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using percocet to withdrawal from methadone

I'm on day 15 of using percocet 7.5 (4 and then 3 a day) to come off of 10 mg methadone per day (3 yrs).
My question is, if i use this percocet will i then withdrawal from it?

Heres the details:

day one thru 12 took 4 perc's a day to maintain. still symptoms but was able to go to work and sleep. mostly very fatigued and my thinking is erratic. emotional at times, feeling of insecurity, anger, etc.
But nothing is as bad as what I had become taking methadone-  isolated, aggitated.
I was 4 years sober from other drugs when i started taking this for an accident i was in. that's all healed as good as it's gonna get and i cant stand the side effects of the methadone. to be honest, vanity plays a part, my uncle hadnt seen me in 3 years and told me i barely resemble myself from just 3 yrs ago. gained 10 lbs, look bloated, skin not as clear, coloring a bit rough, just kinda sick looking.

Anyways the first week of withdrawaling from methadone i had to take 4 perc's and didn't feel too bad, just fatigued.
The 2nd week was awful. the fatigue was unbearable, lots of pain and weakness in my back, hips, legs, especially legs, ankles and feet.

Appetite was good first week, not second week. and I threw up a few times 2nd week also.

So....I have to work, big meetings mon and tuesday and i cannot be sick or weird. Im getting a bit panicky cause i'm gonna run out of these percocet before i can go back to the dr. so a friend is sending me 6 5mg methadone to get me thru next week. i figure im down to 5 making me "normal" again for work for the week.
The plan is to then go back on the perc's just 2 or 3 a day.

But then what? will i be sick stopping just 2 to 3 a day?

Im a very addicted person. had a very bad problem with cocain and heroine years ago. court mandatory treatment for a year and i changed just about everything about myself for the better. but now im in this jam and really feeling like my old self.

when i'd come off the heroin yrs ago i'd use Vistaril, Clonodine, and Valium. and it wasnt bad at all. 5-7 days of laying around. But now i have major responsibilites and i just cant do that. Although i do wish my dr wouldve given me those. It's been so long i forgot to ask and didnt really think it would be this bad.

Anyone that has any info about withdrawing this way, please give me some insight. i just off of this stuff and be me 100% again.
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Avatar universal
Since this was years ago, I'm hoping that you're finally off the opiates and living a healthy normal life. This message is for someone else in your position looking for advice.

I have had to get off of methadone 4 times, this being my last hopefully. I am currently 2 1/2 weeks in, and feeling pretty normal. I was on 40-60 mg of methadone per day. I went cold turkey 3-4 years ago off of 40 mg and it was the obsolute worst 6+ weeks of my ENTIRE life. I'm surprised I didn't die. Anyway, if you want to get off methadone get on oxycodone for sure. You want to be on approxiate 3x as much oxycodone as methadone I.E. 40 MG methadone = 120 MG of oxycodone. Methadone w/d lasts about 6 weeks. Cut back about 10mg of oxycodone per week, and don't try to quit until at least 6 weeks. Eventually you will have to pay the piper a bit, but oxycodone w/d is tough, but nothing like methadone w/d. After at least 6 weeks keep cutting down on oxycodone as best as you can. You should be off of it in 8-10 weeks (everyone is different though).

P.S. You will need something to help you sleep (Clonodine is a life saver, helps significantly with the restless arms/legs by lowering your blood pressure), and perhaps ambien or something else to help you sleep.

I wish you the best of luck, it will get better! Never ever ever ever give up. If you fail, hop back on that train! Your life is more important than some pills.
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
Why get on Oxys  why get on that **** I haven't had methadone for 5 days and feel good I tapered down from 60mg to 5mg for 40 days and stopped 5 days ago. Nothing like coming of morphine.I nearly died after whe first 8 hours and went through hell.. No more for me 200 bucks a month saved. AND free
And I was on it for 7 years
Avatar universal
so i took the methadone, it got me thru the week of work. but yesterday and today are just awful. restless legs, and whatever that is where you feel like your body isnt even completely attached and your trying to drag yourself along. pains everywhere. headache.
my thinking is so totally screwed up.
i guess 5 mg a day and i would be good.  it sounds like such a small amount. years ago i wouldve laughed at someone trying to get off such a small amount. this is just crazy. i came off of 8 80mg oxycontin and i dont remember it being like this. the difference is i have so many responsibilities now i cant just deal with this however i need to.
i have to function and go to work.
this is so awful. i feel so bad for anyone going thru this. there has to be a better way. there's so many of us that have or are going thru this. or will.
im going to my dr. thursday. he doesnt want me off of the methadone. but i do. so he's going to give me more percocets i think to keep trying to get off the methadone. its taking me about 3 perc's a day now, not 4 anymore. on days i dont have to work i could get by with 2. but i just feel like im taking perc's while withdrawing. it doesnt totally take away the withdrawl. just covers it up about 3/4's of the way and then it comes back as the perc's wear off.

i cannot believe how long this lasts. i never thought it would be this long.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
HI ......I got a few questions for you and then will see what we can do....sounds like a plan the only part I dont like is the methadone .....think hard and long to come off of I see your not going to be getting it from a clinic so your supplier may run dry on you with no notice it would be best done with a clinic if your going to go the methadone way.....your habit is not that bad yet I would just use the perks and taper off with them ....methadone is really your last lifeline
when you no longer can control your intake but its like driving a car with only one bolt holding the wheel on it wont be long b/4 your using rediculas amounts of the perks but doing with methadone your going to have to taper anyways to get off then do it again ..you only need to clean up once if you do it right and the perks are way ezer to come off of then the methadone....methadone is a real. monster to get off of....even low doses we have had a couple of members do the 21 day detox it works but its harsh ...you will be saving yourself lots of time and money if you just taper with the perks at least try it with the perks first if you cant do it using just the perks It might not work out you can detox off the perks in about 2 weeks time... 3 weeks is about as short of time you can get away with do you have any one that could hold onto the pills for you and just give what your supose to get this will make the tapering a lot ezer...what dose are you taking now that you on the methadone?? and what is the least amount you can get by on??? I know the methadone pills look tempting but trust me over the years of use I have detox on several different pills methadone will bring you down faster but again the withdrawals a lot tougher....keep posting and let us know.....there is know way around the withdrawals but you can control how there used good luck to you with this ....keep posting if you have question ....Gnarly
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi,that a very low meth dose.Percocet is a 4-hour per-dose drug,I.e. fast acting,however methadone is a very-long acting drug.I wouldnt play chemist. My suggestion is 2mls taper a week  10-8-6 etc.Please dont get another drug on board.Just a suggestion. all the best john
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Avatar universal
thanks Mellie4

I'm looking at other posts now and then i'll check out those Health Pages. Never heard of Thomas Recipe, but I'll definately check it out. Ya know, just posting back and forth with people showing support has actually helped some too.
Support from friends and AA and now here, has really made the difference, it means everything to help you thru it.

I'm 3 states away from my dr for work right now, for work.
But you know, I should just call him anyways and see if he could call in something to help me.
I just started panicking and it's the weekend so I'll call him monday.

Cant wait to be me again and like people again, and not be so aggitated all the time. I'll struggle thru some pain for that.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
There's the Amino Acid Protocol and the Thomas Recipe and you can find them under the Health Pages, I think.  Gnarly also has great suggestions for people coming off methadone.  I'm sure he'll have some suggestions for you and he is an expert on coming off methadone.  You can look at other posts about methadone and see some of his comments on how to be more comfortable as you're coming off things.  Good luck.
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Avatar universal
thanks ladywithtime,

you called that right, i feel like a yo-yo. a few hours good, a few hours bad. just when i think it's getting better it gets worse.

This site is great for support!

so, youre thinking no more perc's cause i will withdrawal off those then?  

What kind of amino acids are useful?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I think you should call your doctor and let him know you need something for the withdrawals, that you'll be out of the Percocets.  Why would you go back on the methadone?  I don't have any personal experience with methadone, but I did a lot of research and read a lot about it here.  At one time my PM doctor wanted me to go on it for pain but after everything I read about it, I said no.  I understand you need to feel well enough to handle your work responsibilities, but given the long half-life of the methadone, I think you'd be really taking a big step back.  I don't know if it would set you back to the beginning but I don't think I'd want to take that chance.  Since you've had your doctor for a long time and have an established relationship (even though you plan on finding a new one) I would think you could even have him paged over the weekend.

I'm sure someone who knows more about this will be able to answer some of your questions.  I'd hate to see you back at square one after you've worked so hard with your taper.
Helpful - 0
1454150 tn?1288127898
hi lorilynn, to answer your question yes you will go through some measure of w/ds. it looks like your yo-yoing all over the place and your body and brain are confused. i might get in trouble for this but i believe we all detox in our own way--whatever way that may be as long as the end result is stopping the drugs.

if it were me i would use the 5mg of methodone to get through your important meetings this week and maybe even cutting them in half and then when you see your doctor DO NOT get the perks--ask instead for some clonidine. it's a blood pressure med that helps greatly when you go through w/ds. you will feel sick but there are lots of remedies including amino acids that can help you along.

you can do this. God Bless you lorilynn
Helpful - 0
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