Long road tapering methadone - need some advice please

[2010dlk]

It's hard to believe now but it was last January when I decided to start to taper my methadone daily dose.  At the time I was at 110mg. a day. I decided I was going to take it really slow 5 mg. at a time about every 4-5 weeks.  All was going pretty well although sometimes it was a little closer to 6 week tapering, but still ok.  I was doing great and joned the gym and started taking some vitamin supplements that were suggested. Gnarly is the one of the main people that was helping me.  At a few points along the way i started to question myself sometimes mind games suck. But forged on and actually going this slow i really didn't have much withdrawel symptoms and was pretty happy about that when I got down to 35 I had a couple days of withdrawel symptoms but not real bad just a little.  But guess what; that was like 4 months ago. Starting in August I started to have a lot of groin, back, leg and buttock pain bad enough to go to the e.r. I bought a dirtbike this year and me and my hubby thought it was from that.  after being treated for sciatica and mri for bulging discs i went to the chiropractor 9 times. thankfully my husband paid for this because i have been hardly working since then i also ended up having a couple of cat scans and have since now been told i have a very large cyst on my ovary causing all these symptoms they think. Today I got to the ob/gyn my appt. was moved up from January and i am very happy about this. So really there is a point to this story a couple of them.  I have not moved my taper down from 35 for 3 months but i am okay with that, because it is helping with daily pain. But proud of myself as many counselors have suggested i go back up so and i have been saying NO affirmatively.  I told myself and with Gnarly advice and others never ever let them talk you into going up.  I have been also takin valium from the dr. 20 mg. a day 10mg. x2, and tramdol 100mg. 3xday.  I plan on staying on 35 until I get this issue resolved but I wish it did not have to happen. A friend of mine also did a methadone taper and she said she was given clonadine for symptoms. I also have been looking into gabapentin anyone out there have any suggestions on using these for tapering???  Also will it be hellish when i stop taking the valium?

[Jenelle2020]

Hi there, congrats on your tapering so far, slow is good. I am also tapering my methadone and I am now down to 9mgs without any problems because like you , I have been going really slow. I am dropping my dose once every two weeks now. When I got to 39mgs I also had some withdrawal and remember having to stay at that dose for an extra 3 weeks before I leveled off, but since then I have not really had any problems. I am starting to lose sleep though and not impressed about that. You are on other meds along with your methadone so you might not feel the withdrawal as much. I am not saying it is good to be on them while on methadone but you do have some serious health issues so it makes it hard. I think you are smart to stay where you are until you get your current issues resolved. I have heard a lot of people swear by Gabapentin and I have a prescription for it myself but stopped taking it because I never noticed any difference. I do take clonidine though and I find it very helpful. Clonidine is often prescribed for opiate withdrawal. So take it easy and I wish you luck with your surgery etc. Smart move not to go back up in dosage though, Gnarly knows what he is talking about. Good luck! Please keep us posted.

[needinghelp184]

congrats to sticking to your taper and having the paitience and will power to stick to it.. sorry to hear about your health issues,  I currently am doing a taper and am on day #8 i went from 330 mg oxy and 100 mg of norco down to 180 mg and 50 mg of norco..  i am struggling a bit but still proud of myself..  

[gnarly_1]

HI been awile since I have herd from you congrats on geting down to 35mg thats great it is hard to taper when your sore and the withdrawals can cause a lot of what you feel once your down to the lower doses you need to make the drops in dose smaller im not aloud to give you a number here on the forum it is ageist the rules but you defiantly need to cut the drops down or your going to feel it if your not on the vitamins pick up the calcium/magnesim/zinc at walmart and start out with 4 in the morning and 4 with dinner this will minumise your withdrawals keep us posted on whats going on we all want to help good luck and God bless....Gnarly    

[atthebeach]

Hello and welcome back. Good jOb so far on the taper. Hope all your other health issues will be resolved soon. I see 2 problems the trams and the Valium. How long face you been on them? They both need to be tapered. 300 mgs of tram? 20 mgs of Valium?