OK - First - I know this is an old thread - so obviously what I am going to say isn't really for "OP" - just for anyone curious about this topic.
Second - I want to say, the following information is ANECDOTAL and YMMV
Third - I can't really be bothered going into great detail, so I want to say that you can do this horribly wrong and make your situation infinitely worse...
So, in my own personal experience and also from witnessing other people who I know well and finally, from hearing first-hand (as opposed to actually witnessing it) from other people I know well:
The very short answer is this: If you do it RIGHT, if you get the timing RIGHT and I guess if you actually enjoy stimulants and are generally NOT the sort of person who easily gets anxiety from stimulants, stimulant come-down and acute/brief stimulant related psychosis (*relatively* mild, of course. Acute, intense stimulant psychosis will bring down anyone.)
Stimulants can absolutely be used to get through opiate withdrawal. In my experience and my advice: I would only personally do this for short-acting opiates, I wouldn't recommend using stimulants to get through WD's from methadone or suboxone. Although, about a decade ago I had a girlfriend who successfully bypassed her withdrawals from 4mg, daily (over 6 months) of suboxone via frequent use of methamphetamine. She did experience some intermittent come-downs that were less than pleasant. But ultimately, she was able to completely come free of opiates, specifically 4mg/day of suboxone, via using meth multiple times a week, for about 8 weeks.
I don't advise the above, personally- I think it can and will be quite difficult to navigate through the WDs of methadone, using nothing more than stimulants. I'd be surprised if the situation didn't just become worse. I'm currently reducing from methadone and I can say that using stimulants is most-definitely NOT in my game-plan for the end-days. Then again, I do NOT ever use stimulants any more any how, beyond coffee.
But I have personally had GREAT experiences of bypassing the WDs from heroin use, by essentially staying 'high' on methamphetamine for a couple weeks (with some sleep thrown in here and there, which wasn't actually difficult to obtain, the sleep was on the days where literally I wouldn't have been able to stay awake if you paid me.)
But I wouldn't bother posting this thread if it was ONLY my anecdotal experience with heroin WDs. But the fact of the matter is, I have A ) WITNESSED someone come off suboxone with this method. I've WITNESSED two people other than myself use this to come off heroin. And I've heard first-hand from three or four others that they've also been able to do this with heroin.
In every case, the specific stimulant has been methamphetamine.
Finally - this is ALL anecdotal. I have no idea if it will work for you. I have no idea if it works more often than not. I have no idea if it's more common for people to make their situation worse. I have no idea on the health implications. All I have is a handful of - positive - anecdotal, experiences using methamphetamine to successfully stop using opiates, without experiencing the bulk of the WD symptoms (by way of masking the symptoms with said stimulant).
If you've ever had a cold (or flu-like symptoms) and then taken meth, you'll probably find that for 24 hours or so, you'll feel great, like you're not sick at all (although, to observers, you probably look like the walking-dead) and then during the come-down and the days following, you feel even WORSE than you did prior to taking the dose.
So - with that in mind, you probably want to devise a game-plan that ensures you do NOT end up stacking the worst of the stimulant come-down, sleep-deprivation, anxiety and/or psychosis : with the worst of the opiate WD symptoms. Because that sounds like hell on earth.
Anyway - it is what it is.
And my final thoughts: I don't use stimulants anymore, having used them only twice in the last 6 or 7 years. So I would never do this now. And personally, I think methamphetamine addiction is by FAR worse than opiate addiction. AND - given this is a harm-reduction forum. Despite everything I have said. I do NOT think people should use this method. I think there's a LOT to go wrong. And at the end of the day, using powerful stimulants to overcome the WDs of powerful opiates; it doesn't take a fucking genius to figure out this is stupid and not the best or the healthiest way to overcome your addiction. It also demonstrates you're probably not even ready to overcome your addiction.
In fact - ONE MORE FINAL THOUGHT: In every single case I have mentioned, EVERY SINGLE CASE, the person relapsed eventually. Sometimes not for a year or more. But ultimately, every single person, self included, who used meth to get off heroin, ended up back on the gear eventually. So - if you're going to take in all the positive stuff I said, I think it's worth considering this too: It was never *truly* successful
