[melinda7.5]

Originally Posted by shiva666

I just started Methadone 3 weeks ago.

I've been struggling with opiates for about 15 yrs. I was clean for a good 5 years, but then started up again about 5 yrs. ago but kept it to a couple of days a week to not get a habit, of course that didn't last. I've been hooked again for about 3 years. I've detoxed from Heroin/oxy's/dilaudid about 7 times in the past 3 yrs with the help of valium, chlonadine, muscle relaxants and sleeping pills, but I could never stay clean. I would always start up again a few days after I got clean. This time around, because of the fear of detoxing and missing work, I decided to go on Methadone. After spending a few hours reading message boards, I think I may have made the biggest mistake of my life!!!

It seems like the one week of ********************ty detox off of heroin is a breeze compared to the long drawn out painful taper off of methadone. I DON"T WANT TO GET FAT EITHER!!!!

I've been on for 3 weeks. I'm at 50 mg. If I start tapering now how bad is it going to be. I honestly can't miss work, and I have a physical job.

- because I haven't been on methadone long, will it be easier to get off?
- how slow should I taper, and by how much?
- i need to make this as painless as possible so I can work.
- or should I stay on it a few years and deal with it later?

from what I'm reading, it seems that the longer your on methadone, the harder it is?

also has every girl who's gone on methadone gained weight? like how much?
so like i said in my post yesterday, I started on Methadone 3 weeks ago. I'm at 50 mg, I drink it daily at the drugstore. After finding this board last night, I think I've made the biggest mistake of my life. If I stop taking my Methadone say, tomorrow and go back to using Dilaudid and Heroin, would I be sick?? I would do this only until I can book myself into a clinic to detox. I've detoxed of Dilaudid and H. before and it sounds like a breaze compared to methadone!!!! what do you think?? I've only been on 3 weeks. Seeing that a regular family doctor prescribes it to me, I do not get urine tests, so like the addict I am, along with my Methadone, I've still been using other Opiates, but obviously I don't feel them very much. I am very scared about Methadone. I need to do something soon, before it's too late! I live in Canada, Suboxone is not prescribed here yet.

Hi shiva 666
I have never been on methadone so I wont be able to help much,I have been on everything else but not methadone...LOL
But what I wanted to tell you is if you can start your own thread I think more people will see it and you can get more help...
Talk to you soon ,Melinda

[mpvt]

Hi Shiva666:

You have not made the iggest mistake of your life. You are a chronic opiate addict and you are ready for ORT (Opiate Replacement Therapy). Methadone is an exellent drug for chronic addict like ourselves. Were you see the problems with methadone is when people are put on it that have no right being on it. This isn't the patients fault as all they are trying to do is get help.

Anyway, a 15 year addict with multiple relapse's is a perfect canadate for methadone mateniance Therapy. I was addictively addicted for 23 years and 7 years ago I got on methadone. I'm 5''10'' small boned and weigh 175lbs. Which is perfect weight for my stats. When you get stable on methadone it is important that you get or stay active. A lot of people get caught sitting around and eating sweets. That's why you see overweight methadone patients. Methadone stimulates the reward centre in your brain so you need to stay away from sweets as much as possible otherwise you will pig out on this stuff and gain weight.
So, eat as balanced a diet as you can and stay as active as you can and I garuntee you won't get fat.

Methadone also lets your brain revert back to it's natural state after time so it's important to stay on it. Using methadone to detox is really a good idea. It works best when used long term for heavy addicts.

If you really don't want to stay on methadone (3 weeks is not nearly enough time to stabilize) then ask your doctor about suboxone (buprenorphene). Good luck and give the methadone time to work. You should be on it for a couple years minimum to allow you to get your life in order and again to let your brain and body heal.....Dave

[Robert_325]

I agree with Dave. I seldom recommend methadone simply because of the nature of the drug. NO WAY it's for short term use like the three weeks you mentioned. It's not even for three month use. Methadone is a medication that should be used when other methods have been exhausted in my opinion. But for the right person methadone is a great medication. Whether you take methadone, suboxone, or xyz medication there are always going to be some potential side effects be it good or bad. But if we do things right, we seldom experience the negative effects of most medications.

Don't be in such a rush to judgement on the methadone. It's your decision and you can certainly quit taking it if that is what you choose. But it helps lots of people. It saved Dave and he isn't the only one. Lots of people bad mouth methadone, the same with suboxone and it saves people too. Find out all the details first and then make an educated decision rather than an emotional one. And get your information from those who have the correct answers. God bless.

[jj14377]

Originally Posted by PainfulReality

I will admit that when I discovered the syringes in his pillowcase I was a mental case and I felt as though I needed to be medicated myself to cope. I can tell you that as an affected family member my sleepless nights are too countless to mention, the pain and agony I feel daily is immeasurable. We may not feel the leg cramps and have convulsions, but our pain and sense of loss and hopelessness is truly as great.... I have learned to be a better support system, but plan to be there through the long haul to ensure to bring my son back to LIFE. I have cried and read for so many countless hours that my eyes have been nearly swollen shut at times. Family members of the afflicted suffer right along with the addicted, ever step of the way. G is still my baby and will be until the day I die, I will fight with every bit of fight I have in me to keep him alive. I fully plan to see the day when he is clean and able to live a pain-free normal life.,,,, I feel it necessary to express to each and everyone of you that your lives are valuable and your fight is worth every pain you will have to battle. As a mother of an addict I can tell you the pain of loosing G would be far greater than the pain of his struggles now. I truly believe that God has given each of you the strength you need to succeed....!

Painful Reality, I really loved your post about you and yoru son's struggles. I just joined this forum and was cruising it when I happened upon what you wrote, and it struck a chord in my heart.

I am a recovering opiate addict and alcoholic. I was addicted to heroin for about 4 years, and then I was in a methadone maintenance program for about another 4 years.

I had been taking 90 mg of methadone everyday for years when I was put in jail for a probation violation. The English language is utterly insufficient for me to explain the absolute horror of those days of my life.

Anyway, your post reduced me to tears. I could feel the depth of your pain as I read the words that so obviously came from the deepest recesses of your heart. This hurts me because I put my own mother through so much, and you remind me of her. My mother has always loved me as deeply as you obviously love your son, and I am excruciatingly aware of the fact that I broke her heart every single day for years.

But I made it through the other side of the tunnel after close to 10 years of addiction/alcoholism. I believe in my heart that your son can make it because he and I were both blessed with the invaluable gift of mothers who will move mountains for us.

I really would like to get in touch with you and see how you and your son are doing. I have no doubt that I can offer you helpful tips and information--your son's experiences and addictions sound much like mine. Or rather, his experiences sound much like mine did when I was 20 years old!


"Painful Reality," I cannot express how much I want to hear from you. Please contact me. I looked at your profile, but I noticed you hadn't logged in since Nov. 2008--and that was the only time you logged in. I cannot find a way to email you. I'm just hoping you are monitoring these posts and that you will get in touch with me.

I pray that you and your son are doing well.

[spikehudson]

Originally Posted by karen lock

my name is karen and ive never done anything like this im 43 on drugs -all of them since 11 i started meth maint 12-8-04, i quit cold turkey 3 days ago after going from 120 mg a day to 55, i have benedryl at home and about 50 klonopin. is it possible for me to do this cold turkey? the klonopin is just so i can get some sleep i have 3 kids. i really need help. the meth clinc didnt want me to go down from 120 and said id be on it for life, i was blacking out whole days and hate the methadose i was on, someone with words of wisdome please reply

karen please do not give up, look at the site that cantstandit went to about nutrition, i have been using that for about 2 months and I can tell you it works. To buy all the vitamins and amino acids cost around 100 dollars here in arizona. It worked for me and other people at the clinic that i went to, our clinic also tries to keep everyone on methadone for life, it takes about 3 weeks to get total relief, but I definetly felt better the first week I took the amount that Dr. arenson said to take, he is an ex user and was addicted to methadone and other drugs for 18 years and knows what he is talking about, if you have to go back to the clinic keep going down while taking the health products. I also talked with a dr at novus that also use only nutrition to get people off methadone, it works really it does, just to quit you can do it.
keep it up
rich

[cloudancer]

[QUOTE=Mel4help;111855]

Originally posted by mpvt

I would try and get on suboxone (suboxone.com).It will take care of the withdrawls and cravings then you wean down from the suboxone with little or no trouble.What your experieneing is PAWS post acute withdrawl syndrome and this can last for months or longer that's why I suggest the suboxone(buprenorphene).I garuntee you will feel alot better doing it this way.Methadone is a very powerful drug as you've found out and it has a long half life which is one of the reasons you need to get on the suboxone.Let me know how you make out and good luck......Dave
Dave- I wanted to thank you for replying. I've been in my own private hell for so long that to find people out there who understand is a start.I haven't stopped again cause I know what lies ahead. Did it for 5 days. I fight depression and anxiety and also have ADHD as does my son who is bipolar. I am in an ugly custody battle in which my drug-dealing ex's mother just turned on me and switched to his corner. He manipulates and brainwashes them and tells everyone I am a crackhead. If they only knew the truth, they'd know that if it were meth, the battle would be hopeful. I am scared and It's the hardest thing I have ever come up against. My kids need me to do this so I can help them and their emotional issues. Very few people know. My psych. dumped me cause I missed a few appts. as a result of oversleeping from the methadone. He wasn't aware of my methadone use. I've never taken it legally but was on Oxy and Hydros before that. Will a doctor prescribe SUBOXONE or something like it to me if I got hooked on it from a friend's prescr. and will he grill me for info??? Up until 2 yrs ago, I'd never done pills before. Leave it to me to find the hardest one to overcome. Just my Luck. Any advice or moral support would be greatly appreciated. I've only recently seen the change it has brought over me and could use any support available on here. Thanks Dave= I feel a little hope for the 1st time in a long time. Mel

I know of no Doctor who will "grill you". A Doctor's 1st priorty is their patient's well being. Suboxtone is not a controlled substance, so any Doctor that has been certfied to prescribe SUBOXONE will write for it. However SUBOXONE is expensive. as if that mattered....

[Robert_325]

[QUOTE=cloudancer;256178]

Originally Posted by Mel4help

I know of no Doctor who will "grill you". A Doctor's 1st priorty is their patient's well being. Suboxtone is not a controlled substance, so any Doctor that has been certfied to prescribe SUBOXONE will write for it. However SUBOXONE is expensive. as if that mattered....

Not saying a dr will "grill" you but suboxone most DEFINITELY IS a controlled substance.