Methadone Detox

[Methdetox]

I'm currently coming off of a 3 year methadone maintenance program.  I was as high as 60 mgs for two years and now am down to 7mg's today.  I'm in a fair amount of physical pain, that is tolerable but my mental health is fading fast.  I had so much anixety today had to leave work.  Ive spoke w/ friends and family done breathing exercises, but nothings helping.  My heart is beating fast, and my mind won't stop.  Are there non-narcotic meds that can be taken?

[Jeffrey T Junig, MD PhD]

I will leave the comments above as they are;  I have come to respect the different ways that people choose to live with opiate dependence, as far too many people die from it!  I agree with j Cee in that opiate dependence is a relapsing condition, and the relapses are usually when most of the worst consequences occur... so be sure you have a plan to stay clean, other than just hoping for it.

As for treating the anxiety, hydroxyzine is an antihistamine that is FDA indicated for anxiety;  it is not addicting, but it does require a prescription.  I would avoid the 'benzos' like xanax, valium, etc, as they quickly lead to tolerance and are quite addictive.  As the eagle notes, any taper from methadone should be very slow;  the withdrawal from a 'cold turkey' taper will go on for months.

[theeagle]

How rapidly did you get to the 7mgs?  standard thought is that you should taper the dose by 10-15% every week to ten days.....its very important toward the end to stick to the percent decrease......some dose down to 1/4mg and then 1/4 every other day .... its long slow process if you wish to avoid discomfort and keep a clear head......check out posts by baron munchausen.....or just put methadone detox in the medhelp search engine......

[J_cee]

Now this is just my opinion! Just to let you know where I'm at; I have been taking methadone for right at 2 years now and doing better now than I had in the past 9 years. I'm taking 140 mg daily and at this point and time I do not even think about coming off the methadone just for the simple fact that I do not play the hi & seek game anymore (thats when you get hi and seek more, it can be a never ending cycle). In my research I have found that replase rate just as high for addicts that detox as addicts that quit methadone. Methadone is treatment not addiction. So while you are trying to get off the methadone ask your self why? Would you quit blood pressure meds, addictin is forever once an addict always an addict, don't back up keep going forward. But if you really want off the methadone it looks like you came down way to fast go back up a little, stablize than take it slow if it takes and extra year its ok because you did it, time is not important doing it right is. One other thing I'm in pain also every day thats how I gut hooked on oxycotin, but the methadone helps my pain its miled but helps. Good luck.