everyone is different...you can try splitting your dose....methadone isn't a magic cure...you've got to pay attention and work with it. ..It's a life saver....but you still got to paddle....

That all said. ..it was the only thing that ever kept me clean after a billion tries...and a zillion years of using....for all the crap that comes with it. ..I'd do it again...

This post has been edited by constantine on February 19, 2017, 3:19 AM


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Posted: February 19, 2017, 3:55 PM
Splitting your dose might be the best option if you are still getting sick. Like Constantine said, the beginning of methadone treatment is like a mini chemistry experiment! Everyone responds to it differently and dosages are all over the place. I have seen people coming off huge habits who are comfortable on 50 mgs. and people with relatively small habits on dosages over 150mgs. Every person responds differently. It may take a while to get to the perfect dose for you...which is one that keeps you well for at least 24 hours, takes care of your cravings and doesn't cause too many unwanted side effects....it's a delicate balance, but once you find the dose that works foe you, it can be an absolute godsend!

@Constantine, I hope this isn't too personal and if you don't want to answer that's a-ok...Is there a reason that you aren't back on methadone. I have read on some of your posts that it was the only thing that ever worked for you. Are you just not feeling ready to get back on or is there some other reason. Again, if you do not want to share that information, that's fine!


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Posted: February 20, 2017, 3:28 AM
I was jumped ...clinic rules changed and I just couldn't afford it all anymore. ...I paid everything out of pocket...wasn't officially on their program because of citizen and where I work issues. ..I could have agreed to pay the additional amount but it would have been another 1-200 euros a week ....since changing jobs a few years back in order to stay in country I just don't make enough anymore to put out another 400 euro a month...i get paid in dollars ...so...my call ...though didn't think they'd jump me...that was a surprise. ...they gave me a script for morphine. ..which didn't help the detox but kept me from losing my mind somewhat afterwards....unfortunately. ..morphine is a pretty weak replacement for methadone or heroin....especially when you're hurting. ...is what it was Lollie. ...and I contributed to the madness in ways...wasn't all their fault. ..

This post has been edited by constantine on February 20, 2017, 3:43 AM


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Posted: February 20, 2017, 11:04 PM
That sucks, Con! The expense of methadone over here in the U.S. is pretty bad too. i pay 110.00 dollars a week. I have private insurance throgh my husbands employer, but they do not cover methadone maintenance. They cover 120 days of inpatient rehab per calendar year, Suboxone, counseling and any other medication, including methadone for pain..but methadone maintenance..no way!

Clients who are on state medicaid (which is insurance coverage provided by the government for indigent people) have it paid for 100% including transportation to and from the clinic. I'm glad that the vulnerable population can access treatment...it is a life-saver! What really sucks is that I have to pay that weekly fee on top of the 210.00 per week toward our isurance coverage. My hubby's employer pays 60%, we pay the remaining 40% which is the 210.00. Just having insurance and paying for methadone is a huge expense. It is the only thing that has ever worked for me and I can NOT got back to where my life was three plus years ago. So..I will continue to pay..and b**** about it! LOL
I wish that methadone treatment was more affordable and easier to get. In the US, it is regulated to special clinics that you have to go to every day. The problem is, some people don't live near a clinic and they are forced to drive two hours each way for treat,ment..which is ridiculous. I hope they start doing it like in the UK. I think you guys do it better over on the other side of the pond!

Thanks for answering my question. For what it's worth, I think it sucks it worked out that way for you! Everyone should have affordable access to treatment that works!


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Posted: February 21, 2017, 3:31 PM
Eh...clinics are clinics all over I think...B is from UK...I'm out in bumfck bavaria. ..7 day take homes...only...no matter how long...drive to clinic...pick up script. ..drive to only pharmacy in the entire county that fills it...they close at noon...fckers taking smoke breaks at clinic knowing your waiting for the script...ya...clinic rants...have a bunch too...it's the same everywhere.. ugh !


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Posted: February 21, 2017, 5:19 PM
thanks God here its very simple to get on methadone script and maintain for how long you feel like. Usually it takes doctor around 10 days to see you first time but you go home knowing you are ok then for month you have to go everyday to pharmacy and drink it in front of pharmacist , one you show good will you get script for week to take home then 2 and finally for month . I have to see my doctor once a month for few min and get 4 peription, 1 for each week .. i constantly gave dirty urine test for first 2 years and never had any problem . Only what they changed is when before i had 1 prescription for whole month now i have 4 .. but to get Valium its almost impossible , they gave me Trazodone antidepressant which i use before going to bed, makes me fall asleep straight away and clear headed in the morning . I know people are buying Valium from Internet but its not cheap. Oh and i pay £8.40 prescription charge and seeing doctor like everything else is free , only dentist is not free but even he is free for those who are not working and who claim benefits


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Posted: September 9, 2017, 2:44 PM
Granny2 3

First off I'm happy that methadone has helped you live a productive life, that being said I just couldn't bite my tongue any longer. I find it very irresponsible for you to claim to those looking to broaden their understanding of the true effects and lasting issues that methadone may have. To state that methadone is non addictive, to me is very, very irresponsible. Like every opiate all the way down to codeine, methadone is highly, and I mean highly addictive. I guess my question to you is, if it's not addictive why are you still on it? Why do those who stop experience extreme opiate withdrawls? I was on methadone for a little over a year peaking at 145mg/day, after two weeks at that dose I decided that all I was doing was replacing my drug of choice which was oxycontin with the stronger and longer lasting methadone. To say that methadone doesn't make you high is also another outrageously false claim, I and every other person I knew who was on methadone all nodded out on the regular, and were always extremely high after dosing. A part of me feels as if you are a blogging spokesman for this extremely highly addictive dangerous drug, because I've never met a methadone maintenance patient talk in such a false matter. I started the tappering process two weeks after being at 145mg/day by at first 10mg/week until I got down to 35mg/day at which point I tappered 5mg/week until I was at 5mg/day for 3 weeks at which point I jumped, I'd also like to point out that I didn't have any withdrawl while going through the tappering process.

After two days roughly 48 hours of my last dose I started to feel the onset of withdrawl. Day by day for a month all of my symptoms gradually became worse, from extreme anxiety to unstoppable diarrhea to absolutely weeks of sleepless nights, it just continued to get worse eventually plateauing into the 2nd month and then gradually over a two month period the withdrawl symptoms slowly started to reside. So, all in all the terrible experience lasted 4 months! Does that to you sound as if I was coming off a non addictive drug?

The ironic thing about this whole issue is, I would say the same things you are on here about how I was clear headed and was finally thinking and perceiving information as a sober individual when I was stable on methadone. Boy was I wrong. As I went through the withdrawl process I could literally feel the fog in my head which I could never even feel was there while I was on methadone lifting and my perception was truly becoming sober accurate again.

It truly offends me to hear you talk to people on here who have no idea about the true dangers of methadone as a godsend, nothing could be further from the truth. You are so high from the methadone and for so long you really don't see reality for what it is anymore, and it's sad. Methadone is not the answer for anybody, it an excuse for addicts to continue to use, but in a medical setting, which for some reason validates their addiction to them.


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Posted: September 10, 2017, 11:20 AM
I would like to know if people taking methadone are working full time at productive jobs, driving and using machinery in their work?


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Posted: September 14, 2017, 2:18 PM
@NY..I use methadone as part of my recovery plan and have been in recovery almost four years. I am a RDH and hold professional licenses from my state board of dentistry for dental hygiene as well as an x-ray license from my state. I also hold credentials from DANB (Dental assisting national board). I am required to have continuing education credits to keep my credentials.

Methadone, done properly, does not interfere with one's ability to drive, work or perform detailed tasks. If someone on methadone is sleepy or "nodding", their dose is either too high or they are taking other drugs, usually benzodiazepines, with it.

There have been quite a few scientific studies measuring the reflexes of people on methadone with people who are not and there are no discernable differnces in reaction time. Those studies were conducted on those on a proper dose, who were not medicating with other drugs.

Methadone has been a vital tool in my recovery. Before I tried it, I spent years in AA/NA and could not stay clean..and had them tell me it was because I was "doing it wrong"! That is far from the truth. Like all chronic diseases, not every treatment is appropriate for everyone. Some diabetics can control their blood sugar with diet and exercise changes only. Some need oral medications along with the diet and exercise. Some need insulin. Addiction is the same. Some do fine with meetings. Others need medication. I always advocate to do whatever works!

While I think methadone no doubt saved my life and allowed my mind and body to stop screaming long enough for counseling and other supports to be effective, I often find that methadone is not used properly. For those that are serious about recovery, medication can make all the difference!


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Posted: September 14, 2017, 8:45 PM
@lolleedee

I was just wondering how long you've been on MMT? If it's been over a few years, have you ever tried tapering and getting off of it? I was on it for a good while and can 100% tell you that Methadone does numb your emotions. I have been off Methadone now for almost 14 months and life is 10x better than it was on MMT. There is such a difference from being on, then off of this medication that I'm often amazed at how I thought I was living compared to now. The best way to explain it I guess would be...you think you're laughing, or in a positive mood while on Methadone, but it's a hollow and more empty type of emotion. It's like night and day. Being in a good mood by having your natural endorphins working correctly gives such a natural and...I guess true and real result in terms of how you are feeling at a particular time.

I too, thought I was feeling all the normal emotions while on MMT, but you really don't know the difference until your brains receptors begin to heal. And the appreciation for so many things that seem so easily bypassed while using Methadone. Anyway, would love to hear your story and if one day you see yourself trying life again off Mdone. Btw, I also had major issues with opioids and methadone did help me get clean off of them, but found when I came off MMT, I no longer had any cravings whatsoever. I think Methadone and Sub can work for many...I just don't believe it's a life sentence. It can do its job where you have time to learn new ways of thinking/behaviours/get your life in order and then you can move on from it and live a normal drug free life.


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