Methadone for Codeine withdrawal?

[missbetty2010]

Hi All,
I am wondering has anybody ever been put on methadone for codeine addiction/withdrawal. I understand both are opiates but also have always just assumed one would taper down from codeine via doctor. A relative of mine has been advised to cut codeine daily dosage in half and go on some methadone?
Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated
Betty

 

[itsALLfake]

I've never been on methadone maintenance, but based on experiences by people I know and am aware of, I would avoid it. If at all possible, cold turkey or taper with codeine. It is one of the more mild opioids to become addicted to, not that makes it non-severe. If they're serious about quitting, I could see Buprenorphine being better to taper on, but I had a long..really bad experience with Buprenorphine and doctors that prescribe it. There's no way to know for sure if someone else is done getting high, but if they are, a quick taper process with Buprenorphine is as far as I would go with trying to get off codeine with opioids. There are other non-narcotic drugs to help aid you in the withdrawals.. I'm not too knowledgeable on those. I tried looking around at neversickanymore's posts with non-narcotic drugs for things of this nature. Seeing I'm not experienced with them, I'll wait for that post to come..cuz I'm sure it is going to come.

I was on oxycodone really bad for about 4months..really bad doesn't begin to describe the daily amounts of use.. I traded 2 weeks of hell for almost 5 years of it with Buprenorphine, but I wasn't done getting high. I was tired of being sick. I didn't ever go back to another opioid, but I justified snorting subutex by that.. The last two years I was mixing insane amounts of Alprazolam with it everyday, and I was miserable enough to accept an intervention and go into treatment, 1month inpatient, 3 months transitional, but just because I'm sober now, doesn't mean it's not difficult. I'm sure having a daughter almost 9 months into sobriety doesn't help me being tired all the time...but that totals to about 6 years of BS because I didn't want to bite the bullet and detox...but I also didn't have the self control to taper with oxycodone, and complications with my first doctor just showed me how powerless I was to addiction.

Just to give you a tid bit of my story, but from it, you might be able to see how I would be biased against maintenance drugs.. experience may vary..

 

[neversickanymore]

I would not consider methadone for codeine as this is a large step in the wrong direction. Methadone has a really long half life and can keep people in withdrawals for months.. I know I kicked a large methadone habit. I also understand that you are only going to try and use it for detox, but I can see no reason this would beneficial. I would highly recommend you use these medications to detox and I think you will do great.

medications for acute opiate detox

The medications I would explore the use of for detox would be:
>Clonidine< DOSED EVER FOUR HOURS..

one of either
>NEURONTIN< >HERE< >HERE<
OR >Lyrica<
OR >phenibut<

>A BENZO BUT JUST AT NIGHT<
>a nsaid<
>melatonin<
tylenol

(Opi Withdrawal) what is the best comfort meds for opiate w/d?

Your Personal Opiate Withdrawal Arsenal


You can do this!!!

 

[Space Firebird]

There's no way to know for sure if someone else is done getting high,

This. If they are done, then it should be possible to taper directly off the Codeine, it is a fairly mild opiate.

but that totals to about 6 years of BS because I didn't want to bite the bullet and detox...but I also didn't have the self control to taper with oxycodone, and complications with my first doctor just showed me how powerless I was to addiction.

Well said. I am self-tapering off opiates right now, and it is a bitch, but I really don't want to find out what it is like to go on to maintenance drugs, and then try to get off of them.

 

[thedawn]

from my impression OP isn't as experienced as some of you with opiates and withdrawal.
one fact is that methadone is a stronger opiate than codeine and way harder to kick.
i have taken that poison and think you're much better off avoiding methadone.

as for anything self-administered,doing the right thing,dilemmas like that…..
"listen to your doctor" doesn't count if he thinks it's a good idea to introduce u to methadone
because of codeine addiction.that's just not right.

maybe the right course of action would be to find a new doctor.
before u touch methadone.

anything self-tapering and u're really on your own.
yeah,it's more than enough info on BL to do it successfully and very good advice from certain
but remember that society plays a part and if they want it this way and you that it doesn't matter
that your doctor is dead wrong because they can label u "unwilling to cooperate ","difficult"etc.
this can go on record and complicate your life in the future.

it's so tricky,so difficult,i wish i had some straight advice that could benefit you
but I'm personally not"quite there" now and it is what it is.

much love.

 

[infectedmushroom]

Codeine can be tapered down relatively painlessly (IME,) as long as one is truly dedicated to the plan. I think methadone is a completely unnecessary step - in fact it could make things much, much worse...please consider carefully before doing it...

 

[SteeleyJ]

This is a horrible idea imo...... methadone should be used as a last resort for long term addicts of hard opioid drugs after trying other methods.... rehab, buperenorphine, etc. Getting on methadone is a very very big decision and long term typically. Please think of other methods to taper from the codeine.

 

[SteeleyJ]

Codeine is a very mild opiate compared to methadone..... if you think the codeine withdrawal is bad, wait until you see methadone withdrawal. It will make the codeine w/d look like a joke. You will regret this. Please do not do this.

 

[SteeleyJ]

Perhaps try low dose subs. the 2mg/ 0.5 strips, and cut those in half.

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

Using methadone for codeine withdrawal.. is like killing a fly with a chainsaw.. total overkill.

You'll most likely end up way more strung out and worse off than you ever were on the codeine. Either taper on the codeine itself and just stop, or very very very low dose buprenorphine, because even with bupe, it is so much stronger than codeine, that unless you're on a microscopic dose, you'll just pick up a way worse dependence.

 

[missbetty2010]

Thanks all for the very interesting info and advice. Unfortunately I have no sa I can only pass on your comments. But i do feel this is an extreme measure :-(