Aa
methadone withdrawal
i am a reasonably healthy 46yo female & spent 18 years on methadone before being involuntarily withdrawn from 75mg methadone over an 8 week period. Last 20mg I came off at 1mg per day. I am now taking (not prescribed) 5-20mg methadone per day as I couldn't cope with some withdrawal symptoms. Suboxone is not available to me in New Zealand & my GP prescribed zopiclone 7.5mg for sleep. What can I do to get off methadone, minimising the terrible heart palpitations & breathlessness that are the only things I can't cope with? Please help as I desperately want off this drug!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I applaud your resolve to get clean, but want to caution you that methadone is a long acting narcotic and your withdrawal symptoms will stick around for quite a while. You will feel rotten for as long as four to six weeks. You may want to switch to something shorter acting, talk to your doctor about it, and taper off of that.
There is really no easy way of detoxing from home. I have dealt with hundreds of addicts who have all told me horror stories of doing it by themselves. I would only guess that if are successful in doing it at home you don't end up in my clinic.
Just in case you are curious, it takes us three to four days to detox a patient and get him/her back home drug free and feeling well on Naltrexone therapy (no opiates).
At home, the basic technique is to space out the pills you take on a consistent manner until you take only one at night, then half at night, than every other night and then none. See if your doctor can write you a prescription for some Requip for restlessness, Neurontin for anxiety and malaise, some Flexeril or Soma for a few weeks for muscle spasms and maybe some Seroquel low dose, for sleep. It will make your withdrawals easier. Valerian and Magnesium is sometimes helpful remedies over the counter.
The residual symptoms of insomnia and depression can last another few months. Thus, it is not easy, but it gets better and better over time and you can look forward to a drug free healthy energetic you in the future.
Take a look at my blogs about options for detox and recovery. You may also take a look at my clinic website where I also have my blogs and a lot of other info about drug addiction and recovery. It is at www.MDSDrugDetox.com where you will find more of my blogs. Look especially into the blog and the info on Naltrexone therapy after getting clean. It really improves your chances of staying clean for good by cutting down your physical cravings.
There is a injectable form available now that is covered by all major medical insurances called Vivitrol that you would need to get only once monthly to stay clean. Just keep it in mind for the future. Good luck to you.
There is really no easy way of detoxing from home. I have dealt with hundreds of addicts who have all told me horror stories of doing it by themselves. I would only guess that if are successful in doing it at home you don't end up in my clinic.
Just in case you are curious, it takes us three to four days to detox a patient and get him/her back home drug free and feeling well on Naltrexone therapy (no opiates).
At home, the basic technique is to space out the pills you take on a consistent manner until you take only one at night, then half at night, than every other night and then none. See if your doctor can write you a prescription for some Requip for restlessness, Neurontin for anxiety and malaise, some Flexeril or Soma for a few weeks for muscle spasms and maybe some Seroquel low dose, for sleep. It will make your withdrawals easier. Valerian and Magnesium is sometimes helpful remedies over the counter.
The residual symptoms of insomnia and depression can last another few months. Thus, it is not easy, but it gets better and better over time and you can look forward to a drug free healthy energetic you in the future.
Take a look at my blogs about options for detox and recovery. You may also take a look at my clinic website where I also have my blogs and a lot of other info about drug addiction and recovery. It is at www.MDSDrugDetox.com where you will find more of my blogs. Look especially into the blog and the info on Naltrexone therapy after getting clean. It really improves your chances of staying clean for good by cutting down your physical cravings.
There is a injectable form available now that is covered by all major medical insurances called Vivitrol that you would need to get only once monthly to stay clean. Just keep it in mind for the future. Good luck to you.
Welcome to the forum. We can't give specific taper schedules on the forum, but that is your best option with methadone. You need to go much slower than 75mg in 8 weeks. Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc tabs, vitamins, amino acids, and lots of water help a lot. There's no painless way to get off any opiate, especially methadone, but it is doable. Settle into a long slow taper and keep your eyes on the prize. Exercise, keeping busy, and relaxing as much as you can help also. Are you comfortable at 5-20mg a day now?
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