Question about MMT

drewskie

Bluelighter
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Jan 8, 2010
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just around the corner
hey guys, I've been doing opiates for about four years and I'm ready to quit this bullshit of always having to have something to get out of bed and feel normal. I have been bad into oxy and smoking a few patches of fentanyl a day. I'm ready to quit and I am going to a methadone clinic in the morning to try and stabilize my life and move on with it.


I have researched methadone, a lot, and just wanted some input from ya'll that know something about it and the induction process and all of that jazz. thanks for your help.

- drewskie
 
methadone in itself is hard to come off of. usually a methadone taper ends up being an indefinite taper. and a lot of people just end up switching their DOC to methadone instead. methadone has a really long half-life, and as a result when you stop taking it, acute w/d's are gonna last a bit longer than, say.... a heroin or oxy habit.

I've heard of a lot of people using suboxone to taper with, and have better results at the end-time.....

but you can taper with anything.... it just takes self control.
a methadone clinic doc is just performing a function you can *maybe* do yourself

but whatever the opiate, no matter how tiny a does you get down to with a taper..... you're still gonna have w/d's. there's no way around it.
 
I too am interested in any information people have in regards to methadone maintenence the process to get in, usual time it takes to get started.

I want to get on MMT short term ( 6months to a year ) to stabilize my life so I can go to college and hold down a job.
 
This is probably one of the last times I'm doing this.

Just c/t off.

It will save you so much.

Coming off the 'done is just light years away in comparison.

I really mean it. Please, c/t off whatever short acting opiate you are on: the comparison in terms of time and healing is something on a ratio of 1:10 (sure how much and how long plays a part but you can take the 1:10 ratio for granted if you have been doing methadone for at a least a year and over 50 m's.....1:10 is for sure. You do the math. The short acting opiates are much much easier to deal with when stopping and it will leave system so much quicker and your body will heal so much faster.

Sure it helps a lot of people.

You decide what route.

Best wishes.

Joe
 
Well guys, I went to the clinic for the first time this morning and within two hours I had taken my first dose of methadone. I have tried to quit so many times over the years and always relapse. Even If I have been clean for a few months, I still relapse. This seemed to be my final hope and even after the first dose I can tell this is going to help me put my life back together. I am only talking for myself, but this is a miracle for me. I can't quit cold turkey, I've tried and crashed and burned every single time. I needed real help and hope and that is what this clinic is going to give me. And when I get ready I can take as long as I want to taper off of the done. for me it was a last chance, and a seemingly good choice.
 
It will definitely help you stabilize your life and get your stuff in order. Just try to keep your dose as low as possible, I mean not too low, you need to find a balance. Some people go up just to feel high, don't do that. You need to find a dose with which you don't have cravings or w/d. So you don't want to have too low of a dose either. So don't be afraid to go up if you need to, but don't go up just to feel more high. Anyways, once you are at a certain dose you will get used to it and stop feeling the euphoria anyways and all you'll get is just more side effects. So its important to really take your maintenance period seriously in order to find that perfect dose for yourself. The minimum amount of methadone that will stop cravings and w/d. Also, just because you are not in w/d anymore doesn't mean your dose is high enough. You also want to not have cravings so you minimize your risk of using other substances. A good methadone dose will make it so that you crave no other drugs. It's pretty amazing how it does that. I have no cravings whatsoever for drugs, other than my daily methadone dose.

Also, some tips for you concerning the clinic. Since you want to stay for 6-12 months I am assuming you want to get take homes ASAP. I will give you some tips regarding the important things they look at when deciding whether to give you take homes.
*When you have a scheduled appointment with your counselor never ever miss that or be late. Get there 15 minutes early. It shows that you are responsible and that you are taking responsibility for your actions. IF you are gonna miss it let them know ahead of time, best 24 hours in advance. You want to minimize any irresponsible behavior on your part. Read all the stuff they give you and try to be somehow prepared for your meeting with the councelor. It shows that you are taking charge in your recovery and that you are interested in what is going on.
*Get to the clinic on time, don't run in there in the last 5 minutes before they close. It looks bad. Sure, it can happen once in a while, but don't make a habit out of it. Unless of course you have a legit reason for coming in at the last 5 minutes...in that case let the counselor know ahead of time cuz they look at that kind of stuff.
*Have your balance payed on time. Do not let your balance grow too much. You might have some money that you owe them but don't let it be like weeks of payment. Try to pay off your balance ASAP. The more responsible you are with paying off your balance, the better it looks on your part.
*If they need something from you, do it and return it ASAP. If they want you to see a doctor, make an appointment and return any forms ASAP.
*Pass all your drug tests. They will only give you take homes if you have been making progress in your recovery and if you are dropping dirty that means you have not been making progress.
*come to dose everyday. You can miss a dose or two but the more regular you come to dose the better it looks. If you miss a dose call your counselor and let them know what happened.

I think it is key for anyone to get take homes ASAP so that they don't have to drive to the clinic everyday. Every 3 months my clinic gives you a day and then also by 1 year you only have to come in once a month. But that only will happen if they deem you responsible enough to get take homes. It's up to them. What I wrote is key for you to do to make sure you get take homes. Take it seriously and it will pay back.


I tried to include everything that's important but it;s possible that I missed something. If I remember something I will add it. If someone else wants to add something, please do, I will greatly appreciate any additions or changes to what I wrote. I just want the person going to a clinic to have as much info and advice as possible. It's always good to know this kinda stuff. Most of it is from what the counselor told me and some of it what I heard from people at the clinic and from reading stuff.

Good luck anyways. Methadone has been a very positive influence on my life. It's legal so you don't have to worry about police. It makes me feel safe for some reason. It's like a safety net. When I get my dose in the morning I know I am not going to relapse. I try to take things one day at a time and this way I get a day of peace and comfort so that I can concentrate on other things in my life like relationships, work, school, house...anything really...things that I didn't have time for when I was running around trying to score. It gives me a peace of mind. Sure it comes with a cost, the cost being later w/d. But I am willing to accept that cost for having a normal life. If I wasn't on methadone now I would still be struggling, trying to take any pain med to help with my chronic pain. But now, I just dose once a day, and go on my way and live life. I feel more free now than I did before.
 
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ZYGGY, thank you so much for all the info. It is much appreciated, and yes I plan on long term maintenance. After only one day of seeing how the clinic works and how it can help me I feel a little freer myself. I am so excited about not having to worry all of the time how I'm gonna score that I feel like a new person. I'm really going to put my all into this because I'm not trying to get high, I'm trying to get well. I'm trying to change my life for the better and I'm tired of relapsing and always being in w/d's. Its not a way to live, its a way to die.

Maybe this will become the " New MMT Patient Thread, what you need to know before you go" Anyway thanks for anyone who has some insight on this. I wish you all the best :)

- Drewskie
 
I'm glad I was of help. I've been on MMT for almost 3 months now, went to 2 different clinics. So I have a little bit of experience I guess.

It was a very difficult decision for me to go on MMT. I never thought I would be that person at the clinic. But seeing it now from the inside it is really not even close to as bad as some people made it seem. People made it seem like this horrible thing, a place where they treat you like shit. And its not like that at all. Methadone so far has been nothing but positive for me and my pain.

As long as you do what you are supposed to you will have no problems with the clinic. They want to work with you and want you to succeed. The clinic workers are not against you and they don;t hate you. There is a reason they chose their jobs, cuz they are ok with working with addicts. Do what you are supposed to, get in and get out and that's it, you'll be fine.
 
That was kind of ZGY to share that info with you. I have only gone the sub route so I can only comment on the differences. IMO MMT is a better route for most due to the couselor and mandatoy meetings. Take advantage of that. Sub Dr's rarely if ever provide any couseling. From what my friends that went the MMT tell me, there are state run programs for insurance, job training etc at most clinics. Your more likely to get more help with the addiction this way than blowing large sums of money on a sub script writer. Congrads on taking a major step in turning your life around. Good luck
 
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