To redblue re. Methadone

Hi redblue, just read your post from a few days ago where you were saying that your girlfreind isn't overusing the methadone in thw way she was with the oxy and you can trust her to have access to it without worrying that she will take more. The thing with methadone is that it is very long acting with one dose staying active for more than 24 hours, whereas oxycontin is far shorter acting with one dose typically wearing off after a few hours (especially if it has been crushed to bypass its delayed release mechanism). This means that generally speaking once a person has taken their daily methadone dose there is no great desire to take more a few hours later as there is with shorter acting opiates such as oxycontin . It means the high you get isn't as dramatic but it is a high non the less. Also 320mg is a VERY high dose of methadone especially for a lady to take (no wonder she doesn't want more). To put this into perspective, I am a 250lb bodybuilder and I have abused prescription opites to a collosal degree in my time ie. 1600-2000+mg of oxycontin or morphine per day (which I am NOT proud of by the way) and I only need 105-120mg of methadone a day. It is thought that 100-120mg of methadone is sufficient to keep anyone out of withdrawl (withdrawal) and most people (especially women) get by on about 50-60mg a day max. 320mg of a long acting opiate like methadone is a BIG, BIG dose. I really hope this info has been some help for you and I hope your girlfreind recovers soon.
God bless, Graeme.

[redblue]

Thank you for the reply. I was quite surprised myself when she was put on that much methadone.  Last September she got switched from oxycontin to methadone, and at that time, she was prescribed 160 mgs of oxycontin daily (although she would often overprescribe herself, I seen her do 600 mgs easily in a day).  She now goes to a new pain clinic since last September and they are the ones who put her on methadone - originally she was on 240 mgs per day of methadone, then tehy upped it to 320 mgs when she told them it wasnt helping her pain.  Now the 320 mgs isnt helping her pain either so there has been mention that they are going to switch her methadone to oxymorphone (opana brand name) but first they want to switch her 7 norcos a day (break thru med) to percocets instead and then will work on switching her to oxymorphone.  At least that is what the plan is now, but it could change.

Im hoping that she will have no desire to do more and more of the oxymorphone.  Im hoping its not like oxycontin where she does more and more, that was a living nightmare.

She has chronic pain due to back problems and fibromyalgia so I know she needs some pain relief, but I dont like seeing her ever take more than prescribed.