need methadone tapering advice please?

[T_J_33]

So, I've going to a methadone clinic for a year and a half now. I was on Suboxone for a year before that, but could no longer afford it. No insurance. Since rehab or private Dr.'s were out of the question for me, and I couldn't go cold turkey with 3 kids, I reluctantly went to a clinic for the 1st time. It has been working for me, I'm doing well. But, it's time to stop. I got my self off of pills, only to have to go to a clinic twice a week, to get methadone, to take every morning! I'm still being ruled by a drug. My plan is that tomorrow morning when I go in, I'm going to go down 10mg. And continue like that till I get to 30mg, then switch to 5mg at a time. I take 70mg a day now. I've heard that it's after 30mg when the "nasties" kick in.
One of my fears, besides withdrawal and relapse,  is that I have RA. Since I have no insurance, the methadone is only thing I have to help with the extreme pain I have on a daily basis.
So, any advice on coming off of methadone, or treating RA with no insurance, please throw in your two cents. I'd be grateful.
Thanks!!! and Good Luck to All!!!

[TiredinTempe]

Hit the post a question tab and fire away. Good luck!

[minnieha]

Thank you.

[minnieha]

oops, I just joined

[minnieha]

I hate living on drugs too, but how do you handle the pain?

[TiredinTempe]

Your on a very old thread. Start a new one if you like.

[minnieha]

I hate living on drugs too, but how do you handle the pain?

[jimgreg]

i was  at  120  maintenance..  came  down 5mgs  every 12 days till i got to 20 mgs  then c.t.  i t wasent good  lasted 14 days on the hell...then the up and down in the mind...but if you want this you will do it....i dont even know  you  but i know  you can..and once you gt threw the 1st part...to me it got ok for awile,,then cloudy days ahead..but i mean the triggers  are  the pits..but you always  REMEMBER WHAT YOU BEEN GOING THREW THIS WHOLE  LIFE STYLE ON THIS MED..AND THATS ALL IT S IS A MED....SEE  THE OPIATE RECEPTORS THATS  WONDERING WHATS  GOING ON IN YOUR BRAIN..WHEN THEY REALIZE THAT THERE NO MORE THAN THEY FIGHT TO GET THAT...ITS WEIRD  NO DOUBT..BUT THE MORE YOU DONT THE BETTER YOU GET...ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THIS IS YOUR MIND..U TELL  IT THAT UR DONE..AND BEFORE LONG THE RECEPTORS SLOW THE STORM DOWN..CUZ  THERES A  PERIOD OF TH E TIME BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL  PART AND  MIND PART..WERE  ITS THE EYE  OF THE STORM..YOU WILL FEEL AT TIMES  OK....THEN ABOUT 3 DAYS LATER  THE OPIATE RECEPTORS ARE KINDA THINKING  I NEED THIS DRUG..THATS THE TIMES THE TRIGGERS COM ON..AND DON'T GIVE IN...AND KEEP  THIS IN UR MIND ALL THE TIME...IF YOU WOULD  GO BACK TO THIS METH  YOU RISK  A OVERDOSE...ANYTIME  YOU GO  3  CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT  YOU RISK OVERDOSE ALOT OF PEOPLE  DONT KNOW THIS,,OR LETS SAY  YOUR ON 70 MGS A DAY..THEN YOU GO TO JAIL 30 DAYS THEN GET OUT AND THINK  U CAN DO WHAT YOU DID BEFORE YOU WENT TO JAIL ..AND TAKE IT,,YOU WILL OVERDOSE..SO UR BEST BET IS TO FOLLOW THREW THIS STORM I PROMISE YOU ..YOU WILL SEE THE RAINBOW....IVE WATCHED MY BROTHER STEEL AND GO TO PRISON AND EVERYTHING..ANDS ANOTHER BROTHER DIED FROM ACCIDENTAL  OVERDOSE.....IM THE OLDEST WITH A BRAIN..  BUT IVE GOT MY ISSUES EVERYONE'S GOT PROBLEMS..YOU GET OFF THIS **** YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   GREAT  LUCK  AND LOVE FOR YOU  JAMES

[mr.lucky66]

I don't think it gets nasty at less than 30 mg. Your plan doesn't sound to bad and I never felt bad until I got under 10 mg. and did it more than a few times. Some people can get off the done without too much problems and others and others need more help. There are some new outpatient detoxes that seem to be having success using some different meds and then shorter courses of sub so you don't get hooked on that. I heard some good reports. all the best

[mtgoat911]

hey tj, i was also on methadone, but i spent years on and off of methadone and suboxone, i have detoxed every way possible, i also had concernes with pain returning after detox, and i am a parent, so i can definantly relate to your struggle, i consider myself a taper master, lol, not really but i have done it so many times myself and i spent a year working the detox med counter in a rehab, the biggest obstacle for those doing an at home taper is the return to use, detoxing off any opiate takes a great deal of courage, but at the same time its got to click that we cannot take drugs not matter what, if we feel like we are dying during our taper we cannot spike our dose, sometimes the urge to go up takes over our entire body during a slow taper, so we get stuck and cannot seem to get down past a certain mg., thats why inpatient detox followed by treatment can be of great use, for those of us who simply cannot go into tx we have to ask a family member to help with our children, we might ask our job for time off or just quit,, knowing that getting clean is more important that keeping a job because if we do not get clean eventually the job is lost along with everything else, the uninsured turns to na meetings while the insured turns to rehab, later they may come to the conclusion that they paid alot of money to be housed in a facility that took them to free 12 step meetings, others like myself are gratefull that the rehab kept us away from the drugs long enough to gain some sense of stability, there are many ways to stop doing drugs as long as the end result is freedom, i wish you the best of luck, you can do this, i speak from experience, one can leave the matience world behind,
xo
goat
exodus from matience since 2004

[IBKleen]

I am glad to hear you are working with them on it. Take it at whatever speed you have to. The idea is to get off and stay off and for many of us, that takes time.

Maybe you could try 5mg at a clip and see how that goes.

[T_J_33]

I have a counselor I work with there. I have to tell them every time I want to go down  and then the Dr okay's it. So they make sure you don't go too fast. I was on 80mg, got down to 60mg, then came back up to 70mg, and that's where I've been for months now.

[IBKleen]

You have been on it for a while and that is a fairly high dose. Be careful you don't come down too fast, the withdrawal will be unbearable.

Is the clinic helping with the taper?