Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Help

I have been on methadone for two years now. Yesterday i decided to come off the medicine cold turkey. should i be affraid? What are some of the symptoms? it was eighty five milligrams of liquid.I guess I am just sared to come off of it i want it to hurry and get over with.
9 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
1801781 tn?1461629469
Wild, this is a 3 year old post! :)  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Are you completely insane?  You walked off at 85mg?  Do you have any idea the misery that you are in for?  Not only am I a recovering heroin addict currently on methadone, but I am also a pharmacist.  You might be all right for up to 48 hours.  But some time during that 3rd day, you are going to start to hurt in places you didn't know could hurt.  For God's sake, even your hair follicles will hurt.  The fastest, and i mean the absolute fastest, time period to get off methadone is 21 days.  You would still feel ****** at the end of the detox, but it isn't so bad that your body would hurt, you'd vomit, and all that nasty stuff.  You'd have a hard time sleeping after the detox; but that would only last a few weeks.  So my advice to you is get back on your methadone as soon as possible and detox properly.  That is why they call it medically assisted detoxification.
Helpful - 0
401095 tn?1351391770
no experience with methadone withdrawal..have used it short term in the past for pain but no addiction...i do know it seems to take the people i have seen wd from it a good month or so...sleep can be an issue so talk to ur doctor so u can try and stay as comfortable as possible...do u have to work?  tapering down is what most do to stop methadone just like sub..a slow taper..CT works too and for some people it is easier in a way than prolonging the agony...drugs like clonodine, a sleep aid, phenergan, and all mentioned in the thomas recipe can help u...elavil also can help people with sleep and depression/anxiety and is not habit forming....a good exercise routine can relieve stress and depression faster than any medication...temporary at first but while i exercise i felt normal during wds altho it was hard to make myself do it...after 5 minutes ebdorphins kick in then it lasts for hours after u finish.....stay strong!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
welcome marty
i kicked a large methadone habit cold turkey
250mgs a day to be exact,
you can do this
in my experience the acute wd drawl kicks in on the 3rd week
and last for about 8 days
then it starts to get better, and the post acute kicks in
google paws so you can prepare yourself
wd symptoms differ from individual experience, i wish i could help more, but first we will have to see what experiences you will have during detox
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Theeagle is right,it's a rough road,but it absolutely can be done.From my experience and others here who have shared theirs going cold turkey off of 85 mgs ,I jumped off at 25,is most likely going to take a few weeks to start to feel better.For most the first 3 weeks are the roughest,4 weeks shows some improvement,and 6 weeks seems to be the turning point for many of us.Do you mind sharing why you were on it and why you decided to go c/t off of the 85mgs?Keep posting and feel free to pm me anytime if I can help in any way.Best of luck.
Helpful - 0
340590 tn?1290952141
marty, i am not sure.  i have never taken it.  i do know it takes a long time...check out sadinmichigans journals she has info there.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
There is no "hurry and get over with" about methadone. It can be quit though. I did it cold from your dose. No fun and a lot of other things - but able to be done. You may want to learn some things about methadone . Look at sadinmichigan's posts. She has some things up about methadone. Its long hard fight. It could take you a month or more before you start to feel very good. Not trying to discourage you, but you need honesty. Good news is that I hear very little about cravings for methadone. Once you get past it - its easy to stay away from. Dont set yourself up for a fall by stopping in a haphazard manner. But do continue to stop the stuff.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
WHEN DOES THE FEELING DOWN AND WEAK STOP
Helpful - 0
340590 tn?1290952141
due to the long half life of methadone it is very hard to withdraw from.  i have no first hand knoledge about it, but many here have detox from it and had a hard time.  soemone will be around soon to help you out hang in there.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Addiction: Substance Abuse Community

Top Addiction Answerers
495284 tn?1333894042
City of Dominatrix, MN
Avatar universal
phoenix, AZ
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.