Opioids My Daily methadone users - do you regret it?

[OpiateKiller]

Well guys, I've been on heroin a long time, and Suboxone just isn't working for me.

I've tried real damn hard to maintain and stabilize on suboxone and the reality is is I just can't do it. I've accepted this fact. It is a matter of time before immense amounts of either alcohol, benzos, or other opiates are entering my system.

For those who are on daily methadone maintenance; Do you regret it?

I think I'm gonna call all the local clinics tomorrow and attempt to sign up. I can't do this anymore.

As much as I'd love to be off all substances I don't think that is possible for me. I am accepting the reality of my life and trying to move forward in a positive light.

Side note - do you feel others and yourself can tell you are under the influence when maintained on Methadone? Because the one benefit of suboxone is i can appear entirely sober to anyone around me.

Thanks for the input

 

[ghostandthedarknes]

i wasn't on it very long, few months but if i sat down for 1 minute i would nod out. that and the intense sweating made it a no go for me. think i was on 60mg but not sure

 

[Xorkoth]

Sounds like you were on too high a dose.

I notice a lot of people say they prefer methadone to suboxone. It does cause a large reduction to testosterone, perhaps greater than other opioids (all opioids do this though). Also apparently the hell of withdrawal is unparalleled. However if you're planning to stay on it then that's not really an issue until, if ever, you decide to come off.

I've never been on methadone so this is just anecdotal opinions I've gathered.

 

[OpiateKiller]

Sounds like you were on too high a dose.

I notice a lot of people say they prefer methadone to suboxone. It does cause a large reduction to testosterone, perhaps greater than other opioids (all opioids do this though). Also apparently the hell of withdrawal is unparalleled. However if you're planning to stay on it then that's not really an issue until, if ever, you decide to come off.

I've never been on methadone so this is just anecdotal opinions I've gathered.

Yes I’m also heard the withdrawal is quite unfathomable I’m just hoping the clinic I sign up for is halfway decent and would taper me when the time comes down to say 10 mg.

I also take testosterone on the side, which idk if that’s a good thing to have methadone beating it down and me to continuously inject testosterone but I think it could help with some of the side effects.

 

[ghostandthedarknes]

if you're sure you're going to be on one substance or another, i say give it a try.

 

[OpiateKiller]

Called the best clinic around which has 3.4 / 5 stars lol... the other 3 in my area are all under 2 stars on google.

My intake isnt until June 10th you would think they would get people in who need help faster...pretty sad. Lots of people would die in that 35 days. Guess I'll have to tough sub out for 1 more month.

 

[ghostandthedarknes]

good luck

 

[chelle216]

Not currently on methadone, but I can 100% say that methadone saved my life when I couldn’t get my act together with subs. I had a bit of an unusual circumstance being as my primary care doctor prescribed it, so I never had to put up with a clinic. I started at 80mg and cut my dose in half overnight when I realized I was going days forgetting to take it. After 4 years I tapered off without issue and it was a cakewalk compared to subs (uugghhh). As long as I was engaged in what I was doing, I was fully awake, aware and functional, however, it was easy to fall in and out of sleep just sitting around. The only downsides were the junk food cravings and subsequent weight gain (it was substantial but came off effortlessly during the taper.)

I am hugely in favor of methadone over subs. Subs have their place, but it seems that many people just do better on methadone provided they’re serious about recovery, which itself may take some time after first starting. That said, I’m happy to see you’ve taken the initiative to get the ball rolling towards something that may better suit your needs and wish you luck on your journey!!

 

[sekio]

Methadone therapy, done correctly, basically returns people to normality. If dosed correctly you are neither obviously intoxicated, nor sick with withdrawal symptoms. I've seen people turn their lives around entirely, from a gaunt, sickly person hustling for money to get his thrice-daily fix of fentanyl, to a clean-shaven person with a stable life who any tech job would be dying to hire.

Another benefit is, because you're taking it in a controlled manner, you can do things like a very slow, gradual taper if you intend to get off opioids entirely. Even do it "blind" if you like - so the dr. knows the dose but you don't. I've heard people can taper remarkably quickly that way.

It's absolutely nothing to look down upon, if buprenorphine doesn't do it for you, methadone should. It's got a tried and true track record of more than 50 years as an opioid dependency treatment.

 

[JessFR]

No I don't regret it. I got off heroin and on methadone 2 and a half years ago because I was certain I wouldn't be able to stay away from heroin long term if I simply got clean, and I still believe that today.

Yes I can feel methadone when I take it, but not to any huge degree (mainly just a mild sense of opioid warmth) and no I don't think people can tell.

It's not the best choice for everyone, and it's not an ideal solution. But sometimes an ideal solution doesn't exist.

In the position you describe yourself being in, I'd say methadone is at least worth a try.

Whether people will be able to tell will depend on things like your tolerance, how much methadone you get on, but after a while of being on it, you're pretty much just normal. I don't think people will think you're high.

Before I got stable on methadone, I was homeless, begging for money every day, if not doing worse shit to get heroin. And I truly don't think I'd have stopped living like that any time soon, if at all, without methadone.

I'm not gonna say it's the best choice for everyone, but I certainly don't regret it.

 

[OpiateKiller]

Hello JessFR, I happened to come accross your post since im trying t get as much on methadone as i can since i really wana get clean. Subs aren't for me (been there done it & i have a horrible time on it) & i cant seem t find a dr that will prescribe me subutex which is odd bcuz ive been given subutex in detox before. So anyways, back to methadone: do u know if its possible to do a 5-7 day taper on methadone as i would on subs?? Im sorry to barge in but im desperate n know nothing about methadone except the horror stories i heard in rehab.

Methadone is a great taper drug. The most expensive detox I went to didn't do suboxone, only a methadone taper. You can do a rapid methadone taper from any opiate (heroin, oxy, etc). They did like 25 mg day 1, 15 mg day 2, 10 mg day 3, etc. It is a great drug to taper with.

 

[JessFR]

Hello JessFR, I happened to come accross your post since im trying t get as much on methadone as i can since i really wana get clean. Subs aren't for me (been there done it & i have a horrible time on it) & i cant seem t find a dr that will prescribe me subutex which is odd bcuz ive been given subutex in detox before. So anyways, back to methadone: do u know if its possible to do a 5-7 day taper on methadone as i would on subs?? Im sorry to barge in but im desperate n know nothing about methadone except the horror stories i heard in rehab.

Well, I've never done a methadone taper myself, but I know it is done yes. And I've known people who have said they've had success doing it.

So yeah, while I haven't done it myself, yes methadone can be and often is used to taper off an opioid habit.

 

[OpiateKiller]

Any idea how many days i can do for heroin wd? Well since you, yourself havent had the experience. Can u point me in the right direction, where would i find out about all this? Or should i just keep reading/ asking til i find some1 that has??

Not trying to be rude here but I just told you I have done a methadone taper from heroin. 7 days will be helpful, but no amount of methadone is gonna safely walk you through a heroin withdrawal. At the end of the day when you're out of opiates and opioids you will suffer, that's just the way the world works.

 

[JessFR]

Any idea how many days i can do for heroin wd? Well since you, yourself havent had the experience. Can u point me in the right direction, where would i find out about all this? Or should i just keep reading/ asking til i find some1 that has??

If you want you want you can always start your own thread to solicit advise. Health and recovery, or the dark side subforums would probably be the best place to ask.

As for how long, it probably depends mostly on you. I mean different clinics and facilities have different rules and policies. But usually with something like this you can discuss how you want to do it.

 

[Marbre1102]

Methadone therapy, done correctly, basically returns people to normality. If dosed correctly you are neither obviously intoxicated, nor sick with withdrawal symptoms. I've seen people turn their lives around entirely, from a gaunt, sickly person hustling for money to get his thrice-daily fix of fentanyl, to a clean-shaven person with a stable life who any tech job would be dying to hire.

Another benefit is, because you're taking it in a controlled manner, you can do things like a very slow, gradual taper if you intend to get off opioids entirely. Even do it "blind" if you like - so the dr. knows the dose but you don't. I've heard people can taper remarkably quickly that way.

It's absolutely nothing to look down upon, if buprenorphine doesn't do it for you, methadone should. It's got a tried and true track record of more than 50 years as an opioid dependency treatment.

Really nice post

 

[Marbre1102]

Not trying to be rude here but I just told you I have done a methadone taper from heroin. 7 days will be helpful, but no amount of methadone is gonna safely walk you through a heroin withdrawal. At the end of the day when you're out of opiates and opioids you will suffer, that's just the way the world works.

You are crazy. Methadone can def get someone off of heroin