What is a good taper to get off 25mg methadone

[EPL1]

 

[hikfromstik]

SoCal , congrats . I've been following you since mid June. I'm the guy that has the tramadol methadone thread . I'm on day 5 today . It sucks donkey dick. The tramadol/clonidine/ gabapentin is a very good comfort combo. The tramadol helps with the restless leg syndrome and helps a little with sleep. I have enough till my 7 days in then it's just clonidine and gabapentin. My doc isn't a addiction specialist so I have to guide him with things I've learned on this forum. Initially he was just going to give me clonidine, but I read on some older threads about the use of tramadol for methadone withdrawal symptoms. Anyways wish me luck . You have really inspired me .

 

[EPL1]

I sincerely wish you the best in your awesome quit hik!!! You're doing a great job, remember to be patient and kind with yourself!! Very proud of you and here for you anytime!!!

Your friend,
Ashley.

SoCal , congrats . I've been following you since mid June. I'm the guy that has the tramadol methadone thread . I'm on day 5 today . It sucks donkey dick. The tramadol/clonidine/ gabapentin is a very good comfort combo. The tramadol helps with the restless leg syndrome and helps a little with sleep. I have enough till my 7 days in then it's just clonidine and gabapentin. My doc isn't a addiction specialist so I have to guide him with things I've learned on this forum. Initially he was just going to give me clonidine, but I read on some older threads about the use of tramadol for methadone withdrawal symptoms. Anyways wish me luck . You have really inspired me .

 

[EPL1]

Happy Friday my dear friend Dale!!!

Just wanted to stop by and tell you how great you are and how proud I am of you, happy we are friends, you mean so much to me!!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you are pain free!!

Hugs,
here for you always,

Ash.

 

[EPL1]

 

[SoCal424]

Day 87- I'm doing pretty good overall. Some days more pain, some days it's less. Today is less. A biggie for me is the frequent sneezing attacks have finally stopped. I have no withdrawal symptoms at all anymore. I feel calm, I don't think about drugs at all. I still have some RLS due to lower back issues, but it's nothing like it was during withdrawals. I have an inner peace that I thought I'd never have again - but here I am and I feel it. I am back to non-medicated normal 100%. For those of you still struggling in withdrawals (I'm thinking especially of you hik), just keep going and get through it and you'll be so much better off. Take it minute by minute if you have to and try to keep your mind occupied - with anything but drugs. It takes time for your body and mind to return back to normal. Believe me, it will return to normal, and it will be a good normal.

You know, I've had something on my mind a while. All of us have likely tried to quit and failed many times. That doesn't make you any less of a person. You're still a good person inside, you care about others and want the best for everyone. Importantly, you have friends that are here all the time, not just for when you're quitting drugs (who needs "good-time" only friends?). BL is a community - and we often share details of our lives with each other that we don't share with many other people. That makes it some kind of kinship or friendship - right? It is disappointing to me when I make a friend (even if anonymous by name) through B.L., and they are here a while then disappear without a word. I always hope I can in some way help someone to quit a drug that they themselves want to quit, but if this time wasn't successful, that's okay - just stick around, or say goodbye, and when you're ready - try again.

When I started out on my own long ago, I had nothing, and I still have most of it
Dale

 

[hikfromstik]

Such encouragement dale, having a pretty rough day today . I'm out of my gabapentin and I'm not taking anymore tramadol now either. I suppose either the tramadol was masking the methadone WD's or I'm WD off of the tramadol. I have a few questions for you? When do the clammy hands go away and when does the crying ,cold hands/feet stop? I'm gonna try to stick around while going through this ordeal here on BL. I know some people come and go and I suppose that's ok . Drug addiction is so complex that some may not feel like posting daily or even weekly . As long as someone is here to listen ( ash or tpd , you and me and others too) things will go smoothly here . You've been a great mentor to many. As a matter of fact, your post motivated me so much that I think that if you can do it than I can too.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Methadone’s acute withdrawal takes about two weeks. Unless you had been taking tramadol for long enough to develop a dependency, it’s much more likely youre still “just” dealing with the acute withdrawal from methadone (a week of tramadol use isn’t long enough to develop a dependency unless you had a more substantial history taking it).

 

[hikfromstik]

SoCal, I did take it over our vacation , but only 1 in the am and a half at night for rls . This was 50mg pills , not the extended release. If they are that addictive then they need to bump those to schedule 3 . I believe they were masking the methadone WD's.

 

[EPL1]

Hello my dear friend Dale!!

Huge congratulations on 87 days, you are right, if you and I can quit ANYONE can!! Keep being you Dale, a solid man, a great friend to have, and a supportive presence here on SL.

Much love and respect to you,
your friend,
Asley.

 

[SoCal424]

Thanks for your post hik. I haven't re-read my posts, but going by my memory: My methadone withdrawal was intense for a several weeks - really intense, then it slowly eased. By slowly, I'll give you an example: let's take the worst symptom I had - a strong burning/freezing skin sensation that came on right away. I had that for weeks every day and night, but then one day I didn't feel it all over - just my shoulders and arms. Next day, it felt worse, and the next day it felt better, then better again the next - maybe not as good the next - then I'd have several days where I didn't notice it much at all. Let's talk about sleeplessness -another awful withdrawal part. I'd go two days without sleeping, then I'd sleep a few hours the next night, then not the next - but then I'd sleep all night, then not the next, then two days in a row - and it kept getting better until I was sleeping every night all night.

During those first weeks, just pamper yourself - sleep when you can, eat enough to keep your strength and heal. Try your best to avoid stress at all times during these weeks. Stress will feel ten times worse if it gets to you. If you start missing meals often, you will feel weaker and feel worse so take care of your mental and physical health and make it a priority. These weeks are also when you need to force yourself into distraction so you're not constantly thinking about how bad you feel. Distractions are music, looking at family photos, talking to others - and when you just want to be left alone, then how about laying down and close your eyes, then make your mind go places. Try to think about good times you had in the past that had nothing to do with drugs. When I close my eyes, I see all kinds of colors if it's dark where I am. If you see them, make yourself pay attention to them and try to change the colors by thinking it. Whatever you do see, focus on it as long as you can so you are distracting yourself from withdrawal. That is a bit of a mind game, but it does help. Any distraction can help. Nothing will totally distract you, but I swear to you - if you could see me then and now - how much better I am now - you would know without a doubt that getting through rough times is all worth it.

You are crying a lot? You know - crying is okay if you are crying because you feel the withdrawals. Physically, it helps you to release stress. If you also feel a lot of depression, then talk to your doctor please and consider going on a psych drug for a while. Those are called SSRI drugs. Clammy hands? I did not have that issue, but it could be sweating. If it's bad, you can put underarm antiperspirant (not deoderant) on your hands. Just wash them before you do anything with food or medicine. You can also take several showers a day. You'll feel better after each one - you won't feel "cured" but you'll feel better. Cold hands and feet: I looked that up online and found one story where a person felt that clonidine caused it. I have had a problem with very cold feet (still). It was worse during withdrawals, but that could have been my state of mind. I put a heating pad under my feet for a while and I never took my socks off. I even wore my shoes to bed (I stayed fully dressed) trying to get warm. I still use an electric blanket every night. Even then, my feet take a while to feel normal. My felt the coldest on the tops. Make sure your shoelaces aren't tight - that can reduce foot circulation. The one thing that will help your feet feel warm is to get a wide bucket, fill it with warm water and soak your feet in it.

You need to monitor your blood pressure during withdrawals. Mine went really high for several weeks even while I was on medicine for it. If yours goes over 150/89, you need to talk to your doctor. (mine went much higher than that, but it did come back down slowly).

I wish I had every right answer for you. I had hard times, but I kept telling myself - maybe it will get better tomorrow - I can wait until then - and I did that day after day until I did feel better. Remember too when you read my stuff, that I was on methadone over 20 years. My hardest times may not last that long for you - but keep believing that your body will heal itself if you give it time. You really honestly truly will feel good again if you can get through this. It is so freeing not to have to make sure you always have enough to take - that you don't have to worry about whether or not you'll get more.

When you do decide it's time to sign off BL - please post a goodbye message in your thread so all of us that follow you will know what happened when your no longer online. I think we all move on at some point or another, but I'm sticking around now for ppl like you. I want you to have the chance to feel good again - without methadone.

Your friend,
Dale

 

[SoCal424]

Hi Ash,

Thanks for posting again. You are so encouraging to me and many others here on B.L. Keep shining your bright light for us my friend,

Dale

 

[hikfromstik]

Thanks dale for answering my questions and more . Luckily where I live ( TN ) , it's in the 90s and it actually feels good to hold sit for awhile outside to warm my feet up. During this time I sure don't miss the methadone sweats . I would sometimes sweat on the coldest day of the year if I was busy . I could not go shopping or anywhere without a sweat rag in my pocket. Those days are gone . Music wise I've been listening to a lot of older country because it reflects a lot of my pain . Most don't know it ,but a lot of those 70s 80s country songs that people think are about relationships are really about addiction, especially the booze ones . Thanks again Dale . Happily not sweating since year 2000 !!!!

 

[Stargazer]

Hi Dale.

I read your entire thread and wanted to personally congratulate you and say well done!

Detoxing and tapering on your own w the ability to take the very drug -(whether legally or illegally)- you're tapering or detoxing from is inspiring and comforting. By sharing your experience, you are showing others it really is possible. Not painless- but possible.

Thanks so much for documenting and sharing your experience w all of us. There are so many people reading the recovery threads- helping others during the cold, dark, unbearably long nights to hang on is a priceless gift. It reassures that we're not alone and can and will live to see the sun come up again. Eventually. Thanks again.

 

[hikfromstik]

Today at my dr appointment I told Dale's story to my dr. He said if he can do it the I can too . Dale's story should be printed and handed out at methadone clinics , for real. Its documentation of real world experience of the common methadone WD effects. My methadone WD experience mimics his to the T ( the burning/freezing sensation, sleepless , crying, restless leg syndrome , depression, cold sensations , extreme body aches etc.... Dale is the man .

 

[EPL1]

Dale is the man,but so are you Hik, you're doing this too and we are all here for support.

Here for you anytime,
your friend,
Ash.

Dale is the man .

 

[SoCal424]

Day 94- I'd been waiting so anxiously to get to day 90 - to get past three months, and here is plus a four days. What a difference I feel between that first week and now. I am over it and I know it now more than ever. I had hung on to those left over methadone pills I started with for months. I had this Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde thing going on in my head like a part of me knew that I wouldn't take them, but there was no way in hell I was going to throw them out either I have thrown them out now.

Hikfromstik; 10YearsGone; Ash; toothpastedog; moscatel; greendark and many others: You have all been part of my "recovery" and I thank you so much. All of you, in your own unique ways cared enough to post, and you made this a little easier for me - you inspired me to keep going. I decided early on that I was going to keep writing through the methadone withdrawals so that others after me wouldn't go through it blind. I thought many times that if I helped just one person even a little, then those posts I wrote were all worth it to me. In closing, I believe we all need to care about one another a lot more, and judge each other far less.

"I tried to change my password to penis, but they said it was too short
Dale

 

[hikfromstik]

So proud of you Dale . I'm so ready to get to 90 days . I day dream about feeling better. You have helped me . I cant even remember how I stumbled across this site back in June, but some higher power brought me here . I have the same feelings you do about judging people. As long as it's not hurting me or my family then I really don't care what you do. If I never hear from you again ,just know that you did help me through this . I'm sure you helped others too. I feel like you have this kicked . I hope you stick around, but if not maybe I'll meet you in another life or maybe in this one by chance . Take care Dale and congrats on 94 days .

 

[SoCal424]

hik- I'm not here every day, but I'm not going anywhere.

Thank you for your post and kind words - it means a lot to me (seriously). You may not be completely done with withdrawals, but you made it through the roughest part of it and are still so motivated to keep going just like me. That strong motivation is what makes the difference hik. Like yourself, I wanted to be free of that drug. As I went through the roughest WD's, I could feel how sick that drug caused me to be, and that made me even more motivated. As I wrote before, those withdrawals are burned into my head like a scar - I won't forget it and I won't repeat it. I bet you'll feel exactly the same way if you don't already. You've been though hell and are just seeing daylight by now; you don't want to ever have to do that all over again.

"I was so poor growing up that if I wasn't a boy, I wouldn't have had anything to play with"
Your friend,
Dale

 

[EPL1]

Way to go on 95 awesome days my dear friend!!! Just like hik, I hope you stay around, you're very kind and helpful and encouraging Dale, happy to be your friend.

Hugs,