(Emergency!) Will methadone build-up kill me??

[Hatter]

Hello.


Sorry to be so abrupt, but I am extremely scared for my life right now!

I got home from rehab today, where they have transferred me from fentanyl to methadone.

They thought I would need 100 mg methadone over 24 hours, but it ended that I needed 120 mg the first day, and 140 mg the next.

Then they sent me home with 7 doses of 140 mg each.

I am supposed to take it as two doses (80 mg and 60 mg) morning and evening, and continue when I get to a center which will begin to treat me, taper me down, etc. next week.

Just for interest, I tried plotting the numbers into Excel.

I was told the half-life of methadone is 72 hours, so I tried plotting what the total amount of methadone would be in my system over the next numbers of days.

I was shocked!

The numbers tell me, that the dose which kept me withdrawal-free, 120-140 mg, is already exceeded, and in a few days reach 600 mg in my system, if I keep taking the doses as prescribed!

I am completely bewildered, and I am just so scared that they have made a mistake, and that I will be dead very soon if I do that. I may have already taken too much, by taking this evenings dose.

Am I misunderstanding something? I don't know about the science, the brain, etc.

Can someone please tell me what is up and down in these matters?


Here is the data plot which I am so afraid of:

Date+hour	  total amount	dose taken


2018-08-31 (08:00)    80,00 mg    80,00 mg
2018-08-31 (09:00)    79,23 mg   
2018-08-31 (10:00)    78,47 mg   
2018-08-31 (11:00)    77,72 mg   
2018-08-31 (12:00)    76,98 mg   
2018-08-31 (13:00)    76,24 mg   
2018-08-31 (14:00)    75,51 mg   
2018-08-31 (15:00)    74,79 mg   
2018-08-31 (16:00)    74,07 mg   
2018-08-31 (17:00)    133,36 mg    60,00 mg
2018-08-31 (18:00)    132,08 mg   
2018-08-31 (19:00)    130,82 mg   
2018-08-31 (20:00)    129,56 mg   
2018-08-31 (21:00)    128,32 mg   
2018-08-31 (22:00)    127,09 mg   
2018-08-31 (23:00)    125,88 mg   
2018-09-01 (00:00)    124,67 mg   
2018-09-01 (01:00)    123,47 mg   
2018-09-01 (02:00)    122,29 mg   
2018-09-01 (03:00)    121,12 mg   
2018-09-01 (04:00)    119,96 mg   
2018-09-01 (05:00)    118,81 mg   
2018-09-01 (06:00)    117,67 mg   
2018-09-01 (07:00)    116,54 mg   
2018-09-01 (08:00)    195,43 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-01 (09:00)    193,56 mg   
2018-09-01 (10:00)    191,70 mg   
2018-09-01 (11:00)    189,86 mg   
2018-09-01 (12:00)    188,05 mg   
2018-09-01 (13:00)    186,24 mg   
2018-09-01 (14:00)    184,46 mg   
2018-09-01 (15:00)    182,69 mg   
2018-09-01 (16:00)    180,94 mg   
2018-09-01 (17:00)    239,21 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-01 (18:00)    236,92 mg   
2018-09-01 (19:00)    234,65 mg   
2018-09-01 (20:00)    232,40 mg   
2018-09-01 (21:00)    230,17 mg   
2018-09-01 (22:00)    227,97 mg   
2018-09-01 (23:00)    225,78 mg   
2018-09-02 (00:00)    223,62 mg   
2018-09-02 (01:00)    221,48 mg   
2018-09-02 (02:00)    219,36 mg   
2018-09-02 (03:00)    217,25 mg   
2018-09-02 (04:00)    215,17 mg   
2018-09-02 (05:00)    213,11 mg   
2018-09-02 (06:00)    211,07 mg   
2018-09-02 (07:00)    209,05 mg   
2018-09-02 (08:00)    287,04 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-02 (09:00)    284,29 mg   
2018-09-02 (10:00)    281,57 mg   
2018-09-02 (11:00)    278,87 mg   
2018-09-02 (12:00)    276,20 mg   
2018-09-02 (13:00)    273,55 mg   
2018-09-02 (14:00)    270,93 mg   
2018-09-02 (15:00)    268,34 mg   
2018-09-02 (16:00)    265,77 mg   
2018-09-02 (17:00)    323,22 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-02 (18:00)    320,12 mg   
2018-09-02 (19:00)    317,06 mg   
2018-09-02 (20:00)    314,02 mg   
2018-09-02 (21:00)    311,01 mg   
2018-09-02 (22:00)    308,03 mg   
2018-09-02 (23:00)    305,08 mg   
2018-09-03 (00:00)    302,16 mg   
2018-09-03 (01:00)    299,26 mg   
2018-09-03 (02:00)    296,39 mg   
2018-09-03 (03:00)    293,55 mg   
2018-09-03 (04:00)    290,74 mg   
2018-09-03 (05:00)    287,96 mg   
2018-09-03 (06:00)    285,20 mg   
2018-09-03 (07:00)    282,47 mg   
2018-09-03 (08:00)    359,76 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-03 (09:00)    356,31 mg   
2018-09-03 (10:00)    352,90 mg   
2018-09-03 (11:00)    349,52 mg   
2018-09-03 (12:00)    346,17 mg   
2018-09-03 (13:00)    342,85 mg   
2018-09-03 (14:00)    339,57 mg   
2018-09-03 (15:00)    336,31 mg   
2018-09-03 (16:00)    333,09 mg   
2018-09-03 (17:00)    389,90 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-03 (18:00)    386,16 mg   
2018-09-03 (19:00)    382,47 mg   
2018-09-03 (20:00)    378,80 mg   
2018-09-03 (21:00)    375,17 mg   
2018-09-03 (22:00)    371,58 mg   
2018-09-03 (23:00)    368,02 mg   
2018-09-04 (00:00)    364,49 mg   
2018-09-04 (01:00)    361,00 mg   
2018-09-04 (02:00)    357,54 mg   
2018-09-04 (03:00)    354,11 mg   
2018-09-04 (04:00)    350,72 mg   
2018-09-04 (05:00)    347,36 mg   
2018-09-04 (06:00)    344,03 mg   
2018-09-04 (07:00)    340,74 mg   
2018-09-04 (08:00)    417,47 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-04 (09:00)    413,47 mg   
2018-09-04 (10:00)    409,51 mg   
2018-09-04 (11:00)    405,59 mg   
2018-09-04 (12:00)    401,70 mg   
2018-09-04 (13:00)    397,85 mg   
2018-09-04 (14:00)    394,04 mg   
2018-09-04 (15:00)    390,27 mg   
2018-09-04 (16:00)    386,53 mg   
2018-09-04 (17:00)    442,82 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-04 (18:00)    438,58 mg   
2018-09-04 (19:00)    434,38 mg   
2018-09-04 (20:00)    430,22 mg   
2018-09-04 (21:00)    426,10 mg   
2018-09-04 (22:00)    422,01 mg   
2018-09-04 (23:00)    417,97 mg   
2018-09-05 (00:00)    413,97 mg   
2018-09-05 (01:00)    410,00 mg   
2018-09-05 (02:00)    406,07 mg   
2018-09-05 (03:00)    402,18 mg   
2018-09-05 (04:00)    398,33 mg   
2018-09-05 (05:00)    394,51 mg   
2018-09-05 (06:00)    390,73 mg   
2018-09-05 (07:00)    386,99 mg   
2018-09-05 (08:00)    463,28 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-05 (09:00)    458,84 mg   
2018-09-05 (10:00)    454,45 mg   
2018-09-05 (11:00)    450,09 mg   
2018-09-05 (12:00)    445,78 mg   
2018-09-05 (13:00)    441,51 mg   
2018-09-05 (14:00)    437,28 mg   
2018-09-05 (15:00)    433,09 mg   
2018-09-05 (16:00)    428,94 mg   
2018-09-05 (17:00)    484,83 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-05 (18:00)    480,19 mg   
2018-09-05 (19:00)    475,58 mg   
2018-09-05 (20:00)    471,03 mg   
2018-09-05 (21:00)    466,52 mg   
2018-09-05 (22:00)    462,05 mg   
2018-09-05 (23:00)    457,62 mg   
2018-09-06 (00:00)    453,23 mg   
2018-09-06 (01:00)    448,89 mg   
2018-09-06 (02:00)    444,59 mg   
2018-09-06 (03:00)    440,33 mg   
2018-09-06 (04:00)    436,11 mg   
2018-09-06 (05:00)    431,93 mg   
2018-09-06 (06:00)    427,80 mg   
2018-09-06 (07:00)    423,70 mg   
2018-09-06 (08:00)    499,64 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-06 (09:00)    494,85 mg   
2018-09-06 (10:00)    490,11 mg   
2018-09-06 (11:00)    485,41 mg   
2018-09-06 (12:00)    480,76 mg   
2018-09-06 (13:00)    476,16 mg   
2018-09-06 (14:00)    471,60 mg   
2018-09-06 (15:00)    467,08 mg   
2018-09-06 (16:00)    462,60 mg   
2018-09-06 (17:00)    518,17 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-06 (18:00)    513,21 mg   
2018-09-06 (19:00)    508,29 mg   
2018-09-06 (20:00)    503,42 mg   
2018-09-06 (21:00)    498,60 mg   
2018-09-06 (22:00)    493,82 mg   
2018-09-06 (23:00)    489,09 mg   
2018-09-07 (00:00)    484,40 mg   
2018-09-07 (01:00)    479,76 mg   
2018-09-07 (02:00)    475,16 mg   
2018-09-07 (03:00)    470,61 mg   
2018-09-07 (04:00)    466,10 mg   
2018-09-07 (05:00)    461,64 mg   
2018-09-07 (06:00)    457,21 mg   
2018-09-07 (07:00)    452,83 mg   
2018-09-07 (08:00)    528,50 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-07 (09:00)    523,43 mg   
2018-09-07 (10:00)    518,42 mg   
2018-09-07 (11:00)    513,45 mg   
2018-09-07 (12:00)    508,53 mg   
2018-09-07 (13:00)    503,66 mg   
2018-09-07 (14:00)    498,83 mg   
2018-09-07 (15:00)    494,05 mg   
2018-09-07 (16:00)    489,32 mg   
2018-09-07 (17:00)    544,63 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-07 (18:00)    539,41 mg   
2018-09-07 (19:00)    534,25 mg   
2018-09-07 (20:00)    529,13 mg   
2018-09-07 (21:00)    524,06 mg   
2018-09-07 (22:00)    519,04 mg   
2018-09-07 (23:00)    514,06 mg   
2018-09-08 (00:00)    509,14 mg   
2018-09-08 (01:00)    504,26 mg   
2018-09-08 (02:00)    499,43 mg   
2018-09-08 (03:00)    494,65 mg   
2018-09-08 (04:00)    489,91 mg   
2018-09-08 (05:00)    485,21 mg   
2018-09-08 (06:00)    480,56 mg   
2018-09-08 (07:00)    475,96 mg   
2018-09-08 (08:00)    551,40 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-08 (09:00)    546,12 mg   
2018-09-08 (10:00)    540,88 mg   
2018-09-08 (11:00)    535,70 mg   
2018-09-08 (12:00)    530,57 mg   
2018-09-08 (13:00)    525,49 mg   
2018-09-08 (14:00)    520,45 mg   
2018-09-08 (15:00)    515,47 mg   
2018-09-08 (16:00)    510,53 mg   
2018-09-08 (17:00)    565,64 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-08 (18:00)    560,22 mg   
2018-09-08 (19:00)    554,85 mg   
2018-09-08 (20:00)    549,53 mg   
2018-09-08 (21:00)    544,27 mg   
2018-09-08 (22:00)    539,05 mg   
2018-09-08 (23:00)    533,89 mg   
2018-09-09 (00:00)    528,77 mg   
2018-09-09 (01:00)    523,71 mg   
2018-09-09 (02:00)    518,69 mg   
2018-09-09 (03:00)    513,72 mg   
2018-09-09 (04:00)    508,80 mg   
2018-09-09 (05:00)    503,92 mg   
2018-09-09 (06:00)    499,10 mg   
2018-09-09 (07:00)    494,31 mg   
2018-09-09 (08:00)    569,58 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-09 (09:00)    564,12 mg   
2018-09-09 (10:00)    558,72 mg   
2018-09-09 (11:00)    553,36 mg   
2018-09-09 (12:00)    548,06 mg   
2018-09-09 (13:00)    542,81 mg   
2018-09-09 (14:00)    537,61 mg   
2018-09-09 (15:00)    532,46 mg   
2018-09-09 (16:00)    527,36 mg   
2018-09-09 (17:00)    582,31 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-09 (18:00)    576,73 mg   
2018-09-09 (19:00)    571,20 mg   
2018-09-09 (20:00)    565,73 mg   
2018-09-09 (21:00)    560,31 mg   
2018-09-09 (22:00)    554,94 mg   
2018-09-09 (23:00)    549,62 mg   
2018-09-10 (00:00)    544,36 mg   
2018-09-10 (01:00)    539,14 mg   
2018-09-10 (02:00)    533,98 mg   
2018-09-10 (03:00)    528,86 mg   
2018-09-10 (04:00)    523,79 mg   
2018-09-10 (05:00)    518,78 mg   
2018-09-10 (06:00)    513,80 mg   
2018-09-10 (07:00)    508,88 mg   
2018-09-10 (08:00)    584,01 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-10 (09:00)    578,41 mg   
2018-09-10 (10:00)    572,87 mg   
2018-09-10 (11:00)    567,38 mg   
2018-09-10 (12:00)    561,95 mg   
2018-09-10 (13:00)    556,56 mg   
2018-09-10 (14:00)    551,23 mg   
2018-09-10 (15:00)    545,95 mg   
2018-09-10 (16:00)    540,72 mg   
2018-09-10 (17:00)    595,54 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-10 (18:00)    589,83 mg   
2018-09-10 (19:00)    584,18 mg   
2018-09-10 (20:00)    578,58 mg   
2018-09-10 (21:00)    573,04 mg   
2018-09-10 (22:00)    567,55 mg   
2018-09-10 (23:00)    562,11 mg   
2018-09-11 (00:00)    556,73 mg   
2018-09-11 (01:00)    551,39 mg   
2018-09-11 (02:00)    546,11 mg   
2018-09-11 (03:00)    540,88 mg   
2018-09-11 (04:00)    535,70 mg   
2018-09-11 (05:00)    530,56 mg   
2018-09-11 (06:00)    525,48 mg   
2018-09-11 (07:00)    520,44 mg   
2018-09-11 (08:00)    595,46 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-11 (09:00)    589,75 mg   
2018-09-11 (10:00)    584,10 mg   
2018-09-11 (11:00)    578,51 mg   
2018-09-11 (12:00)    572,96 mg   
2018-09-11 (13:00)    567,47 mg   
2018-09-11 (14:00)    562,04 mg   
2018-09-11 (15:00)    556,65 mg   
2018-09-11 (16:00)    551,32 mg   
2018-09-11 (17:00)    606,04 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-11 (18:00)    600,23 mg   
2018-09-11 (19:00)    594,48 mg   
2018-09-11 (20:00)    588,79 mg   
2018-09-11 (21:00)    583,14 mg   
2018-09-11 (22:00)    577,56 mg   
2018-09-11 (23:00)    572,02 mg   
2018-09-12 (00:00)    566,54 mg   
2018-09-12 (01:00)    561,12 mg   
2018-09-12 (02:00)    555,74 mg   
2018-09-12 (03:00)    550,41 mg   
2018-09-12 (04:00)    545,14 mg   
2018-09-12 (05:00)    539,92 mg   
2018-09-12 (06:00)    534,75 mg   
2018-09-12 (07:00)    529,62 mg   
2018-09-12 (08:00)    604,55 mg    80,00 mg
2018-09-12 (09:00)    598,76 mg   
2018-09-12 (10:00)    593,02 mg   
2018-09-12 (11:00)    587,34 mg   
2018-09-12 (12:00)    581,71 mg   
2018-09-12 (13:00)    576,14 mg   
2018-09-12 (14:00)    570,62 mg   
2018-09-12 (15:00)    565,15 mg   
2018-09-12 (16:00)    559,74 mg   
2018-09-12 (17:00)    614,37 mg    60,00 mg
2018-09-12 (18:00)    608,49 mg   
2018-09-12 (19:00)    602,66 mg   
2018-09-12 (20:00)    596,88 mg   
2018-09-12 (21:00)    591,16 mg   
2018-09-12 (22:00)    585,50 mg   
2018-09-12 (23:00)    579,89 mg   
2018-09-13 (00:00)    574,33 mg   
2018-09-13 (01:00)    568,83 mg   
2018-09-13 (02:00)    563,38 mg   
2018-09-13 (03:00)    557,98 mg   
2018-09-13 (04:00)    552,64 mg   
2018-09-13 (05:00)    547,34 mg   
2018-09-13 (06:00)    542,10 mg   
2018-09-13 (07:00)    536,91 mg

Thank you so much.


Kind regards.

Isak

 

[cj]

No it won't kill you. Methadone maintenance is very well understood and extremely safe

 

[Jabberwocky]

Your situation sounds interesting Hatter.

What rehab were you at that allowed you to get on methadone?
They titrated up to 100mg over the course of 24hrs?
They sent you home with 7 doses of 140mg?
And split doses?

I'm sorry, but what you're shared is incredibly unusual. From what little you've shared, it would be both unheard of and most likely illegal for a prescriber to treat you that way in the US (unless you have terminal cancer or something).

Please do clarify, because right now it read more like you're just messing with us.

 

[hikfromstik]

I'm seeing a couple red flags here . 1st , no accredited rehab facility should send 7 140mg take home doses home to someone leaving rehab unless they have been on it long enough to get stable, let alone a few days . 2nd , 120mg for opiate withdrawals is ridiculously overkill for subduing withdrawal. Usually 30mg-40mg is the norm for methadone clinics to start patients at . If you have been on high dose methadone for 3 days then its had time to build up enough that you should be having nausea and vomiting with extreme drowsiness. If your scared then have someone sit with you just incase you quit breathing. How many total days since they started you on methadone ? Are you supposed to go to a methadone clinic afterwards ?

 

[Jabberwocky]

Briefly closed for staff review. Re-opened for discussion.

Hatter, please do clarify.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

I think OP gets methadone rx’d? Am I right?

 

[ladyhlove]

Wow. That's a hell of a dose to start at. I'm at 70mg daily and I had a 1-2 gram a day heroin habit.

How are you not sleeping all the time?

 

[jdfisse]

72 hour half life? Take homes leaving rehab? Even with the 17 hour half-life you will get systemic saturation, but there is definitely more to this story...please share it with us!

 

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

I can't see any clinic sending you home with nearly a litre of methadone after only two days of use. That would be totally irresponsible prescribing.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I now see how my tone earlier was perhaps not the best approach

I would appreciate it we would abstain posting any more critical messages about the OP's situation. I've never heard of this kind of thing happening, but heaven knows I'm not omniscient or whatever. The fact of the matter is, I jumped the judgmental gun on this one, but thankfully now I've remembered that I know far less than I don't know (not knowing, the ultimate form of knowledge; if that makes any sense).

OP, please just let us know you're okay. It would be very interesting to hear how you ended up in this situation. For one thing, I'd love to hear about the rehab that let you get treated with methadone. That's SO incredibly rare where I come from, most rehabs won't even accept people who take methadone (which is the kind of precondition for treatment I do not agree with whatsoever).

Hope you're okay dude. I apologize for my horrendously judgmental posts earlier. I'm nothing if not a work in progress

 

[ladyhlove]

^^Ditto.

Let us now if/how we can help, OP!