methadone withdrawal

[birdie500]

i have been on a clinic for 25 years and am finally down to 3 mgs of methadone a day.  I have terrible leg cramps and cannot sleep at night.  Darvon N seems to help, but does anyone know if this is just making me drag out my withdrawal?
What can i take for the leg cramps?  Anyone that has withdrawn from methadone knows what i am talking about.
I have to work so it is hell not sleeping much and waking up with leg aches all night.
I need help
thanks

[FLaddict]

Darvon will drag out the withdrawal some.. make sure you taper it when you stop taking it.  I was detoxed from heroin with Darvon in rehab in 1996. They tapered me off so it didn't extend the withdrawal much.

As for the leg stuff, there is a lot of OTC or homeopathic stuff you can try, Hylands Leg Cramps and Hylands Restful legs works for some. I just read about this stuff called "Miracle Mist" that is supposed to help, And also in another thread here there is some kind of "Soap Trick" used for RLS.

Welcome Birdie, Good Luck to you

[birdie500]

thank you so much for your comment.  I am so tired of being on Methadone, and since i have been on it for so long, it has been a long hard road to get this far down.  Now you would think that i would not even feel 3 mgs, and really i think i don't that is why i am in pain so much with my legs.  I have withdrawn from Heroin many times before i finally got on methadone, and i stayed on it because it let me lead a normal (per-say) life.  It let me work and be a productive citizen.  I only have to go to the clinic once a month, since i have been on it so long and been clean from any other drugs for so long, but i am going through pure hel*. i will try the hylands restful legs and see what happens.  I am taking the darvon N because like you, i was given them in the 70's to detox off of heroin, but i left the treatment after two weeks and got back on heroin.  But i remember that it worked for the pain.  I am just scared of getting off one addiction to another, because that is why i want off methadone.  Not the price nor the hassle of the clinic, it is just that i am old now and do not want to be on this stuff when i finally retire from work and am supposed to enjoy life!
thanks for your support.

[worried878]

Not familiar with methadone wd but it is good that you are moving forward...just want to say you are doing a strong thing and hats off to you....there are a couple of others on the forum dealing with methadone WDs and hopefully they can post to help u with some support

[FLaddict]

Also birdie, there is an article in the Health Pages there is a link to get there on the right side of the forum, there is an article i added that was written by a doc that has detoxed hundreds of methadone maintained patients. There are alot of great things in there most of them are OTC. Check it out and see if they can help you.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.. I have heard the last couple milligrams are the hardest.

[birdie500]

thank you so much.  i am going to check out the article now. you guys are great.

[mr.lucky66]

I think Darvon will help as long as you don't go up on dose. I was given darvon 65 pl. in a long inpatient detox for meth. once with cloindine and a benzo and it worked. I've been on and off methadone many times the longest was 7 years on and the last time was 5 years ago and now I'm clean. The fact that are down to 3 mg. speaks volumes. I always detoxed 5 mg. per day or faster and got through it but it does drag on with the done. I've met a few others who have kicked done on a similar amount of years and I know it's possible with persistence and faith. Methadone, there's no future in it." all the best

[FLaddict]

Here it is Birdie in case you had trouble finding it... And again good luck.

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Addiction/Detox-and-Nutrition-for-Opiate-Methadone-Addicts/show/55?cid=66

[birdie500]

found it and printed it.  thanks.

[birdie500]

glad to talk to someone that has been through this as i was always scared to detox off of the done and thus leads to my 25 years on the clinic.  Ihave kicked heroin many times, incarcerated and out in free, but always went back to the same ole high.  Now i am older and smarter, but still can not stand the pain in my legs.  I have some clonidine and some darvon n so i am going to use it until i get the items i found in the article from fladdict.
thanks all.  You all are an awesome bunch.  We all need a helping hand sometimes, even if we are addicts!  I think Methadone works if you are heavily addicted to opiates that you cannot function in society, but i do not think it should be a maintenance program.  I think it should be detox program, no longer than two years.  Jusat my opinion after i have been there so long.
thanks again for all the help

[bubbaganoosh]

Wow you should get a gold watch from that clinic for 25yrs of service i posted on another thread same how did you manged to keep at a clinic that long wow, 7years and ive had it with it, i couldn't even imagine that long sorry to rant on, didnt all that red tape drive you insane i hear alot of that at clinics, Im fortunte i dont see my doctor for 3months untill script runs out , and i get weekly takhomes and that is it so its fairly non invasive but the side effects are a real pain in the $@.

[mr.lucky66]

Yeah bubba has a point. That's along time and I can see that you really did the meth clinic thing the way is was intended, not the way people do it these days. They get strung out on some hydro pills and end up on 140 mg. and are devestated at the reality of a serious methadone addiction. You just got caught up in a system that doesn't encourage getting off. It sounds like you left the dope lifestyle behind and can really make the transition off the done. I'm here for you as well as others for that transition.. all the best

[Becky102]

My husband has been on methadone maintenance for 14 years, so I can relate.  He's trying to get off too and has gone from 120 to 100 mgs over the last 6 weeks or so.  He's planning on a long taper.  
There was a couple (Feohmoon) on here that just went through a methadone taper and quit cold trukey at 7.5mgs.  They were taking a lot of supplements.  Probably a lot of the ones mentioned in that article by the doctor.  But they also swore by CalMag and Natural Calm.  CalMag is a powder that you mix with hot water and then you can add juice if you want (for taste).  It's, obviously from its name, a mixture of calcium and magnesium.  Its supposed to nourish the central nervous system and helps control tremors like restless leg syndrome and other muscle spasms.  The Natural Calm is just magnesium.  I ordered them both for my husband because Feohmoon said that they detoxed once from methadone without the supplements and this time was much easier.  They used two or three teaspoons in each drink and took the drink several times per day when they went cold turkey.  That's more than you would ordinarily take, and could cause diarrhea but they thought it really helped them through the worst.  I bought mine at vitacost.com through the internet.  They seemed to have the best prices.
My husband isn't at the point that he really needs these supplements yet, but we're getting ready for the battle.
You might also benefit from reading the "Thomas Recipe" and "Fladdicts Amino Acid Protocol" both of which you can probably find as links on the right hand side of this page under most viewed health pages.
Good luck.  It takes a strong person with a lot of determination to get off methadone after so much time and I admire you for getting this far!

[lucyred68]

i got off methadone 9 months ago, and it has been wonderful to be free.  i was only on 40 mg's a day, for pain, but the wd's were horrendous.  for the leg cramps, i took a lot of long hot baths.  i have also heard that elastic bandages help some people.  heat applied to the legs, like a rice pack or heating pad, was the most effective for me.

Lucy

[mr.lucky66]

Thanks for your positive words about life after methadone Lucy. It might be tough but it's really worth it. "Methadone, there's no future in it". all the best

[birdie500]

i really don't want people to down methadone clinics because they saved me and my life, and it was me who chose not to get off before now.  I think they just let you choose your own destiny.  It is a mental thing as well as a physical addiction, and some people need something, so methadone maintenance is what they choose.  It only cost $50 a week where i am from and if you stay clean you can work your way up to only once a month take outs, so i only go once a month, pay my $200 give my urine, and off to work i go.  I know $200 is alot but considering the price of illegal drugs, it is cheap.  I just wish i would have chose a detox program instead of a maintenance program, but hind sight is 20/20.  evidently i needed the maintenance at the time.  I just want to thank all of you who have kind words here to help me and great suggestions.  I do not down methadone clinics, because as a heroin addict, and in prison twice, methadone saved my life.  I am just at a different fork in the road of life now, and ready to make the right turn, even if it is bumpy.  BUT i still am weak and cannot stand the skin crawling leg cramps, and sleepless nights.  I have to work, and even though i have been at the job for 18 years, they do not know i am on the program so i cannot ask for time off to get over this.  You guys are all i have.  thanks so much...

[bubbaganoosh]

Hi birdie500 I know some clinics are better than others, perhaps you had a good one for 25yrs just you hear some horror storys with some. Your right though it enabled you to live a ok life fair enough, where you at the same dose for that lengh of time? did you use any other medication? perhaps you have the tools now strengh to do it after so long, that is a bonus and i understand the job part 18years is a long time there too so im sure your fears are warrented. I guess the rule of thumb is easy does it slow slow and  you maybe ok and if you feel to bad stop and stay there. 200 a month isnt to bad no when some people drink the same amount too. Goodluck 3mg is nothing not far to go now really what was your maintanance dose? how long do you plan on staying on 3mg cheers

[mr.lucky66]

I was on 2 good clinics and 3 others not so good. The problem was mostly with the criminal clients. I'm not being elitist, I turned into one too but that's another story. These people go to the clinic to get the juice and spend the rest of the day stealing and trying to get pills and other drugs and suck other less experienced addicts from the clinic into this nightmare. The staff may be ok but they encourage you to stay on the juice as long and as much as you want because they believe in harm reduction. Give them as much methadone as long as they want it in hopes that they will live(exist) and not die from an OD. Methadone addicts are visably sedated except for the low dose people and spend their days nodding, constipated to the max and sweating. It's not my idea of living. "Methadone, there's no future in it" all the best