Methadone Detox

[acl1213]

I have been taking Methadone for 5 years. A choice I wish I never would have made. When I started going to my clinic I didn't know that Methadone had far more severe withdrawals then what I was taking at the time.  I started tapering in May from 95 mg, and I am now at 15mg. I go down again on Friday. I am tapering 5 mg every 10 days. I choose to not go so slow because I am ready to be done with methadone. I am just wondering if I jump at 10 mg. (which I am planning on doing) will I be feeling a little better by xmas? And have a little energy? I have a two year old. Which I will be detoxing at home and will still have to care for her. Which I am worried about also.  I am making an appt. with my clinic doctor after I go down to 10mg for meds to help with the detox. My counsler told me that he would give meds to help when you start feeling bad. Which I am feeling bad now. I am not sleeping but a few hours every night. I toss and turn and my legs hurt so bad. I am very irritable, have nausa and stomach cramps.  Its bad, but I have been able to tolerate it.  Do you think the clinic doctor will prescribe clonidine? I have heard that it's the best thing to help with RLS. Which to me is the worst thing right now. And I hope something to help me sleep. If he isn't going to give me any thing to help with withdrawals I might just jump off now because I am so ready to be over this. Has anyone else gotten things like that from clinic doctors? I have no insurance and really don't want to have to go the ER if I get to feeling too bad, so I would rather get it from the clinic.  I would really appreciate any advise any of you could give me. I am terrified about the withdrawals--- but I know after it is over it will be worth it.  I also read a post on another site from a women that had been off methadone for 13 months, but was still suffering from PAWS. Her depression was so bad that she ended up getting back on Methadone after 13 months.  She said her brain wasnt creating endorphines. Is this true? I do not want to be depressed for over a year. I am ready to have a normal life free of methadone. Please any advise and stories of others would be great.

[acl1213]

I appreciate everyones advice.  I think I have made my decision to go ahead and jump at 10mg. Monday will be my last day. I will probably go to the ER when the withdrawals get really bad for something to help me sleep. I have already been taking vitamins.  I feel like my body is telling me that I am ready.  I have prepared myself mentally and I know it's going to be rough for a few months, but I want to be off methadone more than I want anything else in this life. And I think that is the mind frame you have to have. I know that lowering down to 0 would probably be best. But I feel like I am just delaying the innoviatable. I read a study about detox and it said not much difference in a detox below 40.  Which is why most rehab/detox centers want you to be below 40 before they admit you.  Utimatitly a detox center would be great but I checked and a 10 - 14 day detox is 10,000.00 which seems crazy.  My husband and mother - in- law will be around for the first 8 to 9 days to help care for my daughter. My biggest worry is the leg pain and insomnia. I believe in God and pray everyday that he will help me threw this and I have faith that he will. I will let you know how everything is going next week.  But I am always wanting to hear others stories about getting off. It gives me hope that this is possible.

[gnarly_1]

HI   wel you can get away with the larger drops in the higher doses but down where you are you need to go slower or live with the withdrawals it all about the % of drop your droping off a much higher percent then you where it up to you but I would slow down the withdrawals can get brutal another thing that will really help is a 3 in 1 vitamin calcium magnesium zinc....you can pick it up at walmart for 6 bucks take 4 in the morning and 4 with dinner this wil cut your withdrawals in 1/2 in aprox 2 to 3 days so get on them other then that a hot soak goes a long way in releaving your symptoms keep posting for support good luck and God bless.........Gnarly  

[clean_in_ks]

Weaver knows.....and many others.  Gnarly may be along, too.

You will find some REALLY HELPFUL information about methadone (more than one or two articles that are loaded with methadone info) on the Health Pages.  Scroll down to the bottom of this page.  R.H. side a box that says "most viewed health pages".  At the bottom of that box is a place to click on "see all health pages".  You can read lots of research, experience,
strength and hope that is SPECIFIC to methadone there.  
Just wanted to let you know....cause as long as I've been here somehow that little box down there just never registered in my dead brain cells until a day or so ago. LOL!

[metadontkillme]

I jumped off of way too high of a dose, working on my 6th week and I should have tapered to , still fell like crap.

[Jenelle2020]

Hi there, I agree with what weaver posted. If you stop at 10mgs after being on for 5 years and doing such a fast taper, I fear you will suffer a fair bit of withdrawal. I agree you should taper longer and slower right down to 0. I have been on methadone for 7 years and have been tapering for over 2 1/2 years and am now down to 14mgs, I am not sick either. My plan is to drop 1mg per week until I get to 10mgs then drop 1mg every 10-14 days, as that is what the manufacturers of methadone advise to do when trying to get off. If you do drop at 10mgs I believe you will suffer a fair bit and will take a while to recover. I do respect the fact that you want to get this done ASAP, so do I, but I am just not going to risk the nasty withdrawals. I believe that when I am down to 0 I will suffer minimal withdrawal. Either way, I wish you the best in whatever you choose to do. Methadone is a nasty drug and if I had known how bad the withdrawals were going to be I likely would have made another decision. Take care and let us know how you are progressing.

[weaver71]

Personally, I would slow down the taper and continue going down to 0mg. 10mg doesn't sound like a lot, but methadone is a long, difficult detox. When tapered slowly down to 1mg, it will be much more tolerable. I know you are anxious to get it over with, but you have to care for your 2 year old and a slow taper allows your brain chemistry to heal as you go. It is definitely doable to stop at 10mg, but you will get all the detox at once, instead of a lower level of detox over a longer period of time. The acute withdrawal of methadone is 2 to 3 weeks, then a slow return of energy. I would start taking a calcium/magnesium/zinc 100% RDA, 4 tabs twice daily. A good multivitamin, minerals, and a high amino acid protein drink(ensure, spiru-tein, muscle milk) all help a lot with symptoms and healing. A lot of people wait until they fell bad before using all the nutrients, but I think it's better to start taking them before the sick comes. It's good to have the nutrients in the body when it needs them. Emergen-C is an electrolyte powder that helps water go down and is much more complex than Gatorade. Good luck, and keep going, you won't regret it.

[YesLife4Me]

Hi and Welcome.   I don't have any experience coming off Methadone being prescribed to me.  I know there are several on here that have been where you are and can offer some invaluable experience.   I played with the stuff and all I remember is that the w/d from it was no fun.  All w/d is about the same, but depending on what you are taking, dosage and length of time determines how long it takes to w/d completely off it and get your brain back in balance.   Stick around, good stuff here.