Methadone- Should I take it or not?

[MartialArtistInPain]

Hello everyone. I've been reading the forums and it is scaring the **** out of me. I'm severely injured right now. I have 3+ herniated discs in my back as well as disc degeneration. I also have issues with my knee swelling from constant dislocations. I used to me a martial artist and banged myself up pretty bad over the years. Anyways my doctor just took me off of hydrocodone 7.5/345 and put me on Methadone 5m. I already know what it feels like to withdraw from Hydrocodone as well as other pain killers that are stronger in the past. When she prescribed it for me yesterday I had no idea what the hell it was. But I always research things before I put them in my body. (not all doctors are too bright) Now that I'm finding out more about it, It is really scaring me to take it. But i also don't know what to do because of the amount of pain that I'm in. I'm only 26. I've had a job ever since I was 15 (w/ and exception for when I was in college) but now I've been in so much pain that I can't work. I've put on a lot of weight, and i even had to stop taking school for a couple of semesters because i was hurting so much that I was missing classes. Now I'm a pretty well known musician in my area and a lot of beautiful opportunities are opening up to me. I was even offered to be in a musical that would be touring the whole east coast, and I had to turn it down because of the pain that I'm in.

So... I said all of this to say that my doctor is giving me this medication now to lessen the pain, and I don't know whether or not I should take it. And if not then what should I do? I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard spot. Sorry for the rambling, I just thought I needed to explain why I feel the way I do.

Thanks.

[puranx]

i wouldnt take methadone if you paid me to do it and it was free...

[scaredmommie]

sometimes you need to think of the benifit over the riskes you need to live your life if you are not comf with the med talk to your doctor there has to be something a little more the the hydro but not as bad as the methadone

[avisg]

I agree with everyone I will never take methadone .It is hell to come off of it can take weeks to months to WD off of  . I would do LOTS and LOTS of research if I were you .

[worried878]

I would be scared as well....i guess that is a low dose but ur tolerence will grow nd that stuff is opure he!! to get off of.....if ur condition is chronic...like mine...and is not ever going to go away...then u may need to make a choice about using narcotics for pain...if u have been addicted to hydros then u are prone to get addicted to narcotics is general...how much hydro were u taking each day?    the bad thing about narcs long term is the tolerence...by the time u are 36...it will take alot more to ease ur pain that now...i wouldnt go there...i have found alternatives to mange my pain...i would highly recommend that u do the same...in the end the narcs can cause u more pain than ur back and the mental pain is heart wrenching

[Dave2824]

Hello,
I am only mentioning this because I have had a lot of exposure with methadone and other chemicals, so I am hoping that my experiences can be of some help. Methadone (like mentioned above) is probably the hardest drug that I kicked. It inplants itself deep into your body depending on how long you have taken it. With that said, methadone is also a very good drug for some people when the need for pain management is imminent. If you are going to be on something long term, you want to avoid drugs that have a quick onset- you know, that spike up and then go down. Examples of what not to take long term: Vicodin, Percocet, Demerol, Percodan, Darvocet. If you are going on a long term pain management drug, choose one that is a slow release such as MS Contin, or Fentynil patches and even with all the bad publicity- Oxycontin. Oxycontin is a good drug as long as you take it properly I.E. dont crush it snort it etc.  The main thing is making a decision that is realistic for YOU. Are you in enough pain to merit pain meds of this caliber? It sounds like you are. You want to choose a drug that is not going to make you "high" but will take the pain away. This should enable you tol live a life closer to normal than without it. And when you are taking it long term, you are going to get addicted- no doubt about it. But if it is legitimate there is no reason to feel like some doper on the streets or to feel guilty about it. But take it as prescribed!!!!! If the dose isnt cutting it, talk to the Dr to increase- dont self medicate! The goofy thing about it is the drugs that are pure opiates are actually less harmful to the body than the drugs that have acitominephen (Tylenol) - trust me this is coming from a guy that has failing kidneys and liver- (and no its not from drug use!) .So, just be honest with yourself. If your pain is as intolerable as you are saying it is- then get on a "pain mangement" plan. Methadone is a good drug for this because the effects are more low and last for 24 hours typically. But get the right dose for you, and expect it to take time. Keep good communication with your Doc. Ask your Dr if you should see a pain management Dr. Someone that specializes with all this stuff. Drugs are to IMPROVE your life, not make it worse so yeah, research.26 years old is not old at all. I know back pain can be murder. The right drug could enable you to do more than lay in bed all day worrying about being a drug addict. You obviously have self discipline to be a black belt!
Good luck

[wannabefree330]

dave has some very insightful information!  I agree.  You obviously need medication to function daily.  And if your back is as bad as it sounds, this may be a lifelong issue.  You definitely need the long acting medication to keep constant levels of pain meds in your system.  Methadone may be hard to get off (i don't have experience w/methadone only lortab/percocet), but used 'as prescribed' can benefit you immensly.  this isn't something you will stop CT later in life.  It will probably be something you are on all the time.  You need to start worrying when you start taking it for the wrong reasons.  Physical dependence is unavoidable in chronic pain.  Your body will eventually need more and more to achieve the same affect.  This is not your fault, it just is a fact.  Addiction is when you take more than prescribed, for the wrong reasons, and are consumed by thoughts of using constantly. (thats my interpretation anyway).  Just be honest w/your doctor and yourself.  Good Luck

[Sunnyd210]

Hi- Pain ***** doesnt it?? Dealing with it is very frustrating and the drugs that are prescribed are a double edge sword. Ive had chronic pain with herniated disks and I have disk degeneration too. I was on norco/vicoden for years Ive been off them now for 3 weeks and my pain dr gave me methadone to get off the other pills they worked great for pain I had so much less pain the 1st week that I thought the pain was all in my head all this time lol. Then it occured to me HELLO methadone is a pain killer duhh. Of course as my dose went down the pain came back. I dont know if you should take that long term though. Have u tried epidoral shots or even trigger point?? I needed a break from the pills because I know Im going to have pain for the rest of my life and I dont want to build up such a tolarance that nothing works when I get older (there of course were other reasons too but that was a big part of it) I know when ur in alot of pain ur only thinking about making it go away BUT I think if givin a choice MOST of us on here wouldve dealt with the pain & never taken the pills to begin with but hindsight is always 20/20. Everyone is different though I think a good question for a post would be is there anyone out there on pain killers long term that are not addicted to them?? Mayb u can take these pills without getting addicted but do u really wanna take that chance?? Good luck and be careful

[lucyred68]

there has to be something that would help you that is not as horrible to kick as methadone.  it took me over a month of wd's to kick a low dose of methadone, and a year out, i still have memory problems.  it changed my personality and turned me into a zombie.  i gained 40 lbs on it cause it causes serious cravings for sweets.  because of the sweets, i lost two teeth.  it is a vicious cycle.  i couldn't work while on it, and still don't have a job because of the memory problems.  one minute i'm fine and the next i can't think straight. i still have insomnia.  remember, this is a year since i quit the stuff.  i am in chronic pain, but will never use it again.  i'd rather take straight opium!!

Lucy

[kim715]

You're alot smarter then I was.I wish I would have been smart enough to do some research on methodone because if I were I would have NEVER taken it.Just like lucyred it took a good month to feel like a human being once I stopped.I gained 30 pounds being on it.I was on a pretty low dose.I never went above 30 mgs.Please continue doing what you are doing ask questions,research,find an alternative route.I've got a little over 100 days free of it and I still struggle with the energy from time to time and the mental part still creeps up on me.Please continue to post and read about the people who are going through or have gone through methodone detox.Knowledge is power.Stay strong.Peace.

[shabbycat]

NOONE should EVER take methadone. I am 15 days into a ct wd from methadone and let me tell u the pain in ur back (i also have some back problems) is NOTHING compared to the pain of stopping methadone. PLEASE ask ur doctor for something else. Anything is better than methadone ANYTHING!!!. Id take being cained and bamboo shoots under my fingernails befor ever touching methadone. If only I could turn back time!!!! I am suffering so much it seems unbearable at times. STAY AWAY FROM METHADONE. It is more addictive than anything else out there. Id also rather be on pure opium or shooting heroin in an alley than what methadone did to my life .

SC

[wannabefree330]

I have heard this so many times about methadone.  If you need a long acting pain medication, there are opiod ones.  Fentanyl, oxycontin  these are highly addictive too but from everything I've heard - easier to detox from.  You don't have to just settle for what the doctor prescribed.  I think you are wise in being an active part of your healthcare.  I don't have experience w/methadone.  My DOC is the opiates, but from what I read here and things i hear at support meetings, methadone is one of the worst to try and quit.

[sadinmichigan]

from another one that went throught the he!! of methadone w/d..I wouldn't take it if my very life depended on it..I would much rather stick to another opiod as mentioned above..unless of course you are prepared to stay on it for the rest of your life..which many do..for pain..and simply because the w/ds are like NO OTHER..and they aren't over in a week..it takes 2 months and then you still will have issues to deal with..I will be free from that evil drug 2 yrs..Aug 1..I could still cry today from the whole ordeal...most wouldn't choose to jump off at 65mg as i did..But after all i know of it and have personally seen..the w/ds of 20mg are no different..please really think this over..i know you are in pain..you need to weigh the options..I'd rather take the strongest opiod/(besides mehtadone)..