methadone tapering su##s

[gnarly_1]

i need some sleep, been 5 days since i did my last taper went from 7mg to 5mg and i haven't had a
decent nights sleep since last night i took 2  100mg trasadones and 2 1 mg zanex got like 2 hr of sleep
then tossed and turned the rest of the night......normally that combo would nock me on my a## for 10 hrs
you would think the less ya use (methadone) the less the side effects but it seams to be opposite
my goal is to be methadone free in 28days from now but i dont think i can go a month without a decent nights
sleep  anybody got anny suggestions ? BTW thanks a million for all your support I wouldn't be able to do this
without it  your freind and fellow addict Gnarly    

[gnarly_1]

what ever works to get off this sh## is a good thing if i had hydros im shure I would
be using them to ....the reason i dont.....spent 10yr + on pills b/4 the methadone
figure one demon is EZer to beat then 2 but good luck dude anyway i went down
to 4mg yesterday and actually sleep last night ...I think it was just because of total
exhaustion but i fell alot better today ,usually day 3 is the toughest when i taper
so will see got to run for now thanks for your suport ....gnarly    

[mr.lucky66]

Hi, I'm gonna say something that a lot of docs and ex methadone addicts believe, Once you go below 10 mg., methadone doesn't do much for a methadone addict and all this tapering at low doses just draws the misery out. I know this won't be something you want to hear but it's true. I believe  maybe in sometimes going slow but once you get down to single digets on methadone, thoses doses don't hold you for more than hours so you are teasing you system by giving it a little and then having it go away and feeling worse. The many times I detoxed off methadone, it was always better to just go 15,10, 5 then 0. Get it over with it all the best

[DavaSage]

I am on day 4 so far im ok.I have never made it this far. I do fear what will happen when the hydros run out (im using them and neurontin to taper off the dones)

[gnarly_1]

dude are you like still dooing methadone or have you kicked it ?my jump off date is 28 days from now  ( i hope) annway just curious how it was in end for ya if it is the end yet
Gnarly

[DavaSage]

WHitie, thanks for the kind words. I can tell youve been there. Just finished an hour of weightlifting and jiu-jitsu, a shower, and I feel great.

I hope I can maintain that...

[gnarly_1]

Hey dude thanks for your support,  I realy need it now im, coming off 150mg so I  kinda
new it wasent going to be E/Z ive hit road blocks before 60 30 and 20 where all dificult
I just dident expect it at such a low dose I went from 20 to 10 without anny w/d
10 down to 7 was minimal but im caught at 5mg again the last 5 days have been
he## stomach cramps  high anxiety and the worst is no sleep im happy every thing
else except for the sleep and some minor anxiety have subsided  so i think im
going to bump it down to 4mg today anyway I  dont know where your at but
my heart goes out to anyone dealing with this your friend and fellow addict  Gnarly  

[whitie]

you gotta it....I would say  tens of thousands. even where I work, there are guys still on hydros, some are worse than I was.  could you imagine the ones that had to do it  in JAIL !!

everyone's situation is different, detox/rehab was not an option for me. i would have lost my job. and on that note many I know,for various drugs, failed that, and were back to using. one guy was busted the next day he got out !!


I can tell you there is one other benefit from doing it yourself with out other opioids,drugs or whatever.  needless to say, you will drop your jaw,waking up normal for once.  no longer on the treadmill like you said the other day, or as I say...kicking the 800 pound gorilla's @zz !!

its a sense of satisfaction and pride, knowing you won and are still winning the war for your life, and  YOU DID IT !!

everyday is a victory for you guys at this stage, each week you get is a battle won, then each month becomes one of the greatest achievements in your entire life.

[gnarly_1]

hey girl, thanks for your response if its anything to ya 20mg of methadone kicked
my a## for 6 weeks same symptoms as you finely, was able to taper down to 10mg
without anny w/d now there back again at 5 mg !!! su##s but im going to beat
this thing I think im going to go to 4 mg today ...I  mean if i ant going to sleep I ant
going to sleep at a dose that brings me closer to the end if that makes sense
thanks again for your suport and good luck with your taper to I hope it gets
E/Zer for you as it did for me at 20 mg just hang in there  GNARLY

[DavaSage]

the amazing thing is that at any given moment, there are literally hundreds (thousands ?) of people dealing with this. Am I wrong ?

[whitie]

dont let the mental crud get you guys down, I know its tough. but keep in mind many have done it, and you can too.

it just takes longer with replacement opioids

theres not much you can do for the first 3-6 days for sleep, I used night time cough syrup and valarian root  helped a little.

its just the price you pay for freedom, its worth every penny.

[DavaSage]

I am tapering off of 30 mg dones and 20 + hydros. I am using a controlled hydor (40 mg max daily) and neurontin, 400 mg X 6 daily.

Will let you know. So far really good on the dreaded "Day three"

[KiaKaha]

hey!!! My hubby had exactly the same problem with the sleep thing and I agree with 'theeagle'...as he tapered off lower and lower 1mg by 1mg the insomnia got worse and the w/d symptoms got worse... ! My hubby went to the doctor and got some non-benzo sleeping tabs...which still only gives him about 3 hrs max a night but it's better than nothing.   You are SO CLOSE!!!! I'm getting excited for ya!!!

[mjones5]

Im down to 20 mg a day ( 2 10mg pills) I havent slept good for a week, anxiety is kicking my butt and I feel so stressed out. Very short tempered also. Im getting close to another taper and Im guessing it will just get worse then. The rls Ive kind of gotten used to. I get headaches most days. My mind races like crazy when I go to bed. I know methadone is much harder coming off of so Im sure your emotional and physical wd's is worse than mine. From reading this seems to be normal. Id almost like to just jump off now and do cold turkey with the last of it...but another member of the poultry family comes into play......chicken! So I will just keep with the taper. Im handling it ok. I guess Im just fed up with being tired and p***ed off all the time.  You are doing good, keep it up, we will get there!!!! I hope you get a good nights sleep soon I think it would help alot. These days if I get to actually sleep a full 4 hours I figure Im doing good! what I wouldnt give for a nice 8 hour night!! It will come in time, we just have to keep going. Good luck to you and us all!

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

Methadone is a monster. Its easy to drop from 60mg's to 50 or 40 - -  but the lower you go the more it hangs on. I finally went cold turkey and while it was no fun it beat being in constant minor withdraws for weeks........ Researchers say that whether you cold turkey or taper the total discomfort is the same. With cold turkey you have a little more severe symptoms, but they dont last as long. With tapering he symptoms are less severe but they last much, much longer...........  many keep tapering down to 1/4 mg and then dose that 1/4 every other day and then evrythird day to finish up. Most report that they escape most withdrawals using this method.  Other research indiactes that clinically you cannot distinguish the withdrawal from 30mg of meth or 5mg of meth....... its all a poor experience.... But it must be done.