what are my best options?

Question

Hi there, I'm on 14 mls of methodone and just want to be done with it! I have been tapering off for about 4 months now with a highest dose of 55 mls.  It seems every time I go down I get more uncomfortable and just want to be dome with it! Is this to high of a dose to just quit cold turkey ? I was also informed that suboxine might be easier? I have 14 months clean off all drugs and would appreciate any info.  Is there anything else that has helped anyone with these issues? Natural meds? Anything? Thanks

Jenelle2020 · Answer

I totally agree with atthebeach. You were not on a high dose of methadone to begin with and now you are down to 14mls. The lower you go the harder it gets and having detoxed from methadone myself from being on it for over 7 years, I know what it feels like to detox from it. I took it extremely slow! When I got down to 20mgs I started feeling the withdrawal, started to lose sleep etc. I was warned that when you get down to the lower numbers, the harder it is to detox and it takes longer. When I hit 10mgs I dropped my dose 1mg every 10-14 days to let my body adjust to it. I went right down to 1mg that way. I understand you want to be done with it but you will have a harder detox if you jump now, as opposed to doing slowly so your body will adjust to each drop. I have heard of people jumping at 5mgs and still having a hard time. What worked best for me was going very slow right down to 1mg, staying there for 10 days and then stopping. Either way you will have some withdrawal to contend with, so it is your choice whether you jump now and get it over with but have a tougher detox, or go slow and let your body adjust to the drops. I wish you luck and all the best in which way you choose to go. Please keep posting and let us know how you are doing.

atthebeach · Answer

just taper from the methadone and be done with it. why switch 
yo subs. you will still have withdrawal and have to detox from methadone or subs once you stop. you cant avoid withdrawal.

jayeye · Answer

they say 2 weeks is that "time" it takes......i have to face that im gonna face some discomfort so yeah im gonna keep it no more than 10 days...if i feel like **** big deal at least it wont be full blown w/d....take a few days off work if i have two

kuku4kokopuffs · Answer

"so you think two weeks on subs would be enough to get you sick even at a low dose?"

I can't say for sure how long it would take you to become physically dependent but I would think 2 weeks would do it. 

The higher the dose you're on the worse it will be to come off of, but I wouldn't want to trade addictions if I could get by without it. You'll just have to go through the same thing again and no telling for how long before you finally stop completely.

gnarly_1 · Answer

HI  well I was on methadone for almost 7 yrs at 150mg I tapered down to 1 mg and it was still a tuff detox as long as your in tthe single digits it is very doable the just know it takes a wile to detox 7 to 10 days for the phyical the the mental hits this you will need to work out with aftercare N/a has a great program and it works if you work it join now you will be greeted with a warm hug and be around people that have been threw what your going threw it has been my saving grace keep posting for support we all want to see you beet this....................................Gnarly..................

jayeye · Answer

amen to not having to detox in jail cant imagine thats a whole new hell.

so you think two weeks on subs would be enough to get you sick even at a low dose?

kuku4kokopuffs · Answer

I was thinking more along the lines of 6-7 days on Suboxone. Any more than that and you risk becoming physically dependent on it. 

You're still going to have the tail end of Methadone withdrawals to deal with, but if you get down to a low enough level before you start on Subs the worst of it should be over.

I had an easier time coming off Subs than I did Methadone, but I did it from 8mg Suboxone over a 3 month period. That's much more of a leisurely pace than I was ever afforded coming off Methadone. 

I have successfully tapered myself off 120mg Methadone a day over a 1 month period, but fun it was not and I spent most of it in bed. To work the schedule I planned out I had to drop from 120mg to 50mg and the only thing I can say is thank God I didn't have to do it in jail.

jayeye · Answer

no problem keep posting.....let us know how things are going....this bored saved my life once......than i relapsed so im back again...maybe i should have never left....every single person on here is an angle in disguise.

whatever youre feeling post about it ppl will respond and help the best they can....we have all either been through it or are going thru it no shame here no judgement.

if you dont mind me asking were you taking it to get off H or pills or for another reason?

ksenija_73 · Answer

I do feel the pressure from my doc even wanting to keep me on method one. This is why I'm looking for people who have actually experienced this.. Thanks again

jayeye · Answer

i would say 1-2 weeks topssssss but im coming of heroin and not done

but i would imagine that would be enough.....and just a heads up not all but most sub doctors dont know what they are talking about....mostly just want to get your money....they will try to start you off at a high dose trust me you wont need to be on anything more than 8mg to start....i was doing 1-2 bundles of heroin a day IV and i started at 4mg the first day and second day dropped to 2mg and i was fine.

do your research on your own in regards to subs....the doctors will probably want to keep you on it for at least 3 months which you dont want to do you will be in the same boat you are now

ksenija_73 · Answer

Short term is what I was going for... I see my doc next week and was planning on switching. Is the sub easier to withdrawal from? And when you say "short term" how long would you say would be realistic? I feel like I'm at a point where I don't want to be "controlled" by either of them...

jayeye · Answer

kuku is right sub detox can be just as hard as done detox......i was on subs for 5 months and found it so hard to c/t them i relapsed....now im doing a 1-2 week taper plan at a very low dose just to get through the worst of it.

kuku4kokopuffs · Answer

I was addicted to Methadone and buying mine from a friend who had a script of it for pain. There were many, many times over the years when an unforeseen situation would arise and my supply be cut short, forcing me to do a nosedive taper or go CT.

I found the times I felt the worst tapering was when I made too big of a drop or didn't stay at the last drop long enough to let my body acclimate to the new dose. If you're feeling bad after a drop it's because one of those two reasons IMO.

If you're thinking of using Suboxone to get off Methadone I would only use it for a very brief period. Only a matter of days to get over the worst of the Methadone withdrawals and not long enough to get addicted to Sub. It can be used successfully that way, but if you stay on Suboxone so long that you become addicted to it what's the point?

ksenija_73 · Answer

Thanks much appreciated.

jayeye · Answer

welcome to the forums......i never went the done path but from what i read here 14mls might be a lil to high to jump off of.....i heard of ppl getting down on the done than switching to subs for a short taper i hear that makes it much less agonizing.

there will be ppl following my post with more experience with methadone than i have and will be able to help you greatly......congrats on your progress so far