How do I self medicate methadone

[Cincy01]

I recently decided to stop using pain killers, after 4 years. Like, my tolerance is up to 30 oxy condones in one sitting just to get high. Or when the opana40s come around I would snort at least one and half to get to where I wanted to be. I hate to get by, I get high. Ha. But I found a good amount of Methadone 10mg. How many should I take to get rid of the withdrawals? I know nothing about Methadone.

 

[Venrak]

Start with 10mg, and go up in 5mg increments after 4-5 hours to gauge the right dose for you.

I highly suggest you get a Rx for methadone instead of acquiring them off the street if you are serious about quitting.

 

[T. Calderone]

If you goal is to stop using pain meds, you really should check into going to a methadone clinic and getting them legitimately. They can help you taper off the opiates.

 

[hangyourhead]

All I've heard is that methadone withdrawals are far worse than withdrawing from heroin/diacetylmorphine. I'd much rather, and will most certainly suggest, a short-term buprenorphine taper over getting on Methadone maintenance.

Bupe WDs can drag out, but they're much more bearable than 'done WDs.

 

[Cincy01]

What is bupe? Thanks for all the responses! I need some more knowledge on these things I think though. I don't have the money get a Rx.

 

[ThisIsAHeresy]

What is bupe? Thanks for all the responses! I need some more knowledge on these things I think though. I don't have the money get a Rx.

Buprenorphine.
For opiate withdrawal treatments, buprenorphine is combined with naloxone (an opioid antagonist used to counter the effects of an opiate overdose).

Comparison chart:
- Methadone is cheaper than Suboxone (Buprenorphine/Naloxone), since there are generics available for methadone.
- Methadone does have a higher risk of addiction and overdose than Suboxone.
- Methadone is more effective for heavy users than Suboxone, since it provides a more rapid relief.
- Methadone is more readily available than Suboxone.
- Methadone maintenance therapy is monitored a lot closer and carefully than Suboxone maintenance therapy.

So, it all depends on how addicted you are, and which one helps you more. Try both of them, see which one alleviates your withdrawal symptoms more effectively.

Suboxone vs Methadone.

 

[Cincy01]

Got cha. Thank you very much. And yes, methadone does work better ten subs. Because in the past when I couldn't find opiates but I could find subs I got some, and I mean it helped, just not very well. I seem to be good off of orally taking 10mg tablet around morning time. And then half of one later in the day. Thanks for all your help. So they generally prescribe methadone for heavy users? Good to know.

 

[ThisIsAHeresy]

Got cha. Thank you very much. And yes, methadone does work better ten subs. Because in the past when I couldn't find opiates but I could find subs I got some, and I mean it helped, just not very well. I seem to be good off of orally taking 10mg tablet around morning time. And then half of one later in the day. Thanks for all your help. So they generally prescribe methadone for heavy users? Good to know.

Criteria for admission to a methadone maintenance treatment program.
It's going to be hell for the first week or two. But, once you get past that trial period, it'll get easier.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

Good posts and links ThisIsAHeresy. I like that one with the comparison chart for Suboxone and methadone a lot.

Cincy01 - Are you trying to use methadone as a short-term taper, or are you planning on maintaining with it?

Also please note that methadone builds up in your system so you might want to gradually start taking a little bit less of it. If you felt fine off 15mg and keep taking 15mg per day it will be building up in your system and you will basically end up taking more than needed to prevent withdrawals and therefore raising your tolerance. Does that make sense? It takes about a week of taking the same dose daily to reach steady levels. So the effects will increase for the first week and then stabilize.

 

[Chris84]

Got cha. Thank you very much. And yes, methadone does work better ten subs. Because in the past when I couldn't find opiates but I could find subs I got some, and I mean it helped, just not very well. I seem to be good off of orally taking 10mg tablet around morning time. And then half of one later in the day. Thanks for all your help. So they generally prescribe methadone for heavy users? Good to know.

Methadone seems to be better for heavy users because it's closer to the real thing than buprenorphine, as methadone is a full µ-opioid agonist, whilst buprenorphine is only a partial one. Meaning it touches the same receptors as heroin or oxy. I find methadone to be like smoking heroin, but without the intensity. Buprenorphine will take you out of withdrawals, but it won't give you the nice warm opiate feeling like methadone, which can cause people to relapse in order to 'feel right'. Also methadone is always the first option they give you at the drug and alcohol services, as it's the cheapest. Buprenorphine is tens of times more expensive than methadone, so they only give it to people they feel will use it properly and won't use other drugs on top. Whereas methadone is dished out without many checks and if you test positive for other drugs they don't take you off it, but you'll stay on supervised consumption until you give enough clean tests.

 

[Morphling]

Criteria for admission to a methadone maintenance treatment program.

This looks like exit outcomes to me, not admission criteria, but thanks nonetheless, interesting read.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

This looks like exit outcomes to me, not admission criteria, but thanks nonetheless, interesting read.

This is what that link says for admission criteria:

Spoiler: NY State Criteria for Admission to MMT

Criteria for Admission
The current criteria have been established by the federal and state governments. State regulations may not be more liberal than the federal mandates. In New York State, the regulations are as follows:

• Applicants age 18 and over must document at least one year of opioid addiction, mainly to heroin. This can be documented: by history provided by the patient and/or the statements of family members or friends; records of prior substance abuse treatment including detoxification and entry into different types of programs; signs of withdrawal or over-sedation; results of a urinalysis test taken at the time the applicant applies for entry; and needle
marks or tracks on various parts of the body and/or erosion or severe irritation of the nasal
septum, indicating that the patient has inhaled heroin over a long period of time.

• Applicants between the ages of 16 and 18 require a two-year documented history of addiction, parental consent, and two previous unsuccessful treatment experiences.

• Pregnant, heroin-using applicants need to document current addiction and can be admitted to treatment with less than one year of heroin use if evaluated and approved for admission by the physician of the clinic. Upon giving birth, they will be reevaluated for continued treatment.

• Serious psychiatric co-morbidity and/or a history of abuse and addiction to substances other than opioid (e.g., cocaine and alcohol) may not exclude applicants from entering treatment. Once admitted, patients in this category would be treated for these conditions in the clinic, if appropriate, or referred to other agencies for psychiatric therapy and/or detoxification from other drugs. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) would be continued in the clinic while they were being treated for their co-morbid conditions.

• Applicants terminated from prior treatment for noncompliance with program regulations must be reevaluated before readmission and, if found not acceptable, may be referred elsewhere for treatment. Proof of current addiction is not required of individuals who have prior histories of heroin addiction and treatment, and feel they are in danger of relapsing to heroin. This category includes applicants who were discharged from institutions, and former patients who successfully left methadone treatment within a two-year period and feel they are in danger of drug relapse.

Note that this was published in 2000 so it may be out-of-date and that other states might have slightly different regulations (potentially even stricter) or some areas/clinics might have different intake rules, but it should be at least fairly similar across the US. The one part I think can vary is that it says the person needs to have been addicted "primarily to heroin", which I know is not true - at least in some places in the US - because people are definitely put on MMT for addiction to other opioids. Perhaps that is something that has changed over time

 

[Morphling]

Hmm, pretty stringent requirements they have in NY! Thanks for posting that, SD. I do hope they have changed the criterion to be a bit more liberal, seeing as how so many people are addicted to pills these days, rather than heroin.