Help me!! 3 weeks of methadone- what to expect....

[bdomihizayka]

So I decided to get onto methadone after having a few months clean- long story short, i was worried about relapsing and thought methadone would be a good idea... actually I probably wasn't even thinking.... anyways...

my question is - how bad will my withdrawal be at only 3 weeks use titrated up to 80mg from a start of 30mg? What am I looking at? Is it going to be long and drawn out? And intense??? Is methadone withdrawal "intense to begin with as far a how hard it peaks?

Also, what is the intensity of methadone withdrawal like in general... is it as bad as fentanyl/ oxy?

I'm scared and just want to know what I am in for.... I do have detox meds- clonodine, klonopin, and gabapentin....

I need some reassurance- I'm having some panic attacks-I get so much anxiety before a kick its insane- more anxiety than when the kick even begins- the anticipation kills me..... please be real and let me know what I'm in for.... thank you!

 

[hikfromstik]

You shouldn't withdraw for too long at only 3 weeks. The longer your on it the worse its gonna get . Get a benzo or gabapentin and get ready for what may or may not be bad WDs . I may get flamed , but if you were strong enough to get clean from other opiates then please get off methadone. I was on it for 18years and I'm at 36 days clean. Long term usage WDs are long and drawn out . I'm still restless , depressed, not sleeping good , stomach issues, etc... when I first started mmt I quit after 7 days and had zero withdrawal. Stupid me went back because I was taking hydrocodone.

 

[freesolo123]

Anxiety make the WD process feel much worse than it has to be IMO, It amplifies everything in a state where you are already amplified. I would look to get it under control before you start. 3 weeks is not long but you will still feel pretty shitty,

 

[Xorkoth]

You'll withdraw for sure, but it won't ever get easier than it will be now. From what I understand methadone is the worst opiate withdrawal and it lasts the longest too. The shorter acting the opiate, the shorter the withdrawal. Fentanyl and oxy are both pretty short compared to methadone.

Sorry, not the news you wanted I'm sure. Stay strong! Remember that if you keep going on methadone it will just get worse, whenever you start to think about giving up on your desire to stop.

 

[Painful One]

You shouldn't withdraw for too long at only 3 weeks. The longer your on it the worse its gonna get . Get a benzo or gabapentin and get ready for what may or may not be bad WDs . I may get flamed , but if you were strong enough to get clean from other opiates then please get off methadone. I was on it for 18years and I'm at 36 days clean. Long term usage WDs are long and drawn out . I'm still restless , depressed, not sleeping good , stomach issues, etc... when I first started mmt I quit after 7 days and had zero withdrawal. Stupid me went back because I was taking hydrocodone.

^^^^^
I hope you get feeling better real soon!
Sorry to hear you suffered that and are still feeling it.
Keep a good sense of humor and nurture yourself dear.
You will be in my prayers.

Both of you actually.

I agree with freesolo123, anxiety makes the WD process feel much worse than it has to be. Keeping a good state of mind and keeping busy is key. Keep in mind things feel amplified and remain calm. You will be okay.

 

[bdomihizayka]

Hey thanks for the reply?s everyone. What I meant to ask was like is the actual ?intensity? of methadone withdrawal like how subjectively painful/ it gets- is it very hard like fentanyl or oxy? Or is it just a long drawn out process(which of course it is) with a more mild intensity?

Thank you to you all and I highly appreciate your prayers and advice offered to me. I WILL get through this! Just wanted to know what exactly I was up against. I?ll pray for all of yous tonight as well- much love

 

[Xorkoth]

From what I understand, it's very long and very painful, pretty much the worst all around. Just what I've heard... I've only had methadone one time ever, back before I even had an opiate problem.

 

[hikfromstik]

It's a bit different than the regular opiates. My diarrhea wasn't as severe, I had no nausea , but the RLS is horrendous. You'll have freezing/burning sensations similar to sunburn on top of your feet and on your shoulders. Expect insomnia for a while too. Feel free to message me if you have any other questions.

 

[bdomihizayka]

Even after juts a bit under one month you guys think ill suffer the full deal of methadone withdrawal though? Like the intensity or length isn't going to be shortened at all? Keep in mind that I was not really dependent on any opiates prior to going onto methadone.... so it's literally this one months use that I'm looking at facing up wto withdrawal wise.

And also, what is the most effective way to use the gabapentin to withdrawal? I know I can take like 20-30 600mgs a day and feel loopy, and dosing like that would eat up my pills.... what would a strong enough dose be for gabapentin- and will it eventually lose its therapeutic effectiveness much like it loses its recreational effects after a couple days? Meaning would the beneficial effects for opiate withdrawal no longer work after a couple days of withdrawal?

 

[hikfromstik]

I don't think your gonna withdraw for the same length of time if long term users , but you'll probably have a rough few weeks . If your serious about stopping opiates then the sooner you stop the better. If you wean down its gonna prolong the methadone in your body . It stores in your fat cells . As long as I was on it I'm sure it took weeks to leave my system completely, but since your only a few weeks in then it may leave your system faster and speed the process.
Gabapentin--- I used 300mg 3x a day and on the worst nights I would take 600mg to get me to sleep . Gabapentin won't feel as good once your in withdrawals . I took some just before I jumped and I got high on them, but once the methadone left my system I hated them . I do believe they are the best option to help withdrawal symptoms. Benzo's are good too ,but I don't recommend them for more than 5 days. Methadone withdrawal is such a long term experience that it's tough to take anything addictive to treat WD symptoms because your gonna need it for 20+ days . After that your dependent on another drug , then you have go through those WDs next . I want to help you ,because after the torture I've been through I don't want anyone else to have to go through what I went through. Just try to go without it , if it gets too bad then start a taper process. You quit the other opiates so you can quit this too. Methadone mental cravings weren't as bad as regular opiates for me so that's something to motivate you maybe. You may want to get some imodium, gasX and probiotics too . I still have some minor gastrointestinal issues now . Feel free to message me if you need any more answers.
PS. Please don't take 30 600mg gabapentin pills . I hope that was a typo . If your tolerance is that high your gonna have problems with a lower dosage working for withdrawals.

 

[Mafioso]

Even after juts a bit under one month you guys think ill suffer the full deal of methadone withdrawal though? Like the intensity or length isn't going to be shortened at all? Keep in mind that I was not really dependent on any opiates prior to going onto methadone.... so it's literally this one months use that I'm looking at facing up wto withdrawal wise.

And also, what is the most effective way to use the gabapentin to withdrawal? I know I can take like 20-30 600mgs a day and feel loopy, and dosing like that would eat up my pills.... what would a strong enough dose be for gabapentin- and will it eventually lose its therapeutic effectiveness much like it loses its recreational effects after a couple days? Meaning would the beneficial effects for opiate withdrawal no longer work after a couple days of withdrawal?

When using comfort meds, like gaba during methadone wd, it's important to only take enough to make the wd symptoms manageable. You'll still be experiencing discomfort but comfort meds might offer small windows of relief in which you can eat something and get some sleep, etc. I'm not familiar with gaba, but if you have a limited supply you should dose according to your supply. Planning out to save enough for a night time dose for the first 2 weeks, maybe with higher doses at the beginning of the week gradually stepping down. It's better to have a little even if the effects are minimal. You probably want to have enough for a night time dose for the first month, even if it is little to nothing.

Keep in mind that comfort meds are not a necessity, and that most comfort meds can be addictive as well.

By comparison, I don't think you things will be that bad. Stock up on comfort food that is easy to prepare, things like chicken noodle soup, drinking water, Gatorade, Pedialyte, and whatever else you want. Do laundry so you have clean clothes and bedding. Maybe get some bath bombs or Epsom salt. Get notebooks for journaling. Calming music, comforting movies.

It's a rough ride but it's nothing you can't handle.

 

[bdomihizayka]

Thank you so much for all your replies- you've all really helped ease my anxiety and answered some quesitons I've had during this really tough and horrifying time for me.

I had one final question- I real a few threads of people jumping onto kratom from methadone- one girl was on 100mg methadone (for unspecified time) after 4 days cold turkey and it mitigated 80% of her symptoms..... and on reddit there were people who jumped onto kratom from short term methadone use.

Would this be an option for me? I've been on methadone before- and it worked for me when I used it at 50mg methadone just a couple weeks ago.... I would want to do this so that I could get the methadone out of my system so I could go to detox/ rehab which would be better to go in on kratom than methadone for obvious reasons with tapering me off....

thank you and prayers to you all..... you have no idea how much you are all helping me right now.....I am so absolutely terrified of this withdrawal I'm facing- even though I know it shouldnt be that bad being only a few weeks on....

 

[freesolo123]

Its going to be uncomfortable whatever method you choose, I wouldn't drag it out if you have only used Methadone for 3 weeks it shouldn't be too bad with comfort meds for anxiety and sleep, Do you have any mental health issues like depression? If yes it will likely come to the fore after the physical withdrawal abates probably at 7 days.

Get your anxiety under control before you come off as it makes the withdrawal seem worse if you are in a constant state of worry. Can you get a week of Benzo's?

 

[Xorkoth]

The thing about kratom is that it's an opiate, too. So don't trade one addiction for another. Being an opiate though, it will ease (probably not eliminate as it's a much less powerful opiate than methadone) the withdrawal symptoms. You could probably use it similarly to how people can use, say, suboxone to rapidly detox... cold turkey the methadone, and take kratom for a few days, only when you absolutely need it and only enough to mitigate the withdrawal symptoms, and then stop. The thing is though, that methadone withdrawal will probably last long enough that if you take kratom through the whole thing you'll end up addicted to kratom. I was addicted to kratom for 7 years to the point that I got withdrawal after 6 hours of not taking it... the RLS was the most horrible of any opiate I was ever addicted to. You're definitely playing with fire a bit, although besides the RLS, kratom withdrawal is easier and it also lasts shorter. But if I were you I'd just try to stop methadone, use the gabapentin for a bit, lay low and get through it, and then you'll be done. Kratom is playing with fire, IMO. I really only recommend it for people who can't stay off opiates as something safer and legal to switch to, or as an aid for masking withdrawal when coming off short-acting opiates.

 

[Mafioso]

Kratom works to relieve the symptoms of opioid withdrawal because it stimulates the opioid receptors, just like methadone and heroin.

It will work in the short term to by taking away the withdrawal, but you risk addiction in the long run. Eventually you have to face the withdrawals.

To be honest, they are pretty fucking terrible but I am pretty sure I spent more time in withdrawal while looking for pills than I did when I decided to detox. It's like hell week(month) when you are training for a sport. If you can make it through this part of your recovery, you can make it through the rest. And you can make it through this part.