methadone

[blc3721]

My wife  (46 yrs. old) has rheumatoid arthritis for the last 6 years, she has endured many surgeries and procedures, and has had both knees replaced. The inflammation and pain associated with this has had her on both vicodin and now methadone for the duration. She also gets transfusions every six weeks (Remcade)  to help with the inflammation. My concern is the methadone. She only takes a pill a day now (10 mg) but every time she trys to reduce in ever so small increments, she has all kinds of bad stuff happen (stomach issues, restlessness, hot & cold, insomnia, mood swings)  how long would it take and how would she ever get off this stuff without going to the hospital. We don't have coverage/insurance on her due to the pre-existing, and she can't get disability to get medicaid/medicare. She want's to step off the drugs but can't. What's up with this drug?  concerned

[blc3721]

thanks yall, we now REALLY know what to expect, and what our alternatives are. blc

[godezzofchaos]

I hear ya Penelope and am concerned because this is what my clinic has told me as well, "a very very slow taper (a year or so) will be ok" ..I don't really believe this and am preparing to probably go into in-patient when I get to that point.  This is the trickiest thing about methadone..because when done correctly you live a pretty damn "normal" life..and to suddenly disrupt that normalcy to begin a torturous process is a hard thing to do. I have a great life..great job, great daughter, home, horses..but I'm on methadone. To take that step to and disrupt my life, makes ya wonder if it's worth it.  Hell, knowing me, and my luck...I'll go for it and on my first day off I'll walk into the street and get hit by a bus!!  LOL  

[sadinmichigan]

thanks penelope...i know what you mean

[Penelope14]

I tapered down from 90mgs down to 2mgs & did this very slowly, it took almost a year! I was informed by counselors & a nurse that I would be just fine being that I titrated slow & came off at a low dose, well I wasn't fine, I was a wreck for many weeks, high anxiety, sweats, insomnia, fatigue, it was awful, something I never want to go thru again. I dont think it matters 10mgs or 100mgs, methadone shows no mercy when you stop using it, & only those who have experienced methadone withdrawals can relate.

[sadinmichigan]

often times, especially with methadone the last 20 mgs or in your wifes case..10mgs are often the absolute hardest to overcome. I don't know why, I just know thats the way it is. Like I said..I decreased 5 mgs over the course of 2 months and was in w/d..not to the extent of cold turkey..but still sick. Thats when i really knew that I had to get off that stuff no matter the cost..for me..

[blc3721]

Yes,  originally, she was on 60 mgs a day with vicodin for "break thru" pain.Over time and with other types of treatment (Remicade IV drip) the need for the strong stuff was somewhat reduced.  Ironically her real problems surfaced in the final stages of the weaning process. That's why I'm inquiring, it doesn't seem like it wants to let go that last little bit. I just can't understand how 1 or 2 mgs of this stuff can have such an impact on your body and mental state. On would think once you get to the micro stages of cutting back that the wd's would be in proportion with the reduction. It's not! nc

[sadinmichigan]

yes..you can absolutely have sever w/ds from 10mg..with methadone the mgs make no difference in my opinion..how I reached that conclusion is because I have talkied to countless people in all stage and mgs of methadone..it has to do largly with ones metabolism..it is very individual..one can come off of 65 mg..and hardly have a problem and another off of 10 and be suffering as if they were to die.that is what happened to me. Alos when I tapered from 70mg to 65 i was in constant w/ds and wasn't going to go through that he11 for a year trying to taper slowly. and yes..I will admit that I had no idea how sick I was going to be. I knew I would be sick, but had know idea to the extent I was. It was my worst nightmare.

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

Researchers indicate that they cannot distinguish any difference between withdrawal from 30mg or 3mg ..... its a tricky drug. You musta been knocking off a good chunk for 150 mg. I was on 120 at one point. It is what you are used to. And the pharmacologic's of methadone make it even harder......

[godezzofchaos]

Severe w/ds from 10mg a day?  That surprises me..perhaps it is not withdrawls but just SEVERE pain from not taking anything to help it...I don't know, just a thought. I take 150mg a day of methadone, so 10 just seems very small to me, but perhaps it is just what we are used to. I wish her the best of luck, and I hope you find help you need.  

Godezz

PS>  Methadone isn't "wicked" to me, but I respect MICH's view!

[sadinmichigan]

Oh man, I am sorry. Methadone is a wicked drug. Your wife is having sever w/ds from the methadone. I have in my journal an article written by a dr about methadone and withdrawal. I went off methadone cold turkey from 65 mg and it was hell..in my opinion there is little difference in w/d from 10mg to 65 mg in terms of w/d..others may disagree but I don't care. methadone has a very long 1/2 life..meaning it build itself up in your system..lets say according to your wifes metabolism that the methadone stays in her system 36 hrs..her body only metabolizes around 80% then the next day her dose does the same thing and so on and so on..when you start to wean down from methadone..the exact thing happens in reverse. So even a 2mg decrease will most likely be felt a bit by the next decrease. She will need to wean off this drug very slowly and I might suggest she get liquid that she can more easily measure. otherwise you need to get out a razor blade and guess what 1 or 2 mgs is..this can be done. she will feel bad and the w/d can last for as little as 2 weeks to as many as 2 months..as was in my case..please read that article..it was very helpful to me when I was doing this . This dr. was also an addict for 18 yrs..please feel free to pm me..~Lisa

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

That drug has an incredibly long serum half life - it should be tapered very slowly for her. Some quit cold turkey - I did. But I would not reccomend that for your wife. Many go back to original drug - hydrocodone - and get off that drug.....you are describing the methadone withdrawal with the RLS, sweats,insomnia, and all. A question is : will she need some type of long term pain control for a longer period of time? If so - the methadone is currently the best choice to use. But it is not the best choice to cold turkey from. She may even taper to 1 or 2 mg of methadone and have the same withdrawals that she would have at 10mg....its a tricky situation to address......