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Methadone & Lorazepam Withdrawal

I take 5mgs of Methadone & 1 mg of Lorazepam once a day.  I have done this for 3 years and counting.  There have been times I have taken more than this in a day but they have been rare and never for any length of time.  Probably no more than a day or 2.  So for all intensive purposes you could say I have never stretched my tolerance beyond these points.  I realize this is a small dose of Methadone.  Perhaps thats why my WD sets in at about 24-28 hours.  I really want to stop both.  THey serve no purpose anymore.  They do not help me and WD is usually what reminds me it's time to take my daily dose of ball and chain.  

With the Methadone I take it at night usually around 8 or 10.  Some evenings I'm real tired when I come home from work and I'll fall asleep early and forget to take it.  I'll wake up early in the AM and WD has already begun.  Aches and beginings of restless legs.  Head starts filling with mucous.  Nausea.  I take the pill within 2 hours I feel completely better.  

The Lorazepam I take in the morning right after I wake up.  Because I maintain a different schedule and habits on the weekend, I often forget to take it when I get up. And I'm getting up later anyway.  I don't notice a physical withdrawal from this.  But when I start asking like an angry emotional basket case over nothing basically.  Then I realize that I've felt this way since I woke up I just didn't realize it until something set it off.  Then I know go take your nerve pill.  Will be fine the rest of the day.  But neither of these pills have an effect anymore.  It doesn't help my nerves or pain.  I'm just withdrawing so I take it to "maintain"

Here's the question(s):

1)  Based on the amount and length of use I described above, How bad will my Methadone withdrawal be?  I already know it will start at 24 hours. When will it peak, and how long will the major physical withdrawal last?

2) Same question with the Lorazepam.  How long will the any physical withdrawal last?  But more important is when will the real bad emotional reaction end?

3)  Should I quit the Methadone first or both at the same time?

4)  Lastly, I have detoxed off short term (3-6 month) Vicodin & alcohol binges in the past.  As well as Marijuana about 50 times.  I realize it is not physically addictive.  But for those who tend to be chronic users (those of us who have the most euphoric reaction to it), studies have shown, and I can testify, that the psychological withdrawal can be so intense that it manifests itself in physical symptoms.  I get aches in the legs and stuffy head and nausea which would be less than a flu.  I can't sleep or eat.  I suffer the blackest of black depressions.  No energy or motivation.  Some have been documented to have there backs go out for several weeks.  So I guess I should include in this I am a daily Weed user and won't be stopping that at this point.  Reason is I have no psychological addiction to Lorazepam or Methadone.  It is not near the challenge quitting weed will be.  It's just a matter of finding time to manage to detox.  Back to the last quustion.  Is it safe to detox off Methadone & Lorazepam.  Is it medically safe.  Or is it case like chronic alcohol abuse where you could die from withdrawal?
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Avatar universal
hey dude ...well your down to a jumping off point with the methadone....you could split your pills in 1/2 and taper some more but I feel the withdrawals at 5mg shouldn't be to bad just a few days of flu like symptoms ...I defently would do the withdrawals separate
and benzos your suppose to taper from maybe split your pill in 2 and take 1/2 for a few days just to be on the safe side keep posting with your progress and you will also find support here on the forum....good luck and god bless....Gnarly
Helpful - 0
736475 tn?1281259327
i notice when coming off methadone that my muscles tend to feel very sore and spongy (for lack of a better term). that's from 10-40 mg per day, no taper. blessed be, sway
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228936 tn?1249094248
I'm not sure but don't think you are addictied to the attivan.It's short acting and since you miss days, that says a lot. The methadone WD shouldn't be too bad. I'm part of a methadone recovery blog and if send me a message with your  e mail, I'll send the linc. all the best
Helpful - 0
711224 tn?1344771687
Hey Renfield,
I can't help for the done but I can for the lorazepam..
It's a medium-long acting benzo and can not be stopped CT. You should go see the dr that Rx'ed it to you and establish a tapering plan. Fortunately you are not at a very high dosage...
Usually dr's would switch you to a long acting benzo like Valium and start the taper from there.
There's a site where you can really find some good accurate info, here's the link:
http://www.benzo.org.uk/
And here's an example of tapering plan:
http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm#s8
If you need more info, please feel free to pm me or send me a note.
Best of luck to you. sophie.
Helpful - 0
318890 tn?1297965320
Hi
As for the Lorazapam i carn't really help. I'm addicted 2 valluim & nitazipam big time, Well sayin that i have had no choic but 2 cut down as they are getting really hard 2 get. Not that i'm botherd coz like you they have no purpose enymore ( i just don't feel them )
As for the methadone there i can help, i'm on 100 ml daily & i hate it, But i'm on day 2 of havin no gear today
Your on 5 ml so ye you will feel a little sick, like you said you'll start 2 feel it after 24 hours, It can sometimes take up to 3 days to start wd from methadone, I don't no if enyone else has had this experiance with methadone, but when i went to jail it took 3 days for me to get sick,
Your sickness should last no more than a week i'd say, you'll feel lack of energy, mabey flu like, you want to be thankful you have keep't a lid on your use & are only on 5ml, Even if you stop 1 then the other so you don't get so sick,
What are Lorazapam ??? they are mentioned alot on this sight but iv never come across them is it coz i'm from the u.k & u.k docs are really stricked on giving benzo's on a script.
Enyway you seem focused so go 4 it & keep posing, iv been in this sight for years now & i find it so hard to get clean so does my partner. But we have to keep trying its all i can do. lv & luck nat xx
Helpful - 0
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