3 month methadone user, wanting to taper off

[shainamarie90]

I was researching methadone and I read a lot of informative threads on this website so I decided to sign up and ask about my situation. This is my first time posting so I apologize if I am in the wrong place. Anyways...
I was doing roxys for about two years on and off and ended up getting bad last year and a few people told me to go to the methadone clinic. I was under the impression that I would go on the methadone for a month of two and they would taper me off and that would be it... Boy was I wrong. I am a prisoner now. I hear so many people there talking about how they have been going there for 20+ years. I now realize this place is bull and just a trap. I have talked to my counselor about going down but it's like they want me to stay on and try to get me to go to a higher dose but I refuse to go up. Anyways, I am ready to get off. I am currently at 75 mg and have been going daily for almost 3 months (In 10 days it will be 3 months exactly). I took a medical leave of absence from medical school to get clean and I am supposed to start back in the beginning of May so it's time for me to stop. Any advice on what I could do? I was going to taper down as much as I can on the methadone. I read people saying switch to blues for a few days to get over the methadone withdrawals because the withdrawals aren't quite as bad then maybe suboxone for a few days. I don't really know what way I should do this. I also have someone that will monitor me and won't let me hold on to anything so I won't be able to abuse anything, they are going to keep it outside of the house if I need to get something to help get off.

Also I have PTSD and Panic disorder from a bad past from being raped and abused ( that a different topic, I'm just factoring that in because I know a lot of withdrawal is mental) . So I was really worried about the mental withdrawals as well. I take valium whenever I get a panic attack but I am not in any way addicted to them ( I can go weeks without taking one ) Any input will help. I am still young and I don't want to follow in my parents footsteps. I want a clean, sober, happy life.

-Thanks

 

[shainamarie90]

I would like to add that I had a bad snorting habit with the blues, they were my escape. I'm pretty sure I am out of the snorting habit. I'm just really scared. I read some stories about how bad the withdrawals are, but most of those stories were from people that were on methadone for like 10-25 years. I was hoping that since it's only been 3 months it wouldn't be super bad.

 

[ExInMil]

I would like to add that I had a bad snorting habit with the blues, they were my escape. I'm pretty sure I am out of the snorting habit. I'm just really scared. I read some stories about how bad the withdrawals are, but most of those stories were from people that were on methadone for like 10-25 years. I was hoping that since it's only been 3 months it wouldn't be super bad.

Expect the worst if you are going straight off methadone. I'm not trying to scare you but take time off. If you can muster two weeks then take it. Find some comfort meds, especially gabapentin for methadone.

But......
If you are comfortable with switching to a shorter acting opiate for two weeks then do it. If you have someone that will not let you abuse it that is great. That is exactly how I got off Subs (also a long acting opiate like methadone).

Like you said a lot of the PAWs is mental. With your past are you taking anything for the PTSD besides a benzo when needed?

 

[shainamarie90]

Not taking anything else. I have a huge bottle of gabapentin, I've dropped down 15 mg, and I'm not feeling well at all. I was thinking I should just stop now and keep myself from tapering and feeling worse over a long time. Just feel bad now and try and get through it.

 

[neversickanymore]

Hey shaina90 and Welcome to bluelight Congratulations on makeing the descion to clean up and cultivate and promote a great life. kicking methadone is tough but definetly worth it. I kinked a big habit coming on two years ago and I cant belive how I have been able to transform my life. There is allot of great support here.

Here are some other medications you may want to try as well.

medications for acute opiate detox

The medications I would explore the use of for detox would be:
>Clonidine< DOSED EVER FOUR HOURS..

one of either
>NEURONTIN< >HERE< >HERE<
OR >Lyrica<
OR >phenibut<

>A BENZO BUT JUST AT NIGHT<
>a nsaid<
>melatonin<
tylenol

(Opi Withdrawal) what is the best comfort meds for opiate w/d?

Your Personal Opiate Withdrawal Arsenal

In order to successfully kick and then being able to live an enjoyable and peaceful life in recovery requires that we plan for and address at least four things

1) Acute withdrawal
2) Post acute withdrawal
3) The addiction
4) The roots of our addiction

Have you thought about ways you plan on addressing all these areas. It is often really beneficial to come up with a strong plan while still on maintenance so we are ready when needed.

 

[Jennfayce]

My best advice is to go down five a week. You don't want to go down too fast I've seen many ppl do it too fast and just b back in the same situation they were in before going. So please don't rush it. Take ur time. Go down five a week and go all the way down. Even if ur going for 2 go cause that is the absolute best way to do it

 

[neversickanymore]

^ I agree I would even encourage you to go down five every two weeks this will allow the half life of the methadone to go through and give a little time for the brain to readjust. To many people start tapering fast and it goes well ofr a little bit because they still have allot of medication on board because the half life is so long, but as that starts to catch up as well as the fact they have been steadly dropping dose and feeling pretty good until this happens then all of the sudden they can get slammed.

On the other hand I just jumped right of a huge habit and got it done with. figured why drag it out I can only feal so bad right.

 

[Jennfayce]

^ I agree I would even encourage you to go down five every two weeks this will allow the half life of the methadone to go through and give a little time for the brain to readjust. To many people start tapering fast and it goes well ofr a little bit because they still have allot of medication on board because the half life is so long, but as that starts to catch up as well as the fact they have been steadly dropping dose and feeling pretty good until this happens then all of the sudden they can get slammed.

On the other hand I just jumped right of a huge habit and got it done with. figured why drag it out I can only feal so bad right.

. Yea but the withdrawal from done is bad. Your right thou maybe five every two weeks. But never just cold quit. U won't make it

 

[neversickanymore]

People can make it jumping off.. I did. jumped off a Huge habit and haven't looked back. Not saying its for everyone.. I think a big thing with me was that I was so sick for so many years that once I got better, it was actually a "nice" change to only have to deal with the hard withdrawals.. it was a step better.. and since so many of my symtoms of the illness came from the exact place in the brain that causes so much of the withdrawals i was so used to it it was like a relief.. except for the restless legs which I did receive decent help from the clonodine but I wish I would have known about the GABA's.. everything is relative. (I jumped off 150 mgpd methadone, 260 mgpd oxy, and 6 mgpd xanax)

 

[shainamarie90]

Hey shaina90 and Welcome to bluelight Congratulations on makeing the descion to clean up and cultivate and promote a great life. kicking methadone is tough but definetly worth it. I kinked a big habit coming on two years ago and I cant belive how I have been able to transform my life. There is allot of great support here.

Here are some other medications you may want to try as well.

medications for acute opiate detox

The medications I would explore the use of for detox would be:
>Clonidine< DOSED EVER FOUR HOURS..

one of either
>NEURONTIN< >HERE< >HERE<
OR >Lyrica<
OR >phenibut<

>A BENZO BUT JUST AT NIGHT<
>a nsaid<
>melatonin<
tylenol

(Opi Withdrawal) what is the best comfort meds for opiate w/d?

Your Personal Opiate Withdrawal Arsenal

In order to successfully kick and then being able to live an enjoyable and peaceful life in recovery requires that we plan for and address at least four things

1) Acute withdrawal
2) Post acute withdrawal
3) The addiction
4) The roots of our addiction

Have you thought about ways you plan on addressing all these areas. It is often really beneficial to come up with a strong plan while still on maintenance so we are ready when needed.

That's amazing!! I admire you for that! Thank you for the welcoming. I have access to Clonidine and Neurontin, and Bezos for my anxiety.
I have addressed the issues you listed. I dug down deep to the root of my addiction and it all dates back to my first sexual assault when I was 12 years old (not trying to get sympathy or pity, I just feel that it is relevant to my becoming sober). I started to self-harm and it took the pain away and was an escape. Then when I was 14 I was introduced t0 drugs, the one that got me was opiates. Before I started tapering down I was scared of the mental withdrawal. I was at 75mg and it wasn't a stable dose, I still had slight withdrawal but I didn't want to go any higher. In about a week and a half I dropped for 75-50 mg and what has me confused is that I am happier. Now my body is kind of achy and I am restless and there are some stomach issues but I am happy. I assumed it's because I felt like I would wake up every morning and think "Here we go again" and it depressed me, so now that I am going in the right direction I think it's making my "mind" happy even though my body isn't at 100% (even though I was never really at 100% over the past 10 years). I am speaking with a counselor to help me to come to peace with all the things I have been through, and coping methods since opiates were always my escape. I am learning heal4thy escapes, such as exercise, meditation, etc. I truly believe this is going to be the time where I quit for good. Plus I am just sick of chasing a high, lol. I am ready for this. I took a medical leave of absence so I have time to get myself cleaned.

 

[shainamarie90]

My best advice is to go down five a week. You don't want to go down too fast I've seen many ppl do it too fast and just b back in the same situation they were in before going. So please don't rush it. Take ur time. Go down five a week and go all the way down. Even if ur going for 2 go cause that is the absolute best way to do it

I agree with you. I started going down way too fast. 25mg in a week and a half. My doctor said the same thing about going down 5 every week. I'm slowing down now though. Everyone that has seen me is amazed about how well I am taking it. Makes me feel good and gives me more motivation!!

 

[shainamarie90]

. Yea but the withdrawal from done is bad. Your right thou maybe five every two weeks. But never just cold quit. U won't make it

Oh man I would never quit off this stuff cold turkey off this stuff. That's a scary thought!!!

 

[shainamarie90]

People can make it jumping off.. I did. jumped off a Huge habit and haven't looked back. Not saying its for everyone.. I think a big thing with me was that I was so sick for so many years that once I got better, it was actually a "nice" change to only have to deal with the hard withdrawals.. it was a step better.. and since so many of my symtoms of the illness came from the exact place in the brain that causes so much of the withdrawals i was so used to it it was like a relief.. except for the restless legs which I did receive decent help from the clonodine but I wish I would have known about the GABA's.. everything is relative. (I jumped off 150 mgpd methadone, 260 mgpd oxy, and 6 mgpd xanax)

I don't think I could jump right off but I feel the same way. I am over this crap. Being an addict for 10 years and I'm only 24...I think that's the only reason why I'm not having any mental withdrawals right now, and that makes the physical ones very tolerable in my opinion. I know it's going to only get worst from here, but I am ready for it. Congratulations on being strong enough to quit like that!! That is amazing!!