How long will my methadone detox last?

[ileanni]

I've been on methadone for 7 months. Taking 110mg daily for the most part of the 7 months. I made the mistake of getting on the clinic to get off of taking 30+ lorcets a day. I was put in a position where i could no longer afford to pay for my clinic and no longer had transportation everyday to go through a medical detox where they would have tapered me off in a week. So i just never went back. I quit cold turkey 11 days ago. I've been going through hell with the w/d symptoms. What can i get over the counter to help make this a more bearable process? I just want to feel normal again.
Thanks for any help or suggestions anyone can give me. i have 3 small children and i'm not just doing this for me. I'm doing it for them too.

ileanni

[forabetterlife]

Hi, I have been on methadone for about a year, for pain management. I want off of it. I take 10 to 20 mg a day. I understand its gonna be about 3 days and nights of hell, I have tried before, but ended up taking it again, I need a knee replacement, but really do not want to have it. Do you know how long the process will be? I walked the floors at night, no sleep, hurt worse than ever before, when went cold turkey. Do you or anyone know how long it may take to come off? Is it better to taper or cold turkey? I have the want and desire to stop, but also want the tools and knowledge to be successful.

[EvolverU]

Hi there & Welcome! :)

You're posting on an inactive thread. If you check, you'll notice a little hourglass next to it. When you see one of those, always check the date next to it & to see if it's an active conversation or not. I just wanted to congratulate you on your taper off 'done. We have several new members going through the very same thing right now & we'd love to hear from & support you. Please, I encourage you to go to the upper right hand corner of this page, hit 'Post A Question' & start your own thread. Thanks! :)

[sherydan]

ive been reading everyones comments and it has not only inspired me but kept me going. ive been on 150mg at my highest. i started coming down last year ..10mg at a time. when i got down to 30 a few months ago, and i took it slowly..i wanted to go down again. it took me 2months to get my clinic to do it. kept telling me all the horror stories and how much i needed it. i was ready along time ago. so i decided to do it myself. ive been on for 5 years so i got take home for  a week at a time. and even when i went to the clinic i spit half of it out. 5 days ago i took the last 5mg i was ever going to take. i did have a ton of left overs, but i knew i was strong enough and i wanted more than anything. everytime ipulled up to that place i felt nauseous.i wanted out! i have a loving fiance and a beautiful 4yr old girl and i just felt like enough was enough. i have to say the day time has been ok, but at night i have spasms in my legs and back. my dr gave me gabapentin, which has  helped. melatonin does too.but even when im in pain i dont give in..even though i have extra done sitting in my cabinet. to anyone...dont listen to the horror stories..and most clinics dont want u to leave cause theyre making money off u. exercise..it helps with the leg cramps, water, and eat..even if u think ur gonna throw up. get vitamines, fruits, green veggies. be prepared before u detox. and remember..1/2 of it is in ur head. your brain is saying "give me done" but u need the will to say"no u dont'. mind over matter.think of how beautiful the world will look when ur sober

[pistole]

I was on 160mg of methadone a day,3mg of xanax, 150mg of neurontin three times a day. I had a car wreck and was charged with a dwi due to my meds. That was July 25,2012. i quit all of them cold turkey, and it has been almost two years. It was hell....the many days and nights with no sleep, hallucinations, having to wear diapers because i lost all bowel and bladder function, not being able to feed or bathe myself but worst of all is the leg pain. Two years later I have lost 50 pounds and I am not a slave to the methadone clinic,but sleep still evades me and the pain is relavent. Good luck methadone is the governments way of making money off of legal heroin I am a nurse and looking back I can not believe what I have done to my mind and body with that ****.

[waterlogged39]

See i have been as high as 120mgs. I went down to 60 a day. Quit cold turkey. Succesfuly. Relapsed on pain pills very soon and was back on methadone.
i was at 50mgs for awhile but then dropped to 30. 14 years i been on this crazy train. What im wondering is if the fact that i was missing days going to the the clinic in the past several weeks if that may play a role in how long this lasts. Im also taking into consideration of my age 40 years. Not in good shape these days. last night was the worst my legs have ever hurt.  

[Ldytaz]

Hi and welcome to our forum.This is an old post and u might want to start your own..We are here for u.Go to top of forum hit question and post.ppl will se it and answer u...That said there are alot of here going through or have gone through this.Congrats on trying to get your life back.I jumped off 100 to 15 taper..Last week just got tired of going and giving the crooks my money so went 15,13,8,5,5 then jumped.this is day 8 and I think I might be ok.You have to take it one dya at a time and everyone is different.The Thomas recipe at the bottom of the page is what I am taking and swear by it now..Their will be more ppl on later with lots of advise.Hot showers or baths help.It will wash all the poisons off you and help with aches and pains..Keep posting...

[iguanamomma]

i've detoxed from 136 and am currently on 13mgs. has anyone ever actually gotten down to 1 then 0. i come down 1mg a week. but I had already detoxed myself from 136mgs to 90mgs on my own because I had split doses. then I went down again on my own to 55mgs right after they started detoxing me. the clinic doesn't know I'm actually at 13. but I know there is still withdrawal  when your completely done and want to know what I'll be facing. my friend is at the same dose as me we will hit o the same day and plan on shacking up in my apt. in case we feel like we've turned into zombies and plan on staying there til human once again. anyone else detoxed this way, we're still worried to death it'll be bad. yes we are stocked with vitamins and plan on shopping right before to get juice and light foods, soup etc.

[newmamaSC]

My God girl, methadone detox off of 110mg cold turkey with 3 small children to care for? You are one tough cookie! I know you haven't posted since 7/6, I'm curious to know how you're doing now.

[DaleGirl]

WOW! You deserve a detox medal! I am currently on 58mg down from 110mg which I did in past 5 months. I too want off this beast. I am seriously considering thinking of switching to percs or hydrocodone a week before which I have heard is much easier, then going to suboxone, because I am deathly afraid of WDs. But then look your doing it! THat ia amazing you should be proud. I followed the advice in here and am taking the cal/zinc/mag and a chewable vitamin cuz the body absorbs it better, amen to the good old Flinstone vitamins =). I plan on upping the amount of cal/zinc/mag when I get my meth dose lower. Is that what I should do I am wondering if our rez of meth advisor gnarly knows? Anyhow ileanna best of luck and good wishes.

[keepingsecret]

I have been on methadone going on 12years for pain management. At one time, thanks to an idiot doctor, i was on 160mg/day!!! 40mg/6hrs!!!
It has taken me this long (8years) to get myself down to 20mg/day. (10mg/12hrs)
I want off completely!!! I am ALWAYS TIRED and I am ALWAYS in pain!!! Going to go get those vitamins and I'm gonna cut these 10mg pills in half and do that for awhile. Wish me luck!

[gnarly_1]

HI  hang in there girl your threw the worst of it but your still having some bad symptoms.....your really doing good all considering you jumped at a high dose it is never ez but I have help people recover off 120mg b/4 it never prity early on but it is very doable patents is what you need try taking a shot glass of water every 15 min that will keep you hydrated it is critical that you stay hydrated that a whole another can of worm you dont want to open keep posting for support we all want to see you get well.........Gnarly

[ileanni]

i don't know what's going on with my w/d's but i'll go a day or 2 and feel somewhat ok, and then i'll lay down to try to get SOME sleep and i'll start throwing up again. like last night. i haven't thrown up in about 3 days. and yesterday i kinda had a bit of an appetite. but once again i was up most of the night vomiting. to the point where even a small sip of water comes right back up. i just want the vomiting to stop for longer than 2 days. i can deal with the diarrhea. it's the vomiting i can't stand.

[jb00642]

I agree. I am on day 12 from only 45 mg for 6 months. And my legs hurt so bad I can hardly walk. I had my pancreas removed, and they switched me without even telling me. It was 2 weeks before I even knew I was on it. I cannot believe it is taking this long. I cant imagine that high of a dose, my Dr always says I was on a high dose, though I took 3 ,5 mg tablets every 8 hours. I don't know if it so hard since my body has been through so much. I had an idiot GI dr. Who put me on high dose steroids for 2 years, and ever since my metabolism has been horrible along with early osteoporitis. Uggg, I just want my legs to quit hurting, I bought all the vitamins and minerals and protein lastweek.
Jb00642

[ileanni]

Hi thanks for the response.. yes this has been brutal. I've read on here that it's good to excersise during the detox. But i just can't get enough energy to even get up and try. hopefully i'll be able to make it to the store this weekened to get some vitamins. Some days have been better than others. I figured everyday would get a little bit better. Some days have. But somedays i feel like i just started the withdrawals. reading that it can take months to feel like me again seems like a lifetime away. i know it's the truth but it's discouraging. I was hopefull yesterday. today not so much... this is a much longer road than i expected. but i have to do it... losing hope

[gnarly_1]

HI.......well I dont have to tell you this will be brutal ....you know....but there are some things that help with the withdrawal symptoms a 3 in 1 vitamin ...calcium/magnesium/zinc will help get them at walmart for 6 bucks take 4 with breakfast and 4 with dinner this takes a few days to work but your probably in for another week of withdrawals from that high of dose also pick up some whey proten shake mix a 2lb can is 15 bucks and will give your brain the amino acids as well as extra vitamins and raw protein it needs to heal this is a long term help no quick way to get around the energy crash just know we have had members make it off doses as high as 120mg but it can take a few months to feel like yourself again.....I went off it from a taper and it took 90 days to get right so pacents keep posting for support good luck and God bless.......Gnarly  

[ileanni]

thanks for responding, especially on a holiday.. and i try to make myself eat on the days my body will allow me to. i really haven't had an appetite. And i've been drinking so much water that i don't know if i can drink anymore. for the most part it's the lack of energy that's getting me know. it doesn't help that i'm using crutches to get around since i broke my ankle and had surgery almost 2 months ago. But it seems everytime i stand up just to walk to the kitchen or bathroom, i almost collapse once i get back to the chair. is there something i can take or do to help with the fatigue? again thank you so much.  

[ileanni]

Thank you so much for taking your time to respond to my post. I have to say i'm in tears right now.. Just reading your words of encouragement is something i'm not used to. I've been controlled by addiction for so long. And most everyone in my family is as well. So i really don't have a support system. And my husband is currently detoxing in jail. so i'm kinda doing this on my own. i finally turned to this forum just looking for someone else's experience i guess. But just reading what i've read isn't what i expected. Thanks for the support. I'm hoping the worst of the withdraws are behind me. But some days have been ok and then i'll wake up throwing up again. so i just take it a day at a time. i just want to feel normal again...

[Pat1956100]

You are one brave lady to go cold turkey from that amount of methadone.  I don't have experience with it either but from what I have read you have been through hell.  I am detoxing again from my oxy, perc habit and it is brutal and I hear meth is much worse.
There is a gentleman on this forum named gnarly who is our resident methadone expert and I am sure he will be along later and give you advice that will help.
Be very proud of yourself and I really hope you feel better soon.

[kyle505]

Welcome...Are you eating? Drinking lots of water? You have to keep your body nourished. Take vitamins and try to get some exercise (I think that having 3 small children to care for qualifies).
Although 11 days is monumental, it takes the body and the mind a bit longer to adjust. And if you're like me, you probably want to be "normal" now, especially after the hell of detox, you're ready. I promise you, it will get better. Be proud of what you've accomplished, and enjoy your day. Keep posting.

[quitinoxys]

Hello and Welcome to the forum, I don't have any experience with methadone but there are members here that do. Someone should come on with experience to answer your question but since it's a holiday it's a little slow here. So give it some time you will get an answer.