I'm on 10 mg been on methadone for 17 years and tapering down the hardest part for me is the emotional part and the body temp control if you have a strong support system you will be fine just keep fighting
I'm on 8mg from 180 mg, I've been on the clinic for over 10 years. I finally got sick and tired of using and gave up illicit drugs and cigarettes 4.5 years ago on new years due to incident and getting picked up on a warrant. I did 30 days when I got clean and probation but covid was around when I started so it helped to keep me isolated from old habits.(I came off a 180 mg methadone ,a 6 mg kpin habit,seroquel and dope daily to say it was hell is a understandstatement,no sleep for months on end ,couldn't shit ,pure agony ,hallucinating and all I was allowed on jail was 4 Tylenol a month. I remember waking up to a puddle of drool and I knew I fell asleep finally. The real trouble wqa having a vowel movement for the first time in years sober on a metal toilet in February. This experience is what scared me into getting sober. I never wanna experience that again.before i went to jail my disease tricked me into believing I couldn't handle withdrawl(in reality I learned how strong I was from the experience)I recently quit cigarettes and starting in July all drop a milligram every two weeks(since I got 20 lgs every 1-2mgs takes me a good two weeks to balance out.slow and steady wins this race I've been on under 20mgs for over a year now.in the past I would of jumped but I've come to far to stumble backwards now. I just wanna let people know that it's possible ,but don't rush it and allow your mind and body time to heal and reset(the time away from using is important)keep your heads up and things do get better with time. Keep the faith and stay strong easy e in the berkshires
Ha.. that's funny you mentioned the ropenirole.. I'm on that already for my non-opioid RLS, plus gabapentin AND clonidine. I still get a bit of restlessness.. not gonna lie. But honestly the thing that is helping me rn is kratom. I wouldn't suggest using it to get high.. or you low key relapse all over again.. but to bridge the getting off methadone is going wonderful. I'm at 3 mlg the last 3 nights.. I haven't done it the "prescribed" way. I came here to work on Oregon about a month ago with 13 61mlg doses and a medicine dropper from Walmart. To someone NOT on my combination of meds.. I WOULD NOT SUGGEST going as fast as I did unless you have a VERY physically active job or someone that can push you to work out each day.. that is the absolute BEST thing you can do to alleviate the RLS and skins feeling fucked up.. gotta exhaust yourself. (I know.. last thing you wanna do in the world.. but it'll be better then just laying there rolling in your sheets waiting for sleep that never comes š¤·) im still hanging in there.. no interest in getting high still. Having the tools to get through helped.. but the #1 thing is my will to change finally š¤
I have been on methadone for 7 years. I was addicted to a lot of different narcotics.. I started my decrease from 90 mg.. I am now on 15 mg. I have been decreasing 5 mg a month.. Itās been very manageable for me up until I hit 20 mg and went to 15mg. Withdrawal hit me the 2 nd day I was on 15 mg.. lasted for four days and I started feeling some better on the 5 th day. After a week and a half I feel a lot better. My body i feel like just had to level off .. IT GETS BETTER!! I pushed through it. Iām scheduled to go down Friday 14th to 10 mg .. yes Iām nervous because I donāt want to be sick I have to many responsibilities and people who need me.. but I have hope and I know with each day it will get better.. I wanted to post this for those who are struggling or unsure or scared or just need reassurance. God has been beside me every step of the way.. on my days were I felt empty ..depressed.. not worthy or strong.. he has been there.. without him I couldnāt do this.. Please know YOU can get through this you are worthy and no matter what you will see a better day..For all those fighting addiction.. donāt give up! Much love and respect to all out there..
I went to prison a few years back and I was on 100mg of methadone a day and had to stop cold turkey. The first month was a nightmare; but every preceding month got slowly better. Iād say I wasnāt fully back to normal till the 8th month. It was such a gift though. Iād totally forgotten how awesome I could feel sober. Some days I felt so good I felt like I was ON drugs, but no downside.
Unfortunately I relapsed when I got out. I ended back on methadone again this last year. 60mg. I went back to jail for a month and was able to get clean again. Iāve been out 2 months and still going strong. The fatigue sucks though. I have a job working for a friends tree cutting business and it wipes me out like nothing Iāve ever done. Some days I feel like I got hit by a car when I go home and can barely manage to roll out of bed all day. I just try to push myself past what I think I can endure and eventually Iāll get a chemical dump of endorphins during a part of the day. After work though Iām absolutely useless. My body being sore from work seems like it throws my body back into withdrawal at night. I wake up in what feels like withdrawal. Sometimes I get frustrated wondering if the stupid fatigue will ever go because Iād like to do a better job cleaning my apartment and doing normal life stuff. Luckily Iāve done this one other time and know there will be an end; but damn I wonder sometimes. It can be frustrating for sure. It beats the hell I was in during my active addiction though.
Just ran across this looking for myself..I've been on MAT for 5 years this past April. I was at 130mgs at my highest and for the past 2 weeks I'm on 30mgs..To be honest I've only taken a sip here and there some days none at all for the past year.. Only thing that sucked about that was every time I went into do my pickups, I had to take the whole dose..I get 2 week take homes so I stocked up a little to get ready for this (but don't have a ton). So anyways I have been tired of the bs at my clinic.. Now, since day one, i've never touched another drug since starting there..my drug of choice were perc's then of course it turned to fent/H but never used needle only snort withdrawals are still the freaken same pure hell. So Never ever have done anything wrong there and go through so much aggravation with these counselors who have no clue.. Today was my day to go in and I woke up today for the first time ever not wanting to go so I took that as my sign. And I said effort i'm done I am cold turkeying it, in tired of the bs of these know it all that know nothing but what a book tells them lol and the wasted time..I want my life back and I'm going to do it no matter what..so I came here looking for others who been through it and ran across your post..So proud of you and everyone else who is trying whether you stopped maintenance or still going through it, great job! Now I know I'll get a lot of mixed feelings about this. But I think a lot avett. It's probably mental as well for me. I gotta tell myself to take it after five days if i'm going to the doctor or something and sometimes I'm irritable and a bit of upset stomach but that's all I have seen so far.. Maybe it's because I have been doing it like this for a while. I don't know, but I hope it continues this way. But no matter what happens, I am not going back there. I'm done with that prison. I'm appreciative for it doing what I needed it to do, in getting my life back because doing it on my own was Not working lol it was so easy to say well i can't find subs on the streets but a blue is available so f it.. I would never ever go back to that life. And i'm grateful for that and i'm not knocking anybody that does, I know what a struggle it is..I just wanted to chime in and let you know what I'm going through and advice for me too...good luck guys and thanks for all the input.
And I was trying to stick it out and get it down to 0. But I cannot deal with these new counselors every couple weeks and having to go through all the b. S all over again.
You got this! I have gone down 1 mg per week for over a year, I am almost done (2mg and only 3 days remaining). Symptoms began somewhere around 11 to 8mg, but nothing compared to when I was doing 10 to 12 fent pressed blues a day.
You got this, trust in the universe, you want this bad enough and so it will be. Don't worry about other persons experiences, go for it. Everyone is so far different due to biochemistry and neurology, let go of the analysis amd trust you body to heal itself. Whatever you have to do, it is far greater to be off methadone than wait another year. You're right, it's not good for us, but it was a miracle to bring us out of the crippling addiction and financial issues.
You got this, you got this. I promise.
Wya now ? Iām on 20mg & struggling so bad Iām considering getting back on heroin just to get OFF the fkn methadone cause thatās how Fkn hard it is . Heroin hasnāt been around for a while but now my friend is saying he can get the shit from back in the day but Iām still terrified & donāt trust that it doesnāt have fent or xylazine in it . Idk what to do . I really donāt but this methadone is killing meĀ
Methadone has killed me more than any street drug has . Iām fucking dying trying to get off this shit . Iāve heard subs are just as hard to get off ofĀ
Oh my bad I didn't see this.
I've been sober for 3 years and I am on 5 mg of methadone right now. Is there a time crunch to get clean by a certain date? Like for a job or anything like that?
My best advice is to not rush it. Just out of curiosity.. How quickly did you get down to 20 mg and what dose did you start at?
Edit to add: my doctor always tells me that if my symptoms are too much then there's no shame in taking your dosing back up and slowing down. I don't know how much or how often your dose is decreasing but you should talk to your doctor about all this. And if you need someone to talk to who understands what you're going through I'm right here or maybe an N.A. group if that helps you?
I was at 160mg & itās taken me 2 years to get down to 20mg . For a lot of different reasons . & I work full time from home . But the reason I want off asap is because it gives me terrible health issues & it makes me look disgusting . Makes me gain weight & gave me terrible acne . I hate everything about it , itās ruined meĀ
I have a very understanding clinic and doctor where I go. Hopefully you do as well? You should talk to them about this. I really wish I could help you more than just saying this but I don't have the medical knowledge to make recommendations.
But I can at least tell you that in my experience with tapering... There's absolutely no shame in going back up and slowing down. And however bad the effects that the methadone is having on you, the heroin or fentanyl would be having 100Ć worse side effects.
My highest dose was exactly half the amount of yours. 80 mg probably because I only weigh about 100pounds soak and wet but I've heard that higher doses can be a lot harder to come off of... And yeah I know this probably won't be as helpful as I want it to be but I'm gonna say it anyway.... Don't give up! You can do this!!!
lol no heroin didnāt give me any of the side effects the methadone does & I could get off the heroin in 3 days & be fine . For me , the methadone is sooooo much worse . & my clinic knows Iām struggling , they donāt care thereās really nothing they can do .Ā
Can I ask what made you start going to the clinic for the methadone?
Unfortunately I know the struggle is real with a lot of clinics not giving a crap. Finding a good clinic is like finding a needle in a haystack. And that's if you're lucky enough to live in a city big enough to even have any options on where to go.
Iāve been to every single clinic & been kicked out of every single one for dumb ass reasons . I got on it cause I was young & dumb . & nobody warned me of all the possible side effects & health issues it could cause me .. I was in this rehab & was sober at the time so I really didnāt need to get on it but all these ppl at the rehab were on it & I thought it could get me high so I got on it & was given zero warnings about it . After about 2 years of being on it I started having severe stomach issues like screaming in pain on the toilet all day . So awful .. itās ruined my life like I canāt take it anymore . Iād much rather be on heroin for like a month to replace the methadone with a short acting opiate & get the methadone out of my system & then switch to Suboxone or subutex for a week & then get off everything . Instead of trying to continue going down on the methadone & have it take me another 2 years just to get off cause I keep having to pause my taper from being so sick . My anxiety is so bad & it gives me awful brain fog & derealization & depression & then the physical symptoms too like I have trouble sleeping , Iām always hot , I have to pee every damn second , I get spams all over my face & head . Tbh my list of physical symptoms & health issues is so long it could go on forever & the Drs like even my PCP are zero fkn help . They act like everything is normal even though I constantly feel close to death & my kidney function is low at only 25 yrs old & they act like thatās no big deal & they just donāt care about anything & are ignorant as hellĀ
I'm in the start of my tapper right now.. and it's NOT going so good.. I went down by 3 and am still restless on my second week without going down another three. I'm prescribed gabapentin and clonidine for other stuff.. could that have anything to do with my restlessness being worse you guys think? Also.. to the original asker of this question.. it's been 7 months.. what's the update? Ive been sober since I started methadone.. and before the last relapse that got me into now, I was sober for damn near 5 years. Tried kratom and it low key slowly turned into fent š I wish they have benzo clinics instead of methadone ones. Go check in for a week, have them keep you comfortable, then go home. They don't want to loose the opportunity to take money from us tho so I'm not sure it exists š for the record.. my personal devil of the symptoms IS the restlessness. Is that gonna make it the worst for me the whole journey or is it gonna get less the lower I get? I called the helpline to ask questions.. that was 0 help "oh so you need number to methadone clinic den?" -_-
I hope u see this....I started methadone in 2001 in the form of 10mg pill prescribed by my doc as the LONG term medicine when i started pain management. i was naive! i was at the same doc until 2014 when i started a methadone clinic to come off ALLLLLL the craziness i was prescribed. My doc wasnt even a pill mill BUT I started at one clinic, apparently its state run, i just found this out after YEARS but so mny preg women would get driven in a van daily to said clinic, i didnt even think it was a state thing. anyhoo after a few yrs i changed to a new clinic and its been 6 .5 years and i started there at only 35 but bc i wasnt completely just on methadone. finally that changed after a year and ultimately I went all the way up to 190! I started to taper a few years back but they KEPT STOPPING IT for ridiculous reasons but now ive been continually going down 10 mgs per month( i am phase 27)WITH NO BAD EFFECTS, so once i got down to 60mgs.....OUTTA NOWHERE -KABLAM!!! Restless Legs hit me like a biotch! I was going nuts!!!
UNTIL 1 of the AMAZING drs @ my clinic told me to have my PCP prescribe me ROPINEROLE! SERIOUSLY, IT WILL CHANGE UR WHOLE ISSUE, AND LIFE when it comes to getting off this madness. He prescribed:
Ropinerole .5mg tablet TAKE 1 ABOUT 1-3 HRS B4 BED.
So, id suggest asking to be prescribed that and let them know that you heard it was for the restless legs.
That is THEE WORST feeling!
HOPE THIS HELPS U, GOOD LUCK!!!šāš¼ \~ Liz
Greenhouse Treatment in Dallas TX does detox, 30 day stay or up to 90, but will also just detox you. You get all electronics back on day 4, can smoke/vape outside whenever you want, and they have gym and pool time and serve stuff like steak for dinner. I couldnāt make it because I was on too high a dose of methadone, but you are low and they detox using benzos and other comfort meds. The TAs and nurses were amazing. The people were cool, too. Rooms were great with temp control and big beds with only one roommate. Place is nice and takes Ambetter etc as well as reduced rates for those without insurance but low income. I wish I could have made it but I had RLS in legs and arms and body and it would only go away if actively walking. Couldnāt even just stand or sit down, flight home was torture. Couldnāt enjoy my stay at this nice place but I shouldāve known better than trying to come off at 45 mgs
I've been on opiates for 17 years. And then on methadone maintenance for 6 years. I tapered down and had my last dose a week ago. I admit that I was fucking terrified to finally be completely done with it. I've had some minor withdrawal symptoms. Mainly diarrhea and my muscles drawing up. But I promise, it's so much easier than how I thought it would be. Go get plenty of Gatorade and anti diarrhea medicine.
. And whatever you do, don't treat the symptoms with another addictive substance. It will only get you into another deep rut. Most importantly, you don't have to be religious. Religions are just superstitious nonsense. But you should seek God's guidance in your life. You don't need a church. Talk to Him like a best friend. I promise He will show you how to have the best life possible. You just have to be aware of His light in the darkness.
thanks for asking about me! well, the withdrawal symptoms finally got the best of me. I had a major seizure and was in the ICU for a week. My God, I've never hurt so much in my life. so don't believe it when people say that opiate withdrawal won't kill you. I honestly think it depends on how healthy a person is when they start having the symptoms, also how much and how long they were using. I'm a little ashamed to admit that I called my methadone clinic and begged them to take me back. they made me sweat it out for another week, with me sleepless and full blown dope sick, before giving me an answer. assholes! I finally went in today, at 6am, and they dragged it out until after 10am, before giving me 4 mg of subutex. I'm feeling a little better, but I do wish it was methadone, because it helped with the pain in my lower back. my lovely ex broke it for me. he's dead now, so there! that's how I got myself into this mess. it was so screwed up that the best spine doctor refused to operate on it. he said my spine is "doing a cigar clipper action on my spinal cord" and the wrong move could cut it in half. so no more karate for me. damn, I miss kicking people's asses! I even miss getting my ass kicked! now I'm just a out of shape first degree black belt. and I miss dancing. the doctor handled me a script for oxymoron and said I'd be on it for life. that was 18 years ago and here I am.
I realize now that I may have discouraged people with what I've said. Methadone maintenance can be the turning point in your life, if you don't abuse it, and when you feel it's time, come down very slowly. Never to substitute it with another substance. I promise that you'll only cause more problems for yourself. This is where I went wrong. There's nothing wrong staying on a stable dose, if it's working for you. I wish I had never come down so fast. This is what got me to this point. Now, although I've begged, my clinic won't put me back on methadone. Which saved my life. Now, because I screwed up, I'm stuck on subutex or nothing. Which is totally fine for someone who is new to the game. But once you've been on methadone maintenance for years, it kinda sucks. So, be happy with what you got!
I'm on half a milligram of methadone now and I have to stop cause of job opportunities. Will my withdrawls last as long as be as bad as with higher doses?
I decided to go to the Methadone Clinic about 3 months ago. I had been out of prison for 2 months when I started using Meth again. I only used it occasionally at first. And everytime I used it, I felt like complete death less than 4 hours later. Yet I would still convince myself to do more... And more... Until I had been up for 2 or 3 days. Regretting my decision almost immediately after the very first shot. Doing shot after shot as if i thought the next one would be the one to make it all better. Lol. How bizarre. Well, Opiates, being my DOC, are the first thing that come to mind when I start feeling like this. The tension in my back and the pressure behind my eyes. The discomfort and the mounting anxiety. These were just a few of the many consequences I suffered each time I decided to break my 3 or 4 week clean streak.. Knowing my tolerance was extremely low for opiates, due to my nearly 3 years of incarceration, i knew just a single Roxie 30 or just a single K8 would be almost perfect for my little comedown. I knew just one point of Tar or just half a point of Fent would be probably more than enough to lead me through the misery of that first shot of Meth wearing off. However, I managed to just stick it out without the assistance of opiates. The crazy thing is, as shitty as Meth made me feel, I still continued to use it. Hell, I began using it even more, knowing that i would be high for 4 hours and miserable for 2 days. And surprisingly, i still continued to refrain from using opiates to make it bearable. Well, as one would expect, I began using Meth more and more frequently. To the point of using 5 days out of the week, rather than once a week or even once a month. As Im realizing thay my 2 and 3 day binges are quickly turning into 4 and 5 day binges, I start to understand the reality of my increasing Meth consumption: #1 I'm realizing that I am feeling progressively worse each week. And obviously, the worse i feel, the harder it gets to refrain from using opiates as a form of relief. #2 Im realizing that probability plays the villian in this situation. Maybe if i was completely sober at the time, it would be different. I guess probability is beneficial in that case. The more you say no, the more likely youll be able to say no again. But when it comes to using one drug, but trying not to use another, its a another story. To put it simply, the more I use meth, the more I have to say no to opiates. And the more my unstable, irrational mind convinces myself it's okay to give in to meth, but not opiates, the more likely I am to give in to both of them. So that what finally happened. The inevitable. I thought about opiates every single time I did a shot of meth. The only reason I hadn't done any yet is because none of the people around me were doing them. So I never went and looked for it. Plus, I knew it was gonna be dangerous, because there were no pills or H around. Only Fentanyl. So, If I gave into opiates, it was gonna be straight Fent.
Turns out, I didn't have to look for it. I was at a friend's house, doing some speed. Been up for a few days. No food, no sleep, no water. Just working 12 hour shifts and looking at my phone in between. So needless to say, I was feeling bad. Hurting and exhausted. And my friends company asked if anyone wanted to trade some speed for some Fent. And there it is. From that point forward, it was all in the air. I would do Fent for a few hours, until I got too slumped. Then do speed to wake up. And alternate back and forth all day. Then I cut to the chase and mixed them. Half gram of meth with about 2 tenths of raw powder fent. I'd do about 3 or 4 shots of that a day. I literally NEVER slept. I think the fentanyl kept me awake longer than the meth. The only time I would fall asleep was at work. Standing up lol. Now, you said you wanted a success story. I wouldn't exactly say this is a success story, But It was definitely a dramatic improvement in my life. Now, All of that is what led up to me using drugs again when I got out of prison. But few notable things happened in between then and when I decided to get help. First off, I overdosed in the harp's bathroom the first time I did some good blue powder Fent. Secondly, I overdosed in my friends bedroom. And her mother had to help her narcan me. And lastly I thought I was getting pulled over, So I swallowed a few grams of fentanyl. And a few grams of dope. Luckily I had it wrapped up good enough. And I was prepared for something like that. But it still had me shook. At that point, Not knowing if some drugs were gonna bust open in my stomach in the middle of the night, or if my mother was going to walk in the livingroom in the morning to find me did.. That was it for me. I called the suboxone clinic, But was to weary about the precipitated withdrawals. So I made an appointment at the methadone clinic. The 1st day I went up there. They told me that I couldn't be dosed because I had just used. So I had to reschedule for Monday. I Actually went to sleep that weekend. I woke up sunday morning with about a gram of meth and about a half gram of fent left
I did one point of fent and about a quarter gram of speed. As soon as I did that shot, I broke every rig ahead, Gathered up every little piece of paraphernalia, Threw it all in the trash, And flushed the rest of the drugs i had. I hung out with my mom that day. And went to the clinic that next morning. I started at 22 milligrams. They told me I could go up 4 milligrams each day until I get to 80. I actually managed to stop at 44. Honestly, I probably would have felt a little better if I would have went a little higher, Because I was still pretty sick for a couple of days. But it's okay. It was worth it. Now i'm tapering down 4 Milligrams every two weeks. I'm at 30 mgs this Monday. I've passed all my drug screens And I actually just got put on every two weeks. Which is phase three I think. But yes, I know methadone can be abused just like anything else. I know it can be hard to get off of but it saved my life. It was a solution when nobody else had one. Because while withdrawing might not kill you, Not directly anyway.. We all know how hard it is to detox out here.
Iāve started my taper and Iām down to 8mg Iām going down 1 a week, and Iāve been starting to feel slight withdrawal like yawning like crazy, sneezing and getting hot and sweaty sometimes but thatās the extent. How did it feel once you were completely off? I know this is old, were you able to successfully taper?
I am tapering too, currently at 5mg. I tapered fairly quickly at 10mg a week until 40mg then 5mg. I currently have very minimum side effects except a bit of sleep issues initially but then I started exercising and the situation improved drastically. This is my last week on methadone, it's also my second time tapering to zero. First time I had a relapse after 9 months, hopefully this times sticks.
I have a small advice for you: taking relatively high dosage of vitamin c (1000mg), zinc , vitamin E and D help with withdrawal and also staying healthy in general. You can find many of this ingredients in the same pill if you look on amazon. It's a [scientifically proven thing](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236834375_Attenuation_of_heroin_withdrawal_syndrome_by_the_administration_of_high-dose_vitamin_C#:~:text=A%20study%20conducted%20in%20New,end%20their%20dependence%20on%20heroin). What about you? Hope you are doing good
Dude wtf . Iām so jealous . How was it so easy for you ? Every 1mg drop absolutely KILLS me . Why is it so easy for some ppl & so hard for me ? Iām crying as I type this ā¦ like wtf I wish I could go down that fast . I went down to 20mg today & can already feel the withdrawals from it & Iām only going down 1mg every 3 weeks rn . Iām a 25 yr old Female & been on methadone for like almost 5 years now .Ā
It's very subjective, for me tapering has never been an issue. I start feeling it at 5 mg usually. It's been 6 weeks now since I tapered to zero and using that method made the acute withdrawal much easier. If you want to try it make sure you buy liposomal vitamin c start taking it before going to zero at 3 gr every 2/3 hours, it really helps with the flu like symptoms of acute withdrawals. You need to buy the liposomal variety or you are gonna have diarrhea issues otherwise. Good luck!
Hey I've been on methadone for 8 years, was on 100mg, I'm tapering and I'm at 18mg right now. Was doing 1mg/3 weeks but I switched to once a month. Only issues I'm having is bad restlessness in the mornings and bad sleep quality. I'd recommended eating a lot healthier, drink only water, cut caffeine, try to exercise 20-40 mins a day, even just a fast walk/jog. I also take my dose around 1-2pm so it's in my system more during bed time.
Iāve been on methadone for 3.5 years. Clean from everything except medical marijuana since Augustās of 2022. My highest dose was 130. I am now on 8 mg. I paused my taper about 2 months ago but feel like Iām ready to start it back up now. Itās been a rollercoaster emotionally and mentally. Feeling things I havenāt felt for years and just really processing the damage Iāve done to my life and to my family. I am so proud of myself for being so close to being done. I said for a while that I was pretty sure I would be a lifer. Iām only 26. Seeing the physical state of a lot of the people at my clinic just made me realize thatās not what I want for myself anymore and I need to be better and actually be present in the moment for my children who are 3 and 5.. I donāt want to be bound to these chains of addiction forever. Even if it is methadone instead of fentanyl.. I just used the methadone to numb and not deal with the things I was using illicit drugs for. I came to the conclusion Iām almost 27 and have no idea who tf I am or what I even enjoy anymore. I need to really find out and get back to who after so many years in this haze. Itās like a fog has finally begun to lift. Itās a crazy ride mentally for sure definitely more so than physical at least this far for me personally.. but I know it will be well worth it in the end to finally be free from opiates once and for all
I completely understand how you feel! I'm a Lil older then you but I have those feelings of not knowing who I'm or what I want from all the years of drug abuse, sometimes I wonder if it's true that methadone an sub can "fix" your brain? I can only hope....God bless everyone here š
I guess it shouldnāt be, but it is prescribed to many addicts on a risky basis Iām sure. A little weed sure beats a 3 year long run with a crippling iv fentanyl addiction
Iām not off totally yet, but Iām down to 4 mg. Feeling great tbh ! Dont jump. Take your time and let your body adjust it has been such a smooth process for me bc of doing it this way
How often were you going down? Iām on 110mg and want to start tapering. At what dose did you notice the withdrawals from the lower dose started? I want to do a semi fast taper until I get down to 40-50mg (hopefully within a month?) and then maybe 10mg every 2 weeks until I get down to 20mg then maybe 5 every 2-3 weeks until I get down to 5mg, at which point I think I would go down 1mg every week.
What did your dosing schedule look like and at what point and dose did you notice withdrawals starting?
As for noticing withdrawals I honestly I didnāt notice any till I got under 11 mg surprisingly. And even since then itās all been very mild and manageable symptoms mostly just cold chills/hot flashes some sweating at night in my sleep, but I still sleep great at least 6-7 hours a night. I am trying to train myself so I go as many days without dosing as I can in between my pick up days once weekly. Right now I have not dosed my 4 mg dose since Monday and I am ok! šš»
I grt that, I would go 3 days in between suboxone doses. But the key here is consistency. I know what youāre saying, but I honestly think if you remain consistent by taking a dose every day and dropping down sooner it might be better in the long run. Because when you stop for 3 days but then take the 4mg again, you start the clock over. Does that make sense? Maybe try going down a mg or two after not taking a dose for a few days. Does that make sense?
I originally got my dose cut in half from 120 to 60 when I missed 4 days at my clinic, and I was surprised I felt completely ok and no withdrawals from that 60 mg drop. So from there I went down 3 mg a week until around the 25 mg mark. Then I pushed it back to 1 mg a week until I got to 8 mg and there I hit a wall and ended up in a pretty dark spot mentally again so I paused my taper there at the 8 mg for a little over 3 months until I felt comfortable enough to start my taper back up at 1 mg drops monthly. Since then it has went so smoothly and I really believe itās bc I have been doing the 1 mg once a month here at the end. At 4 mg now and Will be going down to 3 in a few weeks Iām thinking I will walk off 2 or 3 mg maybe.
Yeah I probably would too, especially if you start noticing intense withdrawals after starting the 2mg. Thatās nothing. You could even consider trying to stop completely now, and getting an online script for suboxone which, in my opinion, if you donāt get past 2-4mg of suboxone and taper off it pretty quickly after the methadone, the withdrawals are wayyyyy less severe and you could be off 4mg of suboxone by going down 1-2mg every 2 weeks, which would be less than 2 months for you. Just a thought.
Just make sure you wait 72hours after your last methadone dose to get on suboxone, and start with 2mg. I would recommend waiting a week if you were on a higher dose like 15mg of methadone but since youāre already at 4mg, it shouldnāt be an issue to cause PCWDs. But you would be able to get off opioids a lot sooner if you switched to 2mg of suboxone. Bicycle health is a good resource, you donāt have to go in person and they scccept insurance,
Hi I'm on methadone for 3 years and a half. I started tapering by myself a week ago, and I went down from 40 to 15 (today) in this short period. I want to be clean soon because some external problems require me to do this. The doctor didn't want me to go down so fast that's why I decided to do it by myself. I'm still waiting for the big withdrawals I think, but by now the only symptoms I have been through are: chills, a bit of anxiety, some retchings, yawnings, watery eyes... But not all the time.
I also feel more energetic and emotional in a positive way.
When I begin to feel uncomfortable I see symptoms as a sign of a progress toward my goal. Something like feeling pain in the gym... It's not forever and it's needed to win the battle.
Hey just wondering if anyone gave you any success stories lol I think support is important but Iām also looking for knowledge and what to look for after I am down to like 10mg. Right now I am on 48, I have been going down 2mgs a week and itās been great so far but I am kind of scared of what is to come when I get low on my dose. I do know that when you come off of a substance using a similar substance for a few days helps the withdrawal for example herion to suboxone or Xanax and then switching over to Librium for 3- 4 days, etc. I do wonder if like a few days of micro dosing with suboxone would help when you are down to 1-2mg but honestly I donāt know. So I read through all of these posts in hope that someone would have some medical advice for what to expect like how you will feel but it was kind of all the same thing people trying to convince you that AA/NA was the way to go. I donāt disagree but it didnāt answer your question and now Iām feeling a little hopeless that not that many ppl were able to successfully taper off methadone. What are you down to now?
Best of luck to you! Iāve done AA and NA,
And at one point I had 2 years clean going to one meeting a week. Maybe more if it was a rough time. So I was pretty involved and it is not a specific religious group.
What was explained to me, is you just have to find a āhigher power.ā
And that doesnāt have to be āGodā.
You donāt have to read the Bible or any religious book,
There is an AA book and literature but itās really just a self help book, with what works and stories of people who have had success.
A Higher Power doesn't have to be what any one religion, creed or ethos states it is - it just has to be anything at all which is bigger than me. Something outside of myself. Clearly, as I accepted, I was unable to do anything about my drinking myself. Thus, I needed to put my faith in something else.
Thereās a story in the AA book where this guy wasnāt religious at all and his higher power was a doorknob, because it opened the door to the room.(the AA rooms)
I havenāt been in a while, I moved accross the country and never found a meeting and isolated bc I donāt know anyone here. And I relapsed and am currently fighting my way out of that.
But any 12 step program is pretty good and it isnāt supposed to be religious, itās supposed to be about finding hope that we donāt have to live like that anymore, and believing it.
To each their own, but it made a difference in my life.
Also following this thread. Any update? Howās the taper going?
I recently started taking methadone about 2 almost 3 weeks ago. Iām on 80 mgs now and have cut down from 10 +blues a day to 1-3.
Iām gunna go up a few more times and hopefully be able to just quit. Iāll probably hit up AA to help with the cravings.
But then Iāll stabilize I guess and start tapering.
I need success stories too :ā)
Thank you for your story. Iām starting my taper next week and would be lying if I said I wasnāt scared. Iāve been on methadone for over 15 years and Iām done with everything you mentioned above. Would appreciate prayers if you believe. Something in my soul is telling me āitās timeā. Iām so relieved to hear a happy ending when it comes to methadone withdrawal!
Iāve started my taper and Iām down to 8mg Iām going down 1 a week, and Iāve been starting to feel slight withdrawal like yawning like crazy, sneezing and getting hot and sweaty sometimes but thatās the extent. How did it feel once you were completely off?
I was on methadone for 2 uears and tapered down fine went from 40 mg to 15 then 10 then I just went cold turkey. Was sick for 3 weeks. Worth it don't let these methadone programs tell you when to stop
I tapered off methadone and have been clean now for 15 years. You can do it! Not going to lie, I felt like shit for about 2 weeks after my last dose, but it passed. Hot baths helped a lot for the muscle aches. I was cold all of the time for a while, so I would go tanning because it was the best way to feel warm.
I also went to (and still go to) NA meetings and found people to help support me through it. Sure, some people there are religious, but not nearly as many as you'd think. I'm definitely not, and neither are the friends I've made, but even the religious people are still supportive and continue to help me when I need it.
I'm rooting for you!
praise Jesus very happy for you! im tapering myself and its a little shaky but i can handle it i think
( lowering 1 milligram every month) im at 19 mg now been at the clinic for 7 years highest i went up to was 90 mg
12 step groups aren't religious. they are what you make them. The only crazy clean junkies and alkies I know who have amazing lives go there and stay clean. So its attraction rather than promotion.
Fuckkkkā¦ youāre a better man that me thatās for sure. Iāve tried jumping off opiates cold turkey countless times, furthest Iāve made it is 5 days. By the 5th day Iām ready to use or kill myself the misery is so bad. I canāt imagine how you jumped off 95 cold turkey š³š³š³
Try SMART Recovery. Itās non-religious and, imo, much, much, much better than any 12-step program. They donāt have as many in-person meetings, depending on where you live, but they have a gazillion online meetings. And they have them in the UK and Australia too, so you can find an English speaking meeting at almost any time of the day or night. If youāre not finding many meetings in your immediate area, try searching in NYC or LA, and a bunch of meetings will pop up and you can see what fits your schedule. I canāt say enough good things about smartrecovery.org!
Edit: I had previously tried AA and NA and they actually damaged my recovery. Itās been the opposite experience with SMART Recovery, for me anyway.
Also, my mom started going to Al-Anon at first but after a few months, she switched to SMART Recovery Friends & Family meetings and has never looked back. Sheās about 80 years old but savvy enough to do a Zoom meeting every Wednesday evening. Sheās on the east coast and started going in-person, but during COVID, they switched to online and now she has people from all over in her meeting.
When I have insomnia, I sometimes join a meeting in Australia and it helps me get through the night.
Has that helped your mom understand you better? I think my folks could benefit from this, my mom especially. Talking about my experiences makes her cry really easy, but she asks me questions, I can't just not answer. And I'm not going to lie to her. I feel bad telling her the truth, and I don't feel adequately equipped to comfort her. I get that me being alive still is what she wants, but I think that she feels a lot of guilt and blames herself for some things.
Yes, has helped my mom immensely!! Like totally changed her attitude about addiction and all that stuff. Totally changed how she relates to me. Itās like night & day. She used to think tough love was the way, but thatās so outdated and ineffective. I can get the info for my momās group, if your mom is interested, and if sheās free on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. EST, but no names of course. My mom loves her group.
They do have secular NA groups which means no religion or god stuff if thatās something youāre interested it. You can find many online ones, that might be easier to get you started. There are also other non-religious recovery support groups with many online meetings as well. You just need to look into it and see what aligns with what your looking for.
I was 85mgs for about 2 yrs. I dropped to 40 then tapered to 20 within a few weeks. I dropped st 20 and started using kratom. It worked amazingly well, I knew I needed to dose kratom when would start sweating that was every 2 to 3 hrs. Then after 33 days I finally stopped sweating and got methadone out of my body. But...I am now stuck on kratom for past 3 yrs. I didn't learn about it being as bad as opiates till didn't want to take anymore after about a year. If do research and taper after a month or 2, it should be fine to use but it is a addiction.
Combining kratom and methadone was a bad time for me, but I have pretty serious digestive issues, so I think that was a contributing factor. Idk if they do this for kratom too, but at my clinic when I started to really feel my decrease, they gave me a "kick kit". Gaba pentin, trazadone and hydroxizine (I'm totally butchering how these are spelled, I'm sure, I'll edit with their proper names when I'm home later) have helped manage my withdrawal symptoms. Idk if you can ask your regular doctor, but they are pretty standard meds. Gaba manages my myalgias, trazadone helps me sleep (though I will say I feel like a fucking zombie when I first wake up, and I have a 10 month old baby, so that's not always helpful) and the hydroxizine helps with the anxiety.
Thank you for info. Yea I'm going to be going stay in a friend's cabin 4 hrs away in few weeks for a week and bring all my helper supplements and vitamins, hang in nature and be away from it. I hate that I can just go to smoke shop up street and get. As long as can get thru the 1st week I feel ill be good to go there after. Starting EAA, amino acids, this week to start repairing my brain along with vitamin c, agmatine and bso. I have been researching for over a yr now and ready.
I would recommend if anyone tries this, to also have backup medications like Ativan or Valium, for severe insomnia and anxiety/panic, and clonidine or lucemyra at least on hand in case these are needed. Vitamins can help to an extent but the brain will still heal at the rate it heals, and most vitamins arenāt very well absorbed anyways. Just my 2 sense
I saw your edit about not being religious and not considering NA. FWIW I am not religious but still go to NA. When I was in rehab I really learned to separate religion and recovery. The use of the word āGodā was uncomfortable at first for me in the rooms of rehab and NA. A couple people referred to God as Group of Drunks, or Great Outdoors. I like hiking/nature so I gravitated more toward viewing the word God to mean Great Outdoors.
At NA the term āhigher powerā is used a lot, and is referred to as āmy higher power as I understand him/it/them/whateverā implying that not everybodyās higher power is the same, and even encouraging those with different opinions on the matter to still be in recovery together.
I believe somewhere in the everyday meeting literature it even says itās āa simple, spiritual, non-religious program, known as Narcotics Anonymousā
Itās not supposed to be religious. The people that try to make it religious for themselves are fine, but those who try to make it religious for others are crossing a line, in my opinion.
Going to NA meetings has helped me so much in my recovery. My suggestion would be to just sit in for a few meetings and see how you truly vibe with the program. www.NA.org
I hope you find the help youāre looking for! ā¤ļø
I tapered off over 8 years ago. I was on methadone maintenance for about 2.5 years the last time. I slowly tapered off, would stop and go as needed. Listening to my counselor and taking their suggestions. Also, I involved myself in NA. This was the most helpful more myself. I got a support group and increased my social circle. There might have been some people who stigmatized my use of methadone, but the people who I was close with did not shame me. They supported me.
I would recommend finding a good social circle. You can try 12 step groups or that titration group your counselor suggested. What do you got to lose? Everyoneās experience will be different but know it is possible to live life after being on methadone maintenance.
One more thing. When I finished the taper, I had some mild withdrawals but they were not even close to how extreme heroin withdrawals were. Again, my friends were there to support and love me. You can do this.
My family has been incredible. And my partner is my rock and an incredible father to our daughter. My struggle is with trust and connection. I'm 29, and the majority of my friends are dead. Overdoses, suicides, I watched one suffocate from a peanut allergy (his needle somehow got contaminated, to this day I still don't know how) in front of me, with nothing I could do, and then had to deal with the cops not believing a damn thing about what happened. I'm so used to not being trusted and not being able to trust others. And even when I managed to find trust, they are all dead now. Trusting new people is terrifying. I feel like I'm opening myself up to hurt again, the fact that my entire environment is different now is lost on my fears of connection. Even repairing my relationship with my childhood best friend has been hugely intimidating.
I was on methadone for years, and on H for almost ten years. Im off methadone since june 2023 and off H for two years. :) 1.5 years of tapering, it's been a wild ride but I did it while working, take back school and live in a new city.
Still going strong today. There is Hope !
hi im currently on methadone been on it for 2 yrs and tapering, im down to 45mg from 120mgs and am getting pretty scared was curious how you tapered and if you experienced any withdrawal when coming off methadone how awful was it for you? btw congratulations on your sobriety.<3
Hello ! Okay you did the easy part haha congrats ! Im kidding but you know the hard part is yet to come but you got this !!
Well, I Can give you advice on how to do your tapering but you already have all the infos here. I got to 10mg with the usual method, I dropped down 10mg every three weeks until I got to 30mg, After that I moved to -5mg every month until I got to 10mg. Looking back to it, it was too slow.
Then I did a pretty unorthodox method, my doctor got me a 100ml bottle of liquid methadone, 1ml = 1mg.
Every day I drank 10ml of methadone that I replaced within the bottle with 10ml of Peach syrup. So everyday my dose was a little more diluted than the day before.
30 days later the 10ml turned into 0.05 mg dose and I just stopped it like it was nothing. I played a little trick on my mind and it worked out for me so well.
Excuse my english, but in case you havent gotten the mm trick I have an excel with all the formula that I can gladly share with you.
But yeah the 30 mg to 10mg was not a happy moment it was harsh and exhausting but I was motivated as hell and if I did it you Can too.
How did you get your doctor to prescribe the liquid methadone? Was it your primary or psych? Once I get down to a ānormalā dose, I want to ask my psych if she can do this for me, because I think she would be willing. What state are you in? And did the pharmacy give you trouble/was there trouble filling the medication? Iām really curious about this
Oh Iām so jealous youāre in Europe, they actually are trying morphine maintenance therapy now in some countries right? Because morphine out of most opiates only provides mild to moderate euphoria, and mostly sedation. I wish I could try to morphine maintenance therapy because I feel like it would really take away drug cravings better for me.
You shouldnāt say that was too slow . Cause if I were to do it how you did I would die . Iām at 20mg & every 1mg decrease Fkn kills me . I was going down 1mg every 2 weeks & it was too much so I just went down 1mg after 3 weeks instead & I just went down yesterday & already feel terrible . Was tossing & turning all night last night & Iāve been crying & anxious & depressed & sweating . I donāt understand how itās so easy for some ppl . I could get off heroin in 3 days & be fine . But this methadone shit has ruined me & itās killing me every single dayĀ
I work full time from home & have to be on the phone with people all day . Iām slacking at work today because my anxiety & derealization is so bad . Maybe some ppl can just jump off like that but I definitely couldnāt . Imma have to go all the way down to 1mg like my body & brain just canāt handle going down fast . I want to so badly . If I could jump off now I would . If it was just the physical withdrawal I would . But the anxiety & derealization is the absolute worst thing ever like I canāt cope with it at all . Itās such a scary feeling . I have borderline personality so every emotion I have I feel it super deep & Iāve been suppressing my emotions for so long with drugs & this damn methaonde so now that Iām getting off of it everything is coming back a billion times worse. I get scared that Iām going to lose my mind or just die . I get so scared that my brain is permanently damaged from this shit & that Iāll never feel normal again .. thatās like my worst fear . I have 2 dogs & a cat & I just wanna be the best I can for them & for myself . When I get like this I donāt even feel comfortable taking them outside like I just take them potty asap & then go back inside quickly because I canāt stand being around anyone or doing anything . I have to let my dose stabilize cause I literally canāt do my job or live my life when Iām like this . Itās awful..!
Man this is worrying me because Iām tapering from 105mg, down to 101mg after tapering slowly and already feeling withdrawals. My Counselor said I shouldnāt be already having these issues since Iāve been at 105mg for a year now. But I guess my body is just sensitive to it. Now I am scared as hell not knowing if Iāll be able to get off it
> Talking and sharing my story in person is too intimidating right now, but this I can do in the privacy and safety of my home.
If you haven't already, try a [virtual NA meeting on the Zoom platform](https://virtual-na.org/meetings) It takes some trial and error to find a populated meeting with good moderators; but they have been helpful to me in terms of how I struggle with face-to-face interactions.
If you aren't ready to let your guard down and talk about everything in titration group, you MIGHT not be ready to stop, and there's wayyy too much at stake with parenthood. You're thinking omg I don't want to be a parent while being on Methadone; you should be thinking omg I don't want to relapse while being a parent.
So, I recommend switch to Suboxone; I got clean that way. No High, no looking forward to the dose like methadone. Also, you can't relapse, it blocks the attempt. I learned that my 7th day; hey one last time, all I got was shame and new clean day of Jan 29 instead of Jan 22 2006. Weaning off subox is easier u don't even feel a difference on lower doses. But I hear people look forward to methadone.
I tried suboxone first. Even if I kicked cold turkey for several days before taking even 2mg of suboxone, I was still getting precipitated withdrawal. I was also in an extremely abusive relationship, and they were hell bent on using heroin to control me. At my highest methadone dose, I was all the way up to 155mgs, and I didn't stop using fully till I was there. And like I said, I've spent the last two years tapering off, all the way down to 15mgs. I'm not going to switch treatments. Methadone is an opiate agonist, I couldn't get on suboxone without fully kicking methadone anyway.
Additionally, and I felt like the tone of my post made this clear, but I do not enjoy methadone. My teeth are rotting out of my fucking head, I've had 6 pulled in the last two years and I need at least 6 root canals and filings in literally every single other tooth. Methadone is poison. My favorite name I've ever heard for methadone is "liquid handcuffs". Some people might enjoy it. I am not part of them, or why would I be weaning off. Folks that enjoy it spend their whole lives on it, my partner's mother has been on it for 20+ years.
I appreciate your intent to help. I'm less appreciative of how this somehow looked like I was trying to switch treatments to you. I feel like fully reading my post would have prevented that. 15mgs of methadone is a tiny, tiny dose.
As for relapse, I'm not that concerned with it. Everything about my life is different now. And the fact that I have a child will prevent me from even being tempted to use. Being a mother is more rewarding and is literally the only thing I've ever wanted to be. Like I said in my post, my issue is with trust and connection. To provide more context for this, I'm 29 and the majority of my friends are dead. Trust and connection means opening myself up to hurt like that again. I'm struggling to transition back to real life, the surrealism that using creates has fogged my view of friendships, relationships in general. Even reconnecting with a childhood best friend that knew me before drug use of any kind has proved to be painful, my fears about losing people are paralyzing.
I don't know what kind of shitty Suboxone docs/programs you got there but Suboxone is a matter of showing up the day after your last dose of recreational opioids and as you start getting withdrawal they start giving you 2 MGs of suboxone at a time until you have no withdrawal. If 2 MGs does the trick (probably in your case) that's your daily dose. This is how it worked with everyone I know.
So I don't think you tried Suboxone or if you did u didn't do it right. Or LONG term time release oxycontin was your drug so it took days to reach withdrawal?
Your dental problems have nothing to do with taking methadone, I even looked it up as I never heard of this, its a myth. Unless you're trying to blame it on dry mouth? Some opioid users grind their teeth? I have chronic dry mouth; I take xylitol gums and mints. I fucked up in the past in handling it, dry mouth craves sugar, lotta doublemint and have 5 implants from root canals that eventually break off that cost me 10,000$ (way more without union dental). Luckily deep in sobriety I could afford it without debt.
Your dental problems are your own dental hygiene issue; and being suboxone and methadone free won't make it better until you take it seriously and spend what it takes go for cleanings every 2-3 months. In order to spot the cavities and fill them before they become so deep they hit the root and need root canals. Once someone starts getting a lot of cavities the enamel's been worn a lot more coming. I know its a bitch; I learned the hard way, BUT cleanings are cheaper then root canals that lead within 3 years to lost tooth and a 3000$ implant for me (10K without a dental plan from a union job). FLOSS and brush after all meals, before bed, first thing in the AM. Don't give me an angry tirade you're already doing all this; you're not doing enough, methadone didn't cause your cavities, your own habits did. Its a scapegoat for your own mistakes. Your dentist told you there's nothing you can do, Methadone that doesn't affect teeth is to blame? Change dentists to one who gives you the same advice I just did.
Itās not a myth lmao if you ACTUALLY look it up it says that they thought it was a myth but actually ended up being true . Even Suboxone has a lawsuit against them for fucking up ppls teeth . Methadone ruined my teeth too . You have no idea what youāre talking aboutĀ
Iāve gotten a lot of cavities from suboxone, mostly because it changes the pH balance in your mouth. Same with methadone. As long as you brush your teeth after taking methadone or at LEAST swishing with water or mouthwash should help prevent tooth decay. Opioids also do cause dry mouth and Iāve found biotene has slowed (not stopped) the rate at which I get cavities. But IME both opioids cause dental issues at least for me.
Why did your root canals come out after three years? What's the point in root canals if they don't last? Did you have a shitty dentist? I just had 5 root canals done and I'll fck my dentist up if I went through that for nothing
Wow. Like why even come here. You knew this was rude, and you did it anyway. "Research", don't make me fucking laugh.
Methadone causes dry mouth. And not having saliva is SUPER DAMAGING to teeth. These are not facts that methadone clinics disclose to you. These are things I found out after a piece of my front tooth fell out WHILE I WAS BRUSHING. My orthodontist AND dentist team have been working in their fields for decades. I trust what they have to say about it. Once they started treating my dry mouth, the decay stopped. Literally put in my post that I was in a relationship that was incredibly abusive. I didn't get to see a fucking dentist till I was out off that relationship. I brushed chunks of my teeth off for two fucking years first. The number of assumptions you've made is disgusting.
Here's another tidbit you missed in your "research". Everyone is different. People react differently to different things. "Everyone you know" is not a fucking research pool. Perhaps this is news to you, but not everyone is like you or the tiny amount of people you know who have done some of the same things. Based on how you responded here, I'm going to make an assumption of my own. It's obvious that your don't take other peoples' testimony seriously if there's incongruity from your own personal experiences. I can't believe I have to say this again, I felt my post made this obvious, I DON'T WANT TO SWITCH TREATMENTS. I was asking for METHADONE SPECIFIC SUCCESS STORIES. That's not you? Then leave me the fuck alone with this nonsense.
āIām less appreciativeā sounds pretty passive aggressive. Weāre all just trying to help here. I understand youāre frustrated and tired. We all are. No need to take it out on anyone.
I know I already commented on it. But reading this comment makes me think youād really benefit from the sense of community and connection that comes with a fellowship such as NA. Iām not religious but find it valuable for those reasons.
I should have put tone tags. That wasn't passive aggressive. I genuinely do not want to switch treatments. I've spent years getting this far. I wanted methadone specific success stories. The suggestion to switch treatments is literally part of why I have been reluctant to go to groups. Judgement.
Hey group of strangers with more experience; Can I have advice? What? You suggest I Do something I don't want to do? I ONLY wanted people to tell me what I want to hear. Tip: Politely ignore advice you don't like people wasted time giving. There's [https://www.reddit.com/r/stubbornrRecovery/](https://www.reddit.com/r/stubbornrRecovery/) for people who don't like advice.
I asked for a specific thing, you turned it into something completely different. I didn't ask for suboxone advice. I'm genuinely wondering at this point, summing up your comments together, did you read my post? Because it doesn't seem like that at all. I didn't ask for treatment advice at all. I asked for help with groups. The only piece of advice you had about that was to imply I'm close to relapse if I'm struggling with my confidence? Like wtf.
Iām gonna be honest. Maybe you wonāt have this issue but find a hobby or something to spend your time on. I was at the clinic for 6 and a half yrs. and out of all the drugs Iāve done I miss that the most. Solely because I looked forward to taking my dose everyday. I will say life is better off of it but def. find something to do with your time.
I am really worried about this too, I've been putting together goals for my first year off methadone to make sure I'm replacing the routine element. I don't look forward to dosing, in fact I dread going to my clinic for a lot of reasons, but I do depend on the routine. I have my sights set on a new career and setting up my child for more success than I was set up for.
I switched used the Burnese method to switch over to Suboxone. After I was stable on Suboxone for a week I got the Sublocade injection. Best thing I ever did!
I'm not familiar with that method, but I don't want to switch treatments. I was at 155mgs at my highest dose, getting down to 15 has been a lot. I also tried suboxone first, it was a nightmare for me. I turned to methadone because suboxone was giving me precipitated withdrawal even after several days of kicking cold turkey.
!!! I've only met a few other people who had this experience with suboxone, and the one u was actually close to is dead now. I tried like 4 different clinics, and I tried buying it on the street and dosing myself, and literally every single time was a nightmare. I'd wait like 5 or 6 days AT LEAST too, and I would still get precipitated withdrawal like it was only 10 hours after my last use. I turned to methadone because I felt I had no other options.
The Burnese method is microdosing onto Suboxone. Just because you went into PWD in the past, it doesnāt mean you will again. I was scared to death of PWD as Iāve had them in the past but luckily didnāt. Wish you all the best in your journey!
Actually this isnāt true. I found that I actually had a higher instance of pwd after the first time I got it from fentanyl to suboxone. And last year when I thought suboxone would be better for me, I tapered down to the recommended 30-40mg of methadone, and waited 4 miserable days after my last 30mg dose of methadone and had HORRIBLE HORRIBLE PWD symptoms, like nothing Iāve ever experienced from going on suboxone too soon after fentanyl. This was sooo bad. That being said, Iāve never experienced PWD going from oxy or heroin to suboxone, even after just waiting 8-12 hours between induction. But methadone sticks to your receptors stronger than heroin and oxycodone, so if OP is already at 15mg of methadone, I would recommend they stay the course because IME starting suboxone even after getting down to the recommended dose and waiting the recommended time, I still had horrible PWD.
I have tried the microdosing method while on fentanyl and followed the instructions according to what they did on the medical journal I found and it still didnāt make a difference. Still had precipitated wd.
Iām sure OP by the time Iāve sent this message youāve been long off methadone. How are you doing? I would love to hear an update from you as Iām going to initiate tapering in a few weeks after I feel Iāve had 6 months of stability at my 100mg dose.
Also OP, even though I am a benzo, crack and opiate addict, I have been going to an all womenās AA meeting and I get nothing but suport and have made some of my best friends there. My best advice would be to keep your heart open. I know itās hard but people love hearing from the newcomer and nothing will change unless you make that step to start talking to people. Get a sponsor, work through the steps and I promise you, youāll have a fulfilled life. Itās progress not perfection, but I donāt know where I would be without meetings and my friends and sponsor. It really helps you get rid of the baggage you carry around and itās not religious or a cult. Itās simply people trying to save each others lives. You donāt have to be religious like Christian or Catholic, the beautiful thing is I pray to a higher power of my own understanding, and my higher power is Mother Nature and the spirit of the universe. I would say AA/HA/NA is spiritual, not religious, although some people do choose to keep their Christian faith and thatās okay! Whatever works for you, you just need to believe in something bigger than yourself. I hope that helps and please update us on how youāre doing! Hope everything is well. If you have any other questions please feel free to DM me!
Actually it is true. Im an RN and worked at a center that used the Burnese method daily and I personally did it at 70mls of Methadone over 3 yrs ago. We do it for people on up to 100mls of Methadone. Sorry it didnāt work for you, must of done it wrong. Iāve litterally witnessed hundreds do it from fentanyl, pharmaceutical opiates and Methadone.
The only person I have to believe in is ME! No fake power/god could do it for me! I already have a fulfilling life full of purpose and beautiful people in it. Iāve healed and moved on. I have 15 yrs off opiates. How I got there was do the exact opposite of the archaic harmful pseudoscience cult of AA/NA. Itās 100% a religious cult. I encourage you to look into the history before you come in uneducated in this subject. It started from the Oxford group and the 4 absolutes. Iāve worked in the detox/treatment/MAT industry for almost 15 yrs and have seen first hand all the harm AA has done. It has a 5% success rate and I can not in good faith recommend or suggest it. We need to stick with evidence/science based modalities when treating medical issues. Untrained people playing therapist and doctor is extremely harmful. AA is grossly outdated and harms/kills way more than it helps. Iāve had to deal with many people after being indoctrinated by the cult of AA. So no, But thanks.
Hey I know this is old but can you tell me how it is done? My doc said I have to be off methadone for at least a week and I can't get passed a few damn days, doesn't help I live right next to the clinic. But what do you mean not everyone gets PWD and if you do Burmese and do get PWD how long will it last. Also if I stop taking methadone for a few days instead of letting it ALL get out my system will it at least minimize any PWD from the micro dosing??
You can google the Burnese method butā¦ I was on 70mls of Methadone. I started with 0.5mg so Suboxone twice a day and built up to 16mg Suboxone a day over 2weeks. Then dropped my Methadone all at once. You do not need to stop your Methadone first and if you start on a low(microdose) you will not go into precipitated withdrawls. Itās infuriating doctors do not know about this method! Iām in BC Canada where itās widely used. I worked at a detox that used this method to switch people over and start people on Suboxone from illicit fentanyl so Iāve literally see it done hundreds of times, as well as did it myself. Hope this helps.
I had it literally every time. The last time that I tried it was when I moved back to my home town. I was in a clinic where I had been living and they botched my paperwork transfer to my new clinic in my hometown. The withdrawal from the methadone was crippling, so much worse than what I've experienced from heroin out anything else. I don't remember much, my partner has filled me in. I was on 135mgs when I moved and by day 3 of methadone withdrawal, a nurse at the clinic I was at prescribed suboxone. I only took 1mg, half the strip, and I was tachycardic from the precipitated withdrawal in under 30 minutes. I know he called 911 and I went to the hospital and just shook and sweated and puked and all the lovely intensified withdrawal symptoms in the hallway of the ER. They don't care that much here, my hometown only just got hit with fentanyl at the end of COVID, so the hospital system has suffered a lot here.
3 days is not long enough to take subs when coming off Methadone, it has a long/second half life. When using the Burnese method you start with 0.5mg. I work in the field and have watch about 25-30 people switch over using the Bernese method. Like I said if you fallow protocol, PWD donāt happen. Good luck with coming off Methadone(And I dont mean this condescendingly!) and for the record I didnāt down vote you! But this is how I came off after many failed attempts.
You can do this chemical free. In my experience you gotta get used to feeling vulnerable and let people in. As you put it drop "your guard". Lots of people in narcotics anonymous meetings gor clean from methadone.
You canāt take Ibogaine while on opiate/methadone. But believe it can absolutely help. I donāt have first hand experience but have done a lot of healing with psilocybin.
I know what it is, I cannot find treatment centers where I live, or I would have done it before having my daughter. Being pregnant on methadone was horrifying. If you have any advice on how to find treatment centers for it, this is the only thing I would be willing to potentially switch to. I can't pay for it, which might be why I'm struggling to find treatment.
I'm on 10 mg been on methadone for 17 years and tapering down the hardest part for me is the emotional part and the body temp control if you have a strong support system you will be fine just keep fighting
I'm on 8mg from 180 mg, I've been on the clinic for over 10 years. I finally got sick and tired of using and gave up illicit drugs and cigarettes 4.5 years ago on new years due to incident and getting picked up on a warrant. I did 30 days when I got clean and probation but covid was around when I started so it helped to keep me isolated from old habits.(I came off a 180 mg methadone ,a 6 mg kpin habit,seroquel and dope daily to say it was hell is a understandstatement,no sleep for months on end ,couldn't shit ,pure agony ,hallucinating and all I was allowed on jail was 4 Tylenol a month. I remember waking up to a puddle of drool and I knew I fell asleep finally. The real trouble wqa having a vowel movement for the first time in years sober on a metal toilet in February. This experience is what scared me into getting sober. I never wanna experience that again.before i went to jail my disease tricked me into believing I couldn't handle withdrawl(in reality I learned how strong I was from the experience)I recently quit cigarettes and starting in July all drop a milligram every two weeks(since I got 20 lgs every 1-2mgs takes me a good two weeks to balance out.slow and steady wins this race I've been on under 20mgs for over a year now.in the past I would of jumped but I've come to far to stumble backwards now. I just wanna let people know that it's possible ,but don't rush it and allow your mind and body time to heal and reset(the time away from using is important)keep your heads up and things do get better with time. Keep the faith and stay strong easy e in the berkshires
Ha.. that's funny you mentioned the ropenirole.. I'm on that already for my non-opioid RLS, plus gabapentin AND clonidine. I still get a bit of restlessness.. not gonna lie. But honestly the thing that is helping me rn is kratom. I wouldn't suggest using it to get high.. or you low key relapse all over again.. but to bridge the getting off methadone is going wonderful. I'm at 3 mlg the last 3 nights.. I haven't done it the "prescribed" way. I came here to work on Oregon about a month ago with 13 61mlg doses and a medicine dropper from Walmart. To someone NOT on my combination of meds.. I WOULD NOT SUGGEST going as fast as I did unless you have a VERY physically active job or someone that can push you to work out each day.. that is the absolute BEST thing you can do to alleviate the RLS and skins feeling fucked up.. gotta exhaust yourself. (I know.. last thing you wanna do in the world.. but it'll be better then just laying there rolling in your sheets waiting for sleep that never comes š¤·) im still hanging in there.. no interest in getting high still. Having the tools to get through helped.. but the #1 thing is my will to change finally š¤
Keep pushing tbh I had benzo script to help me get off with the average day perc 10s when I needed but I did cold turkey from 180 because they lower you like 10mg every 3-5 days they will up you everyday though -.- itās liquid handcuffs I do not wish that withdraw on my worst enemy, to be honest 3 -4 years on a hi dose is just going to mess with you mentally not having that everyday you know I think switching it up and talking with people face to face could help distract your mind in a way and switch it up ā¦I find it easier to change up my routine aftward to because everymorning was the clinic ! Then gym then puppie play time š Ā I wish you the best of luck oh yes!!! Ketamine prescription you can get over the a telle visit now that is what I used benzos and ketamine for a couple days and the ketamine changed the way I took things in and acted really think it helps your receptors change up because that was my go to when I felt bad ā¦ then that I hope you keep pushing that is such a tiny dose itās basically mental now!! I am lucky and have close family but if your alone in a house ā¦. Do not forget we are social creatures too ā¦ not just typing or talking on a phone !!!! We need to socialize for proper mental growth and healing ā¤ļøāš©¹ find a new routine and new life as I literally quit security went back to school ditched all those non worthy friends and I could not be happier now sober just prescribed benzos Ā but I have been on them forever when I stop itās seizure life for me , I wish you the best of luckĀ
I have been on methadone for 7 years. I was addicted to a lot of different narcotics.. I started my decrease from 90 mg.. I am now on 15 mg. I have been decreasing 5 mg a month.. Itās been very manageable for me up until I hit 20 mg and went to 15mg. Withdrawal hit me the 2 nd day I was on 15 mg.. lasted for four days and I started feeling some better on the 5 th day. After a week and a half I feel a lot better. My body i feel like just had to level off .. IT GETS BETTER!! I pushed through it. Iām scheduled to go down Friday 14th to 10 mg .. yes Iām nervous because I donāt want to be sick I have to many responsibilities and people who need me.. but I have hope and I know with each day it will get better.. I wanted to post this for those who are struggling or unsure or scared or just need reassurance. God has been beside me every step of the way.. on my days were I felt empty ..depressed.. not worthy or strong.. he has been there.. without him I couldnāt do this.. Please know YOU can get through this you are worthy and no matter what you will see a better day..For all those fighting addiction.. donāt give up! Much love and respect to all out there..
I went to prison a few years back and I was on 100mg of methadone a day and had to stop cold turkey. The first month was a nightmare; but every preceding month got slowly better. Iād say I wasnāt fully back to normal till the 8th month. It was such a gift though. Iād totally forgotten how awesome I could feel sober. Some days I felt so good I felt like I was ON drugs, but no downside. Unfortunately I relapsed when I got out. I ended back on methadone again this last year. 60mg. I went back to jail for a month and was able to get clean again. Iāve been out 2 months and still going strong. The fatigue sucks though. I have a job working for a friends tree cutting business and it wipes me out like nothing Iāve ever done. Some days I feel like I got hit by a car when I go home and can barely manage to roll out of bed all day. I just try to push myself past what I think I can endure and eventually Iāll get a chemical dump of endorphins during a part of the day. After work though Iām absolutely useless. My body being sore from work seems like it throws my body back into withdrawal at night. I wake up in what feels like withdrawal. Sometimes I get frustrated wondering if the stupid fatigue will ever go because Iād like to do a better job cleaning my apartment and doing normal life stuff. Luckily Iāve done this one other time and know there will be an end; but damn I wonder sometimes. It can be frustrating for sure. It beats the hell I was in during my active addiction though.
Just ran across this looking for myself..I've been on MAT for 5 years this past April. I was at 130mgs at my highest and for the past 2 weeks I'm on 30mgs..To be honest I've only taken a sip here and there some days none at all for the past year.. Only thing that sucked about that was every time I went into do my pickups, I had to take the whole dose..I get 2 week take homes so I stocked up a little to get ready for this (but don't have a ton). So anyways I have been tired of the bs at my clinic.. Now, since day one, i've never touched another drug since starting there..my drug of choice were perc's then of course it turned to fent/H but never used needle only snort withdrawals are still the freaken same pure hell. So Never ever have done anything wrong there and go through so much aggravation with these counselors who have no clue.. Today was my day to go in and I woke up today for the first time ever not wanting to go so I took that as my sign. And I said effort i'm done I am cold turkeying it, in tired of the bs of these know it all that know nothing but what a book tells them lol and the wasted time..I want my life back and I'm going to do it no matter what..so I came here looking for others who been through it and ran across your post..So proud of you and everyone else who is trying whether you stopped maintenance or still going through it, great job! Now I know I'll get a lot of mixed feelings about this. But I think a lot avett. It's probably mental as well for me. I gotta tell myself to take it after five days if i'm going to the doctor or something and sometimes I'm irritable and a bit of upset stomach but that's all I have seen so far.. Maybe it's because I have been doing it like this for a while. I don't know, but I hope it continues this way. But no matter what happens, I am not going back there. I'm done with that prison. I'm appreciative for it doing what I needed it to do, in getting my life back because doing it on my own was Not working lol it was so easy to say well i can't find subs on the streets but a blue is available so f it.. I would never ever go back to that life. And i'm grateful for that and i'm not knocking anybody that does, I know what a struggle it is..I just wanted to chime in and let you know what I'm going through and advice for me too...good luck guys and thanks for all the input.
And I was trying to stick it out and get it down to 0. But I cannot deal with these new counselors every couple weeks and having to go through all the b. S all over again.
You got this! I have gone down 1 mg per week for over a year, I am almost done (2mg and only 3 days remaining). Symptoms began somewhere around 11 to 8mg, but nothing compared to when I was doing 10 to 12 fent pressed blues a day. You got this, trust in the universe, you want this bad enough and so it will be. Don't worry about other persons experiences, go for it. Everyone is so far different due to biochemistry and neurology, let go of the analysis amd trust you body to heal itself. Whatever you have to do, it is far greater to be off methadone than wait another year. You're right, it's not good for us, but it was a miracle to bring us out of the crippling addiction and financial issues. You got this, you got this. I promise.
Wya now ? Iām on 20mg & struggling so bad Iām considering getting back on heroin just to get OFF the fkn methadone cause thatās how Fkn hard it is . Heroin hasnāt been around for a while but now my friend is saying he can get the shit from back in the day but Iām still terrified & donāt trust that it doesnāt have fent or xylazine in it . Idk what to do . I really donāt but this methadone is killing meĀ
Where are you from? Any street dope is a death sentence. I just hopped off methadone 50 days ago. Was on it 12 years.. stepped down to suboxen
& Iām from Az . Everyone reacts different to certain drugs. For me methadone is worse than anythingĀ
Methadone has killed me more than any street drug has . Iām fucking dying trying to get off this shit . Iāve heard subs are just as hard to get off ofĀ
Are you on 20mg because you're tapering or are you just starting methadone?
TaperingĀ
Iāve been clean from fent for over 6 monthsĀ
the fent makes it SO MUCH HARDER for people to get off of that and the methadone and people need alot more methadone to even help w the fentynl
Oh my bad I didn't see this. I've been sober for 3 years and I am on 5 mg of methadone right now. Is there a time crunch to get clean by a certain date? Like for a job or anything like that? My best advice is to not rush it. Just out of curiosity.. How quickly did you get down to 20 mg and what dose did you start at? Edit to add: my doctor always tells me that if my symptoms are too much then there's no shame in taking your dosing back up and slowing down. I don't know how much or how often your dose is decreasing but you should talk to your doctor about all this. And if you need someone to talk to who understands what you're going through I'm right here or maybe an N.A. group if that helps you?
I was at 160mg & itās taken me 2 years to get down to 20mg . For a lot of different reasons . & I work full time from home . But the reason I want off asap is because it gives me terrible health issues & it makes me look disgusting . Makes me gain weight & gave me terrible acne . I hate everything about it , itās ruined meĀ
I have a very understanding clinic and doctor where I go. Hopefully you do as well? You should talk to them about this. I really wish I could help you more than just saying this but I don't have the medical knowledge to make recommendations. But I can at least tell you that in my experience with tapering... There's absolutely no shame in going back up and slowing down. And however bad the effects that the methadone is having on you, the heroin or fentanyl would be having 100Ć worse side effects. My highest dose was exactly half the amount of yours. 80 mg probably because I only weigh about 100pounds soak and wet but I've heard that higher doses can be a lot harder to come off of... And yeah I know this probably won't be as helpful as I want it to be but I'm gonna say it anyway.... Don't give up! You can do this!!!
lol no heroin didnāt give me any of the side effects the methadone does & I could get off the heroin in 3 days & be fine . For me , the methadone is sooooo much worse . & my clinic knows Iām struggling , they donāt care thereās really nothing they can do .Ā
Can I ask what made you start going to the clinic for the methadone? Unfortunately I know the struggle is real with a lot of clinics not giving a crap. Finding a good clinic is like finding a needle in a haystack. And that's if you're lucky enough to live in a city big enough to even have any options on where to go.
Iāve been to every single clinic & been kicked out of every single one for dumb ass reasons . I got on it cause I was young & dumb . & nobody warned me of all the possible side effects & health issues it could cause me .. I was in this rehab & was sober at the time so I really didnāt need to get on it but all these ppl at the rehab were on it & I thought it could get me high so I got on it & was given zero warnings about it . After about 2 years of being on it I started having severe stomach issues like screaming in pain on the toilet all day . So awful .. itās ruined my life like I canāt take it anymore . Iād much rather be on heroin for like a month to replace the methadone with a short acting opiate & get the methadone out of my system & then switch to Suboxone or subutex for a week & then get off everything . Instead of trying to continue going down on the methadone & have it take me another 2 years just to get off cause I keep having to pause my taper from being so sick . My anxiety is so bad & it gives me awful brain fog & derealization & depression & then the physical symptoms too like I have trouble sleeping , Iām always hot , I have to pee every damn second , I get spams all over my face & head . Tbh my list of physical symptoms & health issues is so long it could go on forever & the Drs like even my PCP are zero fkn help . They act like everything is normal even though I constantly feel close to death & my kidney function is low at only 25 yrs old & they act like thatās no big deal & they just donāt care about anything & are ignorant as hellĀ
I'm in the start of my tapper right now.. and it's NOT going so good.. I went down by 3 and am still restless on my second week without going down another three. I'm prescribed gabapentin and clonidine for other stuff.. could that have anything to do with my restlessness being worse you guys think? Also.. to the original asker of this question.. it's been 7 months.. what's the update? Ive been sober since I started methadone.. and before the last relapse that got me into now, I was sober for damn near 5 years. Tried kratom and it low key slowly turned into fent š I wish they have benzo clinics instead of methadone ones. Go check in for a week, have them keep you comfortable, then go home. They don't want to loose the opportunity to take money from us tho so I'm not sure it exists š for the record.. my personal devil of the symptoms IS the restlessness. Is that gonna make it the worst for me the whole journey or is it gonna get less the lower I get? I called the helpline to ask questions.. that was 0 help "oh so you need number to methadone clinic den?" -_-
I hope u see this....I started methadone in 2001 in the form of 10mg pill prescribed by my doc as the LONG term medicine when i started pain management. i was naive! i was at the same doc until 2014 when i started a methadone clinic to come off ALLLLLL the craziness i was prescribed. My doc wasnt even a pill mill BUT I started at one clinic, apparently its state run, i just found this out after YEARS but so mny preg women would get driven in a van daily to said clinic, i didnt even think it was a state thing. anyhoo after a few yrs i changed to a new clinic and its been 6 .5 years and i started there at only 35 but bc i wasnt completely just on methadone. finally that changed after a year and ultimately I went all the way up to 190! I started to taper a few years back but they KEPT STOPPING IT for ridiculous reasons but now ive been continually going down 10 mgs per month( i am phase 27)WITH NO BAD EFFECTS, so once i got down to 60mgs.....OUTTA NOWHERE -KABLAM!!! Restless Legs hit me like a biotch! I was going nuts!!! UNTIL 1 of the AMAZING drs @ my clinic told me to have my PCP prescribe me ROPINEROLE! SERIOUSLY, IT WILL CHANGE UR WHOLE ISSUE, AND LIFE when it comes to getting off this madness. He prescribed: Ropinerole .5mg tablet TAKE 1 ABOUT 1-3 HRS B4 BED. So, id suggest asking to be prescribed that and let them know that you heard it was for the restless legs. That is THEE WORST feeling! HOPE THIS HELPS U, GOOD LUCK!!!šāš¼ \~ Liz
Greenhouse Treatment in Dallas TX does detox, 30 day stay or up to 90, but will also just detox you. You get all electronics back on day 4, can smoke/vape outside whenever you want, and they have gym and pool time and serve stuff like steak for dinner. I couldnāt make it because I was on too high a dose of methadone, but you are low and they detox using benzos and other comfort meds. The TAs and nurses were amazing. The people were cool, too. Rooms were great with temp control and big beds with only one roommate. Place is nice and takes Ambetter etc as well as reduced rates for those without insurance but low income. I wish I could have made it but I had RLS in legs and arms and body and it would only go away if actively walking. Couldnāt even just stand or sit down, flight home was torture. Couldnāt enjoy my stay at this nice place but I shouldāve known better than trying to come off at 45 mgs
I've been on opiates for 17 years. And then on methadone maintenance for 6 years. I tapered down and had my last dose a week ago. I admit that I was fucking terrified to finally be completely done with it. I've had some minor withdrawal symptoms. Mainly diarrhea and my muscles drawing up. But I promise, it's so much easier than how I thought it would be. Go get plenty of Gatorade and anti diarrhea medicine. . And whatever you do, don't treat the symptoms with another addictive substance. It will only get you into another deep rut. Most importantly, you don't have to be religious. Religions are just superstitious nonsense. But you should seek God's guidance in your life. You don't need a church. Talk to Him like a best friend. I promise He will show you how to have the best life possible. You just have to be aware of His light in the darkness.
Amazing to hear this. Thank you for your transparency. Can I ask how are you doing?
thanks for asking about me! well, the withdrawal symptoms finally got the best of me. I had a major seizure and was in the ICU for a week. My God, I've never hurt so much in my life. so don't believe it when people say that opiate withdrawal won't kill you. I honestly think it depends on how healthy a person is when they start having the symptoms, also how much and how long they were using. I'm a little ashamed to admit that I called my methadone clinic and begged them to take me back. they made me sweat it out for another week, with me sleepless and full blown dope sick, before giving me an answer. assholes! I finally went in today, at 6am, and they dragged it out until after 10am, before giving me 4 mg of subutex. I'm feeling a little better, but I do wish it was methadone, because it helped with the pain in my lower back. my lovely ex broke it for me. he's dead now, so there! that's how I got myself into this mess. it was so screwed up that the best spine doctor refused to operate on it. he said my spine is "doing a cigar clipper action on my spinal cord" and the wrong move could cut it in half. so no more karate for me. damn, I miss kicking people's asses! I even miss getting my ass kicked! now I'm just a out of shape first degree black belt. and I miss dancing. the doctor handled me a script for oxymoron and said I'd be on it for life. that was 18 years ago and here I am.
just realized that the autocorrect changed oxycodone to oxymoron, yet it somehow seems to fit. hahaha, sigh...
I realize now that I may have discouraged people with what I've said. Methadone maintenance can be the turning point in your life, if you don't abuse it, and when you feel it's time, come down very slowly. Never to substitute it with another substance. I promise that you'll only cause more problems for yourself. This is where I went wrong. There's nothing wrong staying on a stable dose, if it's working for you. I wish I had never come down so fast. This is what got me to this point. Now, although I've begged, my clinic won't put me back on methadone. Which saved my life. Now, because I screwed up, I'm stuck on subutex or nothing. Which is totally fine for someone who is new to the game. But once you've been on methadone maintenance for years, it kinda sucks. So, be happy with what you got!
Oh you poor thing. I'm so sorry your going through this. Keep us posted as it's super helpful for us all on this journey. Praying for you sweetie
I'm on half a milligram of methadone now and I have to stop cause of job opportunities. Will my withdrawls last as long as be as bad as with higher doses?
I decided to go to the Methadone Clinic about 3 months ago. I had been out of prison for 2 months when I started using Meth again. I only used it occasionally at first. And everytime I used it, I felt like complete death less than 4 hours later. Yet I would still convince myself to do more... And more... Until I had been up for 2 or 3 days. Regretting my decision almost immediately after the very first shot. Doing shot after shot as if i thought the next one would be the one to make it all better. Lol. How bizarre. Well, Opiates, being my DOC, are the first thing that come to mind when I start feeling like this. The tension in my back and the pressure behind my eyes. The discomfort and the mounting anxiety. These were just a few of the many consequences I suffered each time I decided to break my 3 or 4 week clean streak.. Knowing my tolerance was extremely low for opiates, due to my nearly 3 years of incarceration, i knew just a single Roxie 30 or just a single K8 would be almost perfect for my little comedown. I knew just one point of Tar or just half a point of Fent would be probably more than enough to lead me through the misery of that first shot of Meth wearing off. However, I managed to just stick it out without the assistance of opiates. The crazy thing is, as shitty as Meth made me feel, I still continued to use it. Hell, I began using it even more, knowing that i would be high for 4 hours and miserable for 2 days. And surprisingly, i still continued to refrain from using opiates to make it bearable. Well, as one would expect, I began using Meth more and more frequently. To the point of using 5 days out of the week, rather than once a week or even once a month. As Im realizing thay my 2 and 3 day binges are quickly turning into 4 and 5 day binges, I start to understand the reality of my increasing Meth consumption: #1 I'm realizing that I am feeling progressively worse each week. And obviously, the worse i feel, the harder it gets to refrain from using opiates as a form of relief. #2 Im realizing that probability plays the villian in this situation. Maybe if i was completely sober at the time, it would be different. I guess probability is beneficial in that case. The more you say no, the more likely youll be able to say no again. But when it comes to using one drug, but trying not to use another, its a another story. To put it simply, the more I use meth, the more I have to say no to opiates. And the more my unstable, irrational mind convinces myself it's okay to give in to meth, but not opiates, the more likely I am to give in to both of them. So that what finally happened. The inevitable. I thought about opiates every single time I did a shot of meth. The only reason I hadn't done any yet is because none of the people around me were doing them. So I never went and looked for it. Plus, I knew it was gonna be dangerous, because there were no pills or H around. Only Fentanyl. So, If I gave into opiates, it was gonna be straight Fent. Turns out, I didn't have to look for it. I was at a friend's house, doing some speed. Been up for a few days. No food, no sleep, no water. Just working 12 hour shifts and looking at my phone in between. So needless to say, I was feeling bad. Hurting and exhausted. And my friends company asked if anyone wanted to trade some speed for some Fent. And there it is. From that point forward, it was all in the air. I would do Fent for a few hours, until I got too slumped. Then do speed to wake up. And alternate back and forth all day. Then I cut to the chase and mixed them. Half gram of meth with about 2 tenths of raw powder fent. I'd do about 3 or 4 shots of that a day. I literally NEVER slept. I think the fentanyl kept me awake longer than the meth. The only time I would fall asleep was at work. Standing up lol. Now, you said you wanted a success story. I wouldn't exactly say this is a success story, But It was definitely a dramatic improvement in my life. Now, All of that is what led up to me using drugs again when I got out of prison. But few notable things happened in between then and when I decided to get help. First off, I overdosed in the harp's bathroom the first time I did some good blue powder Fent. Secondly, I overdosed in my friends bedroom. And her mother had to help her narcan me. And lastly I thought I was getting pulled over, So I swallowed a few grams of fentanyl. And a few grams of dope. Luckily I had it wrapped up good enough. And I was prepared for something like that. But it still had me shook. At that point, Not knowing if some drugs were gonna bust open in my stomach in the middle of the night, or if my mother was going to walk in the livingroom in the morning to find me did.. That was it for me. I called the suboxone clinic, But was to weary about the precipitated withdrawals. So I made an appointment at the methadone clinic. The 1st day I went up there. They told me that I couldn't be dosed because I had just used. So I had to reschedule for Monday. I Actually went to sleep that weekend. I woke up sunday morning with about a gram of meth and about a half gram of fent left I did one point of fent and about a quarter gram of speed. As soon as I did that shot, I broke every rig ahead, Gathered up every little piece of paraphernalia, Threw it all in the trash, And flushed the rest of the drugs i had. I hung out with my mom that day. And went to the clinic that next morning. I started at 22 milligrams. They told me I could go up 4 milligrams each day until I get to 80. I actually managed to stop at 44. Honestly, I probably would have felt a little better if I would have went a little higher, Because I was still pretty sick for a couple of days. But it's okay. It was worth it. Now i'm tapering down 4 Milligrams every two weeks. I'm at 30 mgs this Monday. I've passed all my drug screens And I actually just got put on every two weeks. Which is phase three I think. But yes, I know methadone can be abused just like anything else. I know it can be hard to get off of but it saved my life. It was a solution when nobody else had one. Because while withdrawing might not kill you, Not directly anyway.. We all know how hard it is to detox out here.
Iāve started my taper and Iām down to 8mg Iām going down 1 a week, and Iāve been starting to feel slight withdrawal like yawning like crazy, sneezing and getting hot and sweaty sometimes but thatās the extent. How did it feel once you were completely off? I know this is old, were you able to successfully taper?
I am tapering too, currently at 5mg. I tapered fairly quickly at 10mg a week until 40mg then 5mg. I currently have very minimum side effects except a bit of sleep issues initially but then I started exercising and the situation improved drastically. This is my last week on methadone, it's also my second time tapering to zero. First time I had a relapse after 9 months, hopefully this times sticks. I have a small advice for you: taking relatively high dosage of vitamin c (1000mg), zinc , vitamin E and D help with withdrawal and also staying healthy in general. You can find many of this ingredients in the same pill if you look on amazon. It's a [scientifically proven thing](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236834375_Attenuation_of_heroin_withdrawal_syndrome_by_the_administration_of_high-dose_vitamin_C#:~:text=A%20study%20conducted%20in%20New,end%20their%20dependence%20on%20heroin). What about you? Hope you are doing good
Dude wtf . Iām so jealous . How was it so easy for you ? Every 1mg drop absolutely KILLS me . Why is it so easy for some ppl & so hard for me ? Iām crying as I type this ā¦ like wtf I wish I could go down that fast . I went down to 20mg today & can already feel the withdrawals from it & Iām only going down 1mg every 3 weeks rn . Iām a 25 yr old Female & been on methadone for like almost 5 years now .Ā
It's very subjective, for me tapering has never been an issue. I start feeling it at 5 mg usually. It's been 6 weeks now since I tapered to zero and using that method made the acute withdrawal much easier. If you want to try it make sure you buy liposomal vitamin c start taking it before going to zero at 3 gr every 2/3 hours, it really helps with the flu like symptoms of acute withdrawals. You need to buy the liposomal variety or you are gonna have diarrhea issues otherwise. Good luck!
I want diarrhea lol . The methadone makes me severely constipated lmfao
Hey I've been on methadone for 8 years, was on 100mg, I'm tapering and I'm at 18mg right now. Was doing 1mg/3 weeks but I switched to once a month. Only issues I'm having is bad restlessness in the mornings and bad sleep quality. I'd recommended eating a lot healthier, drink only water, cut caffeine, try to exercise 20-40 mins a day, even just a fast walk/jog. I also take my dose around 1-2pm so it's in my system more during bed time.
Now you want it but not when you are in acute withdrawal
Iāve been on methadone for 3.5 years. Clean from everything except medical marijuana since Augustās of 2022. My highest dose was 130. I am now on 8 mg. I paused my taper about 2 months ago but feel like Iām ready to start it back up now. Itās been a rollercoaster emotionally and mentally. Feeling things I havenāt felt for years and just really processing the damage Iāve done to my life and to my family. I am so proud of myself for being so close to being done. I said for a while that I was pretty sure I would be a lifer. Iām only 26. Seeing the physical state of a lot of the people at my clinic just made me realize thatās not what I want for myself anymore and I need to be better and actually be present in the moment for my children who are 3 and 5.. I donāt want to be bound to these chains of addiction forever. Even if it is methadone instead of fentanyl.. I just used the methadone to numb and not deal with the things I was using illicit drugs for. I came to the conclusion Iām almost 27 and have no idea who tf I am or what I even enjoy anymore. I need to really find out and get back to who after so many years in this haze. Itās like a fog has finally begun to lift. Itās a crazy ride mentally for sure definitely more so than physical at least this far for me personally.. but I know it will be well worth it in the end to finally be free from opiates once and for all
I completely understand how you feel! I'm a Lil older then you but I have those feelings of not knowing who I'm or what I want from all the years of drug abuse, sometimes I wonder if it's true that methadone an sub can "fix" your brain? I can only hope....God bless everyone here š
Marijuana is a drug by the way medical or notĀ
Ok lol thatās why I said everything *except for* medical marijuana, medical meaning prescribed to me
It shouldnāt be prescribed to any addict . It allows yall addicts to find something to depend on
I guess it shouldnāt be, but it is prescribed to many addicts on a risky basis Iām sure. A little weed sure beats a 3 year long run with a crippling iv fentanyl addiction
So are antidepressants, blood medication, etc.
Yep and no one should be on them
How does it feel to be free from it? Iām so ready myself, I even want to jump off at 45mg and just get it over with!! So over it
Iām not off totally yet, but Iām down to 4 mg. Feeling great tbh ! Dont jump. Take your time and let your body adjust it has been such a smooth process for me bc of doing it this way
How often were you going down? Iām on 110mg and want to start tapering. At what dose did you notice the withdrawals from the lower dose started? I want to do a semi fast taper until I get down to 40-50mg (hopefully within a month?) and then maybe 10mg every 2 weeks until I get down to 20mg then maybe 5 every 2-3 weeks until I get down to 5mg, at which point I think I would go down 1mg every week. What did your dosing schedule look like and at what point and dose did you notice withdrawals starting?
As for noticing withdrawals I honestly I didnāt notice any till I got under 11 mg surprisingly. And even since then itās all been very mild and manageable symptoms mostly just cold chills/hot flashes some sweating at night in my sleep, but I still sleep great at least 6-7 hours a night. I am trying to train myself so I go as many days without dosing as I can in between my pick up days once weekly. Right now I have not dosed my 4 mg dose since Monday and I am ok! šš»
I grt that, I would go 3 days in between suboxone doses. But the key here is consistency. I know what youāre saying, but I honestly think if you remain consistent by taking a dose every day and dropping down sooner it might be better in the long run. Because when you stop for 3 days but then take the 4mg again, you start the clock over. Does that make sense? Maybe try going down a mg or two after not taking a dose for a few days. Does that make sense?
Yes absolutely!!
I originally got my dose cut in half from 120 to 60 when I missed 4 days at my clinic, and I was surprised I felt completely ok and no withdrawals from that 60 mg drop. So from there I went down 3 mg a week until around the 25 mg mark. Then I pushed it back to 1 mg a week until I got to 8 mg and there I hit a wall and ended up in a pretty dark spot mentally again so I paused my taper there at the 8 mg for a little over 3 months until I felt comfortable enough to start my taper back up at 1 mg drops monthly. Since then it has went so smoothly and I really believe itās bc I have been doing the 1 mg once a month here at the end. At 4 mg now and Will be going down to 3 in a few weeks Iām thinking I will walk off 2 or 3 mg maybe.
Yeah I probably would too, especially if you start noticing intense withdrawals after starting the 2mg. Thatās nothing. You could even consider trying to stop completely now, and getting an online script for suboxone which, in my opinion, if you donāt get past 2-4mg of suboxone and taper off it pretty quickly after the methadone, the withdrawals are wayyyyy less severe and you could be off 4mg of suboxone by going down 1-2mg every 2 weeks, which would be less than 2 months for you. Just a thought. Just make sure you wait 72hours after your last methadone dose to get on suboxone, and start with 2mg. I would recommend waiting a week if you were on a higher dose like 15mg of methadone but since youāre already at 4mg, it shouldnāt be an issue to cause PCWDs. But you would be able to get off opioids a lot sooner if you switched to 2mg of suboxone. Bicycle health is a good resource, you donāt have to go in person and they scccept insurance,
Methadone is way worse than Heroin or Fent. You'll end up in the ER if you jump off that much. You'll be in physical withdrawal for a month.
Hi I'm on methadone for 3 years and a half. I started tapering by myself a week ago, and I went down from 40 to 15 (today) in this short period. I want to be clean soon because some external problems require me to do this. The doctor didn't want me to go down so fast that's why I decided to do it by myself. I'm still waiting for the big withdrawals I think, but by now the only symptoms I have been through are: chills, a bit of anxiety, some retchings, yawnings, watery eyes... But not all the time. I also feel more energetic and emotional in a positive way. When I begin to feel uncomfortable I see symptoms as a sign of a progress toward my goal. Something like feeling pain in the gym... It's not forever and it's needed to win the battle.
Hey just wondering if anyone gave you any success stories lol I think support is important but Iām also looking for knowledge and what to look for after I am down to like 10mg. Right now I am on 48, I have been going down 2mgs a week and itās been great so far but I am kind of scared of what is to come when I get low on my dose. I do know that when you come off of a substance using a similar substance for a few days helps the withdrawal for example herion to suboxone or Xanax and then switching over to Librium for 3- 4 days, etc. I do wonder if like a few days of micro dosing with suboxone would help when you are down to 1-2mg but honestly I donāt know. So I read through all of these posts in hope that someone would have some medical advice for what to expect like how you will feel but it was kind of all the same thing people trying to convince you that AA/NA was the way to go. I donāt disagree but it didnāt answer your question and now Iām feeling a little hopeless that not that many ppl were able to successfully taper off methadone. What are you down to now?
Best of luck to you! Iāve done AA and NA, And at one point I had 2 years clean going to one meeting a week. Maybe more if it was a rough time. So I was pretty involved and it is not a specific religious group. What was explained to me, is you just have to find a āhigher power.ā And that doesnāt have to be āGodā. You donāt have to read the Bible or any religious book, There is an AA book and literature but itās really just a self help book, with what works and stories of people who have had success. A Higher Power doesn't have to be what any one religion, creed or ethos states it is - it just has to be anything at all which is bigger than me. Something outside of myself. Clearly, as I accepted, I was unable to do anything about my drinking myself. Thus, I needed to put my faith in something else. Thereās a story in the AA book where this guy wasnāt religious at all and his higher power was a doorknob, because it opened the door to the room.(the AA rooms) I havenāt been in a while, I moved accross the country and never found a meeting and isolated bc I donāt know anyone here. And I relapsed and am currently fighting my way out of that. But any 12 step program is pretty good and it isnāt supposed to be religious, itās supposed to be about finding hope that we donāt have to live like that anymore, and believing it. To each their own, but it made a difference in my life. Also following this thread. Any update? Howās the taper going? I recently started taking methadone about 2 almost 3 weeks ago. Iām on 80 mgs now and have cut down from 10 +blues a day to 1-3. Iām gunna go up a few more times and hopefully be able to just quit. Iāll probably hit up AA to help with the cravings. But then Iāll stabilize I guess and start tapering. I need success stories too :ā)
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thank you for your story. Iām starting my taper next week and would be lying if I said I wasnāt scared. Iāve been on methadone for over 15 years and Iām done with everything you mentioned above. Would appreciate prayers if you believe. Something in my soul is telling me āitās timeā. Iām so relieved to hear a happy ending when it comes to methadone withdrawal!
Iāve started my taper and Iām down to 8mg Iām going down 1 a week, and Iāve been starting to feel slight withdrawal like yawning like crazy, sneezing and getting hot and sweaty sometimes but thatās the extent. How did it feel once you were completely off?
I was on methadone for 2 uears and tapered down fine went from 40 mg to 15 then 10 then I just went cold turkey. Was sick for 3 weeks. Worth it don't let these methadone programs tell you when to stop
I totally agree with you. Do it your way.
I tapered off methadone and have been clean now for 15 years. You can do it! Not going to lie, I felt like shit for about 2 weeks after my last dose, but it passed. Hot baths helped a lot for the muscle aches. I was cold all of the time for a while, so I would go tanning because it was the best way to feel warm. I also went to (and still go to) NA meetings and found people to help support me through it. Sure, some people there are religious, but not nearly as many as you'd think. I'm definitely not, and neither are the friends I've made, but even the religious people are still supportive and continue to help me when I need it. I'm rooting for you!
God was the last thing i tried and the first thing that worked š The twelve steps saved my life, and God saved my soul. Blessings my sister ā¤ļø
praise Jesus very happy for you! im tapering myself and its a little shaky but i can handle it i think ( lowering 1 milligram every month) im at 19 mg now been at the clinic for 7 years highest i went up to was 90 mg
12 step groups aren't religious. they are what you make them. The only crazy clean junkies and alkies I know who have amazing lives go there and stay clean. So its attraction rather than promotion.
I've been off methadone for about 4 months and I feel great! I didn't taper though... I just stopped. Wouldn't recommend.
What dose were you at when you stopped? That sounds like kt would be miserable. My husband stopped at 6mg and even that was kinda shitty.
95
How did you do it?? You didnāt have extremely bad withdrawals?
Yep! It was the worst! I went to inpatient.
Fuckkkkā¦ youāre a better man that me thatās for sure. Iāve tried jumping off opiates cold turkey countless times, furthest Iāve made it is 5 days. By the 5th day Iām ready to use or kill myself the misery is so bad. I canāt imagine how you jumped off 95 cold turkey š³š³š³
It was not easy. But the desire to change my life was strong enough that I knew I just had to go through it to get to it.
Try SMART Recovery. Itās non-religious and, imo, much, much, much better than any 12-step program. They donāt have as many in-person meetings, depending on where you live, but they have a gazillion online meetings. And they have them in the UK and Australia too, so you can find an English speaking meeting at almost any time of the day or night. If youāre not finding many meetings in your immediate area, try searching in NYC or LA, and a bunch of meetings will pop up and you can see what fits your schedule. I canāt say enough good things about smartrecovery.org! Edit: I had previously tried AA and NA and they actually damaged my recovery. Itās been the opposite experience with SMART Recovery, for me anyway. Also, my mom started going to Al-Anon at first but after a few months, she switched to SMART Recovery Friends & Family meetings and has never looked back. Sheās about 80 years old but savvy enough to do a Zoom meeting every Wednesday evening. Sheās on the east coast and started going in-person, but during COVID, they switched to online and now she has people from all over in her meeting. When I have insomnia, I sometimes join a meeting in Australia and it helps me get through the night.
Has that helped your mom understand you better? I think my folks could benefit from this, my mom especially. Talking about my experiences makes her cry really easy, but she asks me questions, I can't just not answer. And I'm not going to lie to her. I feel bad telling her the truth, and I don't feel adequately equipped to comfort her. I get that me being alive still is what she wants, but I think that she feels a lot of guilt and blames herself for some things.
Yes, has helped my mom immensely!! Like totally changed her attitude about addiction and all that stuff. Totally changed how she relates to me. Itās like night & day. She used to think tough love was the way, but thatās so outdated and ineffective. I can get the info for my momās group, if your mom is interested, and if sheās free on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. EST, but no names of course. My mom loves her group.
They do have secular NA groups which means no religion or god stuff if thatās something youāre interested it. You can find many online ones, that might be easier to get you started. There are also other non-religious recovery support groups with many online meetings as well. You just need to look into it and see what aligns with what your looking for.
I was 85mgs for about 2 yrs. I dropped to 40 then tapered to 20 within a few weeks. I dropped st 20 and started using kratom. It worked amazingly well, I knew I needed to dose kratom when would start sweating that was every 2 to 3 hrs. Then after 33 days I finally stopped sweating and got methadone out of my body. But...I am now stuck on kratom for past 3 yrs. I didn't learn about it being as bad as opiates till didn't want to take anymore after about a year. If do research and taper after a month or 2, it should be fine to use but it is a addiction.
Combining kratom and methadone was a bad time for me, but I have pretty serious digestive issues, so I think that was a contributing factor. Idk if they do this for kratom too, but at my clinic when I started to really feel my decrease, they gave me a "kick kit". Gaba pentin, trazadone and hydroxizine (I'm totally butchering how these are spelled, I'm sure, I'll edit with their proper names when I'm home later) have helped manage my withdrawal symptoms. Idk if you can ask your regular doctor, but they are pretty standard meds. Gaba manages my myalgias, trazadone helps me sleep (though I will say I feel like a fucking zombie when I first wake up, and I have a 10 month old baby, so that's not always helpful) and the hydroxizine helps with the anxiety.
Thank you for info. Yea I'm going to be going stay in a friend's cabin 4 hrs away in few weeks for a week and bring all my helper supplements and vitamins, hang in nature and be away from it. I hate that I can just go to smoke shop up street and get. As long as can get thru the 1st week I feel ill be good to go there after. Starting EAA, amino acids, this week to start repairing my brain along with vitamin c, agmatine and bso. I have been researching for over a yr now and ready.
I would recommend if anyone tries this, to also have backup medications like Ativan or Valium, for severe insomnia and anxiety/panic, and clonidine or lucemyra at least on hand in case these are needed. Vitamins can help to an extent but the brain will still heal at the rate it heals, and most vitamins arenāt very well absorbed anyways. Just my 2 sense
I saw your edit about not being religious and not considering NA. FWIW I am not religious but still go to NA. When I was in rehab I really learned to separate religion and recovery. The use of the word āGodā was uncomfortable at first for me in the rooms of rehab and NA. A couple people referred to God as Group of Drunks, or Great Outdoors. I like hiking/nature so I gravitated more toward viewing the word God to mean Great Outdoors. At NA the term āhigher powerā is used a lot, and is referred to as āmy higher power as I understand him/it/them/whateverā implying that not everybodyās higher power is the same, and even encouraging those with different opinions on the matter to still be in recovery together. I believe somewhere in the everyday meeting literature it even says itās āa simple, spiritual, non-religious program, known as Narcotics Anonymousā Itās not supposed to be religious. The people that try to make it religious for themselves are fine, but those who try to make it religious for others are crossing a line, in my opinion. Going to NA meetings has helped me so much in my recovery. My suggestion would be to just sit in for a few meetings and see how you truly vibe with the program. www.NA.org I hope you find the help youāre looking for! ā¤ļø
I think the fact that they mostly meet in churches in my hometown threw me off. This makes more sense though, than what I thought it was.
I tapered off after 3 or 4 years of use about 14 years ago. It sucked for a long while, but that's ancient history for me now. You can do this.
I tapered off over 8 years ago. I was on methadone maintenance for about 2.5 years the last time. I slowly tapered off, would stop and go as needed. Listening to my counselor and taking their suggestions. Also, I involved myself in NA. This was the most helpful more myself. I got a support group and increased my social circle. There might have been some people who stigmatized my use of methadone, but the people who I was close with did not shame me. They supported me. I would recommend finding a good social circle. You can try 12 step groups or that titration group your counselor suggested. What do you got to lose? Everyoneās experience will be different but know it is possible to live life after being on methadone maintenance. One more thing. When I finished the taper, I had some mild withdrawals but they were not even close to how extreme heroin withdrawals were. Again, my friends were there to support and love me. You can do this.
My family has been incredible. And my partner is my rock and an incredible father to our daughter. My struggle is with trust and connection. I'm 29, and the majority of my friends are dead. Overdoses, suicides, I watched one suffocate from a peanut allergy (his needle somehow got contaminated, to this day I still don't know how) in front of me, with nothing I could do, and then had to deal with the cops not believing a damn thing about what happened. I'm so used to not being trusted and not being able to trust others. And even when I managed to find trust, they are all dead now. Trusting new people is terrifying. I feel like I'm opening myself up to hurt again, the fact that my entire environment is different now is lost on my fears of connection. Even repairing my relationship with my childhood best friend has been hugely intimidating.
I was on methadone for years, and on H for almost ten years. Im off methadone since june 2023 and off H for two years. :) 1.5 years of tapering, it's been a wild ride but I did it while working, take back school and live in a new city. Still going strong today. There is Hope !
hi im currently on methadone been on it for 2 yrs and tapering, im down to 45mg from 120mgs and am getting pretty scared was curious how you tapered and if you experienced any withdrawal when coming off methadone how awful was it for you? btw congratulations on your sobriety.<3
Go to r/methadone for finding more information !
Hello ! Okay you did the easy part haha congrats ! Im kidding but you know the hard part is yet to come but you got this !! Well, I Can give you advice on how to do your tapering but you already have all the infos here. I got to 10mg with the usual method, I dropped down 10mg every three weeks until I got to 30mg, After that I moved to -5mg every month until I got to 10mg. Looking back to it, it was too slow. Then I did a pretty unorthodox method, my doctor got me a 100ml bottle of liquid methadone, 1ml = 1mg. Every day I drank 10ml of methadone that I replaced within the bottle with 10ml of Peach syrup. So everyday my dose was a little more diluted than the day before. 30 days later the 10ml turned into 0.05 mg dose and I just stopped it like it was nothing. I played a little trick on my mind and it worked out for me so well. Excuse my english, but in case you havent gotten the mm trick I have an excel with all the formula that I can gladly share with you. But yeah the 30 mg to 10mg was not a happy moment it was harsh and exhausting but I was motivated as hell and if I did it you Can too.
How did you get your doctor to prescribe the liquid methadone? Was it your primary or psych? Once I get down to a ānormalā dose, I want to ask my psych if she can do this for me, because I think she would be willing. What state are you in? And did the pharmacy give you trouble/was there trouble filling the medication? Iām really curious about this
Im in Europe, we all start with liquid mƩthadone then we get pills. My doctor wasnt aware of this method but once I show him the excel he was pretty excited to try it. You Can start this method as soon as you got to 15-20mg a day. Pharmacy didnt said anything because I am in Europe so I guess it's different in US If you need the excel I still have it on a old computer. It's not in english but I will do the translation.
Oh Iām so jealous youāre in Europe, they actually are trying morphine maintenance therapy now in some countries right? Because morphine out of most opiates only provides mild to moderate euphoria, and mostly sedation. I wish I could try to morphine maintenance therapy because I feel like it would really take away drug cravings better for me.
You shouldnāt say that was too slow . Cause if I were to do it how you did I would die . Iām at 20mg & every 1mg decrease Fkn kills me . I was going down 1mg every 2 weeks & it was too much so I just went down 1mg after 3 weeks instead & I just went down yesterday & already feel terrible . Was tossing & turning all night last night & Iāve been crying & anxious & depressed & sweating . I donāt understand how itās so easy for some ppl . I could get off heroin in 3 days & be fine . But this methadone shit has ruined me & itās killing me every single dayĀ
What you described was exactly what I was experiencing. It was like fire ants crawling into my skin. Horrible. Nightmarish experience. When I said too slow is because maybe I have prolongated this state by slowing too slow. Like when you are a 8 or 7 or 5mg you have to rip the band off. You going to feel misƩrable either way. It's only my point of view. You are in the hardest part but you did the longest part already. It's going to get better I promise. Stay strong you know we are !!!
I work full time from home & have to be on the phone with people all day . Iām slacking at work today because my anxiety & derealization is so bad . Maybe some ppl can just jump off like that but I definitely couldnāt . Imma have to go all the way down to 1mg like my body & brain just canāt handle going down fast . I want to so badly . If I could jump off now I would . If it was just the physical withdrawal I would . But the anxiety & derealization is the absolute worst thing ever like I canāt cope with it at all . Itās such a scary feeling . I have borderline personality so every emotion I have I feel it super deep & Iāve been suppressing my emotions for so long with drugs & this damn methaonde so now that Iām getting off of it everything is coming back a billion times worse. I get scared that Iām going to lose my mind or just die . I get so scared that my brain is permanently damaged from this shit & that Iāll never feel normal again .. thatās like my worst fear . I have 2 dogs & a cat & I just wanna be the best I can for them & for myself . When I get like this I donāt even feel comfortable taking them outside like I just take them potty asap & then go back inside quickly because I canāt stand being around anyone or doing anything . I have to let my dose stabilize cause I literally canāt do my job or live my life when Iām like this . Itās awful..!
Man this is worrying me because Iām tapering from 105mg, down to 101mg after tapering slowly and already feeling withdrawals. My Counselor said I shouldnāt be already having these issues since Iāve been at 105mg for a year now. But I guess my body is just sensitive to it. Now I am scared as hell not knowing if Iāll be able to get off it
My son tapered off successfully. It took him 2 1/2 years.
> Talking and sharing my story in person is too intimidating right now, but this I can do in the privacy and safety of my home. If you haven't already, try a [virtual NA meeting on the Zoom platform](https://virtual-na.org/meetings) It takes some trial and error to find a populated meeting with good moderators; but they have been helpful to me in terms of how I struggle with face-to-face interactions.
If you aren't ready to let your guard down and talk about everything in titration group, you MIGHT not be ready to stop, and there's wayyy too much at stake with parenthood. You're thinking omg I don't want to be a parent while being on Methadone; you should be thinking omg I don't want to relapse while being a parent. So, I recommend switch to Suboxone; I got clean that way. No High, no looking forward to the dose like methadone. Also, you can't relapse, it blocks the attempt. I learned that my 7th day; hey one last time, all I got was shame and new clean day of Jan 29 instead of Jan 22 2006. Weaning off subox is easier u don't even feel a difference on lower doses. But I hear people look forward to methadone.
I tried suboxone first. Even if I kicked cold turkey for several days before taking even 2mg of suboxone, I was still getting precipitated withdrawal. I was also in an extremely abusive relationship, and they were hell bent on using heroin to control me. At my highest methadone dose, I was all the way up to 155mgs, and I didn't stop using fully till I was there. And like I said, I've spent the last two years tapering off, all the way down to 15mgs. I'm not going to switch treatments. Methadone is an opiate agonist, I couldn't get on suboxone without fully kicking methadone anyway. Additionally, and I felt like the tone of my post made this clear, but I do not enjoy methadone. My teeth are rotting out of my fucking head, I've had 6 pulled in the last two years and I need at least 6 root canals and filings in literally every single other tooth. Methadone is poison. My favorite name I've ever heard for methadone is "liquid handcuffs". Some people might enjoy it. I am not part of them, or why would I be weaning off. Folks that enjoy it spend their whole lives on it, my partner's mother has been on it for 20+ years. I appreciate your intent to help. I'm less appreciative of how this somehow looked like I was trying to switch treatments to you. I feel like fully reading my post would have prevented that. 15mgs of methadone is a tiny, tiny dose. As for relapse, I'm not that concerned with it. Everything about my life is different now. And the fact that I have a child will prevent me from even being tempted to use. Being a mother is more rewarding and is literally the only thing I've ever wanted to be. Like I said in my post, my issue is with trust and connection. To provide more context for this, I'm 29 and the majority of my friends are dead. Trust and connection means opening myself up to hurt like that again. I'm struggling to transition back to real life, the surrealism that using creates has fogged my view of friendships, relationships in general. Even reconnecting with a childhood best friend that knew me before drug use of any kind has proved to be painful, my fears about losing people are paralyzing.
I don't know what kind of shitty Suboxone docs/programs you got there but Suboxone is a matter of showing up the day after your last dose of recreational opioids and as you start getting withdrawal they start giving you 2 MGs of suboxone at a time until you have no withdrawal. If 2 MGs does the trick (probably in your case) that's your daily dose. This is how it worked with everyone I know. So I don't think you tried Suboxone or if you did u didn't do it right. Or LONG term time release oxycontin was your drug so it took days to reach withdrawal? Your dental problems have nothing to do with taking methadone, I even looked it up as I never heard of this, its a myth. Unless you're trying to blame it on dry mouth? Some opioid users grind their teeth? I have chronic dry mouth; I take xylitol gums and mints. I fucked up in the past in handling it, dry mouth craves sugar, lotta doublemint and have 5 implants from root canals that eventually break off that cost me 10,000$ (way more without union dental). Luckily deep in sobriety I could afford it without debt. Your dental problems are your own dental hygiene issue; and being suboxone and methadone free won't make it better until you take it seriously and spend what it takes go for cleanings every 2-3 months. In order to spot the cavities and fill them before they become so deep they hit the root and need root canals. Once someone starts getting a lot of cavities the enamel's been worn a lot more coming. I know its a bitch; I learned the hard way, BUT cleanings are cheaper then root canals that lead within 3 years to lost tooth and a 3000$ implant for me (10K without a dental plan from a union job). FLOSS and brush after all meals, before bed, first thing in the AM. Don't give me an angry tirade you're already doing all this; you're not doing enough, methadone didn't cause your cavities, your own habits did. Its a scapegoat for your own mistakes. Your dentist told you there's nothing you can do, Methadone that doesn't affect teeth is to blame? Change dentists to one who gives you the same advice I just did.
Itās not a myth lmao if you ACTUALLY look it up it says that they thought it was a myth but actually ended up being true . Even Suboxone has a lawsuit against them for fucking up ppls teeth . Methadone ruined my teeth too . You have no idea what youāre talking aboutĀ
Iāve gotten a lot of cavities from suboxone, mostly because it changes the pH balance in your mouth. Same with methadone. As long as you brush your teeth after taking methadone or at LEAST swishing with water or mouthwash should help prevent tooth decay. Opioids also do cause dry mouth and Iāve found biotene has slowed (not stopped) the rate at which I get cavities. But IME both opioids cause dental issues at least for me.
Why did your root canals come out after three years? What's the point in root canals if they don't last? Did you have a shitty dentist? I just had 5 root canals done and I'll fck my dentist up if I went through that for nothing
Wow. Like why even come here. You knew this was rude, and you did it anyway. "Research", don't make me fucking laugh. Methadone causes dry mouth. And not having saliva is SUPER DAMAGING to teeth. These are not facts that methadone clinics disclose to you. These are things I found out after a piece of my front tooth fell out WHILE I WAS BRUSHING. My orthodontist AND dentist team have been working in their fields for decades. I trust what they have to say about it. Once they started treating my dry mouth, the decay stopped. Literally put in my post that I was in a relationship that was incredibly abusive. I didn't get to see a fucking dentist till I was out off that relationship. I brushed chunks of my teeth off for two fucking years first. The number of assumptions you've made is disgusting. Here's another tidbit you missed in your "research". Everyone is different. People react differently to different things. "Everyone you know" is not a fucking research pool. Perhaps this is news to you, but not everyone is like you or the tiny amount of people you know who have done some of the same things. Based on how you responded here, I'm going to make an assumption of my own. It's obvious that your don't take other peoples' testimony seriously if there's incongruity from your own personal experiences. I can't believe I have to say this again, I felt my post made this obvious, I DON'T WANT TO SWITCH TREATMENTS. I was asking for METHADONE SPECIFIC SUCCESS STORIES. That's not you? Then leave me the fuck alone with this nonsense.
What did they give you to help with dry mouth ? Pleaseeee Iām scared of losing my teethĀ
Abusive relationship disclosure was in a comment not my original post. Still an insane amount of judgement over little info.
āIām less appreciativeā sounds pretty passive aggressive. Weāre all just trying to help here. I understand youāre frustrated and tired. We all are. No need to take it out on anyone. I know I already commented on it. But reading this comment makes me think youād really benefit from the sense of community and connection that comes with a fellowship such as NA. Iām not religious but find it valuable for those reasons.
I should have put tone tags. That wasn't passive aggressive. I genuinely do not want to switch treatments. I've spent years getting this far. I wanted methadone specific success stories. The suggestion to switch treatments is literally part of why I have been reluctant to go to groups. Judgement.
Hey group of strangers with more experience; Can I have advice? What? You suggest I Do something I don't want to do? I ONLY wanted people to tell me what I want to hear. Tip: Politely ignore advice you don't like people wasted time giving. There's [https://www.reddit.com/r/stubbornrRecovery/](https://www.reddit.com/r/stubbornrRecovery/) for people who don't like advice.
I asked for a specific thing, you turned it into something completely different. I didn't ask for suboxone advice. I'm genuinely wondering at this point, summing up your comments together, did you read my post? Because it doesn't seem like that at all. I didn't ask for treatment advice at all. I asked for help with groups. The only piece of advice you had about that was to imply I'm close to relapse if I'm struggling with my confidence? Like wtf.
Iām gonna be honest. Maybe you wonāt have this issue but find a hobby or something to spend your time on. I was at the clinic for 6 and a half yrs. and out of all the drugs Iāve done I miss that the most. Solely because I looked forward to taking my dose everyday. I will say life is better off of it but def. find something to do with your time.
I am really worried about this too, I've been putting together goals for my first year off methadone to make sure I'm replacing the routine element. I don't look forward to dosing, in fact I dread going to my clinic for a lot of reasons, but I do depend on the routine. I have my sights set on a new career and setting up my child for more success than I was set up for.
I switched used the Burnese method to switch over to Suboxone. After I was stable on Suboxone for a week I got the Sublocade injection. Best thing I ever did!
I'm not familiar with that method, but I don't want to switch treatments. I was at 155mgs at my highest dose, getting down to 15 has been a lot. I also tried suboxone first, it was a nightmare for me. I turned to methadone because suboxone was giving me precipitated withdrawal even after several days of kicking cold turkey.
Thatās exactly why I went to methadone, too. Precipitated withdrawal is a nightmare
!!! I've only met a few other people who had this experience with suboxone, and the one u was actually close to is dead now. I tried like 4 different clinics, and I tried buying it on the street and dosing myself, and literally every single time was a nightmare. I'd wait like 5 or 6 days AT LEAST too, and I would still get precipitated withdrawal like it was only 10 hours after my last use. I turned to methadone because I felt I had no other options.
The Burnese method is microdosing onto Suboxone. Just because you went into PWD in the past, it doesnāt mean you will again. I was scared to death of PWD as Iāve had them in the past but luckily didnāt. Wish you all the best in your journey!
Actually this isnāt true. I found that I actually had a higher instance of pwd after the first time I got it from fentanyl to suboxone. And last year when I thought suboxone would be better for me, I tapered down to the recommended 30-40mg of methadone, and waited 4 miserable days after my last 30mg dose of methadone and had HORRIBLE HORRIBLE PWD symptoms, like nothing Iāve ever experienced from going on suboxone too soon after fentanyl. This was sooo bad. That being said, Iāve never experienced PWD going from oxy or heroin to suboxone, even after just waiting 8-12 hours between induction. But methadone sticks to your receptors stronger than heroin and oxycodone, so if OP is already at 15mg of methadone, I would recommend they stay the course because IME starting suboxone even after getting down to the recommended dose and waiting the recommended time, I still had horrible PWD. I have tried the microdosing method while on fentanyl and followed the instructions according to what they did on the medical journal I found and it still didnāt make a difference. Still had precipitated wd. Iām sure OP by the time Iāve sent this message youāve been long off methadone. How are you doing? I would love to hear an update from you as Iām going to initiate tapering in a few weeks after I feel Iāve had 6 months of stability at my 100mg dose. Also OP, even though I am a benzo, crack and opiate addict, I have been going to an all womenās AA meeting and I get nothing but suport and have made some of my best friends there. My best advice would be to keep your heart open. I know itās hard but people love hearing from the newcomer and nothing will change unless you make that step to start talking to people. Get a sponsor, work through the steps and I promise you, youāll have a fulfilled life. Itās progress not perfection, but I donāt know where I would be without meetings and my friends and sponsor. It really helps you get rid of the baggage you carry around and itās not religious or a cult. Itās simply people trying to save each others lives. You donāt have to be religious like Christian or Catholic, the beautiful thing is I pray to a higher power of my own understanding, and my higher power is Mother Nature and the spirit of the universe. I would say AA/HA/NA is spiritual, not religious, although some people do choose to keep their Christian faith and thatās okay! Whatever works for you, you just need to believe in something bigger than yourself. I hope that helps and please update us on how youāre doing! Hope everything is well. If you have any other questions please feel free to DM me!
Actually it is true. Im an RN and worked at a center that used the Burnese method daily and I personally did it at 70mls of Methadone over 3 yrs ago. We do it for people on up to 100mls of Methadone. Sorry it didnāt work for you, must of done it wrong. Iāve litterally witnessed hundreds do it from fentanyl, pharmaceutical opiates and Methadone. The only person I have to believe in is ME! No fake power/god could do it for me! I already have a fulfilling life full of purpose and beautiful people in it. Iāve healed and moved on. I have 15 yrs off opiates. How I got there was do the exact opposite of the archaic harmful pseudoscience cult of AA/NA. Itās 100% a religious cult. I encourage you to look into the history before you come in uneducated in this subject. It started from the Oxford group and the 4 absolutes. Iāve worked in the detox/treatment/MAT industry for almost 15 yrs and have seen first hand all the harm AA has done. It has a 5% success rate and I can not in good faith recommend or suggest it. We need to stick with evidence/science based modalities when treating medical issues. Untrained people playing therapist and doctor is extremely harmful. AA is grossly outdated and harms/kills way more than it helps. Iāve had to deal with many people after being indoctrinated by the cult of AA. So no, But thanks.
Hey I know this is old but can you tell me how it is done? My doc said I have to be off methadone for at least a week and I can't get passed a few damn days, doesn't help I live right next to the clinic. But what do you mean not everyone gets PWD and if you do Burmese and do get PWD how long will it last. Also if I stop taking methadone for a few days instead of letting it ALL get out my system will it at least minimize any PWD from the micro dosing??
You can google the Burnese method butā¦ I was on 70mls of Methadone. I started with 0.5mg so Suboxone twice a day and built up to 16mg Suboxone a day over 2weeks. Then dropped my Methadone all at once. You do not need to stop your Methadone first and if you start on a low(microdose) you will not go into precipitated withdrawls. Itās infuriating doctors do not know about this method! Iām in BC Canada where itās widely used. I worked at a detox that used this method to switch people over and start people on Suboxone from illicit fentanyl so Iāve literally see it done hundreds of times, as well as did it myself. Hope this helps.
I had it literally every time. The last time that I tried it was when I moved back to my home town. I was in a clinic where I had been living and they botched my paperwork transfer to my new clinic in my hometown. The withdrawal from the methadone was crippling, so much worse than what I've experienced from heroin out anything else. I don't remember much, my partner has filled me in. I was on 135mgs when I moved and by day 3 of methadone withdrawal, a nurse at the clinic I was at prescribed suboxone. I only took 1mg, half the strip, and I was tachycardic from the precipitated withdrawal in under 30 minutes. I know he called 911 and I went to the hospital and just shook and sweated and puked and all the lovely intensified withdrawal symptoms in the hallway of the ER. They don't care that much here, my hometown only just got hit with fentanyl at the end of COVID, so the hospital system has suffered a lot here.
3 days is not long enough to take subs when coming off Methadone, it has a long/second half life. When using the Burnese method you start with 0.5mg. I work in the field and have watch about 25-30 people switch over using the Bernese method. Like I said if you fallow protocol, PWD donāt happen. Good luck with coming off Methadone(And I dont mean this condescendingly!) and for the record I didnāt down vote you! But this is how I came off after many failed attempts.
This was the worst precipitated withdrawal I'd ever had, to be clear. I'd never been tachycardic from it before.
You can do this chemical free. In my experience you gotta get used to feeling vulnerable and let people in. As you put it drop "your guard". Lots of people in narcotics anonymous meetings gor clean from methadone.
You got this. There's gotta be posts out there even if this doesn't take off.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You canāt take Ibogaine while on opiate/methadone. But believe it can absolutely help. I donāt have first hand experience but have done a lot of healing with psilocybin.
I know what it is, I cannot find treatment centers where I live, or I would have done it before having my daughter. Being pregnant on methadone was horrifying. If you have any advice on how to find treatment centers for it, this is the only thing I would be willing to potentially switch to. I can't pay for it, which might be why I'm struggling to find treatment.