[nutballgirl]

hey guys, i was on another string on this subject, as was my husband--he's the one trying to withdraw. but no one replied to him and he needs someone to talk to sooo badly. he is so sensitive and i know the fact that no one has responded to his post has bothered him (i can say this b/c you don't know who we are and so this won't publicly embarass him). anyway, he is on a blind detox from 100mg and having a very very difficult time. i am newly sober myself from my addiction to alcohol and i know i have to keep the focus on myself, but i can not detach completely b/c i am so worried for him, for his life. he wants to do this so badly but is terrified of relapsing back to pills (vicodin mostly) or having another seizure--last time he tried to do this, some quack gave him demerol and he wound up almost dying--he was NAVY BLUE and was in ICU for three days. we are both scared but i am taking the approach of trying to be strong for him too. when he is sleeping, he makes the scariest sounds and movements, i keep putting my hand under his nose to make sure he's breathing. really, i am terrified.

i want him to come off but honestly, i am scared also about relapsing back to pills if he doesn't get involved in a program. he is currently looking for a doc who will put him on suboxone??? for a period of time after he gets the meth down to 20mg? 40mg???? we're not clear on this.

i have dealt with my own addictions all my life and have used many different drugs, but thank god, have never experienced an addiction to opiates. i know now how fortunate i have been. this is the worst thing i have ever seen and i am just praying for my son's sake that my husband is able to truly kick this thing. from the outside we look like the typical suburban family, but on the inside, there is a lot of disease. thankfully there is also a lot of love. please someone write back to me or write to him on this thing. his username on this forum is withdrawalwar and like i said, he posted a few days ago but no one responded. we both need help and support. thanks in advance.

"to laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" -Emerson

[tigerman]

NBG ,I CAN'T FIND WHERE WDLR HAS WRITTEN IN? I couldn't haven done it cold turkey tried 2 many times.I had 2 go ask the doc for help and he said I'll help U but I had 2 mean it. What is working for me clonidine I'm not sure would be enough for him. Methedone would not be the route my doctor would take for anything. I've noticed alot of that 40mg. 1 day to 30mg. the next day & so on. How is this gonna help? Your still taking the same drug. Find a personable doc who cares and I think they would go out of their way 2 help.I understand he has more of an uphill battle than I do,but it hasn't been easy for me.I would be glad to hear from him.TIGERMAN STILL RISING

[nutballgirl]

thanks so much for responding. yes, it's rough and we need to find a good doc. his name is withdrawalwar on here but you'd have to look under members to find his posts b/c now they're over a few days old and off the main board. what is chlonodine? is that like klonopin? i have no idea. he wants to do suboxone. do you know about that?

"to laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" -Emerson

[tigerman]

Clonidine is a high blood pressure medication,but is also helpful in long time narcotics use & smoking.I,m sure he will have 2 ween me off it but it is not addictive!!!that and the darvocet is helping my cravings. I only take 1 darvocet a day also; not 3,4,or5.If I could get a good nights sleep I would be feeling great.TIGERMAN

[nutballgirl]

ok, i know what chlonodine is, he was put on that once by the quack doc that prescribed demerol which led to his seizure and hospitalization. but the chlonodine was probably a good thing is what i'm hearing you say. that other drug, the darvoset, is that a narcotic? isn't there a risk of being addicted to that and having to withdraw??

"to laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" -Emerson

[tigerman]

Yes darvocet is a narcotic.It is a very low dose,a class4 drug and not
codone based.He told me take 1 in the morning & 1 @ nite. I am only taking 1 a day and it would take a fistful to catch the feeling I was always looking for.I go back in 2 weeks to see the doc I guess 2 see how I'm doing.This is 1 of those docs that everyone talks good about. I'm not interested in the high any longer and have a beautiful 2 yr old girl
so that is now my concern.I look @ her & wonder why it took me this long?Yes clonidine & demerol don't sound like a good mix.

[nutballgirl]

ok, thanks. i'll talk to the doc about if he should use that too. how severe was your addiction previously to the painkillers? my husband was taking upwards of 30 pills a day (vicodin mostly). do you think that makes a difference?

"to laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" -Emerson

[tigerman]

At one point I was taking 8 lorcet 10s @ 1 time then I got it down to 3
but then it went back to 4 a day then 4 twice a day. I then realized no matter how bad I wanted 2 stop I would need some help. Yes his addiction
& withdrawls will be 2fold of mine but i would think after a week me & him are in the same boat.
This all started 4 yrs ago,but having to rely on them only 2yrs.Does he want 2 talk?

[nutballgirl]

he's out trying to work, pushing himself to the breaking point no doubt, but he'll be back soon and i'll have him get on here and write if he feels up to it. thanks so much.

"to laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" -Emerson

[Monty221]

I have been addicted to Vicodin for 10 years and switched to Methadone 10 months ago. I am at 28 mg. Should I go to inpatient detox ASAP and get of it. I am terrified of the withdraws. When I read some of the post here I wish I were dead. I hate being a drug addict. I'm tired of this ********************. Did I make a huge mistake by going on Methadone? I felt like it was a miracle cure for my Vicodin addiction. I feel so normal on it. Am I a fool????

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by Monty221

I have been addicted to Vicodin for 10 years and switched to Methadone 10 months ago. I am at 28 mg. Should I go to inpatient detox ASAP and get of it. I am terrified of the withdraws. When I read some of the post here I wish I were dead. I hate being a drug addict. I'm tired of this ********************. Did I make a huge mistake by going on Methadone? I felt like it was a miracle cure for my Vicodin addiction. I feel so normal on it. Am I a fool????

Following ten years on vicodin and another ten months on methadone you would probably have pretty severe w/d symptoms if you stop abruptly doing a cold turkey. Inpatient rehabs would provide around the clock observation, meds for detox like clonidine, also a low dosage benzo and other things to make the detox easier. I would probably expect the doctor at the rehab to mention suboxone to you too. You are already in opiate replacement therapy (ORT) with the methadone anyway. You're not on a really high dose of methadone, a perfect dose in fact for switching to suboxone. This might be a way for you to go. But after a ten-plus year opiate addiction it's going to be rough just stopping cold turkey on your own. Lots of people have done it, but lots of people have failed too. If I had a choice, I'd go with getting help. Why not if you have a choice? I would do what has the best odds of success checking out some professional help. Inpatient immediately followed by outpatient therapy probably has the best chance for success historically.

I am concerned however that you talk about feeling so good on the methadone right now yet talk about wanting off it at the same time. That is how you are supposed to feel on it, good just like you describe. I don't like to advocate using methadone, in fact I never do that, but it sounds like you are doing wonderfully on it. Why do you want to stop it??? Methadone was probably prescribed for you as a maintenance drug based on the story you shared about your drug history. Obviously I don't know that for sure. This is why it is often prescribed though, for treating long term opiate dependency. If you don't mind me asking .... about how many vics a day were you taking towards the end??? Hope it's okay that I ask that. Just trying to make a determination whether or not the methadone was really prescribed for maintenance.

Your situation is a perfect example why we always explain to people that methadone should be a final resort type of therapy. It is not intended for us to take methadone ten months and stop. That is absurd. It's a great medication but it has to be used in the right manner only or we end up with problems like you are dealing with.

I'm very curious ..... Did your dr suggest that you start methadone therapy knowing you would be getting off it in such a short time??? Was doing this the plan originally ... to take the methadone for ten months and stop??? Or was stopping ever discussed? Please forgive me if it sounds like I'm trying to dig into your personal affairs. I'm just attempting to figure out why you were given methadone to use for ten months.