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Opioids Methadone insomnia?

LikeADaVinci

LikeADaVinci

Bluelighter
Joined
Dec 31, 2023
Messages
28
Hi

I’ve been reading that insomnia is a commonly occurring side effect with methadone…

I’m new to methadone and am not experiencing this now, quite the opposite it seems to help me sleep…

I’m wondering: is this something that tends to happen after you’ve been on it a while? Does this effect creep up on you?

Thanks
 
I didn't happen to me while on methadone maintenance, but it does occur when I've randomly taken it as a recreational drug (when taken without a tolerance).

The insomnia isn't a total insomnia, just a sort of restless, very light sleep, feeling very itchy etc. Same thing happens to be me if I were to take a bunch of morphine or oxycodone before bed.

But once fully dependent on these opioids I've found that this pseudo-insomnia disappears.

Unfortunately with methadone maintenance I found a different form of insomnia would occur, not actually insomnia but rather waking up too early due to onset of mild withdrawal symptoms. And this happened despite being maintained at a massive 380mg a day (240mg in the morning 140mg in the afternoon). Yet each morning I woke up cold, in mild withdrawal, earlier than I would have preferred, and would eat my 24 10mg tablets and just sit in a chair for and hour and half until I started to "warm up" again.
 
LikeADaVinci said:
Hi

I’ve been reading that insomnia is a commonly occurring side effect with methadone…

I’m new to methadone and am not experiencing this now, quite the opposite it seems to help me sleep…

I’m wondering: is this something that tends to happen after you’ve been on it a while? Does this effect creep up on you?

Thanks
Click to expand...
I didn't have any sleep problems with Methadone and I was on it for about 6 years. I'm so glad to be off it though. going on 14 years now.
 
negrogesic said:
I didn't happen to me while on methadone maintenance, but it does occur when I've randomly taken it as a recreational drug (when taken without a tolerance).

The insomnia isn't a total insomnia, just a sort of restless, very light sleep, feeling very itchy etc. Same thing happens to be me if I were to take a bunch of morphine or oxycodone before bed.

But once fully dependent on these opioids I've found that this pseudo-insomnia disappears.

Unfortunately with methadone maintenance I found a different form of insomnia would occur, not actually insomnia but rather waking up too early due to onset of mild withdrawal symptoms. And this happened despite being maintained at a massive 380mg a day (240mg in the morning 140mg in the afternoon). Yet each morning I woke up cold, in mild withdrawal, earlier than I would have preferred, and would eat my 24 10mg tablets and just sit in a chair for and hour and half until I started to "warm up" again.
Click to expand...
Thats a healthy dose there. Whatever works for you though. at 120 makes me sleepy at like 3:00 in the afternoon. Thought i had a super high tolerance to opioids but methadone not so much
 
Methadone - for me - does not kick in for (almost exactly) six hours.
When I first started on it, I titrated up from 30mg to 130mg and thought it best to take it around 5pm, just as I was finishing work.
I would then crash out at around 11-12pm not realising I was just coming up on the Methadone. I would have the most incredible Night Terrors, Sleep/Wake paralysis, Myoclonic Seizures and genuinely think I was in the presence of some sort of breath-stealing and malign entity.
This went on until I eventually realised that I'd be better off timing the dose to around midday/1pm so I could drive home safely at 5pm and by midnight I'd be ok to try and sleep without the Methadonic interference.
It's a peculiar substance but - for me at least - Methadone certainly can have a dramatic effect on the Zzzzz.
Kind regards
SW.
 
Nah messes with mine every time in the first few week, always then needing to up doses for other stuff. Funny bugger that but serves its purpose and the long half life has become much appreciated.
 
Hi. I have recently stopped methadone after 6 years OLD and wish I knew since I jumped off 7 days ago I have slightly gotten better but I still can't stop restless body and legs and have had less that 4 hours sleep in a week. Does anyone know how long to expect this or does it differ from person to person. Also I was on 140 and tapered down to ten before stopping. Thanks. Any suggestions appreciated. Stu
 
puke said:
I didn't have any sleep problems with Methadone and I was on it for about 6 years. I'm so glad to be off it though. going on 14 years now.
Click to expand...
I'm just say I'm totally jealous. I started 6 yrs ago and tapered from 140 to ten and jumped off a week or so ago. I'm sorta over the nausea but the restless legs , insomnia and severe anxiety are bloody unbearable. I've seen the doc and he says all I can do is go back on the 'liquid handcuffs' . I'm determined to go through this. Do you think it must differ on personality etc or am I doing something wrong. Ty
 
skunkworks said:
Methadone - for me - does not kick in for (almost exactly) six hours.
When I first started on it, I titrated up from 30mg to 130mg and thought it best to take it around 5pm, just as I was finishing work.
I would then crash out at around 11-12pm not realising I was just coming up on the Methadone. I would have the most incredible Night Terrors, Sleep/Wake paralysis, Myoclonic Seizures and genuinely think I was in the presence of some sort of breath-stealing and malign entity.
This went on until I eventually realised that I'd be better off timing the dose to around midday/1pm so I could drive home safely at 5pm and by midnight I'd be ok to try and sleep without the Methadonic interference.
It's a peculiar substance but - for me at least - Methadone certainly can have a dramatic effect on the Zzzzz.
Kind regards
SW.
Click to expand...
Hi. I have recently stopped methadone after 6 years OLD and wish I knew since I jumped off 7 days ago I have slightly gotten better but I still can't stop restless body and legs and have had less that 4 hours sleep in a week. Does anyone know how long to expect this or does it differ from person to person. Also I was on 140 and tapered down to ten before stopping. Thanks. Any suggestions appreciated. Stu
 
negrogesic said:
I didn't happen to me while on methadone maintenance, but it does occur when I've randomly taken it as a recreational drug (when taken without a tolerance).

The insomnia isn't a total insomnia, just a sort of restless, very light sleep, feeling very itchy etc. Same thing happens to be me if I were to take a bunch of morphine or oxycodone before bed.

But once fully dependent on these opioids I've found that this pseudo-insomnia disappears.

Unfortunately with methadone maintenance I found a different form of insomnia would occur, not actually insomnia but rather waking up too early due to onset of mild withdrawal symptoms. And this happened despite being maintained at a massive 380mg a day (240mg in the morning 140mg in the afternoon). Yet each morning I woke up cold, in mild withdrawal, earlier than I would have preferred, and would eat my 24 10mg tablets and just sit in a chair for and hour and half until I started to "warm up" again.
Click to expand...
Hi. I have recently stopped methadone after 6 years and wish I knew since I jumped off 7 days ago I have slightly gotten better but I still can't stop restless body and legs and have had less that 4 hours sleep in a week. Does anyone know how long to expect this or does it differ from person to person. Also I was on 140 and tapered down to ten before stopping. Thanks. Any suggestions appreciated. Stu
 
Last edited:
LikeADaVinci said:
Hi

I’ve been reading that insomnia is a commonly occurring side effect with methadone…

I’m new to methadone and am not experiencing this now, quite the opposite it seems to help me sleep…

I’m wondering: is this something that tends to happen after you’ve been on it a while? Does this effect creep
Click to expand...
 
For the RLS I have found Pramipexole to help but the sides or after effects when stopping using it was foe me not worth it. So will look at it as a last resort. Doesn't gabapentinoids helps?
 
skunkworks said:
Methadone - for me - does not kick in for (almost exactly) six hours.
When I first started on it, I titrated up from 30mg to 130mg and thought it best to take it around 5pm, just as I was finishing work.
I would then crash out at around 11-12pm not realising I was just coming up on the Methadone. I would have the most incredible Night Terrors, Sleep/Wake paralysis, Myoclonic Seizures and genuinely think I was in the presence of some sort of breath-stealing and malign entity.
This went on until I eventually realised that I'd be better off timing the dose to around midday/1pm so I could drive home safely at 5pm and by midnight I'd be ok to try and sleep without the Methadonic interference.
It's a peculiar substance but - for me at least - Methadone certainly can have a dramatic effect on the Zzzzz.
Kind regards
SW.
Click to expand...
It's not written in stone by any means. Everyone copes differently
 
skunkworks said:
Methadone - for me - does not kick in for (almost exactly) six hours.
When I first started on it, I titrated up from 30mg to 130mg and thought it best to take it around 5pm, just as I was finishing work.
I would then crash out at around 11-12pm not realising I was just coming up on the Methadone. I would have the most incredible Night Terrors, Sleep/Wake paralysis, Myoclonic Seizures and genuinely think I was in the presence of some sort of breath-stealing and malign entity.
This went on until I eventually realised that I'd be better off timing the dose to around midday/1pm so I could drive home safely at 5pm and by midnight I'd be ok to try and sleep without the Methadonic interference.
It's a peculiar substance but - for me at least - Methadone certainly can have a dramatic effect on the Zzzzz.
Kind regards
SW.
Click to expand...

skunkworks said:
Methadone - for me - does not kick in for (almost exactly) six hours.
When I first started on it, I titrated up from 30mg to 130mg and thought it best to take it around 5pm, just as I was finishing work.
I would then crash out at around 11-12pm not realising I was just coming up on the Methadone. I would have the most incredible Night Terrors, Sleep/Wake paralysis, Myoclonic Seizures and genuinely think I was in the presence of some sort of breath-stealing and malign entity.
This went on until I eventually realised that I'd be better off timing the dose to around midday/1pm so I could drive home safely at 5pm and by midnight I'd be ok to try and sleep without the Methadonic interference.
It's a peculiar substance but - for me at least - Methadone certainly can have a dramatic effect on the Zzzzz.
Kind regards
SW.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
It's not written in stone by any means. Everyone copes differently. For you to flaunt with arrogance just proves you know no bugger all.
 
Do you mean Gabapentin? Not really, Lyrica to a degree and some Parkinson's medicine. Problem is that RLS is actually a mental problem and not a physical. There are even old wife's tales of putting a bar of soap under your sheets in bed! About 20 % of over 55s suffer. It's just that during withdrawal you're strung out and tend to take anti nausea like stemitil that make it worse. Ondanestron however is ok. It's an anxiety based condition .
 
Do you mean Gabapentin? Not really, Lyrica to a degree and some Parkinson's medicine. Problem is that RLS is actually a mental problem and not a physical. There are even old wife's tales of putting a bar of soap under your sheets in bed! About 20 % of over 55s suffer. It's just that during withdrawal you're strung out and tend to take anti nausea like stemitil that make it worse. Ondanestron however is ok. It's an anxiety based condition
 
@stupotmc

Yes they are Parkinson's meds but also prescribed for RLS and works but gave me light tremors in my hands for months after discontinuing use of it. So I actually thought that it gave me Parkinsons as a side effect LOL.

And as for gabapentinoids yes I mean gabapentin and pregabalin. I have found both to work for me but that can just create another addiction all on its own again.

As for old wife's tales, my grandparents believed putting raw potatoes by your feet at night when you sleep. Tried it for shit and giggles and nanda.
 
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