Methadone withdrawal (low dose 3-mgs)

[Jbeaux]

Hello! i've been on methadone for 12 years .On tues.feb,17, 2003 i took my last 3mg dose(liquid).prior to that date i have been having trouble sleeping for about two weeks. i have been reducing my dose over the last 16 months from 80 mgs daily.I am not afraid of the withdrawl but do not truly know what to except.the program i was on was about keeping people addicted not helping you get mentally or physically well.i.e(money).Can
anyone give me some additional information. Thanks alot.

[sharonver]

Hey there...

Things are not too bad so far.  In 2 more days I will go to my last dose of 2 millagrams!!! I will probably stay on that for a couple of weeks and then I will be off!!!  I am going to Florida the first week of May to close up our condo for the summer so I am hoping I will be off and that I will not be feeling too badly.
At least I will have the warm sun and pool etc. to try and ease some of the discomfort.  Wish me luck...  How are things going with you?  I hope that you are doing well, remember anytime you want to talk or share ideas, I'll be there for ya...

Sharon

[sharonver]

The main reason why someone would go to a methadone maintenance program is to get away from a dangerous street drug like HEROIN!
After all of the success of staying off of this street drug thru the MMT program why would someone want to go back to what ruined their life in the first place!!!  IMO very bad advise, I would never suggest that to anyone as an alternative.!!  Prescription pills, bup., meth, meds like that at least you know what you are putting into your body, with street heroin you never know!!!! You could be shooting or snorting arsenic etc. for all you know. There are a lot safer ways to detox.  And Maintenance has saved so many lives, some may have to stay on indefinitely for various reasons and some may be able to successfully taper (slowly) and go back to their lives.  I wish everyone success in whichever way they choose.

Sharon

[AlmostThere]

Hey Guys-  Bsills was only trying to help.  I know many people who would rather kick dope than kick meth- let's face it with dope you only go through a bad couple of weeks, the meth is a bad couple of months!

I've was out there shooting whatever I could find- have the holes in my skin when someone was cutting the dope with meat tenderizer (good dope, bad sores).  But that was 12 years ago and I had no choice but to get on meth if I wanted to survive and take care of my family.

This meth detox for me is a choice- and that in itself makes the suffering bearable.  I think that as we change as human beings we learn to make different choices.  For the first time in 12 years, I chose not to go to the clinic.  It feels good (even though I feel like ****).

How's it going Sharon?

[rn_tracy1_rn]

I know this thread is EXTREMELY old but obviously people are still reading the comments for useful ideas. That being said, I am a nurse and a chronic pain patient tapering from Methadone. I am currently on 80mg Methadone only from 240mg methadone and 180mg roxicodone. The taper schedule I found said that once you get to 25-30mg Methadone to switch to morphine or oxycodone. I see two reasons for that. One, judging by many of the posts I have read, it seems to be the magic number where people start having difficult WD symptoms and two, it's a bit easier to get off of oxy or morphine than methadone. I may go that route myself once I get there. So, while I don't think bsills idea of Heroin was a good one, I don't think he/she was trying to create controversy and I think the IDEA was sound, the drug of choice wasn't. However, like bsills said, for some people, it's the only drug they can get their hands on. While I wouldn't condone it, I wouldn't negate anyone's method of getting clean and sober. If it works for them, so be it. I just worry that going back to Heroin wouldn't work. But then again, is going back to oxycodone going to work for me? only time will tell. I went to Methadone because oxy was a freaking circus of running out early and getting sick before my next refill every month. Methadone stopped all of that, but it comes with its own problems. Not to mention my doctor won't fill it anymore unless I start giving him 2k per year. That's a whole other story. Like another person said earlier, I started saving medication YEARS ago, so I would never be in the position of losing my doctor or being discharged and going into WDs.

[bsills]

Obviously, every situation is different.  Some people can ONLY GET HEROIN. So, what's your solution?

[Thomas03]

You're either an idiot or you're trying to create controversy on the forum. Controversy over legitimate ideas is good, but there's nothing controversial about stupidity and malevolence.

No one would seriously suggest that people return to heroin for their own good.

Thomas

[AlmostThere]

Thanks for the thought Bill- but that would just be way too far back to fall for me.  I could no easier go back to heroin than I could be 21 again!  

I decided to maintain @ 7 for 5 days and then try to drop to 5 again.  The early waking thing was really starting to get to me, to say nothing of the chills/hot flashes, achy legs and feeling I like I could jump out of my skin.

Today was the last day that I could return to my clinic and be medicated.  Today is the the third day I missed and I will be discharged (even though I only went in once a week).  It is a strange new world out here!

The depression seems to be lifting a bit- I feel somewhat empowered by finally making a choice that everyday for 12 years, I could not. I feel like this is truly an expression of who I wish to be and it seems like the right choice.  We'll see how I feel in a couple of weeks when the stash starts running dry!