Methadone withdrawl

[Bluerosey]

I have been on 120mgs of methadone daily for 2 years. Because of the covid19 stuff I got takehomes before I was ready. Now I have 75mgs left and 5 days before I can go back to the clinic. Has any one had expirices with this? What can I expect? Any advice? Please help. I'm terrified.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

I have been on 120mgs of methadone daily for 2 years. Because of the covid19 stuff I got takehomes before I was ready. Now I have 75mgs left and 5 days before I can go back to the clinic. Has any one had expirices with this? What can I expect? Any advice? Please help. I'm terrified.

You've got to make it last. Take 30, 20, 10, 10, 5 then pick up again. It won't be easy, but you may be surprised at how it can hold you. Anything is better than nothing.

Try not to stress about it. You've been on methadone a long time and it has a long half life. Often the fear of reducing is worse than the reality.

Possibly I good time to consider your usage and make a concerted effort to come off?

 

[Branggen]

I would say try and skip a day take 10mg the 2nd day, 25mg the third and 40mg the 4th and nothing on the last. You probably are going to end up getting some other opiates to be honest unless you can handle withdrawal well, it wont be full withdrawal thankfully so its doable. Good luck and try and keep this experience in mind when you go get your next set of takehomes from the clinic. I don't recommend keeping extra but if you do manage to take only your methadone your tolerance will probably drop in the 5 days and when you get more, 100mg will probably hold you

 

[Bluerosey]

Thank you both. That makes me feel a little better. I took 25 today and I was planing on 25 the next three days and nothing the last day. I'm so scared of withdrawl. I hate myself.

 

[JessFR]

Man I wish I saw this thread earlier. This is actually something I have a lot of experience with.

I would recommend that you stop taking methadone right now...

Wait until you feel mildly sick. Given how much you've already taken, you should have at least 2 days before you start getting reasonably sick, perhaps 3. Preferably the longer the better. Then split out the remaining doses by the remaining days.

If I were you, I wouldn't take anymore until I was noticeably sick. Preferably to the point of some RLS. and then go from there.

If you can tell me how much you took in the last few days, I might be able to give you an idea how long it might last for.

You've got to make it last. Take 30, 20, 10, 10, 5 then pick up again.

I would actually say that's not a good idea.

The more methadone in your system, the faster it leaves your system.

So going by a 24 hour half life. At 200mg the next day you're at 100mg, 100mg lost. While if you're on say, 100mg,the next day it'll be 50, 50mg lost.

So, if you've taken a large dose recently, you wanna let as much time go as possible for what's already in your system to leave your system.

In my experience withdrawal starts roughly once enough time has passed for the half life to have brought your methadone level to about half your normal dose.

Generally that's 48 hours. But it can be longer depending on how much you've taken and when.

 

[Bluerosey]

I have taken about 100mgs every day for about 5 days before today

 

[JessFR]

I have taken about 100mgs every day for about 5 days before today

Sooo.. How did you end up running low early if you were taking less than normal?

You said you were taking 120 for 2 years no?

It doesn't really matter, it's just to get a rough idea how long you probably have till withdrawal, I'd need to also know how much you're usually dependent on.

Unfortunately, assuming you're dependent on 120mg. And have taken 100mg roughly every 24 hours for the past 5 days, and then today took 25mg. I'd estimate you have about 30 hours till the start of physically noticeable withdrawal.

You'll might start feeling kinda meh well before then, but it shouldn't be too bad for about 24-30 hours from now assuming you just took the 25mg.

I'm sorry but I don't see you getting through this without a fair bit of withdrawal

I can't see any way to stretch the remaining 50mg into enough to avoid it by itself. I figure each remaining 10mg of the 50mg is only gonna delay withdrawal by about 5 hours at best.

I recommend waiting as long as possible and taking as little as possible to stave off the withdrawal when it comes.

Otherwise you could wait as long as you can hold out, and take a bit larger of a dose, then wait again.

Good luck man I really mean it. I hope I'm wrong. 30 hours is based on my own system for tracking my own methadone use, your body might take longer to go into withdrawal than mine.

If I were you though I'd recommend having some loperamide or something on hand to help get through it if it gets bad.

Try not to beat yourself up too much. You can't change the past, and a hell of a lot of us have wound up screwing ourselves like this. I know I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've called myself an idiot for using more drugs than I should.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

It's strange how we all have different ideas on what will hold you isn't it? This just shows how subjective the addiction/withdrawal process actually is.

I personally found that once withdrawals kicked in, it was harder to stave them off by taking a lower dose than one is used to rather than tapering rapidly to defer them until one could get obtain a regular dose again.

It all depends upon what works for you. Unfortunately, determining what works for you involves a lot of trial and error and a lot of pain.

 

[JessFR]

It's strange how we all have different ideas on what will hold you isn't it? This just shows how subjective the addiction/withdrawal process actually is.

I personally found that once withdrawals kicked in, it was harder to stave them off by taking a lower dose than one is used to rather than tapering rapidly to defer them until one could get obtain a regular dose again.

It all depends upon what works for you. Unfortunately, determining what works for you involves a lot of trial and error and a lot of pain.

Absolutely. This shit is sooo variable. It took quite a bit of effort to come up with a system that works pretty well for me for tracking methadone withdrawal.

Since uhh, I don't take mine exactly like I'm supposed to all of the time either.

I used to do similar things to what the OP describes (though not to this extent), and frequently wound up in withdrawal for about 6-12 hours. Eventually I came up with a way to track it and was able to still keep some latitude with how I take it without risking noticeable withdrawal.

What I came up with is I record every dose I take, when I take it, and how much. I estimate from that roughly how much is in my system at any given time. Then through trial and error I determined withdrawal starts roughly when my levels equal about half my prescribed dose.

You might be right, if nothing else, even with the plan of taking small amounts over longer periods after getting into withdrawal, I don't see this avoiding a fair bit of discomfort. Just delaying the worst of it.

It's hard to know what the right choice is. It's hard enough just knowing for oneself.

 

[Bluerosey]

I took 20mgs out of my doses to try and cop a high but ended up using way more then I pland for. I was hoping I wouldnt get bad withdrawls since its only 5 days and I have a little methadone but it looks like that's a fairytale. Thanks all of you it dose help knowing ppl have done it and lived threw it without to much suffering

 

[JessFR]

I took 20mgs out of my doses to try and cop a high but ended up using way more then I pland for. I was hoping I wouldnt get bad withdrawls since its only 5 days and I have a little methadone but it looks like that's a fairytale. Thanks all of you it dose help knowing ppl have done it and lived threw it without to much suffering

You will get through this. One way another.

I know that just knowing withdrawal is coming and not having a plan to stop it can be so terrifying.

But people do get through it. Eventually you will get your next dose, and all the pain will disappear.

I would suggest loperamide and similar comfort meds, to be taken if/when things start getting bad.

If nothing else, I still recommend not taking any more methadone for about a day if you can. It should hopefully be time that you won't be particularly sick in anyway.

Good luck man.

I was kinda like you when I first got my takeaways too. Over time though I eventually started getting more stable with them on my own as I learned from previous mistakes.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

If there is one thing I've learned after two decades of being on the methadone yo-yo, is that it only works it you take it as prescribed. Them pesky doctors actually know their shit sometimes...

 

[JessFR]

If there is one thing I've learned after two decades of being on the methadone yo-yo, is that it only works it you take it as prescribed. Them pesky doctors actually know their shit sometimes...

I actually kinda don't, and it actually does still work for me.

But I'm careful. If I take extra, it's never much extra. Never more than a cumulative 1 extra dose per set of takeaways.

I wasn't always that careful though, and I paid for it repeatedly.

But as always YMMV.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

I actually kinda don't, and it actually does still work for me.

But I'm careful. If I take extra, it's never much extra. Never more than a cumulative 1 extra dose per set of takeaways.

I wasn't always that careful though, and I paid for it repeatedly.

But as always YMMV.

Did that for years. Finally came off 5 years ago.

Best thing I ever did.

 

[JessFR]

Did that for years. Finally came off 5 years ago.

Best thing I ever did.

I'm happy for you, really I am.

I question if I ever will though.

I truly can't imagine not having opioids in my life. I've tried and I just can't seem to do it.

Limiting the damage from it with methadone is the best I've been able to do.

 

[negrogesic]

Can you tell your clinic you lost or spilt a dose?

Or perhaps even be straightforward. Say you weren't quite ready for that amount of take homes and/or the stress of this covid19 thing pushed you to take more. Not sure of the repercussions for doing this but they will probably give you more if you say you ran out and are sick.

 

[JessFR]

Can you tell your clinic you lost or spilt a dose?

Or perhaps even be straightforward. Say you weren't quite ready for that amount of take homes and/or the stress of this covid19 thing pushed you to take more. Not sure of the repercussions for doing this but they will probably give you more if you say you ran out and are sick.

I probably wouldn't do that until you actually are quite visibly sick.

But it might be worth a try.

The only repercussions IME would be stopping the takeaways.

 

[Bluerosey]

I tried to spin a story they wouldn't go for it. But thanks for all the advice. I even called anothrr clinic but same thing." I want to help but there's nothing we can do" I'm thinking about getting h Idk if I can stop myself. IV been clean for months.

 

[Bluerosey]

I'm still good tho no symptoms may be my body will give me a break this time

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

I'm still good tho no symptoms may be my body will give me a break this time

Try to ignore your brain. It will trick you into finding symptoms where there are none. Keep yourself busy to keep your mind off it. Methadone can hold you for days if you can resist that nagging voice in your head that says you need more drugs.