So I've been on MMT for just about, if not a month now. My current dosage is 120mg, and I have been on this dose for two days now. I have not used since starting MMT, however I am still having cravings at 120mg. I am wondering if I raise my dose more if I could get to the point where I am no longer craving at all or virtually not craving. I am worried that if I raise my dose now this early into maintenance if I will totally trash my tolerance and become incredibly physically dependent on the juice. What are your guys experiences with tolerance to methadone and the benefits it provides? Does tolerance build fast and is it possible to find a dose that will satisfy me long-term? I am wondering how your guys experiences with finding the correct dosing and being satisfied with that dose is. Think I should just chill on 120 for a while or up it by another 10/20mg. I notice that most people at my clinic seem to have doses which look like they are in the 120-200mg range.
Opioids Methadone Maintenance Dosage & Cravings
- Thread starter Lifee
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dwightmann
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I too am on mmf I have been at my dose (90mg) for about 3 months. If I were you I would try to stay at that dose for 3 or 4 days and go up 5 mg at a time every few days til you get a stable dose. If craving is the only symptom of wd you have I wouldn't move up but that's just me. It's your recovery though so you decide
Lorne???
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^ 200mg is absurd, and the dose at which heart problems can start (methadone, in large doses, prolongs the QT interval)
Anyway, you could go up to 140mg, sure, though at some point it's on you to focus on other areas of life and let the cravings go naturally - yes, it is difficult, and yes, part of maintenance is reducing cravings, however, methadones high potency, and the massive tolerance you build, make other opioids pretty much useless, at least for the purpose of abuse - That isn't quite coincidence, it is too make it harder to abuse, because moth is going to alter the Users mind overnight, and temptation shall be lurk
Also, 2 days isn't long enough to teach steady state plasma levels, at which point methadone is 1..5-2 x the potency and holds longer
Think about this: 120mg *Chronic * methadone is roughly equivalent to at least ~400mg oxycodone PO,(or 200-300 mg IV), nearly a quarter gram IV morphine (that would be roughly a gram off of non - parenteral. Morphine, or a whopping 1'000mgs) and 30-40 mg IV hydro morphone
Again, up the dose a bit if needed, after that, though, wait it out, I mean longer than a day or two, and try to acclimate, because 200mg+ is massive, would likely make future opioid use difficult, and can prolong the qt interval
Don't take me as wrong, although admittedly I think some clinics get people "stuck " on very high doses where quitting or or even significant dose reduction becomes unfeasible (certainly well past unpleasant) however your life, your choice; if well over 100mgs doesn't or isn't eliminating cravings, then it may simply reduce and not eliminate them for you, personally
Just trying to give reasonable advice, more importantly, perhaps, medical facts regarding potency and the dangers of absurd methadone doses (you should be a good ways from that though, AFAIK) anyway, Luck to ya, hopefully you'll figure it out, find a comfort zone and things shall work out
And yes, have been on MMT myself �� / Lorne
Anyway, you could go up to 140mg, sure, though at some point it's on you to focus on other areas of life and let the cravings go naturally - yes, it is difficult, and yes, part of maintenance is reducing cravings, however, methadones high potency, and the massive tolerance you build, make other opioids pretty much useless, at least for the purpose of abuse - That isn't quite coincidence, it is too make it harder to abuse, because moth is going to alter the Users mind overnight, and temptation shall be lurk
Also, 2 days isn't long enough to teach steady state plasma levels, at which point methadone is 1..5-2 x the potency and holds longer
Think about this: 120mg *Chronic * methadone is roughly equivalent to at least ~400mg oxycodone PO,(or 200-300 mg IV), nearly a quarter gram IV morphine (that would be roughly a gram off of non - parenteral. Morphine, or a whopping 1'000mgs) and 30-40 mg IV hydro morphone
Again, up the dose a bit if needed, after that, though, wait it out, I mean longer than a day or two, and try to acclimate, because 200mg+ is massive, would likely make future opioid use difficult, and can prolong the qt interval
Don't take me as wrong, although admittedly I think some clinics get people "stuck " on very high doses where quitting or or even significant dose reduction becomes unfeasible (certainly well past unpleasant) however your life, your choice; if well over 100mgs doesn't or isn't eliminating cravings, then it may simply reduce and not eliminate them for you, personally
Just trying to give reasonable advice, more importantly, perhaps, medical facts regarding potency and the dangers of absurd methadone doses (you should be a good ways from that though, AFAIK) anyway, Luck to ya, hopefully you'll figure it out, find a comfort zone and things shall work out
And yes, have been on MMT myself �� / Lorne
F.U.B.A.R.
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As others have said, just wait it out. Two days isn't long enough to stabilise. Your 'cravings' are merely psychological - 120mg is a high dose and should negate physical withdrawal symptoms from even the heftiest heroin habit. Don't even think about using on that dose, it won't do anything.
So I’m going to just stabilize and chill at 125mg. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to respond to this thread! It is greatly appreciated! After reading through some of these replies and talking to other people with experience with methadone, I now realize I am in fact on a good dose. I do kind of regret going up and up as to be honest I would of been fine within the 80-100mg range. I currently do feel kind of bad being on such a high dose. I hope I don’t permanently fuck up my opiate receptors. Any more thoughts or opinions on the matter will still be appreciated.
lunchbox333
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please don't go up ! honestly if you've only been on a couple days at 120 and you're only a month in (. which I STILL wonder how you climbed that fast! at my methadone clinic the maximum intake dose was 30mg and we had to work up 10mg at a time every 5-7 days.-) you should be able to taper back down to atleast 100 if not 80 -90 without too much complication.
honestly as already stated If your only symptom is craving you are good, these things adjust over time slowly. its probably not even a physical craving to the actual compound at this point but more so you missing the ritual and action associated with your relief. if you were to use, which I am NOT in any way suggesting, you would probably quickly notice that it doesnt at all give you the same effect because of how used your receptors are with the methadone you are on, especially at your dose. using street opiates is pretty much pointless at this point. thats what happened with me anyways, I still used when starting methadone but as I got past 50 or 60 milligrams taking any oxy or h was becoming pointless. I would smoke a gram with basicailly no perceptual change or rush. this experience on its own eliminated any sort of craving I still had to use haha.
the only thing I regret about my methadone stay was how high I went up. definitely stay where you are and if you have with the power within you (eventually even) to perhaps even go down a few. your future self will definitely be thankful. most of the people at my clinic who stayed above 100 for more than a year or so (some people were at riduculous doses like 300-400mg...cant even believe the clinic would approve that but idk) where well aware they were going to stay there the rest of their lives. they called it a life sentence with the liquid handcuffs. they were pretty casual about it and even would make jokes about it sometimes but deep down you could see the pain in their eyes about that fact of their reality.
I had a terrible experience jumping off at 30mg but I'm glad I got out while I could. it really did help me get off opiates. I've slipped up since I've been off and even gone into a week or so binge a couple times here and then but I've been in majority off opiates for about a year now. was practically impossible the traditional route. bittersweet.
honestly as already stated If your only symptom is craving you are good, these things adjust over time slowly. its probably not even a physical craving to the actual compound at this point but more so you missing the ritual and action associated with your relief. if you were to use, which I am NOT in any way suggesting, you would probably quickly notice that it doesnt at all give you the same effect because of how used your receptors are with the methadone you are on, especially at your dose. using street opiates is pretty much pointless at this point. thats what happened with me anyways, I still used when starting methadone but as I got past 50 or 60 milligrams taking any oxy or h was becoming pointless. I would smoke a gram with basicailly no perceptual change or rush. this experience on its own eliminated any sort of craving I still had to use haha.
the only thing I regret about my methadone stay was how high I went up. definitely stay where you are and if you have with the power within you (eventually even) to perhaps even go down a few. your future self will definitely be thankful. most of the people at my clinic who stayed above 100 for more than a year or so (some people were at riduculous doses like 300-400mg...cant even believe the clinic would approve that but idk) where well aware they were going to stay there the rest of their lives. they called it a life sentence with the liquid handcuffs. they were pretty casual about it and even would make jokes about it sometimes but deep down you could see the pain in their eyes about that fact of their reality.
I had a terrible experience jumping off at 30mg but I'm glad I got out while I could. it really did help me get off opiates. I've slipped up since I've been off and even gone into a week or so binge a couple times here and then but I've been in majority off opiates for about a year now. was practically impossible the traditional route. bittersweet.
lunchbox333
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I basically did the same lol. I assume a majority of people who are on triple digit doses really wouldn't need to go past 50 or 60.