Opioids Methadone worries

[Howard B Huge]

It's sunday and I am feeling a whole lot better.Not totally w/d free but pretty close.The funny thing is the diarrhea didnt hit til this morning.In any event the last several days sucked ass but in the end it will have been worth it to get this fucking monkey off my back.Peace

Google the term: "The Thomas Recipe For Opiate Withdrawal "

With your history of use, this should be very helpful.

Good luck.

 

[ElmerBud]

It's early monday morning.I'm done with the w/d's and it was worth the discomfort.Now my struggle to keep opiates in my system is over with.And from my experience, it did seem to suppress a kinder more alive spirit within.I am sorry to any1 who for what ever reason, can't or wont detox their body.If there is any way possible you can survive without opiates or any other drug/alchohol in your body, I think you oughta give it some thought.You can take that how ever you want.All I know for sure is that I am a better man and live a better life without that shit........Peace

 

[Znegative]

wow, I'm really impressed with you man. I swear that I'm going to C/T my subs everyday, but just never can bring myself around to doing it... I did jump off a year long methadone addiction at 50 mg when I was put in rehab, and they only gave me phenobarbital, so I know that's rough. good job! Now though, you got to deal with the PAWs...good luck!

 

[JoshuaV]

Don't sign up for methadone, I did about 4 years ago and its the worst decision i ever made! Methadone is 10 times harder to stop than the opiates you are addicted to today. If anything, go the suboxone route. Methadone is not for everybody and I wish somebody had been there to tell me it was a bad idea... This is not to say it hasn't benefited me and helped get my life back on track...but when it comes time to stop taking methadone I don't know how I'm going to do it. Best of luck to you.

I've been on methadone for a year and a half and in the last few months I've tapered down to 17 mg rather painlessly, doing 3mg every 2-3 weeks. Take it slow and it'll be stupidly easy, way easier than quitting heroin or oxycodone cold turkey.

Methadone is definitely a long term solution and, to the OP, if you really find the concept of being on a relatively harmless supportive drug for a couple years that uncomfortable, then it's not for you, but when you look at the huge number of people that relapse over and over, people that could have saved themselves a lot of time and grief by getting on a maintenance program.

And yeah, it's true that a lot of people get on methadone and wind up staying on it their whole lives, but is that really a terrible thing? Where I live, at least, it's 5$ a day regardless of dose, cheaper than any addiction by far (consider what people spend on nicotine). I have to drop off urine once a day, I do that as I pick up my week's worth of doses. That's about all the inconvenience of it. I can travel with methadone just about anywhere in the world, though I can only get 2 weeks of travel methadone a year.

So yeah there are some definite downsides to methadone, but I think you're really looking at it in a biased way, as if being on methadone is as bad as being addicted to oxycodone, and having been there myself, it's way more manageable.

 

[ElmerBud]

In order for me to continue the mmt it would cost me 13 dollars a day for the clinic dose fee not to mention the hassle of having to drive an hour before I begin my usual ride to work which is another hour in the opposite direction,so all the time and gas would have been pretty rough for me.But there are many more reasons than just that.The fact is that I really had a personal desire to feel normal again but just as much, I did it for 2 very special ladies....my girl and my mom who deserve better than I had been giving them.Not only that, but in all honesty, I know that if I stayed on mmt I woulda still used other opiates eventually ,and here in Ga they give you a felony for every pill they find.I like to think that I wouldn't have gotten caught but I mean how many people in jail/prison knew they were about to be arrested?
So I guess it's safe to say that I just needed to get my shit together which is exactly what I've done.Now that the w/d's are well over with I find myself with some achy knees n back, but I am hoping a healthier diet will help....
Anyways I just hope that every one of yall either get clean or if you truly need opiates, make the best of your lives and take them when you need the pain managment, and not all the freekin time like I was for a buzz...Holler!

 

[BananasAndOranges]

I'm a little worried myself. I have been on a low dose of Methadone, well low for a trying to recover drug addict. I want to know what I should do. I actually after the first week Loved my Methadone dose at the clinic. It always made me feel right. Today I played and didn't dose. I really don't quite feel right. It's almost as if theres something lacking. It doesn't feel like a bad wd, but I'm sure tomorrow I'll be wanting to dose. Anyway I'm on benzos and was told I cannot get my dose increased at all until I'm completely off although I have not yet talked to the director of the clinic. I have a serious benzo problem. I cannot just up and walk away from my pills. They said they usually give people 2 weeks but I have been going there for a few months. Anyway I dosed my normal dose yesterday and it wasn't to relieving maybe for like 3 hours. I need to up my dose or get on subs but I'm so unsure of what to do. I wish someone could answer this for me. This is a little scattered but my question is what am I to do about my current methadone dose should I just leave it? I'm not trying to get high really just more so relief and haven't found anything to do so that hasn't made me feel like hell other than Methadone. Do you think if I'm honest and tell them this isn't working they would not look at me like an asshole?

 

[qwe]

your dose might not have worked like normal because of the lack of dose the previous day. you may not have felt right because your tolerance is different, or because it was too short acting compared to methadone, idk

suboxone may give you a similar feeling of "not right", i can't be sure. i loved my methadone dose for the first month or two (then adjusted) but when i switched to subox there was no honeymoon, i just felt *almost* maintained. you may feel "more right" if you notice you feel more sober and like the feeling (which many do)

suboxone is great as a stepping stone off, and is great as a med to get you used to feeling less opiated, and of course you don't have to do all that driving. i just wouldn't reccomend a too-rapid taper unless you are too compulsive about taking the pills. it's easier on the body and personality to go at it slow, whether methadone or suboxone. i don't know if this is true with opiates, but i know the slower you get off benzos the less post-w/d troubles you have

hope you make the right choice for yourself. you need to make the call though (and i'm not trying to say what the "right choice" is... you're the best to answer that

different clinics have different attitudes about benzos. it seems like you're not on a low dose, maybe that's why they're worried. my clinic was fine with a small amount of clonazepam but expressed concern about it. i imagine that they would reccomend a doctor or psychiatrist that does detox, or reccomend a facility... hopefully some docs in your area know how important it is to taper benzos

 

[BananasAndOranges]

under 40mg's is small for me. I took a step down and agreed to start my taper and did. I don't think they should make me do all the work if they are not even helping me with shit besides a lame ass drive and a lame ass waste.


I want to switch back but dont know how many days I need to wait now to do so/

 

[goatchX]

make the responsible choice here man, really,
methadone gets you zONGed, for 1
2, it will help you quit if that's what you're trying to do (sounds like)

it really can put your life in a shambles. pretty heavy stuff i've seen it happen to so many of my extended family.

 

[donnie080208]

in an ideal world all addicts could detox from their D.O.C. and take it from there,totally opiate free . the bad thing is the vast, vast majority of people cant. also im not one for thinking if you only have a "small" pill habit or a "short term "H addiction you shouldnt get on MMT. why wait till your in the gutter before trying maintenance therapy? most people, if not all would have ended up with a severe habit eventually anyway . why not save a few years of misery. i wish id got on MMT after my first few years on heroin but many have to learn the hard way

 

[BananasAndOranges]

blah blah

 

[Deluded]

Znegative, I know what you are saying about the methadone and completely understand your arguement, even though nobody else(yet) seems too. When I was on MMT and my dose got to 70mgs, my girl begged me to get off it, even if it meant taking pills(orally) again. I was a moody,self-loathing bastard. I have the hottest woman ever, we normally have se>< twice a day, and we didnt bump uglies for the whole 7 weeks I was on the shit.

I have no e><perience with bupe, but it seems to be reported to be a lot more forgiving then methadone when it comes time to stop. I would rather take pain pills then methadone, but then again, im prescribed them and dont use anymore then my script, I make it last. But if I was running the streets buying pills, Im sure things would be different. I never understood how people could keep a pill habit going with no prescription, how one could keep supply, then to have the money to pay for that supply. Must be alot of work, money, and time.

Op-Your doing well, I wish sometimes I could go cold turkey. Ya gut big ones my friend. Im so scared of withdrawl I make sure monthly meds last, even if it means small, small doses some days. My mother always said I was never a quitter.8) So long as your only using short acting opiates, the worst is almost over. Which is why you should listen to me and everyone else who agrees, SAY NO TO MMT!!! Unless your addiction is so bad that methadone actually improves your quality of life. Thats your most important thing. Dont beat up on yourself over your stupid mistakes, we have all made them, god knows I have. Dont suffer more then you have to, and have a great week.

PS- Go pick yourself up a copy of "the feeling good handbook" by david burns, and also " Make the last relapse your last" (can't remember author). Very good books to pass time and also shed some light on your addiction and make a "plan". They both have very good e><cercises in them to pass time.

PeAcE

 

[ElmerBud]

Life is good..............And quitting was the best thing I ever coulda done.

 

[hatefigure]

hi well i am on 100ml meth and i would advise you to get on a meth script as you will monitored by a keyworker but when you are stable on meth you can reduce your amount gradualy to suit your self . no one need know your on methadone exept your keyworker and chemist .so good luck

 

[ElmerBud]

Well it's been a while since I posted so I just wanted to again mention that I am free of pain meds and am doing great.In my opinion, many people who visit mmt clinics should consider stopping.I realize there are some who need pain meds for legit purposes but for those who don't, I hope you get back to the person you used to be before this because you just may be missing out on the one life that's passing you by.Best of luck to all of you...........Peace

 

[Missangela]

I just finished my methadone 21 day detox program at a local methadone clinic. it cost me $12 a day. it was most definately worth it. id suggest lying about how much u do so they can give u enough to get you started so you dont go trying to get high on the side. they give you a physical, take your blood to detect opiates, and do a "therapy" session to see where you really are at and they have to detect withdrawl symtoms like cold sweats, runny nose, ect. so make sure you are slightly withdrawling from opiates before going. They have different types of programs but where I went they want you to TRY the 21 day detox program before trying a more long term detox. It tastes like cough syrup if you get methadone in the liquid form. soon you will LOVE having the taste. takes less than 10minutes to kick in. you have to go once a day and if you go long enough they might give you takehomes. i actually moved across the country at my last day 5 so I couldnt finish my treatment and i weined myself off the rest of the way by nibbling off a methadone pill until it was gone over the next few days. and low and behold NO WITHDRAWLS! it doesnt stop the mental cravings though. thats for you to try and get over on your own. i still fight it and ive been clean for almost 3 months now its hard but make sure you have a good mental support system from friends or family or even people online if you cant talk to anyone in your real life. theres even NA online chat rooms...goodluck! and its a relief not to be physically addicted to something anymore! i feel like i can breathe

 

[Khadijah]

Well it's been a while since I posted so I just wanted to again mention that I am free of pain meds and am doing great.In my opinion, many people who visit mmt clinics should consider stopping.I realize there are some who need pain meds for legit purposes but for those who don't, I hope you get back to the person you used to be before this because you just may be missing out on the one life that's passing you by.Best of luck to all of you...........Peace

This is a kind of ignorant thing to say yo.

First of all, you had a problem with painkillers. I dont know the dose or pills you were usin but from the way you made it sound and from how easy your withdrawals were i really doubt that you were a person that needed methadone to begin with.

You got to understand that for a lot of people in the clinic, they werent doin norcos and percs and shit like that. Even people on 300-400mg of oxy a day I have known able to be held on suboxone and kick without methadone.

But for people like me and alot of the junkies I known, we had huge IV heroin habits, kicking that shit is so much different than the WD that you experienced, and not only that but the difference after you stop is also huge. when you get off a small pill habit , especially if its short term, you kick, have a relatively easy WD and then while you might feel a little bit off, you dont experience severe PAWS (postacute withdrawal system), etc. For somebody who been shootin up bundles and bundles of dope a day for years, if they can get thru the WD's, the long term effects afterwars can be too much to bear. You got no idea how it is, no disrespect meant, but for a person who was pretty mildly addicted to painkiller pills to be telling long term IV heroin addicts with huge habits that they should not go to the clinic and quit it , its just very naieve.

You are also misled to believe that a person on methadone cant lead the life that they used to live before they got on opiates. I been on methadone for over a year now and let me tell you that i feel the best that i ever felt in my life. My experience on this shit aint NOTHING like all the negative crap that people been sayin in this thread about how you are just a zombie, you dont feel or care about nothing, etc...For the first time in my life i really truly enjoy life just for wat it is, i have fun doing simple shit like talkin a walk or watchin a movie or WTFever. Just little things that i never cared about much less enjoyed when i was on dope for so many years. Shit aint just good its great. im way happier than i was when i was usin. i never been this free from depression and shit like that in my entire life, im better now than i even was BEFORE i ever started doin drugs. and i thank methadone for that.

i tried suboxone so many times, i tried kickin cold so many times, that shit didnt work for me, it wasnt enough and i just kept goin back.

Maybe for you the methadone wasnt necessary, and i dont think you shoulda been on it neither--even heroin addicts with small habits can usually get off the shit with suboxone and dont need methadone. IMO meth is best for people with longterm heavy habits, so for someone with a small pill addiction its best to avoid it. But you shouldnt assume that just becuz it was that way for you, that its the same way for other people on methadone. Just becuz it was this easy for you to stop dont mean that it would be for them--you were lucky and able to get thru this relatively easy becuz of the size of your habit and the drugs you were takin which made it much easier to detox. That aint the norm for most people at the clinic and while you might not need it, they do, so just dont assume that they WOULD be better off without the methadone.

I know you didnt mean nothin bad by it, and i know also that you just tryin to share your new found happiness, but you should realize that many people find that happiness and balance and freedom in their life when they get on methadone, and they aint missin out on shit. Im a million times better off now than i would be if i hadnt got on the done and I dont care if i have to take it forever, I honestly aint got the slightest concern or care about that, if thats the shit I gotta do then thats just fine with me, shit. Some people just need that, so if it works for them and their life is happy and they are satisfied with how shit is then who is anybody to tell them that they shouldnt take the drug that makes all that possible?