I singned up for methadone treatment!

[raoulduke]

Yeah i realized i cant live life without opiates and today i went in to my methodone clinic to register and got an appoiment for thursday. Last time i did any narcotics was monday when i smoked fentanyl and did 130mg of codeine, since then i've been most taking 30-45mg of codeine every day since then and doing klonazepams and weed. Today they took a urine sample from me, i asked them if opiates would still be in my system if i took last time monday, they said yes they said they get stored in the fat cells of your body. I was wondering what it's going to be my starting dose and what i can do/say to get it increased/lowered, watever, i just want to feel good without taking any opiates. What are the consequences of this, i mean people say its going to be on you medical file and you cant get specific jobs that work in that field, is this true?

 

[raoulduke]

P.S I feel like shit everyday without opiates, and when i take them the only breaks i get i when i cant leave my bed for a few days.

 

[raoulduke]

So then should i continue to use, that was to taper down fucking assholes :D I use 10mg patches of Fentanyl 80mg's oxys 20's oxys, percs, and codeine.

 

[raoulduke]

I need to be put on it to get my life stable, you dont know what i do, and don't do. Anyways, does the clinic actually count the amount of opiates in you piss from your urine or just shows to them that you use them. I've been doing them for about 3-4 years. Off and on, that is why..

 

[t3knology]

Good luck with tapering down / kickin it / or maintaining it or whatever ur doin.

 

[kapheen']

No disrespect intended - I feel like you're doing this because you want opiates for a cheap price every day. And, I'm guessing in the back of your mind thats whats going on. But the other part that is semi (yes semi) addicted is telling you to get the methadone because you supposedly can't get by with out any opiates/opioids. Addicts lie to them selfs all the time. Regardless its all bullshit.

Honestly, With your current opiate usage you are making a HUGE life changing mistake. I mean come the fuck on 30-45mg's of CODEINE a day gets you by?.

I guarantee that if you stay clean for 3-4 weeks you will feel A LOT better.

Seriously think about what your about to do. I was on methadone for 2 months and I had a shitty ass time getting off. I was lucky enough to realize it early that I was playing with fire.

I would turn back while you still can. With usage as low as yours, Getting clean for awhile should be cake. With-drawls really are not that bad unless you let them get to you.

 

[who mE?]

Anyways, does the clinic actually count the amount of opiates in you piss from your urine or just shows to them that you use them

It is very difficult (if not impossible) to get an accurate quantitative reading of drug levels from urine. Thus they are just doing the urine test to get an idea of what types of drugs you DO take (the MJ and benzos will show up)... Clinics and addiction docs are hesitant to prescribe bupe or methadone to somebody who "abuses" benzos due to the risk of fatal overdose.

Some clinics use a "3 strikes" system for dirty urine tests, some only count opiates, but most will count any drug. Some have more or fewer strikes, and they probably won't count your first urine test (after all, you're SUPPOSED to be dirty before you enter treatment!).

I'm happy for you that you've probably found the best treatment option for yourself, and if it helps you live a healthy lifestyle free of harm or legal troubles, then you should do all you can to advocate methadone maintenance and other opioid agonist treatments (bupe only at the moment in the US, but LAAM, heroin, morphine, oxycodone, and diconal are all effective and have been used elsewhere).

You should read up more about the politics and advocacy of methadone at the following sites:
http://atwatchdog.org
http://www.arm-advocates.org
http://www.atforum.com
http://www.heroin-detox.com
http://www.methadone.org
http://www.recoveryboard.com
http://members5.boardhost.com/TheAlliance/
http://www.healthboards.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=7
http://www.jtpayte.com

If you become a part of any of these communities, you could share accurage information, and provide the community members links to WHERE they can find accurate unbiased inforation about opioids, harm reduction, addiction and politics.

 

[DrEIMiller]

Is the 30-45mg of codeine just to keep you from getting sick? Or does it give you a mild buzz or what?

I don't think 30-45mg of codeine would keep me from getting sick and I use at least 5 bags of dope a day. And quite frankly, I don't think I could even get a small touch of warmth from that amount.

When you're really into your habit, what is your normal daily dose. Not your "I'm getting fucking high today", but I just wanna a nice buzz, feel kind of warm, etc..

 

[swybs]

seriously consider this...

because if you really are only using that low of a dose of codeine, than I am not sure if methadone is the right option for a few reasons:

A) you want to start the methadone at a high dose; please keep in mind that, while the beginning may be euphoric, you will eventually build up to a tolerance to methadone, and it will become what the treatment is intended to be: methadone maintenance therapy. I would say that 8 out of 10 people, correct me if I am wrong, but decide they want to lower to eventually quit their methadone maintenance. However, others who are provided a high enough dosage stay happy, so I don't want to say there aren't some that can maintain methadone treatment for years (there is a couple moderators here who can attest to this).

B) you are on such a low dose of opiates/opioids to even keep you not sick. Trust me, if that low of a dose keeps you unsick, you need to simply suck up the WDs, because this game is serious. Yea, I have read your posts before and I know you go on binges, but I am not sure you are a daily fiend. In fact, they may not be willing to start you on methadone treatment, based on the results of your urine (though, I imagine they will).

C) have you considered other options (such as buph)? Buph is def. your option, considering the low daily amounts you are consuming (exception on binge periods). Buph is, IMO, a great daily drug that will help and is a bit easier to get off, if or when you decide to do this.

Negro and a few others can give you the best advice, my advice is to thread cautiously.

edited for missing letters--fuck this laptop
-Swybs

 

[Dependence03]

Have you considered Buprenorphine? Its much less of a 'commitment' than methadone is. I just thought I'd put in my 2 cents

*sorry, someone already mentioned this. Noticed after my post*

 

[kemikals]

^I doubt 45mgs of codeine gives anyone a buzz.

I'd be weary of MMT, although it does help alot of people it is quite a commitment to make. MMT is usually an option for heavy opiate users(spending $50 a day) and it doesn't sound like your quite up there. I was using around $50 a day a smack and I still didn't want to make a long commitment to opiates, since my goal was to get totally clean i went the bupe route. Bupe is just as effective for maintenance and better than meth for a detox and that should be the first step of quitting. If you feel you couldn't handle a detox and fear using again then you could try bupe maintenance, which in many ppls opinion is easier in eventually quitting opioids altogether and if that doesn't work for you only then commit to MMT.

 

[mrsumone]

Re: seriously consider this...

B) you are on such a low dose of opiates/opioids to even keep you not sick. Trust me, if that low of a dose keeps you unsick, you need to simply suck up the WDs, because this game is serious. Yea, I have read your posts before and I know you go on binges, but I am not sure you are a daily fiend. In fact, they may not be willing to start you on methadone treatment, based on the results of your urine (though, I imagine they will).
-Swybs

I agree, 30-45 mg of codeine a day to just keep yourself from being sick, isnt that much. From what i understand (i havnt done opiates very much so i may be wrong), codeine is one of the weakest opiates? So i would say just taper down your use and stick through the WD's, after all, its not going to kill you by toughing it out. No, im not saying going through an opiate WD isnt hard, i know it is, but the only way your going to get off the opiate-leash is to tough it out.

What is the usual dosage of your use? What do you use the most?

 

[rachamim18]

eenie meenie minie moe...

Listen,in the end all that matters is what fits your life.Many people that have posted have had valid arguments but in the end they mean nothing...The only question you need to be asking yourself,assuming you are in the U.S.,is whether or not your drug use caused chaos in your life.If it has then methadone is probably the best option.It doesn't matter that the opiate you are abusing is codeine or that you are on what many see as an insignificant dose-all that matters is getting your life back in order.

One very important thing you should know though,Methadone operates on a different system physiologically than codeine.In a nut shell,the way that your body stores it, means that when you finally do discontinue using it ,you will be in for a much longer detox than you have experienced with codeine.Methadone DOES have many downsides to it but it has one very important advantage in that it does offer stability.

I would be amiss if I did not mention Bupe. like others in this thread.With your low dose and low strength opiate it may very well be a better option.The only thing you did not mention in your post was whether you or the government was going to pay for your methadone.If it is the state forget about it as only methadone is available in public clinics.

 

[PGTips]

35mg of codeine? Thats like 3 nurofen tablets?! If thats enough to keep the WDs at bay then you won't even have withdrawls! I doubt anyone could even get anything close to a buzz from 3 nurofen tablets. Great for headaches, pointless for buzzes. Putting yourself on methadone will result in a bigger habit of something a lot more addicting.

 

[raoulduke]

Alright the codeine i took was simly for coughing so much it never gave me a buzz at all, i mentioned it to ask weather that would show up on the test. I pissed very little, yeah my life has been very fucked up since i've using opiates, i'm not the same person no more, thats how i feel they've imbalanced me out for a long time.
And it is a public clinic where i think all they dispense is methadone i dont think they have the other one but yes i'm waiting to get on treatment and even quit weed with it probably.

 

[rachamim18]

low dose blues...

Alpha...I look at it from another perspective.I am on 190 mgs. of methadone.That supposedly high dose doesn faze me yet I have personally seen people lacking tolerance o.d. on 50 mgs.Metabolism varies as we all know.Addiction is not measured in dosages but in necessity,The individual in question clearly has issues with their opiate usage.if they feel that their life is spinning out of control on 35 mgs. who are we or anyone else to denigrate them?Everyone should strive to encorage someone to seek help when needed not discourage.

 

[Tongue]

everyone is different, but not too many people have had worse SMACK habits than myself..2 grams of solid JUNK per day for me, for too long a span of time, thats was my habit..i went on METHADONE< started at 60 mgs, and it killed cravings COMPLETELY, and it gave me a NICE, CONTENT feeling..IT also gave me increased SWEATING, and DROWSY EFFECTS(which many methadone users LIKE, because they just sit around and sleep all day)..i absolute HATE being lethargic, and hate almost having to take NAP during the day, this is one of the reasons i am getting off the 'DONE..

NE-WAYz, i recommend BUPRENEX to the poster..ya simply dont need METHADONE imo...then again, honestly if u ARE looking for an opiod for a cheap price, and still want the feeling/high that accompanies it, then go for it i guess..u should definitely know ahead of time what your GOALS are in terms of 'DONE maintenance though..u do NOT wanna go in, get on 200 mgs per day, and then decide to quit 2 years down the road, cuz it will be HELL to kick as compared to yer CODEINE habit..theres not much comparison between the two to be honest..ALL withdrawals suck though, no matter the drug...mrethadone detox just sukks all of the LIFE out of ya though..u will be awake, yet crazily anxious/restless, irritable as hell, for a few weeks..the DEPRESSION is crippling, as u simply have ZERO ability to experience JOY or PLEASURE while going thru this type of detox..its THAT BAD my friend..dealing with these types of withdrawals for a few days is bad enuff, but it will NOT just be 2-3 days, more like 2-3 WEEKs possibly...

my advice to ANYONE looking for METHADONE MAINTENANCE..either have 2 goals..number 1 would be to get on mETHADONE simply to kill the withdrawals from the drug/opiod u were taking prior..after several weeks, GET OFF THE METHADONE...number 2 scenario is u stay on METHADONE FOREVER..that way ya dont have to sweat kicking this stuff...its not much of a life, but to each his own..

 

[rachamim18]

in reply...

Actually,I take 190 mgs. daily while working in underground construction here in N.Y.C.It does not get much more physical than my job and I find myself satisfied with the results methadone has provided.Granted,you are right on the money about sweating but it is nothing compared to the way I used to sweat trying to scrounge up 400 dollars daily along with staying one step ahead of the cops,et cetera.

Bupe. is good for certain types of people [in honesty I have never tied it] with lowdose habits,according to EVERYONE.I suppose that would include the author of this thread but again ,it depends on how he plans on financing his treatment...

 

[jersey drape]

rachamim, you say youwork construcion on MMT... do youfind it helps you through the day, in terms of working hard and managing pain cause i know thats serious work.

 

[K'dOUTinAZ]

You also sign your soul

I'm up at 110mg within 2 months and now I hurt more than I did before in the morning. Its a struggle to drive down to get my methadone at 7am. I know its gonna be hell tapering.

BUT I have a plan. A six month commitment with my pain specialist and then taper the methadone down enough so that I can get on the buprenorphine maintenence.

Watch out for that trap that leaves you on that shit for the rest of your life. I'm aware and ain't letting it happen.