methadone question

My daughter has had a history of abusing oxycodine.  She was clean for eight months and had a slip a few weeks ago.  She has decided to begin treatment at a methadone facility.  I believe the best part of this is the daily counseling that she is getting and in much need of.  They began her on 20 mm of methadone.  Does anyone have a clue how long she may be encouraged to stay with this program?  How long will it take her to wean off the stuff altogether?  thanks!  

[worried878]

everyone is different...do u mean 20 mLs of methadone//or 20 mgs?  anyway she is probably on 20 mgs total even if it were liquid but it depends on her dose of oxy before hand on how much methadone they put her on at the clinic..20 is a relatively low dose....and after a month or so often the person will become addicted to the methadone much like they become addicted to suboxone which is another addiction drug used for maintenance...most of the time people do a slow taper to get off both of these drugs and the clinic will help her with that when the time comes..my son worked at a clinic for a few years and some r better than others..she needs to work the program and feel confident in herself before she gets off so she will not relapse again....the counseling is wonderful that she is getting and 20 mgs is a low dose so she will be ok....tapering off of that dose would only take a few months if done slowly and effectively so that she doesnt feel alot of wd pains..mentally the struggle will persist so she needs to continue her meetings or counseling..good luck to both of u

[mc721]

Thank you so much for your encouraging words.  It means more than you know.  And I wish you the best in your own struggle.  God bless

[lisagal30]

I hope she is at a good clinic- I had  horrible experience on Methadone- was on it for close to 3 years after finally deciding to take my life back and went cold turkey off of 100 mgs. You become a slave to it (just like any other drug). at my clinic they kept upping my dose- it was ridiculous- I was at one point up to 200 mgs. I think Methadone is a crutch that I used for several years.. I now am coming up on 3 years clean... and I feel GREAT!! I wish your daugher the best of luck ( not everyboduy on Methadone wants to get clean!)

[mc721]

WHY would the clinic want to INCREASE your dosage???  Did you get good counseling and advice there??  Thanks for your encouragement and I'm so happy for your ability to stay clean!!  :)

[worried878]

many sub doctors and methadone clinics will try and give people more than they actually need..cash is the reason for sub doctors to do it..not sure why a methadone clinic would do it but could be money related as well..thing is..less is better with both..if she is functioning and feeling ok on 20 mgs, then it is her right not to have her dose upped...many people want their dose upped as many still crave the high..it is hard to get a high off of methadone unless u take alot and most people do not like the high from methadone/but some do and it is a doc for some...if it were a fantastic high there would be lines around the clinics!  i have taken both...i liked the high from sub better than methadone which i was rx'd for pain..if i took too much i just felt sleepy and yucky...sub gave me a jolt/an energetic feeling but i hear with time that subsides...if she works the program and educates herself on what she is taking..as i always study up on any drug i take..doctors are smart, this i know, but i need to know and understand what i am taking as well...she is very lucky to have a mom l;ike u (:

[kim715]

My best advice to you would be top stick around here and read as much as you can about methadone.Don't just take what the people at the clinic tell your daughter as gospel.Although I'm sure it's true that there are some descent ones out there.There are also many not so descent clinics who treat you more like a customer then a patient and who encourage you to increase your dose and discourage you to lower it.For a lot of the clinics out there it's all about the money.I know the one I went to was like that.

I'm just curious how many years has your daughter had a problem with addiction? How bad was it,how high of a dose was she on of the oxy's? How many relapses has she had?Why after she had 8 months clean,and then had a slip,did she decide to go the methadone route?


I was on methadone for 1 1/2 years.I have a little over a year clean.If I can help in any way just let me know.All the best to you and your daughter...Kim

[mc721]

Hi Kim and thanks for your comments.  My daughter's addiction began about 6 years ago.  I never knew the extent, but I know it was bad.  She used to shoot the pain pills.  She acquired heart problems due to drug abuse, etc.. even had open heart surgery at age 19.  It is really too painful to share all the details, but that is a quick summary.  SHE chose the methadone clinic and I am happy she is at least positive and wants to be rid of her addiction.  That's all I can say, really.  I know she has relapsed a few times due to choosing bad friends - again!  When you went c/t you were on a bit higher dose than she is now.  I am happy that her dose is low and I am hoping she won't need more than a few months of this stuff!  I will be going with her to her counselor this week and hearing more specifics.  Congrats to you for taking control and staying clean!

[jc679]

20mg is a low dose I was on it last year and it didn't agree with my antidepressants and ended up getting very sick also was so doped up was falling asleep with lit cigarettes so I don't think very highly of the drug, had to immediately go into a hospital setting because of it and quit cold turkey and had no trouble but was only taking it for a couple months