TDS Freaking out over upcoming home detox...

[inthetriptank]

Hi guys,

So I have been reading every night on here like I'm studying for finals, trying to get SOME IDEA of what to expect when I start my detox from opiates in 2-3 days...sorry if this info is available somewhere else, but I couldn't find anything too similar to my particular situation. And any wisdom/guidance you could offer would be awesome.

So, I've been an opiate addict, IV, since 2009. For a long time (4 years or so?) I was on methadone (got up to a stable dose of 70 mg), and still went out and used between 2 and 5 times a week. Dumb, I know...well, about 6 months ago I decided I needed to make a change for good, or my life was just going to keep getting more and more desperate and ridiculous...working two jobs just to pay for dope...etc etc. So I started a taper on my 'done. All was good until about 20 mg, and by then I'd made plans to rent out my apt, leave town for awhile, etc...so I couldn't just stop the taper. However, I was getting sick every morning, just feeling like serious shit...so, silly me, I started using on the side...just when "I needed to", but still, the 8 mg I have gotten down to isn't really like 8 mg of 'done and nothing else. Like, yesterday I did 30 mg of morphine so I would be well enough to pack boxes and prepare to move...today I did about 40 mg morphine. Not high doses like I once did, but still, using on top of the methadone isn't good and I know that.

I will leave town with 5 carries of 8 mg each of methadone. On top of that, I've squirrelled away about 20 0.5 mg clonazepam, 15 10-mg diazepam, and 20 lorazepam (God knows why...), plus clonidine, naproxen, and Seroquel.

My question, to the bluelighters more experienced with WD's, is this: How bad do you think my particular WD's are gonna be? Obviously, after tomorrow, I'm done with the illicit opioids, so it'll just be me, that 8-mg's of methadone, and the meds I mentioned, so how would you plan things out to keep from going insane? Please, no judgement, I'm mad as hell at myself right now anyway for fucking up again...just want to really get off this shit, once and for all

Thanks to anyone who can advise me here!8(

 

[rhun]

Hey, good for you. Making that decision to quit is a tough on, especially with methadone involved. I was there myself, initially methadone saved my life and I was somewhat functional the year I was on it but ultimately I ended up using on it. And after tapering completely off I immediately relapsed. In part because I wasn't in active recovery but also because for me, methadone was just swapping out one addiction for another... though methadone took me out of the daily cycle of getting well, using needles, etc. I personally got much more out of buprenorphine.

Anyway, to get back to your currency situation... I think your best bet is going to be dosing the methadone in the morning and using the benzos sparingly during the day only when you're really uncomfortable or anxious. You shouldn't feel too bad if you stay up and moving around and keep yourself distracted. You can Google the Thomas Recipe for vitamins and other OTC meds that will help. Then I would use Seroquel with benzos as needed to get you through the night to the next dose. Night was always hardest for me.

You have 40mg methadone, so I'd sit down and figure out how many days you can spread that over. Start the first day of the taper at 8mg, next day 6mg, and go from there. I usually recommend decreasing dosage every 4 days but you don't have that luxury. The big thing is going to be NOT using other opiates.

What is your tolerance to benzos and Seroquel like? Are you scripted any of these meds? I don't want to just tell you to take a bunch of benzos without knowing your tolerance. Clonidine can help with withdrawal symptoms and you can take it 3x a day when you're in fully withdrawal BUT it's important to check your BP as this medication is used for high BP. Most people have high BP in detox but I've had rehab centers send me to the ER because I have low BP and clonidine caused me to pass out.

Best of luck, you're welcome to PM me anytime.

 

[fizzymk]

I was on methadone for over 10 yrs, for pain, but Im also a drug user, (heroin). I would pick any other drug than methadone, this is one nasty drug to come off of.

It does work great for pain and for helping to avoid street drugs, but methadone WILL get you high, it made me feel GREAT all day long, everyday, so, while you may be off the other street drugs, you WILL become dependent and abuse the methadone, and usually methadone addiction turns out to be worse than the original street drug addiction.

 

[Erikmen]

I do agree with you. Just one question though. How can you keep doing heroin if you use methadone.
Methadone normally blocks the effects of heroin unless you really use a lot, isn´t that correct?

 

[rhun]

I do agree with you. Just one question though. How can you keep doing heroin if you use methadone.
Methadone normally blocks the effects of heroin unless you really use a lot, isn´t that correct?

You need to be on a higher dose for methadone to have a blocking effect. Usually once you get to 60-80mg but it varies for each individual.

I was on methadone for over 10 yrs, for pain, but Im also a drug user, (heroin). I would pick any other drug than methadone, this is one nasty drug to come off of.

It does work great for pain and for helping to avoid street drugs, but methadone WILL get you high, it made me feel GREAT all day long, everyday, so, while you may be off the other street drugs, you WILL become dependent and abuse the methadone, and usually methadone addiction turns out to be worse than the original street drug addiction.

While this may well be true in your case, you really can't say that this is going to happen to everyone who goes on MMT.

I was on methadone for a year and have many friends who were as well. When I started, my tolerance wasn't as insane as it is now so I felt a little sleepy the first week but after that I never felt the methadone again the year I was on it, despite multiple dose increases. And I knew people at my clinic that never felt it at all.

As for dependence, opioid addiction is interchangable. If you're addicted to say heroin and you start methadone, you'll just be using the methadone for your physical dependence. There's no period of time where you're not dependent on methadone.

I do agree that methadone can be very difficult to get off of, due to its strength and length of duration. It's also been my experience that the longer you're on it, the more likely you are to stay on. But the OP is down to 8mg, that's really quite an achievement

 

[Erikmen]

Okay.

 

[inthetriptank]

thanks a lot rhun your advice has helped a lot. I am doing this in my parents house in a city where I couldn't get opiates if i tried, so i think that is helping. yes i am scripted seroquel for sleeping, and have been scripted clonidine since i began to taper more quickly off methadone. so yesterday had a full 8mg, today have had 6, and so far things haven't been terrible...have had GI and bathroom issues, but so far that's all...i am thinking the next few days or week will be the hardest.
thanks for the help, and i'm scared but excited to hopefully finally have this addiction off my back!

 

[herbavore]

I'm glad to hear that you are excited. Ride that enthusiasm and good luck. Don't let the lows get you down by overthinking them--just wait them out.