methadone withdrawal

[anarchaos]

my partner was prescribed methadone for withdrawal from heroin in march 2008, he was on 225mg to stabalise him a day. Now he is down to 12.5mg per day and has decided that he wants off. the problem is he is epileptic and has to take medication for this daily. Can anyone please tell me how bad his withdrawal maybe and what advice can you give me as should he still take methadone but drop slowly or stop altogether.He hates the stuff .

[gnarly_1]

Hi glad you looked me up  first off it is not hopeless we have a lot of members who have made it the first thing you need to do is get up to walmart and pick up a 3 in 1 vitamin calcium magnesum and zinc take 4 with breakfast and 4 with dinner this will really help cut down on the withdrawals your feeling it takes a few days to start to work methadone robs the body of these minerals and it effects the withdrawal process taper can be managed rather then use a math equation to do it let your body be the final judge to when to drop doses it is all about serum level and how fast you metabolize the drug it is different for every body  also as you taper it will go smoothly and then all of a sudden it becomes hard with bad withdrawals I call these ''road blocks'' it is best to wait them out it usually only takes a few extra days but in a bad case...(20mg for me) it can take a few weeks just know once past it your taper can go back to normal if you have question just message me or post  also this is a old post go to the top of the page and start your own thread hit the orange box that says post a question I will help you do this if you want help I have a good track record of helping people get off this crap any ways please dont give up or loose hope.......Gnarly

[Jenlynapple]

I have been on meth 2 1/2 years going up and down got down to 8 from 90 and could barely function I'm back at 20 , I'm a single parent that works so I need to be able to parent and work , completely discouraged about getting off the program had I only known when I started I would never have done this to myself , I was addicted to Percs and would have just tryed harder to detox off them , the nausea I get is never ending , and no energy can't eat sleep work raise my kids I truly feel hopeless , I can't afford to be home sick and no one is going to take care of me or my child , don't know ,, I start to drop 1 ml every other week again to try my luck again but my hopes are low

[MissBsue]

I was prescribed methodone for 15 years. 10 100mg & 8 Loratab for breakthough pain a day. One thing is for absolute certain...You will feel it. The withdrawals from heroin are more intense then methodone,but only in the  beginning stages& the withdrawals do not last as long. Methadone is synthetically made, while heroin is not man       you body can break it down faster. Depending on the dosage,how long, is it daily. You body gets use to a regiment. If u have to go without couple days&your body is use to that routine, it almost gives you some kind of grace period, you hurt but the body knows it will be relieved after those days. Your body has built up a tolerance over time so getting back to non dependency is the same... DONT COLD TURKEY IF U HAVE BEEN ON METHADONE FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. Methadone puts "caps" on your brains sensorys, dopamine, serotonin central nerves system, cold turkey lifts all those caps at once& bcuz your own natural brain functions have been basically dormant you will experience over load&not just physical, but mental causing for some to cross to the    otherside of reality. Dreamt that my legs were being cut of by a chainsaw, i could smell the bone, feel the blood one of the doc's told me, that's how powerful the mind is, my mind really believed that it was happening, my body just didn't go through the shock I have to be honest by saying it was the hardest& most breaking of my    body,mind,spirit I have ever endured& I've walked my share of battlefields. Doc stated expect 2 years but never be  totally back to were all is normal. It's been a long road but it was worth every step... God Bless

[gnarly_1]

HI and welcome to the forum.....first off get a hold of the doctor both at the clinic and the one that treats the epilepsy it would be good if they could talk together ...he is way to high of dose to jump with health problems....I usually recommend jumping off at 5ml but your boyfriend will probably be advised to take it all the way down to 1ml...im diagnosed bipolar
and my phyic doctor insisted I take it all the way down to 1ml b/4 jumping to avoid a manic episode...I remember how discouraged I was I had my monthly visit and told her I had had it with tapering and was going to jump off at 5ml  she put the fear of God in me that I wiuld wind up in a manic episode so I di what she told me and tapered it all the way down
tapering below 5 ml is miserable your kinda in a constant state of withdrawal at lest I was
so if theres no under lyeing health problems I terll everyone to save your self the misery and jump at 5 and be 5 weeks ahead on your recovery...as for the withdrawals it really hard to say how sever they will be mine lasted 2 weeks physically and it took a good 90 days to really start to feel my recovery he has been on it 2 yrs...I was on it 6 1/2 yrs at 150ml he was on a higher dose at 240 but its the combo of length of time + how high a dose that seems to effect withdrawal time....it wiuold help him out greatly if you could show him this forum theres others like me that have been threw it and successfully gotten off....he could use all the support he can get its the last little bit thats the most difficult to do...I have helped several people get off this stuff and would be glad to lend a helping hand so tryt and get him on here if not I will work with you...I have had a few girlfreinds do this for there boyfriends so what ever works out best...I wish you all the luck in the world doing this it is difficult but doable...we can help ...God bless  ...Gnarly        

[tomskat]

Hi there and welcome!! I would highly recommend he taper down vs going cold turkey from methadone.Not a fun withdraw and chances of relapse are high.Best thing to do is to talk with the doctor and come up with a taper schedule.Have you checked out our Health Pages?There is a taper schedule there plus a lot of other useful information.Physical withdrawl can last anywhere from 7 days and on,the first 3-4 days being the hardest.Please stick around and let us know how your partner does..we're here to help!Good luck to you both~A

[LeaAnn807]

He needs to speak with a doctor since he has a medical condition.  It may not make any difference, but it's better to be safe than sorry!  I applaud him wanting to get free of the methadone!  It won't be easy, but he will be happy he did!!! : )

Good luck!