Pain Pill addiction

[buckeyehaven]

Hey I posted Thursday  as taking my last pain pill in regards to Lortab,Vicodin,Oxycodone etc... I had 5 10 mg methadones left. My plan was to ween off. I took a half in the morning friday and half at night. Sat was the same and today I took a 1/3rd when I woke and 1/3rd just now. So far I have not felt any withdrawals at all. I was taking about 7-8 lortabs/perc ets a day for about a year. Do you think with what I am doing I may avoid serious withdrawals? The methadones are only 10mg and again it was half of that in morning and half at night and then today 1/3rd and tonight 1/3rd of a 10mg. Just want to prepare my work week.

[kim715]

You're more then welcome and please keep posting.This is a wonderful place with lots of wonderful caring people.We all have one goal in mind,getting clean and being happy and healthy staying clean.You'll find lots of help here.....Peace...........Kim

[buckeyehaven]

Hey Kim,
Thanks so much for that PM I am going to check that out.

[kim715]

I think it was I who caused you to misunderstand.Like I said I think what I was trying to say came out wrong.I don't mean to imply that you are going to go through the same w/ds as someone like me ,who was taking methodone for over a year,did.I was under the impression that you thought the methodone would make it so that you experienced no w/ds at all.However I misunderstood,you stated that you did expect to experience some w/ds once you stopped taking everything.Again,I'm sorry....Peace..........Kim

[kim715]

I sent you a pm and also referred you to sadinmichigans' journal entry.Again I am happy that you are wanting to be clean and I wish you all the luck.You will find lots of information and inspiration here so please keep posting.Hang in there.Sending some prayers your way........Peace................Kim

[buckeyehaven]

Just so we are clear. I was taking 40mg of codone/percocet/oxycontin whatever. Then on Thursday I stopped.(took 5mg methadone at dinner.)
Friday took 10mg of methadone'
Saturday 6mg
Sunday 6mg
tomorrow 3mg
Tues 3mg
Wed 2mg
This is for the whole day not a dose. To me that is a drastic reduction from 40mg of codone a day I would take a pill every 2 hours. Just want to make sure yall dont think I was taking 5 10mg a day. What I read most methadone addicts at least take 50mg a day most I saw in forums was 100+ a day. Compared to my 6mg currently. Just wonder if the same principles apply.

[buckeyehaven]

This is only the second time I have ever taken methadone. So just from the 5 10mg pills I am going to have this delay? I thought you had to have a build up of it before you had the "half life" (just researched it) Kind of like the chantix I take. I started at a certain amount and then increased dose once it built up in my body. I didnt know that by taking such a small dosage of the methadones and only for 6 days could defer the WD's for 48 hours after the 6th day. I figured my body was used to the 40mg lortab amount a day. When I swtiched to 6mg(for the whole day) of methadone I shoul dhave at least been depressed or something b/c I was not getting that does of  5mg Lortab/Perc every 2 hours. but nothing hit. Then i switched to 3mg(for the whole day) and nothing, except I ammuch happier off the lortabs. I got to point where they no longer gave me energy or made me happy. It was the opposite. Tomorrow is the 2mg day. I will make it last until Wed now so that way if I do have WD's I should be able to get to Friday the end of the work week. I will let you know how this works hopefully I may have stumbled onto something. Dont worry about me getting more methadones. I have had these 5 for about a year. I can get them when I want but dont even care for them just saved these to try this.
Thanks

[Dezdon]

Yes, I heard this too about methodone. thats why so many people O.D. on Methodone, becuase it take so long to get INTO the system, and then its TOO late. Just what I have heard.
peace
-Dez

[kim715]

You understand it correctly.For example when I would stop taking the vicodin I would start to feel sick within hours after my last dose,but when I stopped taking the methodone it took 2 1/2 days before I started to feel sick like I had nothing in my system.For some people it can take up to 72 hours before they start to feel that anxiety and body aches that go along with w/ds.

[GoingToMakeIt]

Just remember that with methadone's half life. When you decrease it takes 2-3 days for the decrease to be felt. At least that is how i understand it. The main point is get off of it as soon as you can.

[buckeyehaven]

Oh it's ok. I will expect to at least exp some withdrawals. I was just hoping that by taking 6mg 6mg 3mg 3mg 2mg of methadone in a row would at least curb the worst of them. 2mg cant be more than taking 20mg of lortabs. that would be insane if so. The pills are 10mg and I break them into 5s.

[kim715]

Please don't misunderstand I'm not saying your w/ds are going to be worse.If I implied that I'm sorry,forgive me.I'm going to send you a pm and try to explain myself better.

[buckeyehaven]

Hmmm....now I dont know what to think. I spoke with a few friends and they said I should feel very little if any. Last time I quit taking pills I cold turkey and felt a little ill for 3 days then it was mental. This time I have felt nothing by substituting the methadone. today was 6mg tomorrow 3mg and the next 2mg. They said they did not think I would have any WD and you say mine will be worse than just quitting? I didnt realize that 50mg over a 7 day periods could give withdrawals or intensify the ones you are trying to bypass. Why do they subscribe them for addiction then?
Thanks

[kim715]

One milligram of methodone is = to 3 milligrams of morphine.The half life of methodone simply means it can take up to 72 hours to metabolize in your system.I was up to taking 20 7.5 mg vicodin a day and when I went on methodone ,30 mgs kept me from not getting sick.I started out on 35 mgs but only took that for one day then made them lower me five the next because it made me feel so high I couldn't stay awake or hold my head up.Methodone is an extrememly powerful drug and one of the worst to detox from,please don't mess around with it,it could land you in a much worse situation.Once you take that last dose of it a day or 2 later,because of it's long half-life,you are going to feel the w/ds from the pills and they may be a bit rougher because of the methodone.I just want for you to be prepared.Methodone is not a miracle drug that takes all the w/ds away and if you stay on it too long you will most likely find yourself in a much worse situation.Please be careful and don't be fooled by the fact you are not experiencing any w/ds right now.Think about it that little sliver of methodone is keeping you from feeling any w/ds from 40 mgs of loratab a day,that tells you just how strong a drug it is.I wish you all the best and I congratualte you on your decision to want to be clean.If you want to talk more about the methodone please feel free to pm me anytime.I'm pulling for you......Peace.......Kim

[buckeyehaven]

Thanks. I know methadone is and opiate with a longer half life whatever that means. But I am assuming that 2/3rds of a 10mg methadone is a lot less than 8 5mg lortabs etc.. I am hoping to only take a half of a 10mg tomorrow and a 1/3rd on tuesday then none.

[jerrip]

I don' know anything about methadone...but I wish you luck and Gods speed.  Jerri

[jerrip]

I don' know anything about methadone...but I wish you luck and Gods speed.  Jerri