tapering off methadone after 5 years

[jm123456]

So i finally made the decision to get off methadone. After 5 years at a local clinic, i went from being a homeless junkie crook who would sell my soul for a bag ,to an upstanding member of society. I have a great job, a car, and my own apartment. When i decided to get off methadone, my counselor and I went with the 2 yr plan. I was on 80 mgs a day. The plan is to give me a blind detox over the next 2 years. Well ladies and gents, I'm hitting the 2 yr mark at the end of Jan........ and i'm scared out of my mind. I'm currently on 8 mgs and have had very little WD symptoms. If things got shaky then my counselor would stop the detox for a week then continued when i felt better. So my question is this.....since i tapered down so slowly do you think my WD symptoms will be bad??? Has anyone else took the 2 yr plan??? Any advice will be greatly appreciated  

[Holliee]

No but I would like to know all the way till you get off how your doing. I am also on methadone and scared to death to ever come off. Keep posting.

[febninthgirl]

I really think you'll be fine. You have been on it a long time , but your body is use to getting less. I have jump off c/t at 12.5 mills right a6ter a six year add to norco. I know I have been withdrawning from both. It is very uncomfortable but very do able. I know that if you set your mind that it will not beat me. It is a lot of the battle. I have been though a lot more the this add this summer and I'm here to tell you your mind is an amazing thing. I will pray that god give you strength to do this. Pls keep us posted

[leeisgettingclean]

what is a blind detox?? you are doin so good and i am glad to read your inspiring story....THIS IS WHAT SEEMS TO BE A GOOD//HELPFULL//SUCESSFULL METHADONE STORY

[mr.lucky66]

I think you will do fine. You aren't really even fully on methadone being on 8 mg., that doesn't even really cover you fully and definately doesn't cover you in 24 hr dosing. So that's good news for you and you could be off in a few weeks or less if you want to and are ready. It shouldn't be much but you will probably have some discomfort. I have been on many clinics and kicked several times and seen many others kick done and only knew 2 that got a "free ride", that is with no WD but those were unusual circumstances to say the least. all the best

[jm123456]

a blind detox means they bring down your dose but dont tell you what milligram ur on. i think its more to kill the mental aspect of kicking. but now that i know im on 8 mgs i ve been freaking myself out a little. im real grateful for this site. thanks for the support and the advice guys, ill keep posting.

[gnarly_1]

hey dude ..great job tapering your so close to the end you can taste it....I just got done with an 8 1/2 mo taper im 15 days clean ....I  did it at 10% every 72 hr witch is a bit fast
but just dident have the patents to wait 2 yr to get off... your final withdrawal will probably be similar to mine...and it is far worst in your mind then it realy is...I tapered
all the way down to 1mg b/4 i jumped but I struggled with withdrawals threw the last 10mg...not much fun but doable...I just wrote a thread "2 weeks after methadone"
read it ...I kinda describe what it was like for me..I hope you find it helpful...you should be able to scroll up or down to find it I only wrote it yesterday....good luck..and god bless ...gnarly  

[ff829]

Hows it going holliee,I have been clean 12 days from percocets doing them after my 39 year old sister with 3 beautiful kids.She died from an accidental overdose to methadone.She accidentally took more than she thought,the drug kicked in after the first one she thought it wasnt doing anything and she took another and went to bed that night and never woke up that morning they pumped on her for 45 minutes .They could not bring her back.Thats the main reason i had gone on percs after that for the numbing  and greived wrong.The toxicoligy report showed she had a 400 level in her system and death is at 200 so its been hard but a learning phase.Im a full time firefighter for 17 years and i have seen what methadon can do ,I hope you can learn from what happened to my sister and im here for u and this site haS HELPED ME SO MUCH!!!!

[Holliee]

Hello and I am so very sorry for your loss of your sister, That is so very sad. Wow made me think. I am on 95mg methadone and have been 2 yrs now. But I do think a lot about being free of everything also. I do have real pain problems and that part scares me the most what am I suppose to do with my real pain that I have its pain that makes hard to walk or stand for work..

[jm123456]

saw my counselor today. lately its been weird. aches and pains, no sleep. my counselor said it would be a good idea to stop the tapering for a week or two to let my body adjust. what do you guys think? im in no rush to get off......i just wanna do it right

[Holliee]

Hello JM
I agree with what your  counselor  said to you. I know a lot of people that go to clinic that I go to and some are tapering too. Some of them have also stop taper for week or two due to feeling really bad and letting there body get use to it. One of my good friends was on 125mg methadone and she tapered down took right at year seems like a long time but in the end she made it to Zero mg and been clean 8 months now and doing well. She says reason she made it was because the slow taper. Good luck and stay strong. Message me have any questions. God Bless

[lilolme29]

I know nothing about this drug, but I want to say I am proud of you.... all of you and us.  You are making something for yourself and will come out better because of it!!!