Can you live a normal life on methadone?

[Dublin1985]

Hi,

I'm living in Ireland where almost 10,000 people are on methadone treatment for heroin addiction, mostly in Dublin. Some have been on methadone for more than 10 years, and I was wondering: can you live a completely normal life on methadone? Are there no health side-effects of long-term use? Can you hold down a job, have a "normal" family life?

Curious.

 

[neversickanymore]

Hey Dublin and welcome to BL


Methadone is a very significant drug. Its a full opiate agonist, A nmda antagonist, and both a serantonan and noreepenphirine reubuke inhibitor.

There are certainly side effects and theses are explored in the links below.

You certainly can hold down a job and have a family life.

When we are on a drug 24/7 there are always going to be effects. A person on methadone will not have the same life experience that sober people have. Thier emotions are often severely dulled and they often have no sex drive to name a few.

Like anything its a give and take.. the good is that they are no longer active heroin addicts and living that crazy life. It stabilizes people and ollows them to live a more normal life. Unfortunately it does not create a completely normal life.

Methadone side effects, separating fact and fiction.

Low vitamin d status of patients in methadone maintenance treatment.

Methadone

Neuropathic Pain: Causes, Management and Understanding

Hypogonadism and Low Testosterone Levels as a Side Effect of Methadone and Buprenorphine

Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy

Hope this information helps you out.

 

[mangles]

I've been on methadone a little over a year now. I was at 100mgs and now am at 15mgs, going down 3 mgs every week. A year ago, I was dead in the hospital from an OD, with not a dime to my name, the doctors telling my parents if I ever do come back, I'll probably be a paraplegic. Now I have a 40 hour work week job in an office making 50k+ a year with full benefits. Methadone saved my life, I am not ashamed to admit it. It gets a very bad rap, but for me, it's the only thing that worked.

However, this is just MY experience with it. I've known many people to get on it and still abuse substances and stay stagnant on it for years.

 

[Dublin1985]

Thanks mangles and neversickanymore! That's very helpful.

Mangles, any idea from your experience why some people might still top-up with other stuff and stay stagnant on it for years, while others like yourself seem to respond well? Anyway to predict how it's going to work for different folks?

 

[Hotestdoggy]

Having been on methadone myself now for 15 years, I can say it is possible to live a relatively normal life. Some aspects change, emotions, motivation, sex drive all might suffer. But looking at the alternative I personally think its a price worth paying. I started with the expectation of getting totally clean in 6 months, yet here I am 15 years later. Of course like a lot of people on phy I kept up my other drug habits and didnt really work any program with the methadone. Now I am getting older (in my forties now) my other drug use has dwindled away. I still dabble once a month but compared to 8 years ago when I was still 3-4 times a day. By the way, I know business men with nice houses and cars, kids the whole shebang in their 50's who have been on phy for almost 30 years so a normal life (whatever that might mean to you) is totally achievable. Good luck if your staring a methadone course. One thing I wish I knew starting off is try and get your GP to prescribe for you, not a clinic. I find clinics to be just a market place for addicts. Also try working some sort of recovery program, maybe NA or whatever. In Dublin their are quite a few options. My own recovery (for what it is) only really came together after doing a couple of programs. Your methadone prescriber should be able to help you in this regard.

 

[Dublin1985]

Hi Hotestdoggy, many thanks for your answer. I'm not myself looking at going on a methadone program, I was just curious because I heard so much about it in the news and wanted to ask people a bit about it. (I'm a writer/journalist myself.) I'm sending ya a private message, I hope that's okay.

 

[David Wooderson]

I went on methadone before suboxone was approved for use. I would go with suboxone unless you have a very unstable habit. People that go from low potency pain killers (vicodin, codiene and tramadol) to methadone are in for a ride. My personal experience is that it ruined my life. However depending on the clinic going into 2-300mg+ daily doses will also make your life unstable.

 

[Hotestdoggy]

Dublin 1985, [email protected] here.
Are you still interested in meeting to discuss the methadone situation in Dublin/Ireland?

If it's any help I have experience with methadone in England and the Netherlands.

I do what I can when it comes to filling reports for the likes of Merchants Quay ( the main centre in Dublin for needle exchanges and organising treatments.
I've also spoke to many people in Focus Ireland ( homeless and addiction services).

If my experience can help people understand addiction better and maybe come up with better treatment options I'll glady help, even go out of my way if it means travelling to other parts of the country.

To be honest I was really hoping you'd get back to me, even if it's just to tell me you are no longer interested.

I look forward to hearing from you one way or another.

You would reach me better on my email as I don't use bluelight that often.

[email protected]

My name is Jason by the way.

<snip>

 

[Hotestdoggy]

By the way, I assume you know that Merchants Quay is going to open an injection site so addicts don't have to bang up down laneways and phone boxes (which disgusts the hell out of me).

There's also talk of prescribing either Suboxone or subutex which is supposed to be a lot easier to quit than methadone.

It will be interesting to see as someone like me with a, Jesus, 16 year methadone habit. I pray they live up to their reputation as I'm in my early forties and have no wish to be taking anything when I'm 50.

 

[cj]

Yes you can absolutely live a normal life on methadone. I see it everyday at my clinic. A guy in a suit driving a Mercedes comes in with his giant take home safe and gets his medicine for the month. Hell even my life is becoming much more normal in the 9 months I have been on the clinic. Complete abstinence from opiates is a noble goal and everyone should try to achieve that at first. But if you fail a few times methadone is an excellent choice.

 

[Bluethorn]

Hey guys, this is my second post ever. I am a Methadone patient and so as to "testify" if you will. Being on a moderate to low dose of it for three years it has proven to be a life saver I'm now happily married to a beautiful woman who has never used. We have two gorgeous boys the youngest is only an adorable four months old coming up on the ninth. The reason I speak like that about them is because Methadone has given me an amazing ability to recognize what's most valuable in my life. There's no longer a chance of overdose or a shady display of behaviour followed by an illegal transaction and finally wrapped up with administering your score. I'm over dope but I'm all over safely being here for those who need me most. So here's another very solid and confident yes. Methadone can be a life saver but if that's the road you choose tread lightly and ask questions regaurding all of your concerns. Methadone is still an abusable drug and if you choose to abuse it then you don't need to be on it.

 

[Drderms]

It varys from person to person , but IMO the user really has to wanna change , not use methadone and heroin together all methadone and any drug for that matter , I'm on 100mg a day and I work 50 hours week (6 days ) I have my own house a wife , kids , a supportive and loving family . I couldn't really ask for a more "normal" life .