sidonia
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 Posted: 05/08/07 - 21:32 Post subject: |
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| My son was drug addict. Methadone Detox helped him. Methadone is used as a heroin substitute. It is weaker then heroin but it offers similar absence of pain, sense of well being, feeling warm, and content. It decreases blood pressure, body temperature and slow down the pulse. If it is used right it can block the euphoria caused by heroin. You must have to pay attention because of methadone abuse on the street. |
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Slippery
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Joined: 04 Jul 2008
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| Posted: 07/04/08 - 08:31 Post subject: |
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Methadone is a really shitty drug due to the length of time it takes to detox off it. I know that in the UK, it's prescribed due to it's low cost rather than it's statistical efficacy.
The best bet is for your friend to reduce down to 30-40mg of meth, and then switch to Buprenorphine (whether Subbutex or Suboxone).
Some guidelines for him:
Don't disregard the instructions about waiting 'til you're severely sick before taking your first dose of Bup.; wait, and then wait a bit more. Methadone has a long half-life and you MUST wait 36hrs MINIMUM, preferably 48. Sooner and you WILL BE SICK AS A PIG...and you'll have the pleasure of being sick for the next week if you keep taking the Buprenorphine!
Try to get your prescription in 2mg doses, as this will allow you to optimize the dose with ease.
If you've got a good doctor, push for 4mg for your first day, then upto 16mg per day (in 2mg doses) for the subsequent 5 days (the idea being to take as few or as many as you need). Not many doctors will prescribe a "take as required" regime, but it will make the switch utterly painless. After the first 4/5 days stabilise your dose at 10mg (same time of day each day ((midday is good, so your sleep remains unaffected)), then start to reduce.
A good schedule for a fast (28day) reduction [if the buprenorphine has been prescribed as above]:
Day 1 10mg
Day 2 8mg
Day 3 8mg
Day 4 7mg
Day 5 7mg
Day 6 6mg
Day 7 6mg
Day 8 5mg
Day 9 5mg
Day10 4mg
Day11 4mg
Day12 3mg
Day13 3mg
Day14 2mg
Day15 2mg
Switch to mixture of 0.4mg and 2mg tablets
Day16 1.4mg
Day17 1.4mg
Day18 1mg
Day19 1mg
Day20 0.8mg
Day21 0.8mg
Day22 0.6mg
Day23 0.6mg
Day24 0.4mg
Day25 0.4mg
Day26 0.2mg
Day27 0.2mg
By reducing so quickly, you will stop your body becoming accustomed to the Buprenorphine which makes the reduction painless.
The "cold turkey" is still not pleasant, but it's far far easier than smack, and a cakewalk compared to meth.
Allow a week of feeling fairly dire (though not diabolical), another week of feeling shitty but on the mend, and then a couple more of general weakness and lethargy.
You're good to go, collect £200. 
Having said all that, the real issue isn't the physical dependency, but the psychological addiction. Whatever anyone says - and there's so much bullshit out there about this - the only "proven" method (in the sense of producing statistically significant results), is time...people mature out of addiction. On average an individual who's been addicted to opiates for over 12 months, will remain addicted for between 8 and 12 years.
Given that all the solutions based on this reality don't sit easily within the current legal/political framework, there is no satisfactory answer, unfortunately.
Anyway, good luck. |
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