Tapering Who here has chronic pain and is always stuck between tapering and medicating pain?

[LucidSDreamr]

I am 95% over wanting to be fucked up recreationally in that way.

I want so badly to be off medication. I have a 5mg per day methadone dependency. I have a 1 month take home for double that amount so I'm free to adjust doses as I please.

I live in a state of constant tapering and then dose increase during a pain spike...bringing the dependency back up again.

Feelings of such frustration wanting to be off the shit but can't.

It might be easier to just accept that I take these drugs at their low dose and that's my life....but I want freedom from the dependency so badly.

I've even fully detoxed but an eventual pain spike gets me back on the shit. So I detox and felt like shit for 2 weeks for nothing, should've just stayed on it.

Anybody else stuck like this?

 

[polyboss]

Yes. I wasn't constantly taking opiates, but I felt I had to during bouts of severe pain (restroom pain). I'd try my best to not be dependent but eventually all I could find was strong shit that made me so. I thought taking fent at a low dose was ok for me, but it never is. Now I'm on sublocade and have no option of pain relief from opioids except for the miniscule effects from the buprenorphine. That helped and it didn't, I suggest sticking to something a doctor absolutely has to regulate if you want freedom.
Surgery will hopefully help my case soon. Even then, I'll need pain relief from that, so I'll be put on a strong opiate (hydromorphone) which I might be dependent to while on my sublocade! So here comes another taper.

A pro of sublocade is that it automatically tapers down, you feel no withdrawal if you just stop taking the shots because the depot mechanism. I'm afraid if I don't feel better after this surgery, I'll be on it for most of my life.

Does methadone really help with pain? Would you suggest a switch?

I am here brotha. Let me know if you need support

 

[HRopiate]

I am 95% over wanting to be fucked up recreationally in that way.

I want so badly to be off medication. I have a 5mg per day methadone dependency. I have a 1 month take home for double that amount so I'm free to adjust doses as I please.

I live in a state of constant tapering and then dose increase during a pain spike...bringing the dependency back up again.

Feelings of such frustration wanting to be off the shit but can't.

It might be easier to just accept that I take these drugs at their low dose and that's my life....but I want freedom from the dependency so badly.

I've even fully detoxed but an eventual pain spike gets me back on the shit. So I detox and felt like shit for 2 weeks for nothing, should've just stayed on it.

Anybody else stuck like this?

From what I remember, methadone actually was considered the most effective medication to treat chronic pain as it covers the entirety of the opioid receptors or has more affinity at the mu receptors as it's a full agonist. The dose of 5mg or raising doses when pain spikes seems to be a bother? I feel like the stigma surrounding MAT really ensconced this notion of dose increases as being bad or "addictive." IIRC, much of methadone's controversy is tied to Vietnam war and also methadone clinics and the stigmas tied to their locations instead of the efficacy of the treatment. That's really so sad. The dependence is or should be tied only to the pain...not to you as a person. Pain is such a complicated issue and I believe there was an overcorrection from the overprescribing habits of some providers that negatively impacted many pain patients by underdosing or suddenly cutting them off the medications.

I agree that taking the drugs at the dose is a viable option if you can accept it's just a part of your daily regime. Daily chapstick use will cause dependence and there are many regular daily routines that give withdrawal effects if discontinued but no one even bats an eye at those. My feeling on this is if you can find more acceptance with taking the medication for the time being and focusing on pain management without the stigma...the rest will take care of itself. Pain is a daily friend of mine that I have learned to control from not activating trigger points as much as possible and doing my best to lower inflammation in my body. It's definitely a process. Hang in there!

 

[LucidSDreamr]

From what I remember, methadone actually was considered the most effective medication to treat chronic pain as it covers the entirety of the opioid receptors or has more affinity at the mu receptors as it's a full agonist. The dose of 5mg or raising doses when pain spikes seems to be a bother? I feel like the stigma surrounding MAT really ensconced this notion of dose increases as being bad or "addictive." IIRC, much of methadone's controversy is tied to Vietnam war and also methadone clinics and the stigmas tied to their locations instead of the efficacy of the treatment. That's really so sad. The dependence is or should be tied only to the pain...not to you as a person. Pain is such a complicated issue and I believe there was an overcorrection from the overprescribing habits of some providers that negatively impacted many pain patients by underdosing or suddenly cutting them off the medications.

I agree that taking the drugs at the dose is a viable option if you can accept it's just a part of your daily regime. Daily chapstick use will cause dependence and there are many regular daily routines that give withdrawal effects if discontinued but no one even bats an eye at those. My feeling on this is if you can find more acceptance with taking the medication for the time being and focusing on pain management without the stigma...the rest will take care of itself. Pain is a daily friend of mine that I have learned to control from not activating trigger points as much as possible and doing my best to lower inflammation in my body. It's definitely a process. Hang in there!

Thanks. The fear of being on a schedule 2 medicine knowing I could be cut off for no fucking reason without warning or never get it again after my doctor dies makes me want to get off of it so bad. Like if it was an antidepressant...I know I would still be physically dependent and suffer a withdrawal without it...but i could easily obtain more from any new doctor anywhere in the world.

Methadone or any other opioid ain't like that. The stress of uncertainty is what makes being on it so undesirable to me.

 

[Nas47]

I am 95% over wanting to be fucked up recreationally in that way.

I want so badly to be off medication. I have a 5mg per day methadone dependency. I have a 1 month take home for double that amount so I'm free to adjust doses as I please.

I live in a state of constant tapering and then dose increase during a pain spike...bringing the dependency back up again.

Feelings of such frustration wanting to be off the shit but can't.

It might be easier to just accept that I take these drugs at their low dose and that's my life....but I want freedom from the dependency so badly.

I've even fully detoxed but an eventual pain spike gets me back on the shit. So I detox and felt like shit for 2 weeks for nothing, should've just stayed on it.

Anybody else stuck like this?

5mg methadone daily is a one step for quitting for me.Try to rotate your meds.It can work for some people.If you want to be drug free your dose is enough low to do that.Probably you will have some withdrawl depending on how much time you have been taking this.Personally me methadone always scared me,thats why I took it very rare.Just not suit me well,but it works perfect for other people.To have a patience...to wait enough time before to start feel better little by little-that is difficult.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

5mg methadone daily is a one step for quitting for me.Try to rotate your meds.It can work for some people.If you want to be drug free your dose is enough low to do that.Probably you will have some withdrawl depending on how much time you have been taking this.Personally me methadone always scared me,thats why I took it very rare.Just not suit me well,but it works perfect for other people.To have a patience...to wait enough time before to start feel better little by little-that is difficult.

I'm at 1 mg every other day right now.

 

[Nas47]

That is great!Try to cut off completly.The freedome is on the horizont.I can see it.You can see it.Try man!You are so close

 

[Dextro .45]

I heard it’s VERY hard to jump off 1mg Methadone in your case 5mg…?

I’m on Methadone 80mg daily for 10+ years due to RA chronic pain….probably for life

It’s so inexpensive to make, I see these 100 gram jars of pure Methadone powder like a small little peanut jar, 10 jars of those are probably a few hundred if that…..but 100 tablets of Metadol 25mg tablets in Canada are $240 with no insurance

Yes, it sucks bud.

You’re just on 5mg, but it’s proabaly the same as my 80mg adjusting for tolerance. I can take 100mg and not feel a dramatic difference …..except I can’t feel that 3inch long 22 gauge needle in my ass muscle IM Testosterone 200mg every few weeks

I went to work one day and forgot my morning dose, and didn’t realize it….couldn’t figure out why my legs were soooo soar, muscle pain, just in my legs, like I walked 100 miles, just 12 hours after my normal 7am dose….took my dose as soon as I noticed them on dresser and in 30min flat a comfortable calm came over my entire body, legs were relaxed and pain free

Damn, I can’t imagine 48 hours + without….apparently people do this regularly to get a bang from their dose

Me, no thanks.

 

[Fleischfresser?]

I found your post here,and am excited as hell,the short and sweet,is I been on fentynal for ,17 yrs give or take a yr,I started the abuse of it when they dropped me from 50 MCL to 25mcl,first just double patching on the last day,then on the second day , I was so thrilled to find I was able to perform physical tasks ,then I began chewing on cutoff strips,it was now out of hand,at the end of my prescription before refill ,one time I had to go ,16 days detoxing,I thought I was gonna die now I have started methadone and am at 30 mg,I have two patches left and have left the one on ,but the pain is here,not at peak I'm sure ,but there,does the methadone help u by itself or do u have to supplement on something?