Treatment Methadone or Suboxone?

[JessFR]

It is true that methadone can be very hard to get off of. That's definitely something to keep in mind.

But even so it can still sometimes be the best option. You really gotta evaluate your options and try and figure out what's right for you.

Methadone was right for me because my tolerance was too high for subuxone, and I wasn't willing to go through withdrawal to get off heroin. Both because I knew I'd never make it trying to do that, I'd have kept using. But also because I knew that even if I did make it, I'd likely experience PAWS and/or depression, which I felt also would inevitably lead to me using again. I did have concerns about how difficult it might be to get off methadone one day, but in the end I decided it was either methadone, or I'd have kept using. And while methadones hard to get off and not perfect it was a far better option that continuing to use heroin.

In the end I decided that methadone was the only realistic option that would result in me stopping heroin and stopping the downward spiral I was on. And it worked. It was the right choice for me. You'll have to figure out for yourself what's the right choice for you. I wish you all the best though.

I hope any of what I've said helps too, I'm rooting for you. Good luck.

 

[Optioidmistic]

You guys are so amazing and I thank you so much for chiming in with your great experience. I have been able to stay clean all of this week. Those of you saying the problem isn’t the drug are certainly correct! Once I buckled down and resisted my urges to use I found myself in a much better place with suboxone. I think now all that’s left is to see if I continue getting these episodes of headaches and excessive agitation. It’s not at all like the irritability of opioids to me - its more like a rage without origin. So far, so good though. The past two days I’ve felt fairly good.

 

[realname4sur3]

Hi Optioidmistic,
A week!?? That's so awesome!!!???? That is a HUGE DEAL!!
Have you ever heard of SMART recovery? I personally am not a 12 step fan but SMART is a totally different ballgame! Might be worth checking out to get some support and positive encouragement?
They have a big online meeting following if you don't live in an area they offer in person meetings.
Hope you have a great day!!

 

[Playernm3]

OK I'm gonna preface this by saying I've never been on subuxone. I've known a lot of people who have, but in the end I don't have first hand experience with subuxone.

With that in mind, I think you should either try and significantly increase your subuxone dose (assuming you are currently at 8mg as your posts seemed to indicate). Or if that doesn't work or you don't think it would help, I would switch to methadone.

It's long been my opinion based on what I've seen that methadone is more appropriate for more severe habits, and subuxone more appropriate for milder habits. Subuxones ability to reduce withdrawal has an upper limit, and that limit can be too low for some people's habits. I have no doubt that would have been the case for me which is why me and my doctor agreed to go with methadone instead of subuxone from the beginning.

I think some people's tolerances are too high for subuxone to be effective, and those people would likely benefit from methadone. Other people with milder tolerances on the other hand are likely to find methadone too strong and would benefit more from subuxone. It sounds to me like you might be in the former camp rather than the latter, like myself.

You could try increasing your subuxone dose first, but there's an upper limit to that. It doesn't sound like you've reached the ceiling dose yet, but when you do, if you're still uncomfortable, I'd strongly consider switching to methadone.

If you're still craving heroin and are uncomfortable, then subuxone as you're currently taking it isn't effective. You shouldn't feel like that.

I've been on a stable 80mg of methadone for a couple years now, and yes it still satisfies my desire to use heroin. I've found it to be very effective. I have not grown to hate it and I do feel it satisfies my craving for opioids. I would honestly say methadone has saved my life and I have no doubt I would have continued spiraling downwards without it.

It's not the best choice for everyone. But if increasing your subuxone dose further doesn't stop you feeling like this, I think you'd be a good candidate for methadone instead.

Don't listen to people just entirely dismissing methadone. Some people have found methadone inappropriate for them, others like myself have found it no less than life saving. It's a tried and true therapy that is the best option available in some cases. If subuxone is inadequate for you and you feel substitution therapy is what you need, then methadone is well worth a try.

Glad to see someone that methadone helped. Seems like everyone hates it and doesn't give it a chance.