Need for Concern

[time2quit]

Hi,  I have been using now for about a year.  I am 32 yr old male 6'2 165lbs.  I started using percocets about this time last year.  I started because of constant back pain with my job and  it seemed to be a means to an end but has now complicated everything.  I am afraid anyone who reads this will take me for a joke because my doses are not very high but I am afraid to quit because I own a buisness and can not afford to be under the weather due to withdraw and I also suffer from very mild anxiety and panic attacks. So here's the breakdown.  I started with 10mg of percocets about twice a day for a few months. Obviously as the effects decreased due to my tolerance growing I moved up to an all time high of about 60mg a day.  In late Aug., I decided that it was too expensive as I was getting them off the streets.
A friend told me about Methadone and urged me to try it instead as the effects would be much longer and it was cheaper for me to get them.  I started on 20mg a day and have never gone up.  This was enough for the pain and the withdraw from percocet was like I had never taken them.  Soon though after starting methadone, I started suffering from anxiety and panic attacks, which I haven't had in almost 7 years.  Its now Dec. and I want to be done with it all.  How bad will it be to quit?  Will I have severe withdraws with this amount for only using it for 3 months.  My anxiety is playing tricks on me and I feel I need this stuff now to feel normal?  Thats why I am scared to quit.  I have never been on harder drugs other than what I tried from time to time in highschool and college, but never used anything repetitive.
Can anyone please offer advice or what to expect.

Thank You!!!!

[worried878]

20 mgs of methadone is do-able...it is equal to a bit more of oxy or hydro but not a high dose..one thing u have in ur favor is u r not popping pills all day long...probably only twice a day so the habit to break is not like some who take the equal amount...about 50 mg of oxy or hydro/in my jurnal and can not recall the exact conversion/ but many take 3-4 dose a  day...do not be afraid ///methadone does stick around longer like sub does but at a low dose like 20 mgs u will be able to do it by tapering slowly...like .25 mg every few days or even every week.......some old people i see at work/elderly without addiction problems/ put down 40 mgs a day without wd but do not have an addiction problem  methadone is just a narcotic..not a dirty word...used in germany originally for pain until the us picked it up for a detox drug giving it a nasty name...sub was also a pain med called temgesic til the usa picked it up as a detox med/will also be a nasty word soon/...ur does of meth is equal to 1-2 mgs of sub ///both have long half lives so can be a bit longer wds...u r at a low dose  do not let the "done"word scare u...keep posting

[time2quit]

Thanks for the advice.  I wish now I never picked up the dones and now I guess I've made my bed and now have to lie in it.  As for the anxiety, I take lexapro and it does O.k.  My biggest fear is the panic.  I dont know bout you but when I have an attack, there is nothing worse.  Seems like I would rather get hit by a car than go though that but  if it is what it takes then i'll do it.  I just dont want it to get worse and I am so glad I found this forum.  Gives me peace of mind that I'm not the only one out there that is serious about help.

Thanks again.

[avisg]

ohhhh boy  20 mg of is going Methadone is going to be much harder then 60 mg of oxy or really any other drug methadone is the hardest .I would do a very slow taper all of the way off .I am not going to lie its not going to be fun .I would put methadone in search and read some threads it will give you some insight into it .

[freeandclear93]

If you go slowly it isnt that bad.  It took me a year to get off 80mg and i never got fully "sick".  Ive only been off it completely for a little bit but once i hit 3 mg it was pretty smooth sailing.  I would reccomend (some will not) once you get down to 5 or so, quit your clinic, buy some off the street, and go down by half mg's til its over.  Im still pretty lethargic but aside from a few other minor things i feel okay.  Im sorry you got on methadone to begin with really, not to scare you but if all it took to get you well was 20mg you probably werent that bad off and 'done withdrawl can be worse than heroin. It sickens me that clinics dont go thru and explain anything to people.  All for money.  Shame.

What to expect, drop slowly, you'll lose some energy, get the runs, and have no sex drive for months.  I cant speak for the anxiety but id imagine thats something that will need relearned like everything else.

Good luck!