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Fast methadone taper help

I think tpd is asking if you plan to have a period where you are taking zero opiates or if your just planning to jump strait to short acting opiates with pain management. I'm not sure if your going to be able to drop again so soon. The thing is you won't feel the difference from a drop for a couple days due to the half-life. But getting down to 10mg a day is key due to your diminished supply. Either way your doing really well and j think this has a good chance of getting you switched and allowing you to keep your job.
 
Ooh I see. Sorry I misunderstood. I plan to go from the taper to short acting and then to pain managment. The methadone works great for my pain but it doesn't last 24 hours for me. I'd say between 8-10 hours of relief is what I was getting and I still had breakthrough pain. I know there are better ways to treat my pain and now that I have insurance I look forward to that.

I can drop on down as low & quick as possible then stay in a very low dose for a week to give time to catch up?? I just don't want a repeat of last time. I dropped from 100-zero in less than 2 weeks. Did fine thru the taper it was after I got to zero was 10 days of pure hell.
 
cj said:
I think tpd is asking if you plan to have a period where you are taking zero opiates or if your just planning to jump strait to short acting opiates with pain management. I'm not sure if your going to be able to drop again so soon. The thing is you won't feel the difference from a drop for a couple days due to the half-life. But getting down to 10mg a day is key due to your diminished supply. Either way your doing really well and j think this has a good chance of getting you switched and allowing you to keep your job.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification cj :)

badbarbie, it takes about a week for your body to stabilize whenever you adjust your dose. If 20mg held you well for a day, try lowering it to 15mg for a week. Either start reducing from there at the rate of 1-2mg/week or, if you are comfortable at 15mg, try dropping straight down to 10mg the week after you've completed a full seven days taking 15mg, then reducing at the rate of 1mg/week.

  • So I suggest you reduce to 15mg/day. Stay there for seven days.
  • Then, if you were fairly comfy at 15mg by the end of the week, try dropping straight down to 10mg. After a week on 10mg begin reducing your dose by 1mg/week.
  • OR if 15mg wasn't holding you as well as you'd have liked, don't drop straight to 10mg after the week on 15mg. Instead try reducing your dose by 1-2mg/week until you're down to 10mg, and then definitely only reduce by 1mg/week once you hit 10mg.

Use the time spent tapering your dose to get yourself all the comfort meds you'll need to more comfortably manage you detox.

Good luck OP, we are rooting for you! <3
 
I wasn't sure I had enough to do it a week per drop but I think I do. I took 15mg today. I'd like to get as low as possible pretty quick if I'm able too. That way I'd have more left to do it slow once I get down to 5mg. If I'm staying on 15mg for a week that's going to be over 1/4th of my stash gone. I did really well on the taper before, it was once I got to 5mg I started getting violently ill. So I'm thinking I can drop down to 5 as fast as possible without missing work and then take it very slow dropping 1mg a week. If I hadn't spilled that bottle this wouldn't be an issue but I did.

I've read about people jumping off methadone to short acting at a higher dose than I'm on and doing ok. Is it that I just needed more oxy than I had and this why it failed? My dr told me once I got below a certain mg that the switch would be easy. Of course he also said wd's were like a mild flu so. It was not for me. Doesn't this happen in pain managment all the time? Switching from one medicine to another? For a few days I was taking 2-3 at a time and couldn't tell at all. Ended up wasting over half my script. I just don't want to make the same mistake twice.
 
I mean theoretically there is a dose of oxy that would hold you at any dose of methadone. So yeah you just didn't use enough oxy. I think you will be able to easily make the transition once you stabilize at 5mg. That means taking 5mg for at least a week with zero withdrawal symptoms. In your case I don't see any reason for you to go below 5mg honestly.
 
Agreed :) there is an opioid conversion chart over in OD that you could you to find and equanalgesic dose of methadone->oxycodone. Unfortunately I'm too lazy to find it for you right now OP, but it isn't hard to find (it's a sticky or in the notable threads sticky or something).
 
Oh no, barb u read it right.
i just wAnted to ask you a few questions which I sent to u in a pm.

Thx for everything you do on this site tpd.!
I've been a long time lurker of this forum over the years just could never get the courage to join. I still haven't even worked up the courage to post my story or situation. I have found your posts very knowledgeable and helpful.
I may have addiction issues but I ain't dumb enough to meet up with a random off the internet!!
I have read this whole thread and you are doing amazing barb!! You are an inspiration to me that these kinds of problems can be beat.
I am praying for extra strength and success for
You.
 
Thanks for understanding you two. Nothing personal or directed at either of you really, just a gentle reminder. Carry on! :)

Also, OP, if you don't have enough methadone to drop once a week, dropping once every five days should be doable. It's cutting it close, but 5-7 day is about enough time to begin to stabilize per drop. Don't misunderstand, seven days would be preferable, but your situation is far from ideal.
 
I seem to do on thru the taper it's once I'm down to nothing when things go bad for me. Which is weird because right before my pain dr left I had some genetic testing done & was told I metabolized super fast. If that's true then wouldn't I be that sick during the taper? Not once I'm at zero?
 
Metabolism is weird. Yes faster metabolizers will tend to experience more ups and downs during tapering, but it doesn't necessarily make the final kick any easier. The final kick will still suck regardless, but by tapering your dose as low as possible it will be far more managible.

Especially with comfort meds :)
 
I just got a call from my de office. He had a cancellation at 11 so I'm going now instead of Friday. I have a list of everything you told me I would need TPD. Let's hope he will help. I had hoped to be off of MMT by now but I know I can do this if I go about it differently than before. I know my tolerance is down a ton of 15mg is holding me. Not doing much for my pain but I can tough it out a lil longer so my pain meds will actually work.
 
Methadone takes a while to get off of, so please try not to rush it if it can be at all avoided. But you have a limited supply to work with, so you'll be off it sooner than later. Good luck at the doctors!
 
I just ot scolded by my dr for taking the methadone again. I told him how I thought I was dying and he laughed. He said "if you truly had zero methadone for 9 days then it was out of your system and was no reason to take it anymore. I won't try to help someone who can't buck up and do what you gotta do" Of course I started crying because I'm already a wreck emotionally and then he told me I was weak. This isn't how I thought the visit would go.He kept telling me that there was no way my wd's lasted that long. Telling me that wd's don't last but a few days, a week at most. And he doesn't deal with addicts. But I know what my body was going thru. I didn't even get a chance to ask for anything because he was yelling at me from the start. Like I disappointed him. So after 20 minutes of that he told me to go to the waiting room. A nurse brought out a script for 90 oxy and said "Dr said if I'm not off the methadone by next visit he will not prescribe anything else" So that's it. He didn't give anymore gabapentin or anything else. So basically I have the oxy and refills on the Restoril and that's it. And I need to be off the methadone or he won't prescribe anything and then I'll have nothing until pain managment sees me which could be weeks/months I'm not sure.

I was supposed to go back to work but I was crying and so upset I just went home. I want to continue this slow taper but can it be done before 30 days is up? I guess I could not be honest when I go back if I'm not thru the taper. Just tell him I just finished it regardless of where I'm at. I've never been good at lying tho. But I'd rather be dishonest than go thru that again. I've never had a dr talk to me like I'm a child. I'm pretty sure I'm older than he is!

What do you guys think? Can I do this before next appointment? Without adding it all up I think I will be very close to ending the taper by then.
 
Looking at the calendar it looks like I'll either be at 1mg or just starting at zero when I go back. So maybe I can do this. I won't rush my taper like before tho because i refuse to go thru that again if I'm able.
 
Sorry I haven't responded lately as I have been having a hard time myself Barbie but I have been reading over what has been going on and you have been in good hands with ToothPaste and CJ. What your Dr. did was absolutely horrible and it is obvious like most doctors he is absolutely clueless. The taper toothpaste suggested would be an excellent taper. So you took 15mg today? Will you be going back to see that Dr. again in a month and will you need to be clean of methadone? If you will be able to have methadone in your system and have enough methadone to complete the taper as Toothpaste suggested I would follow that to the T. It is an excellent slow taper and by the time you see the dr. again you will have a nice little stock of oxy and the transition should be extremely easy.

Forget that Dr... Do whatever you have to do for yourself and use any means to get there. Even if it means putting up with a clueless, know it all, heartless Dr.. Because this isn't about him. It's about you and he is not the one going through withdrawal. You have come to the real experts on this subject;)... At this point he is just a means to an end with a prescription pad. Use him as such and then write him off. We love you Barbie and you are doing awesome. Keep updating daily so we can keep helping you along the way.

<3Somni
 
Thank you Somni. I trust what I'm told here so much more than what he says. I really liked him before today. He's never done anything to make me feel this way. All the $ he's made from me & my family over the years. No more! Once I'm tru all this I will find a new dr.

I will absolutely follow TPDs directions following my taper. Regardless if I'm on it at the time o next appointment or not. I won't let that jackass dr put a dent in my plans. If I'm not completely off by then I'll just keep that to myself. Then finish the taper just as planned. No faster just because dr dick wants me too.

I'm glad to see you back Somni! Been wondering how you were.

❤️Barb
 
That is so fucking disgusting. I have zero patience for doctors who treat their patients like dirt like this. Dude has no business practicing medicine, at least no kind of medicine where opioids are prescribed. I'm sorry you have to deal with this OP, it sounds beyond horrible.

Any chance you can find yourself a psychiatrist to also see? They are really useful to have around, and generally much better to work with when it comes to detoxing from opioids and mental health concerns during recovery.
 
That Dr. should get bitch slapped. Barbie I also have chronic pain. And my condition affects a very small percentage of the world. It's also a male dominated condition. Ratio 6 men to 1 female. I'm female - just clarifying lol.

I have left the ER considering suicide because of the way I was treated. Also been talked to the same way as you were. Screw him. He revealed his ignorance.

You're a rockstar :) You've been given great advice. It warms my heart to see the support. <3. You're doing amazing.
 
I agree! I wonder is that the norm for most family Dr's? He acted like I was just making all that up. He basically called me a liar when I told him how long I was sick. That's when he said wd's can't last that long and I needed to buck up. Who says stuff like that jeez!

I went to see a psychiatrist here last year for a while but it wasn't a psychiatrist just a few counselors. I'm in a very rural area. They wouldn't help me come off MMT then so I doubt they would now. I'm just going to continue my slow taper and use the oxy and what I have here to make the transition. I have 6 refills on the Restoril and still have about half of the oxy I started with plus today's script. Also my mother said she has a whole script of 300mg gabapentin so I will use those as well. The 15mg has held me well today. My back is killing me but I'm not sick. Plus I slept for 3 hours straight last night. So I think things will go smoother this time. I'll keep ya posted...
 
Thanks 10yrs! Im sorry to hear how Dr's have treated you. I really thought it was me that made him act like that. I kept going over an over what was said trying to figure it out. I was never treated like that in pm. Of course that was before all these now rules but that's no excuse.

I'm looking forward to the day I've completed my taper and transitioned. Maybe one day I'll be able to give someone the advice & support everyone here has given me.

❤️Barb
 
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