Methadone

[Holliee]

I have been on Methadone now for 8 months and I've gotten my life back. I am on 80mg a day and other than methadone I am 100% clean. I know some feel that your not clean but I can tell ou that it has saved my life in so many different ways. I go to groups and enjoy them. Just wondering if anyone had anything to add about methadone or tips.I really don't know a lot about methadone I mean I've read all web sites and things! All info is apperiated. Thanks Hollie

[Tuck24]

I've never gone to treatment, just decided to quit. I hated worrying about if I was taking too much, if I was running short on Methadone etc.....I still feel it and am very anxious all the time. I retired after a lengthy career in professional baseball and I've had so many surgeries and I had such a high tolerance to pain meds it was time to quit. It has not been easy, but it was necessary. I could have easily stayed on methadone for a long time but could I take it as needed instead of as wanted.........nah! Not me. You're right, a bit of pain is called life.....we deal with it.

[norcalpauly]

Tuck, great to hear you are in the minority, did you quite Methadone through Detox? I recently kicked a 130 MG use from Pain Mgmt.. another story.... and it kicked my A** even through a detox program. I was on it for about a year and a half, with an 80 mg use of Norco, and 15 MG Xanex daily, I kicked the Norco and Xanex several months prior to methadone, and try to "step" down with no luck.  In my younger days, or 20+ years ago, you could call me a jumper, 2 years of hard meth use, kicked no problem, next alcohol heavily and nightly, then to the Coke, and not the one with a smile, 2+ years kicked, sprinkled with intermittent pot use. I know have 34 days under my belt, and still feel the Methadone in my bones on occasion. I have broken both feet in my twenties, along with crushing my right hand, and destroyed my left leg and knee in my thirty's. My knee and Norco led me to the hard Narcotic meds, as well as a gentle nudge from pain management and my willingness to think pills were my only answer. Just saying, I guess it works for some, not me, or my mother (fibromialga-heavy nods falls asleep standing-I know over medicated)  or any over the others I've ever met, JUST KEEP THE END IN SIGHT, if you have to live on narcotic meds, understand a bit of pain is supposed to be there. Best wishes Hollie.

[Tuck24]

Forget it.......Went right over your head bother.

[Tuck24]

I can be sarcastic too.........Do they believe in abstinence or nothing?

[Tuck24]

Hey Jenn, If an alcoholic can have two drinks a day to function after being a full blown alcoholic and never overindulge and get wasted is that okay? Sure it is, obviously you don't understand the AA steps are NOT for everybody, just like methadone is'nt for everyone.


Holliee....Good for you to seek help. As long as you take it as prescribed, then you will be okay. I quit after a year and a half and I had less WD from it than anything I've ever taken. Plus I quit cold turkey 3 months ago after a 10 year addiction to pain killers. Just be smart and don't overindulge. Remember, some people see it as masking the problem but I've seen an Addiction Specialists once in my life and he told me some people will be on Methadone the rest of their life. Would you rather take it and function normally or quit and just maybe never be able to function or lead a normal life. Kuddos to you for taking the next step, who knows you may not need Methadone for long. Good Luck...Vance

[steveo30]

you could have put that in a nicer way but i cant say i disagree,its pretty tough getting off of when and if that time comes.i wish there was an easy solution to all these problems.there is no magic pill.maybe in 20 years there will be an easier,softer way

[cindy89]

My youngest daughter is now doing methadone program and is doing well she is clean except for methadone that is something that she has not done in yrs. I am hoping for best.

[christos24]

hey hollie, sound slike we are in the same exact boat, ive been on MMT for just 7 months, i am at 95mgs daily and just moved back up to milwaukee from my hometown and am officially transferring clinics tomorrow(seeing the doc, gettting dosed)...before MMT i was heavily addicted to heroin and/or oxycontin, along with any other super potent opioid i could get if those were dry, like fentanyl, dilaudid, oxymorphone, anything way way stronger than vicodin or percocet those were for doctor shopping for times of wd. i was also heavily addicted to benzos, especially xanax, valium, and klonopins, but have been getting off of those since treatment...i first went to treatment, did detox for 3 days and then started suboxone treatment, that was for 8 months, iw as at the highest effective dose at 32 mgs a day, it worked, but i wasnt fully getting better, i was urging all the time, and then in april after 8 mths clean, i broke my wrist severely and was put on 240 mgs of ms contin(morphine) and norcos and taken off suboxone by my addiction doctor, worst mistake ever...before i started the cycle over i started a methadone treatment clinic and its def. saved my life, i have stability, structure, and motivation, i love it, the wd;s if you miss are terrible but suboxone is terrible too, so..is doesnt really matter, all i know is that it works with counseling and group meetings nad i am going to continue advocating it...stay strong- christos

[steveo30]

t h e s o u r c e n m c @ m s n . c o m

[steveo30]

hi hollie,its good to hear that your doing well.what works for some dosen't work for others.do you get a script or are you in the program.it seems to me any ways that about 90% of the people on any opiate will suffer to some extent withdrawals eventually,unless your on it for the rest of your life.i'm 80% disabled from a 25 foot fall,i have bi-lateral calcaneous fractures on both heels and alot of back problems,now after 8 years of being on some pretty heavy meds,they want to take me off all narcotics.i should also mention that i failed a couple urine tests because of weed.they didn't even talk to me.they sent me a letter saying i'm no longer a patient.sorry for rambling.methadone is probably the hardest opiate to withdrawal from,i've been there.what really ***** about it is the length of time it takes 4 to 6 weeks to even begin to start feeling better.it has a long half life.if you want a dr's opinion that has been there,i mean been there,google ***@**** will find alot of useful info.his name is dr david arneson,he responds to all e- mails