cant afford it no more

Question

i have been on methadone for almost 4 months,i spend 15 dollars a day to dose 130mg everyday.. i am ready to quit and now i cant afford it anymore i am supposed  stop dosing thursday due to no money,i am really scared because i know i am gonna have to go thru some withdrawls,can anyone please tell me somethings to do or what do u think i should do??   please someone reply i am so scared!!! i am 29 and was hooked to roxycodone so i began methadone treatment to come off that and now i am ready to stop methadone by force and choice!!    :(  i have only been dosing since 4/20 almost 4 months

weaver71 · Accepted Answer

If you can't afford methadone, you can't afford the Thomas Recipe listed at the bottom of the page. That helped me. Sauna, massage, walking, hydrate, and get some sleep aid(find generic highest dose for less $), immodium for stomache and general withdrawals, and a protein shake(ei. ensure, spirutien)
Methadone is a long acting opiod that leaves the body slowly. You haven't been on it that long so you may not have any Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrom. It is very difficult to cold turkey methadone. Try to relax as much as you can and move around and remember DRINK WATER! Good Luck.

weaver71 · Answer

I won't say YOU can't CT at 130mg methadone, but will say I could not. If you can get enough to take at least 20mg a day, it will increase comfort and chance of success. You will still feel withdrawal, but much less. When I CT at 150mg, I was hit on about the fifth day with violent vomiting of bile, explosive diarrhea, sweating ice, aches like I had been beaten, and couldn't sleep one minute. I could go without any other drug, but methadone withdrawal is like nothing I have ever experienced. If you can, my hat is off to you. Personally, I would find something to sell before I would go CT at 130mg. 

If you can get to a lower dose for a few weeks and do the things I listed above, I think you are more likely not to be here next week starting over. I am not trying to discourage you if you are dead set on your path. When you are ready you are ready. I just want you to be ready and successful. Your friend is made of iron or lucky to get out of detox with hot baths. Good Luck. Go to any means and keep trying with every ounce of your being.

Ballgame · Answer

There is no way you can cold turkey that high. Thats very high. The issue is you don't want to stop for yourself, just because of money. You can't just stop that's the issue. To do this the right so you don't relapse is taper down an then aftercare
Good luck. I'm worried as soon as the bad WD starts you'll do whatever you can to get it.

hangetsu · Answer

I really hope that it goes that easy for you. I wasn't lieing when I said the thought of having to go through it scares me. I've gone CT off Xanax and the thought of going through that again and going CT off Methadone are about the only things that do. 

The Xanax will help take the edge off and you should at least be able to get a little sleep. Keep us posted how it's going.

helpplease29 · Answer

i appreciate u taking the time out to respond to my post,i am really nervous about it,my friend stopped cold turkey off 160mg a day she went for 4 months too.. she told me to get plenty of epson salt to soak when i hurt because the more i soak it will drawl the methadone out of my bones and get some immodium for the diareaha,she said she had a rough 4 dsys soaking and basically staying in bathtub all daybut after that it soon to get easier. I hope that things will get easier for me after my rough days,i got zanex to help me relax too!!  wish me luck and GOD bless u hun,,  thanks

hangetsu · Answer

"i am really scared because i know i am gonna have to go thru some withdrawls,can anyone please tell me somethings to do or what do u think i should do??"

I'd be scared too, and I don't scare easily. The first day of withdrawals being the worst does not in any way apply to Methadone. It's the worst opiate you an go CT off, and that's not just my opinion. Where the worst of Hydrocodone withdrawals will be over at 6-7 days Methadone withdrawals are just hitting the peak.

My advise is to do whatever you have to do to get the money you need to be able to taper off to a lower dose before you make the jump. 130mg a day is a long way down to 0mg. I'm not trying to scare you or exaggerate the situation, I'm letting you know in advance what you're in for so you can take measures to avoid it. 

I found that my physician was willing to help the first time I was going to have to go cold turkey off Methadone and prescribed me enough Methadone to taper off, although i would have liked to do it at a slower pace than he was willing to abide. 

Good luck.

vicki595 · Answer

I think you're on way too high a dose to cold turkey from this! The clinic is actually letting you do this?  I'm not sure how it will go after four months but I don't think it will be vey easy. You should try to get that dose down before you quit! 

Keep posting!

coconuts27 · Answer

No matter what, it wont be easy. But the good news is, we've all gone thru the wd/s and survived. So theres a light at the end of the tunnel. Im not sure about methadone, how long it lasts, but in general, the first 3-4 days are hell. then it starts getting better.

Life360_Dave · Answer

First thing is to get to know the feeling of WD. It will be terrible at first but dont fight it and accept it. It will be a new feeling both mental and physical. Just let it into your life and look at it as something we create unknowingly and have to accept the responsibility of the crap we have gotten ourselves into. It will feel that it will never go away but day by it will subside. The first day will be the worst. Maybe go to your doctor and tell him what you have created and he can give you something to relax. your young and still very strong. Trust in your youth and look to the good you have created helping the people in your job occupation. Accepting responsibility is the key and getting to know the feeling is the key.