Methadone jump off time?

[Xorkoth]

Meant to send this to Other Drugs, not Psychedelic Drugs... doing so now.

 

[average extreme]

I did a verrrrry slow tapper over 3 years, down to 0,5 mg. The drop to zero was not hard at all, hardly noticeable. I slept normal every night, only symptoms were a little sneezing and maybe a little diarreha but it was a walk in the park. I was on methadone for 7 years and my heighest prescribed dose was like 110 mg..

 

[Barrett66]

I did a verrrrry slow tapper over 3 years, down to 0,5 mg. The drop to zero was not hard at all, hardly noticeable. I slept normal every night, only symptoms were a little sneezing and maybe a little diarreha but it was a walk in the park. I was on methadone for 7 years and my heighest prescribed dose was like 110 mg..

Congrats!! Yeah at 0.5mg is my scheduled jump off per doctor which is fine. I'm in a "get it on and over with" state of mind already but think I'll be safe and just gonwith docs orders.. no sense torturing myself lol. TY!!

 

[negrogesic]

Dang, i wish i stopped at .5mg. Stopping at 2.5mg my bones were aching for weeks, it definitely wasnt a full withdrawal (not much gastrointestinal problems at all) but it was surprisingly severe, i did not expect that much withdrawal from 2.5mg (which is the equivalent of 10mg of morphine/day or maybe 70mg of codeine/day...i suppose when you say it like that, youd expect some withdrawal afterall).

 

[Barrett66]

Yeah crap. That sucks...kinda whynIm doing mybtaper evennearlier now. Thanks ngs could change lol. I'm taking 1.5 now and have for 6 days thus far without issue but it does creep up because eof long half-life. Weird stuff and happy to be off it almost. Ugh... I've even forgot to take it a few times I'm so sick of taking it lol.

 

[average extreme]

I think a period of stabilisation after each drop in dose is crucial to make it less harsh in the end. It may sound extreme but if i were you i'd wait at least 3 Weeks before you go down further. I spent months on doses below 5mg which is a ridiculous amount but well for me it worked.

How did you feel when you forgot to take it?

 

[Barrett66]

Oh I've experimented definitey. I think the longest I purposely went was 8 days before taking 2.5mg. it screwed me up about day 5 sonl I took about 1mg and went another 2 days. I've been on roughly 1.5-2mg daily until my next taper in 2 weeks which is tapering me to 0.5 (but I've already started that and skipped around to see how I did on my own in preparation. (hard to break them accurately). When I forgot to even take Inl didnt even realize it until the next day, but with the long half life it's no wonder. Didn't feel anything withdrawal-like but again...the half life...takes a couple days before you'll feel it. (Unless I was on a much higher dose, then it'd be apparent the next day probably). When my doc tapers each doenits a 3month period at that lowered dosage which is great. It's allowed me to start early and push it down a bit and see, but have a couple extras just in case (since I skip a full or partial dose) then if I do well, my wife tosses out the skipped dose so I only have a couple extra at any time. If I don't have em I can't take em lol. I know many who'd freak if I told them I flush a couple a week but I'm doing this for ME and certainly not going to give or sell em to someone. I don't wish this for anyone but it's been easy because of my doctor too. I've kinda just been experimenting within the last 90days since I'm getting close to my last script (0.5) and thatlls be for 90days. I'm not sure if I'd even bother with 0.25....prob jumpnafter 0.5 regardless..I've damn near did it already. Well for a week anyway but started feeling a little cruddy but that was at my 2.5 dosage too. At 0.5 I'll purposely try to do 0.5 and stretch it as far out also in prep for the big jump. Hope that makes sense...

 

[average extreme]

i remember that the sneezing would start in the early evenings when i was that low so i don't think that there is much of a build up at that dose. if you can skip a whole day without realizing it at such a low dose i bet there is not much to come..... go slow regardless just to be safe and to make it easier for your head... good luck and keep updating.

 

[Barrett66]

Thank you! Yep, I remember the cold symptoms coming in when Intried to lower at a higher dose and woke up shitty until taking my daily 80mg...but at this low of a dose I just went to work, came home, did my routine, and my wife asked "why didnt ya take your meds yesterday?" I didn't even know I had forgot until she asked. I have her "hide" them JUST IN CASE but I've honestly never taken more than my dosage for the day and several times less or a few times none. So I'm ready. But will probably keep on my "regimen" of proactively lowering myself lower than prescribed in anticipation. It's working and I have ZERO desire to take for a "buzz" Too close to screw up now plus my doctor had me sign a long term opiod agreement/contract where they can call me in and do a pill count, drug/urine screen etc. so there's that. I've never abused but that nor ever been called in for such, but it's what they do now because of the whole opiod crysis. Which arguably was started by doctor's to begin with. What a mess...good riddance. Just managing this ONE medication has been ridiculous. Used to have to drive to doc, get a hard copy script, drop at pharmacy, wait two days to fill it, sign my life away etc. Now they can fax it in again but it was like I was being treated as a habitual doctor shopper (no offense to anyone who has) I was many years ago for a breif period. It even KINDA screwed up my settlement almost because the dipshit lawyer I had at the time was so anti-methadone said it'd be hard to get a higher award because the Methadone would maybe seem like I was in it all for the money....what a dick! I said "Call my doctor and ask how many OTHER meds I refused (OXY 120mg) BECAUSE I didn't want to get hooked and opted for the methadone for a more management treatment than a breakthrough treatment" then I just said I'd get another consult elsewhere and walked out. He was one of those "anyone on methadone is OBVIOUSLY an addict" types..I'm a successful 50 yr old with own business of 25 years...and even if I was what he "assumed" it's still his job to work for me. I was the victim of a read light runner who t-boned me going 45mph in a 30...I'm lucky I'm not worse but considering I'm fully healed, full range of motion and no issues 4yrs later. But yeah. What a mess and so much ignorance when people hear "methadone" I think it's been perfect for my issue. My new lawyer didnthe right thing and showed it as HER fault Inwas on the med because she hit me.....which then first dummy shouldnhave done. Ugh......anyway..rambling. But that's then history of me here now.

 

[xdefiance]

I have none... that snis literally just to keep me from withdrawing. At about 5MG my pain had healed up and I can just takena few Tylenol and I'm good. But my doc said regardless he wanted to taper.me.so I wouldn't be sick.

That's great your tapering off, i;ve heard of tapering plans for inevitable discontinuation of methadone, at 2mg/per week decrease until completely gone. I personally cold turkeyed and went through the worst withdraw symptoms. it was worht it though not to be a slave to that habit of going to the methadone clinic. You are very lucky to have a doctor that will prescribe givin your prediciment and willng to taper you off. Thats a great resource and you wont have to go to a controlled clinic for dosing. Excellent. I would want the same for myself.

 

[Barrett66]

Wow. Good for you but I don't envy that in ANYONE..ugh. yeah I got Very lucky and am glad I discussed it with him before taking it even a few years ago but I think being honest and doing everything he said and not trying to abuse it etc really benefitted me the most. Especially these days with the damn impossible to even get an opiod now stance most doctors are on. Ugh.. but yeah thanks...almost done. It's been easy (easier with the taper if course).

 

[Barrett66]

So I'm thinking of just stopping now. I'm taking a TINY piece a day. A quarter of my prescribed 5MG pill and have only taken that for two weeks now. So like 1MG or MAYBE 1.2 tops..hard to break a tiny pill into quarters lol. My doc advised to wait but I reaaaaly didn't even have issues at skipping 5mg doses for a couple days so I can't imagine I'd feel much if any withdrawal at 1MG a day for the last couple weeks. And I have my regular alprazolam and Pepto on reserve lol. Thoughts anyone? Did anyone go to 1mg for a few weeks then jump? I can't imagine I'd feel much at all. If at all.

 

[average extreme]

If you are feeling like it you should try it, but it is always better to wait and decrease further. But i understand that you want to be done with this and you are almost there (y)

Good work!!!

 

[Barrett66]

If you are feeling like it you should try it, but it is always better to wait and decrease further. But i understand that you want to be done with this and you are almost there (y)

Good work!!!

Thanks "AE"' yeah I know...lol. .but I'm Soooooo close and it was only prescribed for pain management and I've never abused (like I would have years ago) so I'm super anxious to be done with it.... I know that besides the nasty stuff with withdrawals one of them is lack of energy which I understand can take a couple months to get back and that's kind of where I am now. I skipped two days without even taking any at all and I didn't have any stomach issues whatsoever and I know it can take a few days to experience them but from 1mg it didn't affect me at all except for maybe a little lack of energy so I want to get off the damn things and let my body do the rest so that when springtime hits in my area I'm not going through any withdrawal or lack of energy because I want to enjoy the sun and warm weather to the fullest so I'm just super anxious to be done with this crap LOL. I'm on day 3 without taking anything and I don't feel anything in the slightest so I'm going to wait a couple days and see my Doc on Monday the 23rd anyway so I'll definitely see what he thinks. Currently I'm prescribed 5mg/day but have been on a quarter of that sonI think he'll be happy for me as he wants me off ultimately but didn't want to not taper me properly which is a godsend. I know many doctors who would never have tapered someone over a two year. So I got really lucky in that regard and that's been a huge difference rather than just going five or 10 mg less every week or something a bit quicker which definitely could have had some nasty effects. I do realize also that methadones half life is like 36 hours or something so sometimes it can take a few days before you even get really nasty withdrawals but I'm on such a low dose I honestly don't think that's going to happen or at least not totally manageable in the slightest and like I said it's going to be three days almost since I've had anything and I don't feel a bit of withdrawal whatsoever not even a sniffly nose which is one of the first symptoms much less upset stomach and restless leg I think I'm down to such a low dose now that I'm past that happening.... But I'll know more in a day or two but I really believe I'm done with this crap finally ugh. There such a stigma about it too and I'm not shy of telling people I take it for pain management....it's funny how some people hear the word methadone and just think you're a junkie when it couldn't be any farther from the truth in my case. it was just a drug at the time that seemed like a good idea and I didn't want anyting super strong or highly addictive like oxycodone which are almost impossible to get nowadays anyway but three or four years ago I still didn't want anything like that because I know that I would probably finish my prescription too early and get caught up in that crap again....nope!! Haha never again. I'm 50. No more playing games. It'll catch up to ya ;-)

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

Not 60mg.
I went CT on that (plus using heroin once or twice maybe 3/4 days a week).
I wa fine for like 10 days and then 10 WEEKS OF SEVERE ACUTE WITHDRAWAL.
Was hell.

 

[tukabirdy]

Fucking rip that goddamned bandaid off and be done with it!!

FUCK IT! If you feel bad, that will be a reminder to never put that shit back into your system!!

Hellfire, he's prolly been and done IT! Wish I had gotten down that low!

Congratulations!! YIPPEE AND YEEHAW!!

 

[negrogesic]

Not 60mg.
I went CT on that (plus using heroin once or twice maybe 3/4 days a week).
I wa fine for like 10 days and then 10 WEEKS OF SEVERE ACUTE WITHDRAWAL.
Was hell.

Yeah shit gets real at day 10.

I once got narcan'ed by some douchebag EMT while on 380mg of methadone (someone called the paramedics because i was passed out on phenobarbital, and they thought it was an opioid OD). Once the EMT's arrived i woke up and pleaded with the motherfucker to not hit me with that shit, explaining the confusion. I got it of course, and instantly shit my pants, ive never been so cold in my life. If i came across him id stab him in the throat, he knew i didnt need it. That was fast forward to methadone withdrawal day 10 on 380mg, piece of shit could have killed me.

 

[nznity]

This is just a suggestion, youd be better. Off switching to a fast acting opiate like morphine, tramadol codeine, hydrocodone, oxy, etc. For a while until the methadone leaves ur system. Its easier to get off a. Short halflife opiate than Done. The withdrawals from hydrocodone or oxy only last 10-14 days tops unlike Done which lasts 30-40 days til u feel somewhat normal. MAKE sure u have Gabapentin/Pregabalin, Lotz of Loperamide, Clonidine and finally a last acting benzo like diazepam/clonazepam. The loperamide is from thosr meds the one thst will help you thr most. Take 20-40 pillz. Of. IMMODIUM(BRAND LOPERAMIDE ITS CHEAP) DEPENDINF ON THE SEVERITY OF THE WDS.the gaba or pregab will help aswell eith all the symptoms prolly 75-80% combining these meds. IVE SUCESFULLY detoxed by myzelf. At home with these meds, give em a try they make wds bearable. JUST. MY 0.3141516 CENTS, Good luck.
NZN

 

[nznity]

Yeah shit gets real at day 10.

I once got narcan'ed by some douchebag EMT while on 380mg of methadone (someone called the paramedics because i was passed out on phenobarbital, and they thought it was an opioid OD). Once the EMT's arrived i woke up and pleaded with the motherfucker to not hit me with that shit, explaining the confusion. I got it of course, and instantly shit my pants, ive never been so cold in my life. If i came across him id stab him in the throat, he knew i didnt need it. That was fast forward to methadone withdrawal day 10 on 380mg, piece of shit could have killed me.

Thats sheer torture. Man, that doctor should get his license revoked for being such a cnt. Mhmm hmm

 

[average extreme]

how's it going Barrett??