oxys to methadone back to oxys ?

[jessejames31]

i have a question about something a substance abuse doctor recommended.. i used to take about 160mgs a day of oxys, was put on methadone to help come off of them. i tried to quit c/t and nearly went insane. my doctor kept me on methadone, and told me to wait till i could get on suboxone. well i talked to the suboxone dr yesterday and she asked if i had insurance (i dont), so she told me it cost about 400 bucks a month, and it takes anywhere from 6 to 12 months. so thats out of the question..  she recommended i have my doctor prescribe oxys instead of the meth, wait till withdrawals start and start taking the oxys. then i can jump off with less severe withdrawals. she also told me to take clonidine, amino fuel and mad vitamins (which i already take). has anyone ever heard of such a thing? will it even work? i do know from personal experience that oxy withdrawal is 10-14 days, and methadone withdrawal can last 20 times that..  it just doesn't seem like it can be that easy..

[jessejames31]

should i try this, or just taper and jump off with the clonidine, aminos and vitamins...

[wannabefree330]

I don't have any experience with methadone.  From the posts ive read here, it is more difficult to w/d from.  If you truly want to get off these pills, I don't think its a bad idea to follow her suggestion.  The oxy doesn't last as long in the system as methadone so it may be easier to quit.  Do you have the willpower to do exactly as the doctor tells you?  If you can't wean as she instructs, do you have someone who can distribute your meds?  When you start into w/d you will want more more more.  So, not having them readily avail to you will help.  And the clonidine will help immensly.  Sounds to me like her suggestion is dooable.

[sadinmichigan]

Hi jessejames..this is a tough one..i don't think that oxys are strong enough to counteract the methadone..how many oxys would you have to take a day to begin with? how much methadone are you on right now? I think either way you know this is hard..I would say the only thing you can do is try it..I wish I knew the answer to this. I would think I'd rather go cold turkey off oxys..but you are already on methadone. I am sorry..I know that either way this is going to be a fight that is going to require a whole lot of effort and detrmination on your part..there is no way around this.

[kim715]

Hi Jessie,I agree with Lisa on this one about the amount of pills you would have to take to stabilize.I've known people who have tried this with vicodin but they still experienced some w/ds.If your doctor says its a good idea and they are going to watch you closely and help you taper then I say do it.I've taken both and I certainly agree the methodone is the worse of the two evils.Just make sure you are mentally prepared to deal with some discomfort.I know how very much you want off of the methodone and I wish you all the best with this.I will keep you in my prayers.Peace.

[misterkangfish]

I have had a pretty bad oxy habit twice and went c/t both times and made it with a couple of years clean in between. a couple of years later I started doing methadone I got free from a "freind". When that source dried up I got it somewhere else and ended up at a methadone clinic. I tapered down pretty low and went c/t after that and am still dealing with the w/ds about 6 weeks later but I now have learned that I tapered much too fast. Now, I'm no expert and I hope this isn't the wrong thing to say but given the choice and if I wasn't able to c/t the meth I would much rather go through the oxy thing again rather than the 'done. For me it wasn't nearly as hard as the methadone is and certainlly not as long. It, for me, is the seeming never ending w/d that makes the 'done so hard. I truelly hope I haven't misguided you and I wish you all the luck in the world. You can pm me anytime you want and I'll help all I can but I'm feeling myself getting weak and thinling of doing opiates for some releif and then c/t that again. Peace - John  

[jessejames31]

thanks for all your guys' input.. i'm think i'm gonna give it a try, what's the worst that can happen? besides, a friggin substance abuse specialist recommended this. btw, i do have someone to give my dose every morning (my sister), i've never asked for more but even if i did, she would'nt do it. i'll try to keep all you guys informed, thanks again for your help.
     -jesse

[Penelope14]

Jesse, I have detoxed from both of these drugs, & with my experience I found that the oxicotin withdrawals were far worse physically, but lasted a shorter amount of time, methadone withdrawals were more mild but lasted a long time, the worst thing about methadone detox was the emotional roller coaster, anxiety, no sleep, etc. I wish you the best. Penelope