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Posted: July 12, 2015, 9:23 AM
I've been on methadone for 9 years now. I really believe it saved my life, if I would've stayed on pills any longer, it wouldve killed me. Its really not all that bad that some people claim it is. I work full time and have been off everything for 8.5 years. I only have to go to the pharmacy once a week to get my weekly doses, which is not to bad considering some people have to go to the pharmacy everyday. Methadone can be dangerous to people whom it isnt prescibed or if they abuse pills or drink alcohol, but I dont do that. The only complaint I have is that it makes me sweat and it seems to be hard on your teeth
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Posted: September 23, 2015, 4:40 AM
Why do people keep claiming to be "clean" when they are still taking a drug? I wouldn't recommend either. I started Suboxone to get off of percs but now I can't get off the Suboxone. The withdrawal is worse and I wish I never turned to another drug to get "clean." I WANT to get clean from ALL drugs like I was for the first 31 years of my life but I can't get past day 2 of withdrawal. No one WANTS to be an addict but getting completely clean is tough battle. Good luck to your son, I hope he has been doing well with his recovery.
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Posted: September 25, 2015, 1:31 AM
Hello,you appear to be a wonderful understanding mother, for you to except that your son needs help, because he does. Once a opiate addict you will always be a addict. One must except that and learn to change ones lifestyle. He needs to change all of his associates. they all need to be healthy individuals for him to be around. I have found with my experience with drugs that AA or NA, all they sit around and talk about is old times. So be sure to monitor the NA group and make sure it is legit. I have been on Methadone for 2 years as of now. Drug addiction is a long process and a healthy lifestyle doesnt happen overnight. It is a lifetime commitment for the drug addict. He will probably always have triggers, but the methadone helps with that. I have not relapse since I have been on the program and have never felt better in my life. I can think straight and actually carry on a decent conversation I had a 20 year battle with opiate addiction and had lost myself in the drugs, but thanks to the methadone I can be a productive human. I tried suboxene also but I had better luck with the methadone. One thing, the suboxine is expensive, but most insurance will cover it for a brief period only. Methadone has allowed me to keep my financial status and also my sanity One thing though, if you use Suboxine, DONOT mix with methadone, it is deadly. They are two entirely different medications and work totally different. Stand by your son and GOD bless and good luck
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Posted: September 25, 2015, 1:35 AM
Tamela is right. It is not fun to be an addict. But by choice one must make a decision either to chase the opiates all of their lives or to be on a safe controlled drug to help them possibly get either off of the opiates or at least live a half way normal life. Because drug addiction is no party. No one chooses drug addiction, it chooses you.
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Posted: October 7, 2015, 5:34 PM
To the people that are villifying methadone on this board - stop. I am a professional that manages a team of highly skilled developers; I have 2 amazing, well adjusted children, a wife, a mortgage and 2 cars. I am close to my inlaws and my parents; we see them at least once a week. I am also on methadone, and have been for longer than most commenters.
I was on methadone throughout college; afterwards, and I continue to be on it today, 15+ years later. I have NEVER been over 45mg a day; I have titrated down to as low as 3mg before an unfortunate relapse. I was an IV user; on my last relapse I could bang .4 of the 'greats' in a sitting (admittingly, that high dose is due to methadone, it really blocks the affect for me so.... luckily, I'm past that relapse) I have had many years of non-use, but also my fair share of relapses. Most end quick (far too busy, and that GD mortgage 'gotta get paid'), but I've also had longer relapses due to that awful "junkie defence mechanism" (that little LOUD voice that tells you using makes you happier, more productive, smarter, more outgoing... Riiiight... :))... That said - I've been able to maintain my job, my family, my relationships throughout -- because of methadone. This notion that you will 'have to go up on your dose' is pure, unadulterated NONESENSE. When I come in depressed, or 'dirty' (we get pee tested every time) the doctor will often recommend 'going up'... I don't know if it's different in the USA, but in Canada it's the patient the ultimately says Yay or Nay; and I've always said NAY. It's hard - but you have to realize that going up on dose is just going to get your body accustomed and needing a higher dose. You'll feel better for perhaps a few days, after which it's the same ho hum... At the end of the day - it's about personal responsibilty... Frankly - I like that we have options today... i.e. my doctor advised me if I want to switch to Subaxone, I would need to take 3 days off Methadone... Not considering it for now, but nice to have options. | ||
Posts: 1906
Joined: October 23, 2011
Posted: October 7, 2015, 5:53 PM
I crashed in 1989. My DOCs were alcohol and Valium. (alcohol since 1959 and Valium since 1973)
I completed a 90 day program in a recovery home in 1989 and straight into AA & NA I've been clean/sober for over 26 yrs. AA & NA work if you work them. You have to commit to them and stick with the winners. All the best. Bob R -------------------- Serenity Prayer God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference. Free copy of AA's Big Book on-line: http://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/alcoh...olics-anonymous Free copy of NA's Big Book on-line: Copy & Paste coastalcarolinaarea.org/literature/books/b_t.pdf AA's HOW IT WORKS: Copy & paste www.aa.org/assets/en_US/p-10_howitworks.pdf NA's HOW IT WORKS: http://www.na.org/admin/include/spa...0it%20Works.pdf ---------------------------------------------------------------- --- driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity. ---there are those too who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest. ... I need AA more than it needs me. --- I fight recovery tooth and nail.... I'm not used to being sane, it just doesn't seem natural. ...... According to the great spiritual teachers, ignorance does not result from what we don’t know; ignorance results from what we think we do know. ---Some think that 2+2=5 and believe it. Some know that 2+2=4 and can't stand it. --- I didn't have a very happy childhood but I sure am having a long one ! ---Dry since 1989 working daily on getting/staying SOBER. ---If you want to drink, that's your business ...If you want to quit, that's AA's business. ... Tell me, I'll forget; ... Show me, I'll remember; ... Engage me, I'll understand. ---Most problems are psychological. Most solutions are spiritual . "If we try to change our ego with the help of our ego, we only have a better-disguised ego." --Richard Rohr WWBWD (What Would Bill W. Do) | ||
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Posted: October 7, 2015, 9:18 PM
Ben, people on here vilify methadone for alot of the same reasons and for the obvious (trying to quit or have) personally for ME it was the biggest drug battle I've ever experienced. if that's the way you got clean, and what you want awesome. But don't be shocked if people talk s*** on it on this particular board.
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Posts: 206
Joined: July 27, 2015
Posted: October 8, 2015, 11:44 AM
In every post regarding Methadone ( and Suboxone or Subutex ), I try and convey that 'yes, these drugs DO help to halt more risky behavior associated with OPIATE addiction.' If you want to stop the insanity of scoring dope from criminals, Methadone helps with that. It helps with the obsession associated with the getting and using of short acting opiates. And for I while I needed that. I was too insane at that point in my addiction to be cut loose, I was a chronic relapser and had proven time and time again that I'd get out of a treatment facility and go right back.
The longer I was on Opiate maint therapy though, the more I saw just how low I'd set the bar for myself. Was not scoring dope really all I hoped to gain from this? I'm not suggesting that not putting myself in dangerous situations isn't a major win for an addict, because it is. But damn, I must really suck if that's all I hope to achieve. That being said, it IS a process. And I have to respect that everyone's process looks a little different. I also believe what AA says: "There are such unfortunates." And it's not my place to judge here, it's only my place to tell my truth with regard to Methadone. Wishing everyone here Peace, Persephone -------------------- " Many times I sought the lighthouse The familiar beam in the dark Looking for the comfort Radiating from its spark; Today I turn that inward No longer am I the seeker I am not just the lighthouse I am the light - And lighthouse keeper. " | ||
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Posted: October 18, 2015, 6:35 PM
Every case is different just as every person and story is different. If you want to be "clean" you CAN quit FOREVER with NOTHING but the WILL TO BE & STAY CLEAN. Methadone,Suboxone and Doctors/Clinics are a Business !! Don't become a victim of this. Take your health and future into your own hands. If church helps,GO. Change your friends,if they use DRUGS,stay away from them ! Your family is your best support you will ever find. If you're taking drugs for TRUE PAIN,go to a "pain specialist". Get informed and learn all you can. Stop listening to other peoples stories. You are different and your life is different. What you do and what works for you will be different also. What you choose to do is personal,you will always find people who don't agree. Do whats best for you and keep it private. Get clean and live your life. Start now. Bless you and Good Luck on your road to happiness !!
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Posted: October 23, 2015, 8:12 PM
Kratom did work for my ex, yes. As for me, it helped a little bit with the withdrawals but did not help me block my cravings like the methadone did and I am back to using :( I'm going back to methadone, I may have to stay on methadone for the rest of my life. I think it's my safest way if I want to maintain a good life for myself
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Posted: November 29, 2015, 9:14 PM
It sounds as though your son is trying to work the system. Remember, addicts do that. Suboxone is a much better choice. I have worked at a rehab facility, I know the facts. Here is some info:
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Me...one_vs_Suboxone | ||
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Posted: December 12, 2015, 6:07 PM
Methadone is just as bad as dope,oxys,30's Etc,.........if not worse!!!! Absolutely the worst experience I've ever had,& Holys__t the withdraw forget about it !! Took 11 days for me to feel any kinda symptom, but when it hit me felt like I got ran over by a truck and then back over again& they lasted for many many months ...I kicked it cold turkey believe me I felt like hanging it up many times.. On the flip side I do know people who live very productive lives, but the must get that dose before anything. It's always gonna come first regardless..... People on this think about it the first thing on your mind before anything is getting dosed. (LIQUID HANDCUFFS)
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Posted: January 14, 2016, 11:57 PM
Here is my two cents
Tell your son to find a Suboxone doctor! Suboxone is newer, and can be MUCH harder to find a place or doctor that is licensed to even prescribe it. However, it is superior to methadone in the fact that You cannot abuse it to the infinite extent that you can with methadone, as suboxone contains TWO main ingredients - buprenorphine(an opiate partial agonist, which produces the 'high' and relieves the cravings and withdrawals, but is also an antagonist, therefore it has a doubling effect on reaching a 'ceiling' which implies that you can only get so high before any more of the drug does nothing more) and also contains Naloxone(a full antagonist that prevents users from shooting/IV'ing the drug and also assists in reaching a ceiling effect). Also, because of the partial 'antagonistic' effects of suboxone, it can keep one's tolerance at bay, so that your son may not need to increase his dosage so quickly. This also, in a sense, makes it easier to come off of the suboxone. Methadone is considered a FULL agonist. That is, it works the opiate receptors in the brain to a full capacity, and the more he takes, the higher he can get. Overdoses are also much, MUCH more common with methadone. In fact, i dont know if i have heard of anyone even overdosing on suboxone. This gives people the impression that it is just as bad as heroin, because there is no ceiling one can hit as to how high they can get with the drug. However, everyone is different, and ultimately, the only way for your son to find out what works best, is time, and..trying both. I personally am on suboxone, and have also tried methadone numerous times(off of the streets). I can say personally, that these facts are true, and that suboxone is MUCH better for opiate addiction. Wish you and your son good luck! | ||
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Posted: January 15, 2016, 8:19 AM
Suboxone is so much better! I have been on Suboxone once before for 9 months and am tapering off it now. I was on Methadone for over 5 years. Methadone was really hard on my body! I sweat a lot, I gained over 40 pounds, I was tired a lot, my testosterone was wrecked, I got depressed over time, and I lost the zest for life. Since switching to subutex about a month and a half ago I feel SO MUCH better! I'm excited to get completely clean now and give abstinence another go! Both of the medications are very powerful drugs.
I believe both methadone and suboxone are worthless unless the person is working a recovery program. They are an excellent temporary tool to assist it getting a person to change his thinking, behavior, and attitudes. To change his or her lifestyle including friends, activities, and to build a spiritual life. Without doing those things while on either medication your just switching a drug for a drug and not even getting high anymore. That's just my opinion and we all have one. But, mine is coming from experience and watching people in the clinics and on soboxone still using other drugs, selling their sub's, and simply not changing at all. | ||
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Posted: January 15, 2016, 3:03 PM
The part of me I am proud of, is that I know that my brain is simply craving a foreign substance in order to maintain its homeostasis. For me, this makes it easy to believe that I can live a normal life, whether I am in a recovery program or not. I still have chose to continue in a recovery program and lifestyle, but I do know that I won't have to rely on the program forever. I am a very conscious thinker, so for me, simply having the crutch or the drug, is enough for me to live a normal life. You could say that I am a stubborn outside thinker compared to most people, so recovery programs only do so much to change my thinking. As far as I am concerned, placebo becomes the biggest influence, so not getting high from my medication does not worry me. I know I am done craving a true high, and that the medication will still do its intended job whether it gives me a high or not. So, to me, the medication is much more important to my recovery right now than just a recovery program.
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Posted: January 16, 2016, 6:38 PM
Everyone has their own opinion. As for this recovering heroin addict, I believe I need to be on suboxone or methadone or I will simply get high no matter how much I try. That's just me. One day it may change, but for today, I will take my subs. I would rather have a clear mind and conscious, taking something that may just be harmful like some say, than be out on the streets, sticking a needle in my neck killing myself. This addict, uses to self medicate and self inflict harm on herself and loved ones everyday on the streets. When I first got clean, I was on probation and it was either prison time or getting clean and the only way I was able to get and stay clean was to go on methadone maintenance. I was 19 years old. For several years I stayed on methadone, never used opiates, not one single time. I was on 95 mg. I have never felt so purely happy, proud of myself in my life. I went to school and received my associates to be a substance abuse counselor, which is my passion. Without methadone, THIS addict would be dead at some point and have served prison time. Long story short, I was kicked off the methadone clinic when I missed several days for leaving town to go to my cousins funeral when she was murdered. I was told I wasn't allowed take home doses because they didn't find anything online about my cousin being killed, thus they did not believe me. They were very strict At this clinic., i asked for a blood test to see if I was pregnant or not about a week before this and they "claimed" it came out negative (even though I was already 8 weeks at the time). They rapidly detoxed me, leaving me in major withdrawal. Several days after, I took a pregnancy test, it was positive. By that point I had started to go into a mist carriage. It took such an emotional toll on me I eventually relapsed and was back on the streets for a few months. I was found in a stairwell, overdosed, by my boyfriend (who isn't a user) after I was missing for a few days. It scared him so much that he brought me down south with my family where I could get the recovery that I needed. This time, I went on suboxone so I could avoid going to clinics everyday. I have been on suboxone and in record for almost a year now. I am so miserable. I'm proud I'm clean, but I'm not happy. I'm not motivated and I'm very very much filled with anxiety, anger and depression I can't even work in the career I love so much. I'm clean, but I'm UNHAPPY. I feel so flat majority of the time. I refuse to use so I visited the nearest methadone clinic yesterday. They took my assessment and told me to take sometime to think if I really want to make the big switch. I'm going to do some more thinking, but I'm almost positive I'm going to do it. I've never been in such a state of well-being in my life when I was stable on methadone but I am absolutely terrified of being without again. THIS addict, today, needs to be on methadone or suboxone. That is my knowledge. Everyone is different and everyone has different opinions. But for me, being that I'm on 3 strips of suboxone and have tried all kinds of psyc meds in the past year, am a believer methadone is what I am in need of. Going to a clinic almost daily and being randomly drug tested once a week is what a lot of people need. What I've seen over time is that addicts who have been using longer and more severely work better with methadone. For THIS addict, at least. (Sorry for the rambles) Like NA/AA "it works if YOU work it".
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Posted: January 16, 2016, 6:48 PM
What I'm trying to explain here is that everyone is different and if suboxone or methadone is what works for them, is better than jails, institutions or death ANYDAY. Don't let other options hurt what may help you or someone else.
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Posted: January 25, 2016, 6:40 PM
I know the previous post are old but I can tell you this. I've been on methodone maintenance for six years now the highest dose that I was on was 125 mg and I've gradually went down slowly to 17 mg and I haven't had any issues up til now. This one thing you can't rush at first when my dose was at its highest I would do 5 mgs every two weeks then I stopped for a month to stabilize then continue to go down 3 mg every two weeks then at 30 mgs I went down 1 mg every two weeks. Will there be hard days? Of course but it beats any day of the chasing down drugs missing work and spending every penny you have . Different strokes for different folks but methadone maintenance saved my life!! I'm A productive citizen I go to work every day I no longer have cravings so up til now the good by far out weighs the bad.
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Posted: March 17, 2016, 7:11 PM
I have been an addict of many drugs for 17 years currently 33. Methadone is addictive...why do you think it helps an addict??? Duh...because it is addictive...What makes Methadone work is also what makes it the hardest to get off of. Methadone is the hardest opiate to come off of period. It is in your bones and teeth. It does help people that are simply too far gone. However, if you are young do not get on methadone period. Suboxone is way easier to come off of. Methadone was originally invented to help I think Hitler to get off of either morphine or heroin. It stays in your body a lot longer than any other opiate that is why you only have to dose once a day. I used to insulfate (snort) any opiate pain killer there was. Intravenous users might not get high once they start taking it because they are used to much more. High is a relative term for the individual. For me I felt a little high once I started taking it. Soon your body gets used to it. I wanted to stay at a low dose so I could come off of it. Soon the methadone did not do it for me, and I had to increase my dose. I have been on methadone for 2 1/2 years. I never went above 55 mgs because the people that went to the clinics scared the crap out of me. I did not want to be 65 taking methadone. It makes you crave sugar. That may be one of the reasons why it rots your teeth. I never thought I would get off methadone. However, some minor to serious things happened to me this year that caused me to want to taper off. I was on 47 mgs. I had to go to the clinic director and demand to take me off of it at 1 mg a day because they Dr. did not advise it. I only have for days left before total detox. What scared me is hearing stories of people going to jail on 100 plus mgs having to go cold turkey. One woman had a heart attack and had to be transferred to a hospital. The original poster is right. For some reason in the south they will let you go real high which you would think the northern states would be like that not the south. Although I have gone done slow enough to be able to sleep for the most part. My motivation to do just about anything is gone. On methadone I could work to jobs and do amazing things. Without methadone I do not want to do anything at all. If I didn't have children, I would seriously come close to suicide. However, my parental instincts help me to live. Methadone can be good to chronic long term heroin users. However, avoid methadone if you are younger than 30 and don't have a long history of use. Try Suboxone and marijuana combination if you want to have a future without being a slave to methadone. Almost every time I would go to the window to dose I felt like Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom when they make him drink that stuff out of the shrunken head...ole num shee god ole num shee god is what I kept thinking. There will be permanent damage to the brain. However, over time the body will start to produce its own dopamine again. It does differ from person to person. I feel sorry for the people that had mothers that used drugs during pregnancy. In my experience they almost can never stop methadone. The longer you are on it and the higher the dose, the less likely the person will ever be able to quit. Do not go over 50 mgs and detox within six months if you want to be able to stop. However, if you work a job it is almost impossible to detox because you will not want to go to work.
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Posted: May 4, 2016, 10:32 AM
Read MJ's posting because I have someone dear to me with an addiction... Thank you 😉 Sincerely, Di
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