Got told about this site from the nurse who is doing my home detox with me. Been on methadone for last 8 years, ranging from 80ml to 40ml. Went from 40ml down to 20ml at 5ml a week, then i done the rest my way; taking 10 days roughly to come off the rest, but by using street heroin to make it easier. I knew i'd be back on heroin, but i know i'd have more chance of coming off the heroin then ever off of that nasty liquid. So its been 2 weeks since the last use of methadone & been using heroin since, but started my home detox yesterday. Woke up ok & pretty determined, nurse turned up at 10 am, saw again at 1pm, but by 12 midnight........ i'd already gone & used, got hold of about 45 ml of methadone. Back to square one, he's just left (3pm) i won't be taking any meds as at the mo i don't really need, but honestly, can feel the anxiety already. I am using Librium instead of Lofexidine as have slow heart rate already. Thought maybe writing through this may help?
Heroin Starting my opiate detox yesterday, messed up once already.
- Thread starter Fatfreddy
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szuko000
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Hello and welcome to Bluelight. If you explore the website you will find an abundance of info here. My question to you is if you can handle the 5mg drops each week from 40 down to 20 why not just continue lowering the dosage slowly? Surely you felt some resistance to lower that quickly and were able to handle it why cant you go down 3 or even just 1mg a week for 40 weeks or something then youd be at zero and it would be "easy."
I think adding your Drug of choice into the mix is asking for a hard time, especially if you are using it in the way that lead to problems. My girlfriend tried to taper herself for a while and actually got down to 1 bag a day and instead of stopping tried to taper lower got much better dope and got really high off of one bag, reminded her of what it was to get high and ruined everything in a sense. She almost did it so it can be done but now shes on methadone and doesnt even think about dope which makes it 100% easier as methadone is something people dont want to use and want to get off where as heroin is kinda the opposite.
If i were you I would remove this idea that coming off methadone is "hard" and replace it with "its only as difficult as you want it to be" if you are telling yourself it will be difficult to come off methadone and you need to supplement with dope then that single idea will ruin coming off it for you.
I think adding your Drug of choice into the mix is asking for a hard time, especially if you are using it in the way that lead to problems. My girlfriend tried to taper herself for a while and actually got down to 1 bag a day and instead of stopping tried to taper lower got much better dope and got really high off of one bag, reminded her of what it was to get high and ruined everything in a sense. She almost did it so it can be done but now shes on methadone and doesnt even think about dope which makes it 100% easier as methadone is something people dont want to use and want to get off where as heroin is kinda the opposite.
If i were you I would remove this idea that coming off methadone is "hard" and replace it with "its only as difficult as you want it to be" if you are telling yourself it will be difficult to come off methadone and you need to supplement with dope then that single idea will ruin coming off it for you.
Hey mate im an expert in this, and totally up for helping you out Dude.
Right using street Heroin is just going to mess with your Methadone reduction, and will make detoxing from Methadone nigh impossible.
Reducing down to 20ml is the easy part, things get tougher from 15ml to Zero.
15-Zero is hard when you are just using Methadone but using H on top is just going to set you back, if your on 15ml and you use H you know the 15mls isnt gonna do the job and you will feel uncomfortable for 2-3 days craving more H while you try to get back to just using 15mls of Methadone.
I totally get how it feels ive done it 100's of times, it feels like yeah, yeah im reducing my Methadone im using here and there, by using the H its helping get off the Methadone as its less addictive, im just cutting down blah blah my head will tell me everything is allright.
But mate trust me on this if you are using the odd bit off H hear and there, even if you do reduce your Methadone you will still use H and maybe end up back on it if you dont have a Methdone script.
Id really suggest trying to stabilize your Methadone at a dose where you dont use any street H for a few weeks then look at reducing.
Its a false economy using street H when trying to reduce and will make it 100 times harder trying to reduce methadone.
Cant you get on a low dose for a few weeks and get stable from not using H, then reduce? you get 2-3 weeks of not using street H and you start to feel better dont crave and reducing is a lot easier.
Edit: Easiest way to detox is slowly dont use street H then a Valium script for 2-3 weeks to help with sleep, anxiety etc, eat well, sleep well drink plenty of water!
Right using street Heroin is just going to mess with your Methadone reduction, and will make detoxing from Methadone nigh impossible.
Reducing down to 20ml is the easy part, things get tougher from 15ml to Zero.
15-Zero is hard when you are just using Methadone but using H on top is just going to set you back, if your on 15ml and you use H you know the 15mls isnt gonna do the job and you will feel uncomfortable for 2-3 days craving more H while you try to get back to just using 15mls of Methadone.
I totally get how it feels ive done it 100's of times, it feels like yeah, yeah im reducing my Methadone im using here and there, by using the H its helping get off the Methadone as its less addictive, im just cutting down blah blah my head will tell me everything is allright.
But mate trust me on this if you are using the odd bit off H hear and there, even if you do reduce your Methadone you will still use H and maybe end up back on it if you dont have a Methdone script.
Id really suggest trying to stabilize your Methadone at a dose where you dont use any street H for a few weeks then look at reducing.
Its a false economy using street H when trying to reduce and will make it 100 times harder trying to reduce methadone.
Cant you get on a low dose for a few weeks and get stable from not using H, then reduce? you get 2-3 weeks of not using street H and you start to feel better dont crave and reducing is a lot easier.
Edit: Easiest way to detox is slowly dont use street H then a Valium script for 2-3 weeks to help with sleep, anxiety etc, eat well, sleep well drink plenty of water!
Thanks man, appreciate what you say. Wanted to say that if i could get a place at a unit, secure or residential & i could get a Valium script for that period, i'd jump at the chance. Never in any of my detox's have i get anything near a valium script. Maybe its a UK thing, or doctors worried maybe? The hardest part of this is just sat in my flat, not doing me any good at all. I'm going to speak with the nurse in the morning about the secure unit thing again & see if it would be possible asap. I hope your doing well mate & thanks yh.
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Hey Fatfreddy, welcome. Getting off of methadone maintenance is no easy feat, so I give you credit for attempting to break free from it. More importantly, make sure you give yourself credit. The main issue, as I'm sure most will tell you, is the length of the withdrawal from this stuff. It's not a "long-weekend" affair like a heroin habit, which in itself is pretty traumatic, but at the same time, relatively short. When I detoxed from MMT (120mg), the serious withdrawals lasted a little over two weeks, with the apex of symptoms occurring at about that time. I used both heroin and methadone a handful of times during the first two months. I was dedicated to remaining clean and doing right by my people/family, but after weeks of chronic insomnia, my spirit was utterly broken. I was wiling to do anything for relief; for a night of sleep, so that's what happened. Fast forward a few months to the present day. I have used a few times but have not developed a habit or used more than every other day, but as you know, it's a slippery fucking slope.
You're lucky in that you have some legitimate medical care. In my neck of the woods, known addicts do not get benzodiazepines, period. I begged for sleeping pills and I don't ever beg doctors for anything. The point is that most people, I'm sure, don't remain perfect during the detoxification process. You just can't let the shame/disappointment/guilt pull you back into the realm of hopelessness as these will only provoke further use. Many people go straight from methadone back to heroin; tit for tat, so you are by no means a failure. Be proud of yourself and remain as strong as possible. Keep us posted on your situation and if it's so unbearable that you cannot help but use heroin, maybe consult your nurse and ask for some advice.
You're lucky in that you have some legitimate medical care. In my neck of the woods, known addicts do not get benzodiazepines, period. I begged for sleeping pills and I don't ever beg doctors for anything. The point is that most people, I'm sure, don't remain perfect during the detoxification process. You just can't let the shame/disappointment/guilt pull you back into the realm of hopelessness as these will only provoke further use. Many people go straight from methadone back to heroin; tit for tat, so you are by no means a failure. Be proud of yourself and remain as strong as possible. Keep us posted on your situation and if it's so unbearable that you cannot help but use heroin, maybe consult your nurse and ask for some advice.