Opioids Having trouble ---Dope on top of Methadone...advice on how to stop

[CRICKETBEE]

I was on methadone for years and did really well. I tapered down to almost zero and relapsed. I have now
been back on methadone (since relapsing) for about a year.

In that time I went from 80 down to 40...in the last 2 weeks I slipped and started doing dope on top of the methadone.

I am now doing around a bundle a day with the methadone.

I WANT TO STOP

I was happy with just the methadone...I was doing well in life, etc.

the problem now is that after a few weeks of adding good dope to my body, I feel physical
cravings for the dope.


So...long story short...What do people recommend? Should I just stop the dope right away, all at once, and hope I feel fine? or are there things I can take to lessen the cravings and stomach trouble? should i try to taper the dope?

any help would be great!! thanks

 

[SangerRainsford]

i've never seen *anyone* do a successful taper with dope or any other short-acting opioid. (discounting those who do a 1-2day taper when they know they're gonna be out for a few days - but never seen someone do anything solid wrt actually stopping usage)

what you do definitely does come down to whether you're more of a cold-turkey person, or a taper person. personally, if i were in your shoes, i'd "cold turkey" the dope and keep on the down-ward methadone schedule. it seems the methadone was going solid, so continuing that seems a good idea; but, since you used dope, you're gonna have to come off the dope - since methadone's in the mix, IMO, cold turkey would be far better than trying to taper dope.
/never tried immodium, but from what i hear it helps w/ the stomach issues quite a bit for some ;P
//never found anything that'd lessen cravings, save for other opioids.

 

[psychopath]

It sounds as though you are getting your methadone from a clinic. Personally, I would tell the doctor there that you had an extended relapse on H but you want to stop and that you temporarily want to increase your dosage and then continue with the taper. This might help the cravings.

Edit:
And I would cold turkey the H. When I was on H, I tried to taper many times. I always ended being mad that I was almost as high as I wanted and would end up doing more. It sounds like you are an addict and therefore likely do not have the willpower necessary to do a taper of the dope.

 

[CRICKETBEE]

thanks for the response....i guess i will just stop the H...i WOULD tell the doctor/counselor but they dont really structure things to encourage honesty. if I tell my counselor, i'll get lose my weekend pickups and they will ramp up my dose very rapidly.


i might try the immodium...forgot about that.


thanks