Opioids Want to quit methadone.

[strangelemon]

So, I have not even taken it that long.

But it was recreational.

Previously, I took a few pills a day- for a few years- and never had physical dependance or withdrawals. But awhile back, those became inaccessible. They were hydros, I used to take about 3-4 10 mg pills a day, never more than one at a time and always 3-4 hours apart.

Afer they became inaccessible, I was then offered methadone and have been taking it occasionally for a few months, really not often.

However, for the last two months, actually almost nine weeks now, I have taken it every day.

It is the liquid kind so I was taking about 6.5- 20 ml a day, broken up into 2 or more doses a day, and sometimes a couple days off a week with nothing at all.

The last 2 weeks though I have taken it every day and in the amounts of about 13-20 ml a day.

I actually keep track of how much, so these last 2 weeks I took total for the week- 104 ml and this week so far about 80 ml. Those are totals for the entire week, each.

I do not know if I will now have physical withdrawals. I absolutely hate the long waiting period agonizing to see if I will have witdrawals or not, because of methadone's very long half life.

If anyone has any input on it, it is much appreciated. Please be kind, I know it is stupid to take it to begin with. But I do what I have to, to get by. To get through.

I want to be off of it now though. Off of all of it.

Thanks

 

[kongoman]

Wou will wd with no doubt! If you want to stop you will have to tapper down. If you can have pregabalin or dxm you can mix it with methadone to take less of it. You are talking in ml. So we cant know the mg. Wich is the important thing.

Try the lower dose that you can take to feel good and taper down a little every week.

Hope it will help you. Stay well

 

[strangelemon]

Wou will wd with no doubt! If you want to stop you will have to tapper down. If you can have pregabalin or dxm you can mix it with methadone to take less of it. You are talking in ml. So we cant know the mg. Wich is the important thing.

Try the lower dose that you can take to feel good and taper down a little every week.

Hope it will help you. Stay well

Sigh
Really?
I took it for over three weeks before and then quit- zero wd.

How disappointing.
I hate tapering

I've already heard all the horror stories but it's always from people who took way more and did so for years.

Oh, also, my understanding is that 5 ml is equal to 10 mg.

So basically times the ml by 2 and that will equal the amount of mg.

So, 6.5 ml is equal to 13 mg
13 ml is equal to 26 mg.
20 ml is equal to 40 mg.

This is what I have been told and also read elsewhere on the internet.

Have you experience with methadone?

 

[Jen X]

Decreasing by 10% every week and when you get low decrease by 5%.
My advice would be go slow

 

[kongoman]

Sigh
Really?
I took it for over three weeks before and then quit- zero wd.

How disappointing.
I hate tapering

I've already heard all the horror stories but it's always from people who took way more and did so for years.

Oh, also, my understanding is that 5 ml is equal to 10 mg.

So basically times the ml by 2 and that will equal the amount of mg.

So, 6.5 ml is equal to 13 mg
13 ml is equal to 26 mg.
20 ml is equal to 40 mg.

This is what I have been told and also read elsewhere on the internet.

Have you experience with methadone?

Yes, I have experience with methadone. My first treatment was 20 years ago. Ive been on a off all these years. Today im on 60mg, so I know what im talking about. Its very easy to know if you need to taper. Stop methadone and see how do you feel in 24-48h. Only you can know if you need to taper.

Not always is 2mg/ml, Ive heard diferent formulations. Im from Spain and mine is 4mg/ml. Its important to know how much youre taking. If youre correct youre taking about 40mg wich is not a small dose.

Always have something to take if you WD.

 

[strangelemon]

Yes, I have experience with methadone. My first treatment was 20 years ago. Ive been on a off all these years. Today im on 60mg, so I know what im talking about. Its very easy to know if you need to taper. Stop methadone and see how do you feel in 24-48h. Only you can know if you need to taper.

Not always is 2mg/ml, Ive heard diferent formulations. Im from Spain and mine is 4mg/ml. Its important to know how much youre taking. If youre correct youre taking about 40mg wich is not a small dose.

Always have something to take if you WD.

Yes, I have experience with methadone. My first treatment was 20 years ago. Ive been on a off all these years. Today im on 60mg, so I know what im talking about. Its very easy to know if you need to taper. Stop methadone and see how do you feel in 24-48h. Only you can know if you need to taper.

Not always is 2mg/ml, Ive heard diferent formulations. Im from Spain and mine is 4mg/ml. Its important to know how much youre taking. If youre correct youre taking about 40mg wich is not a small dose.

Always have something to take if you WD.

Well, it's not often that I take 40 mg

I don't often take 40 mg, that's maybe once or twice a week.

It's more often that it's closer to 13- 26mg

Do you know if wd comes on suddenly?
Or if it's more of a slower come on?

I've been through quitting and wd of both
alcohol and benzodiazapines (anxiety meds) and that's a very sudden and dangerous wd. The benzos wd was hellish and non linear and went on for months and months.

I know what the symptoms of methadone / opiate wd are. Also I know it will take a very long time to see, a couple days or more.

I'm also wondering will I feel it starting or will it suddenly be as it was with alcohol and benzos?

The person who gave it to me, they're on it for many years- they told me it's 1ml= 2 mg. So I'm sure about that much.

I have some left, so I won't be facing anything ct.

 

[Jen X]

I don't often take 49 mg, that's maybe once or twice a week.

It's more often that it's closer to 20-30 mg

Do you know if we comes on suddenly?
Or if it's more of a slower come on?

I've been through quitting and wd of both
alcohol and benzodiazapines (anxiety meds) and that's a very sudden and dangerous wd. The benzos wd was hellish and non linear and went in for months and months.

I know what the symptoms of methadone / opiate wd are. Also I know it will take a very long time to see, a couple days or more.

I'm just wondering will I feel it starting it will it suddenly be as it was with alcohol and benzos?

With longer acting opioids it usually takes 2- 3 days before it gets bad.
Try not to think about it, I find if I'm waiting for symptoms it makes it worse

 

[MedicinalUser247]

Well you can always switch to Suboxone and then taper off that.

 

[strangelemon]

Decreasing by 10% every week and when you get low decrease by 5%.
My advice would be go slow

I know... I absoltely hate that, I have terrible anxiety issues and it's so bad that waiting and waiting.

Ugh that's why am drawn to opiods also depression, they are so helpful in that respect, it's not good, I know....

 

[Jen X]

I know... I absoltely hate that, I have terrible anxiety issues and it's so bad that waiting and waiting.

Ugh that's why am drawn to opiods also depression, they are so helpful in that respect, it's not good, I know....

Clonidine will help with anxiety.
I find opioids to be the best antidepressant but unfortunately tolerance goes up fast so it's not feasible to use it long term

 

[strangelemon]

Clonidine will help with anxiety.
I find opioids to be the best antidepressant but unfortunately tolerance goes up fast so it's not feasible to use it long term

Yeah.... I know
Previously I was chemically addicted to benzos. I have kindling ( if you're familiar w the term) to those and alcohol so cannot touch those ever again- I can look into clonidine but as far as I know I'm unable now to take any anxiety drugs again and the others are just ineffective for me, hydroxyzine and ssri's and such- I've been dealing w complex trauma related anxiety since I was a kid, I tried everything from meditation and yoga to meds, exercise, more meds etc.

 

[kongoman]

Yeah.... I know
Previously I was chemically addicted to benzos. I have kindling ( if you're familiar w the term) to those and alcohol so cannot touch those ever again- I can look into clonidine but as far as I know I'm unable now to take any anxiety drugs again and the others are just ineffective for me, hydroxyzine and ssri's and such- I've been dealing w complex trauma related anxiety since I was a kid, I tried everything from meditation and yoga to meds, exercise, more meds etc.

Clonidine is not an anxiety drug, its involved with the adrenergenic system( I dont know if its the word in English).
It helps a lot with WD but you must be careful with blood pressure, it can be low with clonidine.

And WD comes up very slow with methadone, dont worry about that.

If you WD take 10mg and wait 1-2 hours. If you feel good thats it. If not take another 5mg and wait. Repeat until you feel good.
I think if youre taking about 20mg you dont have to worry to much.

 

[strangelemon]

A

Clonidine is not an anxiety drug, its involved with the adrenergenic system( I dont know if its the word in English).
It helps a lot with WD but you must be careful with blood pressure, it can be low with clonidine.

And WD comes up very slow with methadone, dont worry about that.

If you WD take 10mg and wait 1-2 hours. If you feel good thats it. If not take another 5mg and wait. Repeat until you feel good.
I think if youre taking about 20mg you dont have to worry to much.

I really appreciate the input, thanks!
I feel prepared.
I also called a clinic and spoke with a really nice guy too, I figured he's seen it all at the clinic so he was also helpful.

 

[kongoman]

A

I really appreciate the input, thanks!
I feel prepared.
I also called a clinic and spoke with a really nice guy too, I figured he's seen it all at the clinic so he was also helpful.

What did he say if I can know?

 

[strangelemon]

He said that it would not be like the horror stories I have heard and that yes of course everyone is a litttle bit different, but that it will not kill me and I might be a little bit uncomfortable for a few days, not weeks or months or anything. And that by uncomfortable he meant a little of runny nose, a little achey, minor things like that, not vomiting all over or anything.

 

[strangelemon]

He said that it would not be like the horror stories I have heard and that yes of course everyone is a litttle bit different, but that it will not kill me and I might be a little bit uncomfortable for a few days, not weeks or months or anything. And that by uncomfortable he meant a little of runny nose, a little achey, minor things like that, not vomiting all over or anything.

What did he say if I can know?

I had also mentioned that I once before took it at about the same levels for three and a half weeks and had not a single wd symptom when I stopped.

 

[kongoman]

I had also mentioned that I once before took it at about the same levels for three and a half weeks and had not a single wd symptom when I stopped.

Probably you will have trouble sleeping, thats the worst part of WD.

 

[strangelemon]

Probably you will have trouble sleeping, thats the worst part of WD.

I have pretty bad insomnia anyway for other reasons. I usually only get 2- 4 hours a night. Never in a row. Most time I ever spent awake was about 91 hours. That was bad.

 

[Dextro .45]

Reducing Methadone gradually per week…..PLUS:

Pregabalin 150mg capsules X 2-3 daily
Diazepam 10mg then 5mg scored tablets X 2 daily
Clonidine 0.1mg tablets X 2 daily

all 3 meds taken together 2-3X daily. Morning, before dinner, and few hours before bed…..while reducing daily Methadone to where it’s getting uncomfortable