Down to the wire

[SmilingBright]

PleaSe any advice would be appreciated.

I have been tapering off of methadone. My usual intake was around 15-20 mg.  I'm down to 1.25 mg!!!!!!  Which is a HUgE deal for me.  A lot of ups and downs.  But I have committed myself to trying to make myself as busy and productive as I can be.  I LovE to workout.  So I've been keeping up w my wkouts for the most part. Dealt w some anxiety throughout my taper.

My question is.....  1.25 mg doesn't seem like a whole lot.  How much different should I feel when I finally jump to 0mg!??  

I've been taking a great regimen of vitamins.  I usually take b12, rhodailia, 5-htp.   Which I find is helping me tremendously.  Not sure if it's just a habit of popping pills that's helping when I'm taking my vitamins.  But I sure pop a vitamin when I want to take a pill.  

Any encouragment or advice is greatly appreciated!!  

I have 2 small kids and work usually 3 to 4 days a week.  

For the most part I'm feeling pretty darn good considering the dose I'm on now.  I'm sleeping better than when I was on methadone.  I used to have to take sleep aid while on it.  Now I don't.   I hear so many people having sleep issues.  Hoping the 1.25 mg isn't going to make that much of a difference.  

Thanks

[SmilingBright]

Good for you carpediem!!!  I almost feel like just jumping to get it over with!!!! And deal w whatever comes my way. Just don't know....

How are u feeling??

Keep up the good work!!!! You can do this!!!! I will be praying for u.  U have a great forum.  These people are truly awesome.  I've learne so much and made some great friends along the way

[carpediem0303]

Congrats. I'm on day two of c/t of 5mg. U should be so proud. Keep it up:)

[SmilingBright]

Hey yeslife4me,
Thanks.  I'm really trying to stay postive!! I'm certainly not perfect.  By any means!!  Yes it's actually an 1/8 of a ten mg.
Not sure when I'm gonna make the jump.....  Soon. Just need to make it to te store on fri for some things for sleep;)
I will defeat this monster!!!!  Period. ;)

[YesLife4Me]

I just wanted to add that I am proud of you and your progress.  Reading your posts are inspiring because you keep finding ways to overcome your challenges and see the positive in things.  Or at least try to see the glass half full.  :)   How much longer til you jump off the 1.25?    Is that like a quarter of a 5 mg or 1/8th of a 10mg?  

[SmilingBright]

Hey Vickie,
I'm trying to find the post about sleep !! Lol. I will certainly go to the store on fri and pick up whatever I need !! Thanks ladies

[Sweetness91]

Well I certainly hope you get some sleep!! Vickie's post does have alot of GREAT info in it..you really should check it out :)

[VICourageous]

Cess did you get the PM on the post I did regarding the sleep it must be 4 pages or more over...Check it out. I see u r still around. I have to keep getting the darn snow of the 2--dishes we have...YEK!!! It will be over soon.......
God Bless girl friend.
vickie
Hi sweetness and All

[SmilingBright]

Thanks charity,
I'm
Hanging in there. Just praying I get some sleep tonite.  I have 2 more days That I have to be on my A game for at work.  Then I can deal w no sleep for couple days. If I have too. Lol

[Sweetness91]

You'll do fine girl!! The sleep thing was really hard for me. I finally had to see my doc about it because the OTC stuff just wouldn't work for me. :( He put me on Trazodone which has worked wonders for me! Non-addictive and it doesn't make me feel hungover in the morning although it did a little at first. At that point I was just thankful to sleep again so I didn't care if I felt hungover or not! Lol. Good luck sweetie!!

[SmilingBright]

Ok well I guess I thought maybe just maybe I would dodge the bullet and not have any sleeping issues while wd.  Well I was wrong!!!  Been up all night. It's now 4am;( and have to be up for 6 to work all day.  

Don't see that I'm going to get any sleep;(

On the postive side I got to watch the Bible series on history channel.  Wow!!!  Such a great series.  

I also passed a pretty big test today!!  Considering my boss called me to cut me back a day bc we aren't as busy as normal.  So that doenst really make me happy.  But I DIDN'T take more than what I planned to take.  Which is 1.25 mg!!  Usually if bad things happen that would be a great reason to take a lot more!!!  

So I'm trying to look at the positive side to things.  Just praying god will give me stregnth to get through my next 3 days at work.  

God bless u guys.  

[SmilingBright]

Not sure why I didn't think about it before.  But I love my zija tea.  So glad you guys might look into it;)
Hope my buddies are doing well today!  
I'm on day 5 at only 1.25 mg!!! And I jut finished a hard workout routine.  So I feel really goo this morning!!  Thank u God!!!  

[EvolverU]

Thanks so much Connie - new info - love it! Can't wait to try it. I could use some quicker detoxing, an anti-inflammatory, naturally occurring aminos, etc. as I'm going through a rough patch.

                                  Great work!
                                        Annie                        

[EvolverU]

Hey! to Connie, Vickie & you Ces,
               I'm delighted to find new info! I'll have to check out Zija. I have a host of detox teas & haven't been using them. I'm going to make some now and ask my boyfriend to bring home some Moringa - so many properties. Awesome!
                Thanks guys,
                             Annie

[SmilingBright]

Thanks for adding the info on the zija.  Had no idea it was for pain relief a well.  I absolutely love it!!  Unfortunaly I had to pay 53 bucks for only 30 tea bags    That's a lot!!  But it's good stuff. Lol.

Hope u are well!!!  Miss chatting w ya

[clean_in_ks]

Hey girl....you're doing really well w/your taper......glad to see posting on the main forum board again!  You got my curiosity going with your last post about the Zija tea.....had to have a looksee.....here's just one paragraph I just read:

"Zija is an all-natural delicious beverage blended from Moringa the miracle plant. Many consider Moringa the most nutrient rich plant ever discovered. It contains 90-plus verifiable vitamins, nutrients, omega oils, amino acids, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and phytonutrients found naturally in Moringa."

I'm ALWAYS looking for safe, natural sources for pain relief.  The article I read says this plant has great pain relief benefits.....an anti-inflammatory....and also being used by arthritis sufferes.

Thanks for the tip......I've started a list.....for when I have some money to try some of these new things you all are sharing.....
then...."watch out pain......here I come" LOL

[SmilingBright]

Hey Annie and Vickie,
Just wanted to add something else I've been taking the last 6 months or so that I love is Zija tea at night. It kinda detoxes you in the morning.  It's amazing!!  Love it.  
I think it's just a combo of things that make me feel good right now.  It's awfully expensive.  But I drink my tea ev night!!!  Worth looking into;)
Chat w y'all later

[SmilingBright]

The golden root.  Well it's been my golden treasure here lately. Lol. Love it!!  
I may have to try some of the l's out.  Thanks ladies.
You guys are great. Thanks for the support

[VICourageous]

Hi Thanks for the PM again. I use all the above said in a lig form. Evolver is on the same track we are on..She is the one I told you that I learned what the Rhodiola was (golden root). I am going to get that for sure since you both do it..and i read someone post it a while back.I take most of the L--ones they are a great brain bulider too. There r sooo many of them..L-arginine, L-Tyrosine L-Theanine on & on. You r doing great. Talk to you later
vickie

[SmilingBright]

Thanks Annie,
I will def keep this post in mind of I start losing sleep.  So far so good. Thank God. On my treadmill right now getting those awesome endorphins pumping;)

[EvolverU]

You go girl,
             Whatever works for you. Glad you're taking vitamins and no other meds. If you like --  L- Tryptophan instead of 5-HTP is available on line - a little stonger and an essential Amino acid. Also, a full B- complex instead of just B-12 (although, I understand why you chose it.) Another natural sleep aid and sedative is Cal/Mag or just Magnesium. (You can get both in powdered form and the Mag. in liquid form.) Just use the recommended dose. If you over do it you'll get the runs. Passionflower tincture also helps with sleep and isn't hard on the liver the way Valerian is. The Rhodiola's great and you'll feel all these things more and more as the drugs leave your tissues and bones. Hydration is key. Keep drinking water and then drink some more.

                 Keep up the great attitude & good work..
                              your ally,
                                      Annie

[SmilingBright]

No not taking any other meds. Just dosing the heck up on all my vits.   Prob taking too many some days lol. But I think I will be fine

I struggle Somedays to stay straight.  As I'm
Sure we all do.  And some days I fail and take 5 mg or 10 mg.  but I'm getting better and better ev day! Today I feel great!!!

I was thinking of possibly taking ev other day then maybe ev 3rd day possibly starting next week.  I think it will be more for me mentally. Not physically. U know?  Since it stays in your system so darn long.

So far so good today.  Took all my vitamins and cooking a nice lunch for the fam. Doing my thing. Hopefully I an get a wkout in today;) that's my best medicine!!!!!  

[EvolverU]

I'm with you on the Adderall thing,
                          Complete craziness ensues. Congrats on kicking that s**t. God, there's so much big Pharma garbage for us to indulge in out there, eh? So, it sounds like your taper was pretty rapid or rather that you did it in spates - jumps. If you feel better now than you did at five, I really think you're golden. What you don't realize is that when you take that 1.5 depending on your type of metabolism - you're not even absorbing the full 1.5 so you're lower than you realize. Do  you think you could try mixing it with water and and draw of a tiny measured amount each day - so that for say, the first week you do 1.3 or so & you can use what you draw up to make smaller and smaller doses down the line? This would be a psychologically good way to do it - almost like a blind detox- so that you're not anxiety ridden about making the final jump and so that you feel a measure of control. (Which you've obviously got in spades in addition to grit.) Are you taking any other meds? Or OTC meds?

                                Good things your way

[SmilingBright]

Hey Annie nice to meet u;)
Ok let's see....
Im 33 yrs old, I've been off and on of opiates the last 5 yrs I guess.  Not sure exactly how long.
I've been tapering since jan 1st.  
I've been at 1.25 since thurs.,   so 4 days now.

Jan 1st I went from highest dose to 5 mg!  That was the worst of my wds.  Of course.  But from then on out I've been cutting down about 1 mg ev 10 -15 days.  Or however long I felt I needed to.  I had ALOT of anxiety when I was on 5 mg.  that was not fun.  I still get some anxiety but not as bad.

But bf I began all the opiates I used to be prescribed adderall and would eventually take more than prescribed of course.  (the addict brain)
I took that prob 7 yrs bf finally Quitting that horrible addiction.  Tht made me one pycho b$$$$.   praise god I'm not on that and never would touch Tht again.

So there's a little more of my history;)

[EvolverU]

Dear Ces,
                   How long have you been on the clinic - years? months? And how long have you been on 1.5mg! Incredible! The first time I was on when I was on I was 18  skated off - I was in the hospital w/Endocarditis and they brought me my 5 mgs. I refused it and never experienced WD's but then it was a 6 mo. detox if I remember and I had been doing Heroin for less than a year. You have a LOT going for you. You were on a low dose to begin with & you work out - which helps with cell turnover, toxin removal, endorphin production & sleep. If you are sleeping better on 1.5 than on 15 or 20 I have a feeling you're going to be one of the lucky ones. YOU CAN SO Do this. Four important question: 1) How old you are you?  How long  were you on the 15 to 20 mgs.? How long have you been at 1.5? And, finally how long did the whole taper take? This will give me a better idea of where you're at but it sounds incredibly promising!

                                  Your Ally in this,
                                            Best of luck -- Annie