Opioids Question about methadone tapering and heroin

[diskobiskuits]

Hi,

I started methadone maintenance in January. Just finished a very quick, ten day taper from 60 mg to 0. Today is my first day without having any methadone. I have felt fine throughout the taper. I tried some opana 40 mg ers, dope, and roxy during the taper just to see if I could get high. It was fairly pointless. Felt like the days leading up to getting on methadone when I had a 600-900 mg a day roxy habit. So, basically, using was relatively pointless.

I even IV'd dope, which was something I never used to do. It was weird but I truly think the IV route was not working whatsoever and I was only feeling ANYTHING at all when I sniffed it.

I know I read somewhere a bunch of people talking about not being able to get high on dope using IV while on bupes. I didn't read anyone saying they felt the same way with heroin.

I know I need to wait longer to get the methadone out of my system before they let go of my receptors.

I have no intentions of getting back to being a junky or using everyday. I'm looking for a job at the moment but kinda want to try some dope today. Is it still going to be a lot of blocking?

 

[beengerman]

I know I need to wait longer to get the methadone out of my system before they let go of my receptors.

seems you already know the answer.look for that job, not the d.

 

[Tommyboy]

Was 60mg your maximum methadone dose? The blockade effect from methadone is mostly due to an increased tolerance. Since it's a potent drug and has a long half-life, you have basically had a high dose of opioids in you 24/7 for the past 7 months.

60mg to nothing in 10 days is a very fast taper. It usually takes a few days after your last dose of methadone before the withdrawals start. I would be more concerned with managing your withdrawals than I would be with trying to get high. If you use anything I suggest doing so in a way to taper more because if you try to get high now you are just going to continue to be strung out. You need to break your physical dependence first if you are going to have any shot at using occasionally.

I suggest stocking up on loperamide and reading through this thread about dealing with withdrawal. Is there any reason why you did such a fast taper, and would you consider tapering with buprenorphine if the withdrawals get too bad? If not then get some loperamide and taper with that, and try to get some of the meds mentioned in that link to help with the symptoms.

 

[tricomb]

@OP, have you already tried and failed with buprenorphine?

I would not be seeking heroin. It's your first day off 'dones, your tolerance is still sky high. It will take weeks until you're really normal, but if you go abusing meds and heroin right away without even waiting at all, then your tolerance won't go down and you'll still have a ridiculous tolerance.