methadone withdrawl(withdrawal) time frame?

              Hi Everyone,Im brand new to this forum,so bare with me. Im wondering Im currently taking 85 milagrams of methadone, and I want off this roller coaster ride, Im tired of being dependent on a drug, I used to take oxicodone and alot of it I may add, and got help and off the opiates, but I feel in one way that I yes I did good by getting off this very addicting drug, but on the other hand I feel like I traded one drug for another, Anyway my big question for anyone with the knowlege is how long will it take me to to wean off of the methadone, I was hoping by Christmas, or do you think maybe sooner? I will take it slow, I just have this awful fear of withdrawls, and that has been what has kept me on methadone for 2 years, is just out and out fear. Not only the physical asspect but the fear of my husband finding out his wife is a pill addict, he never knew I took oxycodone for 2 years and he never has found out that I go to a methadone clinic, we dont have a very open marriage, I wish we did cause it would be so nice to have emotional support when I start my tapering off methadone. Any suggestions or comments would be appriciated.  Thank You Penelope

[Fiocody]

Hi -

No one knows about my pill addiction either. I am struggling myself.  I am curious about methodone.  If it is suppose to help with getting you off one drug, but then you get hooked on the methodone - what is the point of methodone at all?  Just curious because I was considering going to a methodone clinic, but need to know some details.  I guess the clinic will keep giving you the stuff even long after you have withdrawn from the opiates?  Do you clinic hop or do they just keep giving you the stuff?  I am worried the same will happen to me.

[FLaddict]

Dutchess Golden would be a great person to talk to her hubby is a doc at a meth clinic..  I think they usually wean you 5mgs a month??? Not positive but  I swear I read that somewhere.. I did a methodone detox in 1999 from heroin.. it was inpatient they weaned me in 9 days off a pretty bad habit.. I hear meth detox can last a lot longer than other opiates.. I wish you the best and welcome to the forum...

[grievingwidow]

I think the only good reason to take methadone is if you are a heroin addict, possibly who needs to steal to support your habit, and then methadone can be a Godsend, at least it is legal and hopefully keep you out of prison.  Other than that, methadone is not the thing to do.  I know - I have been on for it for five years now, before that was on hydrocodone.  My pain management doctor for some stupid reason thought I would be better off on methadone, guess he thought it would only be temporary, who knows, I don't know what he was thinking (or for that matter, what I was thinking).

Good Luck.

Love, Cindy

[DutchessGolden]

Hi there, a lot going on today, my baby victoria is sick and so forth so I've been popping in and out of the forum as much as I can. Had to reschedule a few patients today cause I had to leave the office early.

Anyhow, FLaddict is right on weaning. It is good that you are only on 60 or so mg. a day. You want to wean 2-3mg per week or 5mg per month. 5mg/week is way too much and you will definitely withdrawal. If you want to try and wean a little bit faster after a few months you can try an etra mg or so and if your body can take it you won't have any withdrawal symptoms. Methadone is a very long acting opiate, withdrawals can take 30 or even 60 days to begin once you stop taking it.

Often times you will hear horrible things about getting on methadone. Usually for 2 reasons. 1. The clinics are privately owned and will allow you to start at 180mg (300mg in some states) and they do not keep on their counselors and doctors to encourage their patients to taper off when they are ready because they want to keep making money. The longer you are on the program the more money they make. Typically they bill 70-80 dollars per 1 hour counseling session and pay the counselors about 10 dollars/hour.
2. Patients want to taper off for reasons other than they should and or taper incorrectly and go back to using. The US department of health and human services provides a very effective list of questions that counselors and doctors at methadone clinics should use when their patient decides to taper. These two reasons are a huge contributor to the fact that only 10-20 percent of patients that taper off of methadone maintain long-term abstinence. And then in their mind the drug becomes "horrible" or "evil" or just "trading one addiction for another" But it can be very successful if used properly.ie. not taking huge amounts to try and get high, not looking at it as "just a was not to withdrawal" but rather as a treatment plan to get off of opiates etc. Methadone will not get you high like other opiates and since many users become just as psychologically addicted to the high as the do physically to the drug, this helps make methadone to be successful in treatment.

If you really are uncomfortable about using methadone, suboxone is a wonderful alternative. The only reason this is not widely used is because it was only approved for opiate abuse treatment in 1992. For many of my patients and my husbands patients (that he sees in private practice) getting on subutex and then suboxone once the withdrawal phase has passed, is extremely effective and much easier to wean off of than methadone.

Geez my posts are always soooooo long!!! I'm through rambling, let me know if you guys need anything else!

xoxo- D.