Methadone Detox What Works?

[hophan]

My girlfriend is on 43mg of methadone currently to deal with her fibromyalgia.  I am not sure how long she has been on methadone (probably over a month).  

We are finally in a position to start seriously looking at options to help her get off methadone.
I have to be honest, I did not think too much about methadone because I didnt know too much about it and just thought it was something to help with her fibromyalgia.  Because of that I never really understood much of what she was going through when she tried detoxing herself (cold turkey) and couldn't do it.  I dont want to make that same mistake and I am now open to learning as much as possible to help her make the right decisions for the long term.  I do believe this will be a long term fight as well as she does have a history of abusing pain killing medication.
I currently have read a few websites and been reading these forums for a few hours, but that is about the extent of my knowledge to methadone detox at this time.  

Her doctor recommended a hospital/clinic for her to detox and I am wondering what kind of questions and what kind of concerns I should have with her going into a hospital/clinic program to detox.  Because she does have a past of substance abuse (pain killers), I am also worried about when she leaves the hospital/clinic.  Unfortunately money is a concern and she does not have insurance.  

I have also read that people are recommending suboxone.  It is more expensive from what people say (which is a concern), but I dont want to rule it out if it is a drug that can not be abused (as easily?)  and if it will help her get off methadone.  But I am not sure if I like the idea of her going from one drug to another.  Is this a legitimate concern?  

Would a taper be more effective in helping her get off methadone?  But then I worry about her withdrawls affecting her sleeping.  I also worry that it might be too hard for her to do alone.  I can try to be there for her as much as possible but I cant be there for her when I have to work.

Sleeping is definitely an issue with her, even when she takes ambien.  I would like for her not to have to take sleeping pills but I dont know if that is a realistic possibility.

Are there any other options I can look into.  Any help with my above questions would help greatly as well as any personal experiences.

Thank you in advance for your help and advice.

[hophan]

wait2long - I have read quite a few of your posts as well and have found them to be very helpful as well.  I would love to know more about your experiences.  Thank you in advance.

  
Penelope14 - I'm trying to prepare myself and look at it as a long term battle.  And a physical does sound like a good idea as well.  Thank you for your best wishes and advice/experiences.  
  

[Penelope14]

Please keep in mind that suboxone, is still yet anoher drug, that also has its own set of problems, as you can withdrawal off of it just as much as any other drug, thiers no fast quick fix solution when it comes to methadone, take it from me, a person who takes it & knows others who have had success getting off it & others who have failed, I can tell you that it takes alot of will & determination not to mention a good family enviorment, & I also recomend a physical prior to detoxing, just to rule out any other medical issues that may mimic withdrawal, this is what I have done prior to my taper off methadone. Im not gonna tell you what route to take, but I will tell you that detoxing off of 40mgs will break this girl down, so try to get her down as low as possible before prior to cold turkey, the two people who I know who got off methadone very recently did it very, very slow, they were down to the very last 1mg, & still had issues for about two weeks. Lots of Luck, Penelope

[wait2long]

i successfully transitioned off methadone to suboxone...i also have fibromyalgia...let me know if you need any help if you choose this route...
suboxone can be used to treat pain also, and it is a lot less damaging than methadone or the cycle of addiction itself...

[hophan]

chris425 - Thank you for the advice about having a game plan.  I also think that is what she is going to need; as well as a strong network to support her.  I think she is the type that if constantly pushed she will make the right decisions and do the right thing, but without the "direct" support is when I am concerned the most.  I have heard from her and read from people on these forums about how scary it is as well.  While I know I probably can not completely understand how it feels, I am trying to understand and be as supportive as I can be.    

toxictome - Thank you very much for the welcome it is much appreciated :)

GoingToMakeIt - Thank you for the link... I actually did read some about suboxone on their site while doing my preliminary research.  In their FAQ it seems to suggest that it has less potential for abuse and milder withdrawl symptoms which might make it easier to taper off of compared to methadone.  Despite their FAQ addressing the question "Does SUBOXONE just substitute one dependence for another?" ... it really doesn't instill much more confidence for me.  Especially when it seems almost like how they originally got my girlfriend to start methadone in the first place.    

Savas - I have read quite a number of your posts and find them really helpful.  I did not know however that you actually detoxed off almost the same dose as my girlfriend.  It gives me hope.    
I also read that you made a post about the different methods of detoxing off methadone but couldnt find the link and I am not too familiar yet with navigating the boards.  I am however very interested in your thoughts, especially if you can help with some detailed info.  Thank you in advance.

To add... I think my girlfriends doctor recommended a county hospital which concerns me.  I dont want them to rapid detox her with anesthesia or anything like that.  And I dont want her to be receiving a higher dosage of methadone and then have them slowly start detoxing her.  Is there anything I can learn about how hospitals usually detox methadone patients, or what kind of precautions, and questions I should ask etc.

Thank you again everyone

[Savas]

Ugh...I've detoxed off of 40 mg's once successfully (somewhat) and am finishing out a taper (now at 3.5.)
...bloody, I've got to log off to sleep. I'll let you know about it tomorrow if you're interested and give you some detailed info on methadone deco if you'd like.

[GoingToMakeIt]

Methadone is usually tapred off of because it stays in you for a long time. You can check out Suboxone at suboxone.com. Sub is highly addicting too.

[toxictome]

Welcome to the forum  I have no experience w/either one..but someone should be along shortly who can help! This is a great place to get help and support....

[chris425]

First of all coming off anything is the hardest thing I've ever done, but bascially you have to have that drive and ambition or it will never work! Next you have to have a game plan fromn the moment you stop that treatment! Then if not winging it(which will kill a person)
you need to look at Methadone detox program or Suboxone treatment which I'm currently getting ready to start again which was scary as hell for me after being on 50mgs of sone...PLEASE RED MY POST ON HERE BY CHRIS J FOR "SUBOXONE DISASTER...
    I wish you the best of luck in this and remember that there are people every where out there in our shoes and that have to overcome this obsatcle which is the hardest and scariest thing I've ever done so far in my life(detoxing). You can do it! Just research and get soemthing that works for you..everybody is different and different things work for different people! If u need to tlak please email me!