Not sure whom you are replying to. Myself or DKs?
Assuming me since you replied direct.
I didn't recommend maintenance. If a methadone detox was available, then for sure that would be a no brainer. Unfortunately, clinics do not offer this.
DKs followed up with the truth. This person is going to be struggling regardless. And a short maintenance could work. I agreed.
Suboxone and methadone are the same. However I will argue methadone is 10000x better. From getting on, to being on, to getting off. In fact, it is documented that suboxone withdrawal is LONGER than methadone. And from what I felt off bupe withdrawals, they are more like a fast acting opiate in how the withdrawal comes on. Was already puking / dry heaving on the 3rd day. Never once puked in methadone withdrawal coming off all kinds of doses. There is nothing easier or harder about sub vs methadone withdrawal. Its an opiate withdrawal either way. Too much is not known about long term bupe usage. Staying on that stuff for years will do some damage due to ingesting an antagonist daily. Would not recommend my worst enemy to take that stuff for more than 7-14 days MAX. Believe me, there is a reason they have just as much value as a common anti depressant. None.
In regards to methadone, if you raise your dose to 100mg, sit there for 10 years, you are in trouble. But imagine someone on bupe for 10 years would be in more than just trouble, they just spent a decade taking an antagonist. Anything that strips receptors and blocks anything but super high affinity fent is bad news. And the millions of stories I read about bupe withdrawal show that. Even that other thread, the guy can't even skip 1 day of his bupe. Once stabilized on methadone, the withdrawal doesn't even start until 2-3 days.
Getting on 30mg of methadone, stabilizing for 7 days, then coming down 1/2mg a day is the easiest way off. There is just no profit in this for the clinics to keep someone at the clinic for 3 weeks, so they don't offer it. If the OP was able to scrape up even 7 days worth would make it 100x easier than cold turkey. Methadone is a proper drug.
You will take a sub when sick enough, but anything more than once or twice, forget it. These guys basically took an opiate and turned it into something screwed up to block abuse.
I don't recommend maintenance just yet. But if your attempts fail, do not discount the fact you can join a clinic, be taken out of active addiction in the snap of your fingers, stabilize and be off in 6 months.