Methodone Withdrawal

I was at 90 mg of meth and goin to clinic everyday and sweating/hiding it from family/friends for two years. My advice, get some benzos legally to help with the withdrwl. Mixing them can be dangerous:so don't! Go cold turkey IT DOES NOT LAST LONG. Trust me 3 days physically; sweating,leg cramps, etc but I PROMISE after day 3 or 4 it is all MENTAL! These clinics sell a product, its a business to them;::: SUBOXONE is just a transfer of addiction. Attend AA meeting I do. Cold turkey feels like ur goin to go but i
PROMISE its all MENTAL. Get someone to support u.won't die! Its not alcohol or beno withdrawal. JUST TRUST ME.not saying its fun but it it DOABLE... I'm 23 days cold turkey and I count every one!

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REPORT

Nic, Are you a doctor? If you aren't please don't give out dangerous advise. Methadone is not anything to play with and it is not advisable to do a cold turkey WD. People have died from methadone WD's. It doesn't happen very often. but it has happened. Goggle it and you will find out. If you are fine after 3-4 days, I doubt you were taking methadone for 2 years. Methadone WD's aren;t horrible if tapered slowly, but done CT after WD's you will have either days, weeks, months, or even years of PAWS/ Post acute withdrawls. For me it never went away,so quit with the medical advice, especially saying to kick with benzos. People die mixing the 2, Also suboxone is a wonder drug for many people, it is not a transfer of addiction. In the first place methadone maintenance patients are dependent, not addicted and it is the same with suboxone. I am very sorry you felt you had to hid your methadone from your family, I just dont understand that. Unless you aren't an adult, your family should have no say in your affairs, but I guess some people listen to the lies about addiction. Also AA/NA is not a one size fits all program. NA almost killed me with their words. Your post is all about the 12 steps, even if you never mentioned AA I knew it was comming from there. There is a website called NA.org. You can talk 24/7 about the 12 steps there, Please don't preach them here to people who are scared enough anyway...Methadone isn't for everyone, but it saved my life. My advice to anyone dealing with opiate dependence or addiction is to talk to your doctor about what your choices are. Never listen to laymen or friends. They are not qualified to diagnois and treat you. Only someone who is trained in the field can give medical advice. Nic, let us know how you are doing 3 months from now. I really do wish you the best of luck

Pat

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Nic,
You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. You are giving horrible advice to someone that could kill them. You say you have 23 days clean cold turkey from methadone maintenence and feel fine, its all mental after 3 days. You're lying. Let me enlighten you. I am ex-heroin addict. I have a little over 5yrs clean. I shot heroin for over 10 years before I went to methadone maintence for help. I tried at least a dozen rehabs and to get off heroin. I thought that detox which is very physical was bad and heroin detox only lasts about a week physically. Anyway I went to the clinic everyday for 3yrs and was not ashamed of it at all, it did help my life. I was able to hold down a good job, pay off all my debt, and stop hanging around with junkies. Don't get me wrong, I don't condone methadone maintenence, but suboxone wasnt out back then. I finally made the decision to get off methadone. I tapered my dose slowly from 160mg/day down to 60 and then got picked up on an old warrant for my arrest. I detoxed the rest of the way cold turkey in prison. Trust me! It is very physical. I was physically detoxing for about a month and then it was mental for another 3-4 mos. after that. I've been clean off everything for 5 yrs now but methadone maintence is the hardest drug to come off of. And please do not preach AA when you've got a few weeks clean and you're recommending someone go find some benzos for the withdrawl. He listens to you and dies his death is on your soul. You need to focus on yourself. And so you know AA isnt for eveyone. I tried it a handful of times and all it did was make me wanna use listening to depressing stories at meetings. I did it on my own. I now have a sucessful life in the carpenters union. One more thing, suboxone is nothing like methadone. Suboxine is an opiod-antagonist. It is a synthentic opiod with the least eurphoic effects if any and it also contains naloxone which is opiate blocker. Get your facts stright and get clean time under your belt before you give someone advice

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jimk, you're an idiot. I shot heroin from the 60's, when there was real heroin in the street, until the 80's when most heroin is weak garbage.You want to quit methadone, you can. You had a hard time because you were in jail plus, you sound like you were or are, a mental weakling. Suboxone has nalaxone so you can't give it to anyone or they'll go into imediate withdrawal. You have to be sick for 36 hours before you take subs. Get your facts straight. Each person is an individual and can kick anyway they can. I was on methadone for 15 years, 150mgs. and walked off. It's up to the person and if unlike you, they have inner strenght, they can do it. Don't discourage people. If you think anyone died from cold turkey, then cite your sources. NOBODY has died from cold turkey of methadone!!!!!

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Nickynub,

I know exactly what I'm talking about. I dont care what you think of me. I know my facts. I got factual info on both methadone and suboxone. And FYI you only have to wait 16hrs after you last took any opiates before you can take a suboxone or actually as soon as you feel sick. I know this for a fact.

And dont ever call me a weakling because I've been clean for over 5 years on my own, no AA or NA. I've got extremely strong willpower not to mention I dont take threats well. See me on da bricks and say that to me and see what happens to you.

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I started this discussion board and you guys take it all wrong bc you can't handle being sober (except for da bricks guy lol)-loser. I never said to mix methadone with benzos. I said to use them after your done with methadone if you need a little help. And NO, let me say this again NO one has dies going CD off of methadone. Anyone can make a web site and say that people have dies going CD. Don't believe everything you read. I don't have time for these posts. For those of you who told me to check back after 30 days well, same results doind just great w/o any withdrawal symptoms. I''ve talked to many doctors and especially taxicologists, and you are wrong about the post.year-lasting symptoms. Tough it up for a loved one and especially yourself. I switched to a workout routine, got a new number do I'm not tempted from old friends. I graduate in 2 quarters and will join the marines an as offices at OCS(these are called golas).You need them, whether it;s one day at a time or w/e. Life is boring but there is so much out there instead of depending on something. My facts are right. I wish the best for you all!

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well i am goin on 3 months of methadone now im on 45mg. i dont want to go anymore i am so done with opiates but i dont want to take pills to help me im afftaid it will make me go right back do u have to slowly weene off it so u dont get sick i was goin crazy before but now im the happies i ever been but im just tired of payin $9,00 a day $63.00 a week is alot when u dont got alot of money so i just dont know alot about methadone i just thought it was a short term thing but i guess not i just dont want to be addicted to anything im so tired of it i was a heroine addict for one year and now im on methadone it just sux bad. i just want to be totally clean and sober with nothin in my system holding me back or down ya no

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5258,
I completely understand you wanting to be done with opiates and be clean and sober. There is nothing better. I shot dope for over 10 years and methadone maintenance got me off of it, of course it was cheaper back then. However while I was on it I was able to work full time+overtime and pay my bills and save money seeing that I wasnt wasting my money on illegal drugs. Dont get me wrong I would not recommend methadone maintenance to anyone even tho it helped me get off dope. The thing is methadone maintenance is much harder to get off of than heroin or any other opiates. I was on 160mg/day for 2years and the physical withdrawl lasted about a month, after that it was all mental for another several months. Seein that you're only on 45mg/day it might not be as bad. But I would still recommend a slow taper at your clinic 1-5mg/day, no more than 5 or you will feel signs of withdrawl. The lower mg taper the more likely you wont notice any effects and the easier it is to get off. There is also a drug out now that was not available when I went to methadone maintenance. This drug is Suboxone, it is a synthetic opiod antagonist combined with Naloxone or Narcon which is an opiate blocker. It does have a synthetic opiod in it but it has the least euphoric feeling if any and if taken properly the Naloxone in it will prevent you from getting high on opiates because it blocks them. I hope this info was helpful. If you can do it without any drugs like suboxone more power to you but I do strongly recommend to taper down slowly off the methadone, it will be a much easier ride, just ask your counselor. Good luck bro! Life is great, and short so value it. I have been clean for over 5 years now and you'd be amazed what I've done and accomplished, I've got a great career in the carpenters union making more money than most college grads, my bills are always paid early, and I can spend money on different things I want and save money at the same time. If you need any additional info or need someone to chat with, help you thru it let me know, I'll send you my email address.

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Suboxone has actually proven to be the best recent find to help people beat their addictions, SAFELY and most eventually end up completely drug free, so it DOES NOT trade one addiction for another as Methadone treatment usually does.

You can find out more and see if there is a doctor in your are at:

Suboxone.com

That said, yes, giving someone advice to just go cold turkey or try to find other drugs and self-medicate to beat their addictions CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS!!

In severe causes, where a person was taking very high amounts of opiates, if they stop suddenly, the withdrawal effects COULD BE LETHAL!

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RE: Jimk
I'm not sure if we are suppose to reply to the Moderator.
I have been on 30mg of Methadone for about five years. My doc. told me to start reducing the intake but never told me how. I went on the internet and found a lot of messages that scared me to death. I started first with decreasing 15mg and I thought my legs were going to fall off, so I had to stop. I then started with 5mg for two weeks. I am now on the second 5mg and I am into it for a week. I plan to keep that up for another week. I will then try to start on the 3rd 5mg. I totally agree that it has to be done slowly. I haven't had any withdrawals, just feeling out of sorts.
My question: Should I keep going down the 5mg or down to 21/2? I also gained weight from about 140 to 173. After I am off the Methadone is there hope of losing the weight? Thanks for any help you can give me.

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At this time working my later steps, I can let it be known that I AM A DOCTOR Pat. I was ashamed to say so before.

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Re: Rabbit
So coming down 5mg every 2 weeks has been working fairly well with you, thats good. You definitely need to taper down slowly. 5mgs every two weeks is an ideal rate to taper down without experiencing withdrawl effects. However once you get down to half of your original dose, 15mgs in your case, I would definitely reccommend a slower taper especially at lower doses like 10-15mgs and below. I agree with trying out 2 1/2mgs over 2 weeks. See how you feel. Then when you get down to 10mgs a day, I would stay at 10mgs a day for about 5-7 days and then try and go down a mg to 9mgs for about the same amount of time and than 8 and so on. See how you feel. It may seem like a small dose but I've known many people that got down to 7 or 8 mgs a day and had a hard time coming down any lower but everybody is different. Take your time and taper down as slow as your body needs. Its not easy but the slower the taper and the less mgs you come down in a time period the less withdrawl effects you feel. Before you know it you will be done with methadone maintenence and be able to move on with your life without having to go to the clinic. You dont have to follow my mg taper timeframe, do it on your own according to how your body feels, but take your time, it will be much easier. Keep me posted on how your going about it and how its working for you. Good luck!

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Re: Rabbit
As for the weight issue. After your off methadone and your body adjusts to feeling normal again you will have the natural energy and you can set yourself up with a 3 day a week workout routine. Not only will that help out with the weight but you will feel better all around. Just make sure to follow a strict routine, dont break it. It might not be pleasant at first but after about a month, you will enjoy it. It will also help with your sleeping pattern and relieve stress as well as staying healthy.

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Hi Jimk..Thanks for your posts..You are successful in your methadone taper because you did it the right way. I am glad that you spoke up about the Benzos. I have been on MMT since Jan 2001, and I plan on staying on it until there is a cure for opiate addiction. But I am the exception, not the rule. I have never kicked in Prison, but I really know you suffered. and I am so sorrry. The 12 steps aren't for me, but I am glad they work for you. Please keep posting so you can help people with your experience....And Nic. No one made up a website. Look up newspaper articles, and look up court cases, people have died in jail from forced methadone WD's. Where I live, you go to jail, you get dosed PERIOD. If you don't know what you are talking about then STFU because you can kill someone with lies. You are really clueless if you have never heard of PAWS. Post acute withdrawls. You are a joke. Methadone WD, all in your head? How stupid do you think people are? Rabbit. good luck friend. You seem to be tapering right....Keep it up. Suboxne helps a lot of people, however I got very ill on it. We are all different

Pat

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Hey jimk, Nic is a doctor!! LOLOLO If I knew a doctor giving advice like him, I would report him to the AMA QUICK.....Some people will lie even if it hurts innocent people. Nic, shame on you.....BTW, what is your city? Whar is your last name? I would love to report you Nicci Boy. Pleasae, no one listen to this joker his advice is dangerous

Pat

Pat

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Pat, I don't condone taking people being taking off all at once!. I'm just saying you pu##y addicts can get off with no problem in 10 to 14 days. You don't because you're afraid to be a little uncomfortable. Well, life is uncomfortable. You're still in the junkie mode and extend your detox because you want to continue taking something every day until you magically feel no pain at all. All you people have to do is sneeze and oh my God I'm illin, I need something. I don't care what your doses are out there. Man up pu##ies and do it in 10 to 14 days. You keep stretching and stretching because subconsciencely you never want to get totally off. What total losers

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Hey Nic, why dont you just kick rocks, get lost. Nobody wants to read your BS! You've got no clue what your talking about and you give dangerous advice for a doctor, ha. I wish you were a doctor that got the sh!t sued outta him for the advice you been givin people. Whats up Pat, I'm glad you called Nic on his BS. I will continue to post here and help people out who need it. Oh yeah, Pat, just so you know I got clean on my own. I had tried AA/NA in the past, its not for me either. You can still do it without AA/NA, I did it. Its all about willpower. Good luck man.

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What a moron JimK. You're suppossed to know so much so how can you propose willpower to people. If there was ANYTHING like will power, the world would be utopian idiot!!!!!

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Hi Jimk...I really had to call Nic on his BS, because he is not only now lying claiming to be a doctor, but his advice may very well cause an addict great harm. You have been through withdrawl so you know it isn't done with in a few days or weeks. Heck my brother in law walked off the clinic at 60MG and it took him 6 months to even begin to feel normal. I am glad you are staying here to post because as you can see there aren't too many people here that know what they are talking about. You and I are dope fiends and we know what it is like, and that is the key. Addicts know we are for real and we don't need a college degree to help, all we need to help is our experience. I did the NA thing for a long time and when I relapsed I found out really quick that those people didn't want me around because they were scared that if I was around too much my relapse would wear off on them, I walked out of an NA meeting in 2002 and never looked back. Thanks for the heads up about me tapering, but I have been on this rollercoster ride since I was 14 years old, and I am happy where I am at. I know what happens when I taper, first it starts with vicodin, and I go straight back to heroin, and I am too old for this crap, At 54 years old, I just can't use anymore. People saying I subsutue one drug 4 another, well, thats ok because where I am sitting, methadone is much better than fixing that tar. This last time, I almost managed to die. Abbccess, Hep B+C scars all over, and I just cant go through it anymore.This ole dope fiend has lost her hustle, Can you see a 54 year old turning tricks?? LOL My hubby wouldn't let me do that anyway.Heck, I'm not even a good liar anymore..My hubby does plan on tapering, and he is going SLOW. I think he is doing 3mg every 6 weeks/ He is on 45mg right now. Anyway Jim, have a great weekend, and I will TTYS

Pat

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RE: Jimk Says:
Saturday, 10/31/2009 2:35:42 AM
Re: Rabbit

You said to let you know how I was coming along with the Methadone withdrawal. I have reduced the Methadone from 30 mg a day to 20 mg a day. It has worked well for me doing 5mg reduction per 2 weeks. I do feel bad but have had very little pain and absolutely nothing as bad as others who have written on the message board. I plan to stop now and wait until after the holidays
to start reducing the methadone until I am off it.

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Nic, People are different! God did not make us all the same! Everyone has a different tolerance and some are on a lot of medication because of physical problems. I also feel that age has a lot to do with it as welI. I tried going off 15 mg of Methadone but I was in such terrible pain that I could not do it. I am now going off 5 mg per week and it is working. Oh, by the way, I am 62 years old.

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Interested in drug interactions and programs to get lower cost medicine

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I am having withdrawws from methodone I am on 75 mg now I was at 150 but I started getting nerves really bad and started taking a little more methodone and IT ran out I have been 2 days now with out it and I am sick is it dangerous to go on a withdraw I still have a nother day before I get more methodone or should I go to the er would they help me .

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Rabbit Says:
Friday, 11/6/2009 10:53:48 AM

Nic, Correction! I am going off Methadone 5 mg per 2 WEEKS.

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