* Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) MEGATHREAD *

[villian]

You ever watch the movie 'Methadonia' it used to be on youtube, not so sure anymore. Maybe someone knows.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5888306773553221655#

 

[n3ophy7e]

*bump* for our newly-merged Methadone Maintenance Therapy megathread. I hope people can benefit from having a thread in which we can all discuss MMT-related things, share advice and experiences and offer each other support

 

[BananasAndOranges]

Mmt help

Methadone help....Ok so I dropped down 5mgs a week ago or so. I've been getting a nauseated more towards the end of the night, sometimes after I get back or am on my way to the clinic and its in mainly in my stomach. Feels like I'm in wd but I cannot tell. Would 5mg make a difference if I had been on it for 3 weeks then dropped 5? I'm so confused. I was Told by a counsoler its because I dropped and I was stabilized, and the fact I'm trying to get restabilized at this current dose its causing this issue.

 

[BananasAndOranges]

I know this sounds retarded, but I want an answer because quite frank I'm not sure because my abdomen hurt last night....This is no trolling.


was on 110 probably needed to be at 150 but FUCK that. I dropped down to 105. If that makes it any more helpful to tell me what I'm looking at.

I am also having horrid almost unbearable pain in my feet and almost think I am a pain patient and have been thinking everyday maybe I should just go to a doctor pain doctor and tell him and maybe get a prescription for the tablets instead of the liquid.......That's been on my mind or some other opiate thats not fent thats strong, and will do just as good as my current dose so I wouldn't have to deal with getting up so early on weekdays. It's seriously almost toooo much for me.

 

[n3ophy7e]

Hey B&O, we just made a MMT megathread the other day so please post all methadone-related questions and discussion in there. It's better to have all the MMT information in one big thread so that it's easier for everyone to get the answers they need from the one place.

I'm going to leave this thread open for a little while though so you can get the answers you need then I'll merge it with the megathread. In future please use the megathread for MMT questions.

I really hope you're feeling better soon man, good luck

 

[bagochina]

imo a 5mg drop is still a significant drop. I would feel even a mg drop. Have you maybe asked you clinic if they could do a blind taper, where you dont know when or how much they are dropping you. It tends to be easier.

5mg drop probably will take 2 weeks to totally get used to. shrug

peace.
seedless

 

[BananasAndOranges]

imo a 5mg drop is still a significant drop. I would feel even a mg drop. Have you maybe asked you clinic if they could do a blind taper, where you dont know when or how much they are dropping you. It tends to be easier.

5mg drop probably will take 2 weeks to totally get used to. shrug

peace.
seedless

yea I told them drop me 5 more even if I say no but they won't do that. I had no idea 5mgs would be such a bitch but I'm stabilized now took a week. Bagochina hang out wifff meeeeeeee

 

[oliphill]

Just wanna share my opinion of methadone. I don't wanna offend anyone and I know that rather than a life of ducking, diving, conning, skiving and IV dope, it can be useful for people who really cant or wont put the effort in to stay clean,

Fucking evil mind control liquid handcuffs. I hate it, with a passion.

I was on it for 2 years and apart from making me "not sick", it blocked all my emotions and shut me off from this world. I wasn't depressed, I wasn't happy, I was just numb. It was just utterly such a waste of time.

Hardest fucking thing I've got off too. 3 weeks of acute withdrawals and still achey, no energy, not sleeping properly for a further 4 - 6 weeks and now finally nearly 3 months clean of it I feel OK physically but the PAWS are a bastard!

Fuck methadone.

(Once again, this is just my opinion and wanted to share on the off chance someone considering going on MMT for the wrong reasons may read this)

 

[nioreh0422]

Everyone hits that point on Methadone where you don't get any enjoyable effects out of it anymore and it just keeps you not sick...mainly has to do with tolerance and taking it for a long time. I'm sure when you were doing heroin everyday eventually you start to lose some of the effects you got, true for me at least.

I've been doing the whole MMT thing for right at a year. I'm at 140mg's and have been for about 3 months. Up until 2 weeks ago the methadone made me kinda "happier" feeling better about things...kinda like my brain was actually producing endorphins. So it wasn't like a high or anything, but why would this just stop after being on methadone for a YEAR. I'm considering going up if they will allow me to just so i can get that happiness back because if that feeling is gone forever I might as well start going down on my mg's. Just thought i'd get some opinions because i don't think the clinic would be completely honest w/ us when it comes to some of our questions. I remember at first i did get high when i double dosed but this feeling I was getting was diff. but now..nothing.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Started a 90mg a 18 months ago, and I've been slowly tapering on and off since then. Down to 30mg now, and once I stabalized on it a couple weeks ago I've now noticed I'm feeling better than I ever did on it at higher doses. Now I'm noticing how even the 30mg can interfere with some of my work - making it hard to read for like 2-6hrs after my dose. But I'm really happy at this dose, and will stay on it for a while. Then I'll go down to 20, and stay there for a while (at least that's the plan). Who knows when I get to 20 I may just want to keep going until I feel funny, and then hold off on tapering any more for some time. Anyone else relate to this? I def still enjoy the buzz I get from my dose at 30mg.

[I used for about 9 yrs before methadone, most heroin given ease of access, quality and low cost, preferably IM. However my history is in no way stereotypical, i.e. I don't like getting fucked up and hate nodding more than limited occasions or more than a little bit.]

 

[cj]

Started a 90mg a 18 months ago, and I've been slowly tapering on and off since then. Down to 30mg now, and once I stabalized on it a couple weeks ago I've now noticed I'm feeling better than I ever did on it at higher doses. Now I'm noticing how even the 30mg can interfere with some of my work - making it hard to read for like 2-6hrs after my dose. But I'm really happy at this dose, and will stay on it for a while. Then I'll go down to 20, and stay there for a while (at least that's the plan). Who knows when I get to 20 I may just want to keep going until I feel funny, and then hold off on tapering any more for some time. Anyone else relate to this? I def still enjoy the buzz I get from my dose at 30mg.

[I used for about 9 yrs before methadone, most heroin given ease of access, quality and low cost, preferably IM. However my history is in no way stereotypical, i.e. I don't like getting fucked up and hate nodding more than limited occasions or more than a little bit.]

I'm on 130mgs and I love the feeling methadone gives. I get a nice glow for a couple hours after dosing that fades into a vague sedation that I can take or leave. I agree about the trouble reading part it makes my vision blurry or something.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Yup, exactly. Funny thing is that I don't remember it being as much of a problem at 90mg as much as 30mg, but that might have been because I wasn't reading as much at the time

How long have you been on maintenance CJ at that dose (or higher)?

 

[cj]

Yup, exactly. Funny thing is that I don't remember it being as much of a problem at 90mg as much as 30mg, but that might have been because I wasn't reading as much at the time

How long have you been on maintenance CJ at that dose (or higher)?

I've been on maintenance 6 months and this dose for like 3 months. Basically I stopped using heroin after 2 months and at 90mgs. Then I relapsed a month later so I bumped my dose up to 130. To be honest I could have stayed at 110 and been cool but I was depressed at the time so I chased the glow a little bit up too 130.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Of course they're completely different opioids and work in totally different ways, but does anyone find moderately low to low maintenance methadone doses more effective in day to day life (regarding cravings, ability to perform tasks at work and in the home, strength of relationships, etc. etc.) similarly to how buprenorphine can be (much) more effective at lower (2-4mg) rather than higher (12-24mg) doses?

It seems to be turning out that 20-30mg of methadone is more favorable to four times those doses for me. Of course my life today is different from when I was a higher dosages, but frankly not so much. Only difference really is that I'm no longer needing or in the habit of copping/taking opioid - which of course ate up a lot of time and effort that is being spent in much, much more productive ways now.

It will be very interesting to see if 10-20mg of methadone is even more effective. I'm in no rush to get off methadone - abstinence is absolutely not my end game. That said, it would still be a good thing, because a lower dose of methadone is undeniably better than a higher dose just as long at it is working as well (or better of course). Frankly I'm still kinda trying to figure out what dose is best for me.

It'll be pretty funny if I end up finding out that no dose of methadone is best for me [unlike], in terms of how the drug affects my ability to achieve my goals. I make a policy of not having many expectations of my experience with methadone - what the ideal dose should be or how long I should be on it for example - but that wouldn't be anywhere close to what I didn't imagine about maintenance.

I wonder if that is how it is supposed to work for some people...?

 

[RedRum OG]

Advice for new mmt people: try to get split dosing e.g. being dosed 2x a day instead of 1. Usually requires a blood test and/or a Dr. Authorization. It did wonders for me. I amped my dose up to 120mg/day and still had w.d. at 18 hours. I now have a week of take homes and take 40mg upon waking up, 20mg afternoon and 20mg before bed. So 70-80mg/day and I feel way better than at 120/day.

Seriously it will make aa world of difference and lower your habit considerably and makes it jnfitinely easier to taper. I dropped 40mg in 3 weeks without feeling any pain or discomfort.

I think it's stupid that its normal to dose once a day. Much liek how you would abuse it. One big dose to get high in the AM. Instead of a steady baseline.

I have argued till blue in the face with ignorant drs and counselors about this. They read in their 2page pamphlets that methadone half life is 48-72+ hours and think that means it will keep you well for that long. I've been accused of making up the fact that I have nasty withdrawals by the 36hr mark. I could go on for days on ignorant doctors and counselors making my life hell, but I will leave it at that. Do your own research, and trust what you can confirm through multiple sources: science/studies and users reports.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I tend to agree, strongly so. I don't think it really affects me too much as my metabolism is pretty fucking slow generally, but when I was getting 90mg take homes long ago I would take 2/3 in the morning and 1/3 in the late afternoon or evening. Worked way better then, until I discovered I like lower doses more and stabilized at 30mg. A lot of people do fine with just one dose per day, but a lot of people need split dosing.

 

[cj]

Do people with split dosing have to show up too the clinic twice a day?

 

[cire113]

^^^

It depends on the clinic; Usually you get to take 1 dose home; but a lot of clinics are VERY VERY strict and don't even offer split dosing;

You should just do what I did and try to find a compassionate GP Doctor or Pain Dr who will give you a script for methadone so you can avoid all the clinic garbage;

Really makes a BIG difference getting a 1 month prescription at a time; I did the clinic thing for like 2 weeks and seriously lost my mind and was determined to get an RX for methadone and got one

 

[cire113]

I tend to agree, strongly so. I don't think it really affects me too much as my metabolism is pretty fucking slow generally, but when I was getting 90mg take homes long ago I would take 2/3 in the morning and 1/3 in the late afternoon or evening. Worked way better then, until I discovered I like lower doses more and stabilized at 30mg. A lot of people do fine with just one dose per day, but a lot of people need split dosing.

The funny thing about methadone is the less of a dose you take the WAY more you feel it; As i continue to drop my dose I feel it much much stronger...

 

[cj]

^^^

It depends on the clinic; Usually you get to take 1 dose home; but a lot of clinics are VERY VERY strict and don't even offer split dosing;

You should just do what I did and try to find a compassionate GP Doctor or Pain Dr who will give you a script for methadone so you can avoid all the clinic garbage;

Really makes a BIG difference getting a 1 month prescription at a time; I did the clinic thing for like 2 weeks and seriously lost my mind and was determined to get an RX for methadone and got one

Consider yourself lucky. I am in the thick of the clinic bullshit right now.