Methadone Addiction

[catsitter]

I  am addicted to methadone.I get it from a dealer-he skipped out on me for the thanksgiving holiday and will be back Monday.Even then,he may not have any.I am surviving on 10mg per day -I will be out Sun.When do withdrawals start ? I Have one 10mg. pill left. What should I do?How do you go about quitting and work a 40 hr week?

[Zurich42]

I'm 'new' to all this - but I believe you really need to 'want to quit' rather than 'forced to quit'.  With all that's going on - the holiday stress, etc., it's not the best time to go through withdrawals.  I, myself, am fighting a 6 month or so steady dose of vicodin - hoping to go to 0 tablets today - but we'll see.  This forum helps though - believe me! I had a tough night - insomnia, sweats, mood swings, worry, anxiety, depression, etc., but am fighting the cravings (which are surprisingly minimal right now).  Can you lean on some of your straight friends? or the forum? can you perhaps, see the light through non-use and not through lack of a dealer?  I work in healthcare and the ED's have a set checklist - and the impact of drug use has hit our ED's/Urgent Cares nationwide.  As compassionate as they might be (or might not be in some cases), they have standards and policies in place to try and help 'triage' addicts appropriately.  I know that's not exactly what you want to hear - but it's the best I can do being so new at this.  Hang in there - we're here to help!!! Marie

[Savas]

Well.. here in NYC, it depends a lot on your insurance/financial status. Sat/Sunday is the "Day of death", hat all addicts who have run out for whatever reason fear. All detox's and facilities are closed.

Regardless, E.R.s are technically required to treat an addict and stabilize him/her. Now, that can be a VERY broad definition by their standards. It could mean giving you a morphine/methadone shot and tossing you out the door.
It could be putting you in a bed and arranging for detox or outpatient methadone clinic.

Or...it could mean they refuse to treat you, stating "you aren't at risk of death". It's like playing russian roulette.

But if you can't find a place to go down to on monday (doctor or clinic) then the E.R. may be your only choice.

Keep in mind though, that most E.R.'s won't treat addicts unless they're in FULL withdrawal, They have a checklist of "symptoms", and if you don't have 4 major and two minor, no matter HOW sick you are, they won't treat you.

I'd say do a google search on Methdone treatment clinics in your area, and call first thing monday morning about getting on. But remember, they tend to do admissions VERY early, so be prepared to rush over, or you may have to wait until next morning.

[catsitter]

I am a nervous wreck don't know what to do.I'll be honest with you.I really don't want to quit,I just can't find another supplier and I have been cut off cold turkey.I don't want my elderly mother to find out or my job.I work for the state so I have ins.What can I do?

[Savas]

Are you taking your last pill sunday? If so, take it as late as possible. Normally, if you're fully addicted, a methadone dose can last for 36 hours IF it's a STEADY dose (same every day).

But you've dropped down to 10 a day. So the dose will hold you for...call it 12 to 18 hours before you start to feel uncomfortable,

My advice to you would be take it as late as possible on sunday. Then DON'T go to sleep. Sleeping processes the drug out of your body faster.

You'd probably be in pre-to-full withdrawal sometime around monday morning/afternoon. That varies from person to person.

This is the worst possible drug to be addicted to. Do you have any options at all? ER's even? Insurance that supports rehabs?

As far as stopping while working...well...I don't think you can follow those kind of instructions right now. My advice is once you've got your feet back under you, come back and ask and you can make a plan with one of us.

[1eagle]

well this isn't sugar coated, but it is real. I had a much harder time with the methadone than I did with anything else....Kleen is right about the drugs duration. The wd's won't start as soon as they do with other things. But for me they were worse. How much have you been doing? I was knocking off 120 and more mg daily, so that might be one thing....I actually went back to the hydro's and then tapered from them...can you clear a calendar for a week or so? I know that i could never have worked and gotten clean. It was just mutually exclusive with the amounts that i was taking. But I am on the hard headed side, and not believing much in organized medicine I had to go ct by myself. I just didn't see investing the time that the clinics wanted to detox. At this point I still don't know if I made the right choice. It was hell....but I am currently clean and I did not have to pay a clinic to maintain me for years on methadone .And it has been well worth it. Stay online and keep posting.

[IBKleen]

Hello. It is a holiday weekend and the forums are very slow. You will have to be patient for a response.

I used Methadone, but not at length, so I cannot help you. I hope you are planning on quitting because you want to, not because you are being forced. If that is the case, there are many things you can do to get through work, if you have to. It is always suggested that you try and take time off---vacation--sick days--whatever.

Methadone has a long half-life, so the withdrawal will not begin right away.

If you are going through with this, let us know and you will get advise on supplements, etc. Take care of yourself.