8th day of Methadone withdrawal... how much longer will this go on?

Depending how long you have been on Methadone for...how much you were taking..where u stopped at...will ALL play factors in how long you will withdrawl. Im also going through it. Im on day 8. I have heard 3weeks to months to feel better. Depending. Xanax help alot. but PLEASE dont form another habit. It will only take THAT much longer to feel normal.

Dear thekidsaredoomed

I am a retired anesthetist and chronic pain management patient, no longer practicing anesthesia because of a big back fusion and now chronic pain. My comments should not be construed as medical guidance since I no longer possess a license to practice, but simply one who is in similar circumstances trying to help another with reliable information.

Methadone has been a mainstay of my pain management regimen for almost 10 years now, it allows me to take less of the medication that makes you drowsy or gives you a buzz when all you want to do is live a normal life. That said, after taking methadone for 4 years I made several attempts to wean off it, hoping I could find a non-narcotic solution to my pain management. Like you I ran into a wall when I got to the 2.5 mg per day level, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get past that last little bit and get off completely and I made several attempts over a two year period.

After much discussion with my pain management doctor I gave up, but continued exchanging information with others who have faced the same problem. From what I have gathered and I know from my medical training is this. Methadone is highly fat soluble, meaning it gets stored in all the muscles and fat in your body, in fact muscles and fat act like a great sponge that soaks it up and gives it back reluctantly. Or you might view it as a really big bank, the longer you’re on the methadone, the longer it takes to empty that bank account and you have no control over how fast you can withdraw, it comes out slowly and can take up to 4-6 weeks before it is undetectable in drug screen.

Even after it is no long detectable, the changes it has produced in your brain chemistry seem to be resistant to returning to normal and there is well documented studies which prove it can take up to a year for the normal feel good chemistry of your brain to return to normal.

For all I have spoken to, with the exception of just 3-4, weaning off methadone has been impossible. The depression, insomnia, muscle aches and pains, lack of motivation and just general lack of feel good chemistry that we normally produce in our brains, appears to be either permanently altered or so severely depressed, that it is extremely difficult to simply wean off. I’ve even spoke to heroin addicts who claim that getting of methadone was more difficult that getting off heroin, so it is a tough drug, yet it continues to be a life saver for those like me who do not what a high, they simply want their pain managed well enough for them to carry on a somewhat normal life.

I have since discussed this issue with one doctor who is a leader in addictionology, and others who are local to my area. They were all unanimous in their opinion that for someone like me and maybe you, getting off methadone cannot be done without a great deal of effort and unless you enlist the help of a specialist in addiction. For up to 1 year after you start you will continue to need the pharmacological support they provide using non-narcotic methods to get you through that 1 year period where you wait for the normal feel good chemistry of your brain to restore itself.

If you truly want to get off methadone, seek out medical care from an addictionologist, it’s the only way I know to get through the really tough first 2-3 month and still be able to carry on a normal life, hold down a job and perform duties as a spouse and parent. If you do make it past the first 2-3 month period, you will continue to experience a loss of motivation, depression, fatigue, flu like symptoms that last up to a year unless you get aid from a doctor knowledgable about these things.

I also know that any attempt to lessen the ill effects of weaning off methadone by taking another opioid, does nothing more than delay the inevitable, you simply cannot use a different opioid to wean off another opioid, they all contain the same base chemical that makes it an opioid . To make it work you need a different class and combination of drugs altogether, some of which could be antidepressants, beta blockers, alpha blockers, SRI’s and in the worst cases, benzodiazepines in a tapper down dose.

One of the reasons I’m on this board to begin with, is because I am rethinking my efforts to get off methadone again and your post is yet another reminder to me that there are no short cuts and if I do this, I need the support of my doctor and a serious commitment for the next 6 months.

Good luck in your efforts please seek medical advice.

 

i am also on my 8th day of methadone withdrawal, doing between 30 and 80 mg per day for about a year now, and 160mg oxy for 3 years prior to that. Honestly I feel like c**p, but compared to four days ago i feel like i could run a marathon. You need to just quit everything, and yes seek medical advice. I am lucky as my mother works in the medical field and is in contact with several addiction specialists. Figure out a way to take about 4 to 5 days away from any major responsibilities, find a friend or family member that can help and provide support, shut off your phone, and just know that it's only a few weeks. 

Suboxone will cause very bad withdrawal if you take it while other opiates are in your system, so you may have precipitated further withdrawal by taking it the day after taking opiates. the waiting period is usually 36 to 72 hours...you should not take suboxone unless you are already in acute withdrawal. however, once you start taking suboxone, doses of 2-24mg will completely remove withdrawal symptoms, so you are just not taking enough. if you commit to starting suboxone, you find a dose where you are comfortable and continue to take it until you are ready to taper down very slowly, say 1-2mg a week. this will healp you slowly wean off without substantial withdrawal. contrary to the person above, i know people who have weaned off methadone with very little issue, and 2.5 mg of methadone is a good level to quit from. but you're filling your body with additional opiates, and then playing games by taking them away again, so you're causing yourself further pain. either come off methadone and stay clean (maybe use some clonodine to help with aches and sweating), or chose to go on a suboxone withdrawal management plan, but don't keep abusing yourself and prolonging your withdrawal the way you are right now.

Hey everyone OP here. So I'm finally off the methadone. THANK GOD. It took two weeks to get off of it. Again, I was on 30mg for about a month, and weened myself down to 5mg by the end of it all. I was on methadone for about 3 months total. It was a terrible experience and it took a lot out of me but I did get thru it.

To be honest, I took about 15-30mg of perc almost everyday during the withdrawal. It helped me get thru the night and helped my symptoms A LOT. But I grew dependent on the perc nonetheless. But going thru 3-4 days of opiate withdrawal is nothing compared to the methadone withdrawal. I don't have health insurance and did not seek medical attention. I did it all on my own. The opiate withdrawal is easy to beat as long as you can keep your mind and body busy with daily activities. I'm not running to the toilet every 5 minutes and cold sweating like on methadone detox.

Thanks for all the responses. To anyone out there trying to find answers, please know that it does get better. And for anyone getting on methadone to help with opiate detox, stay clear and be very careful. You are better off taking off from work for a couple of days and drinking some beers, smoking some green to get thru 4 days of detoxl then getting hooked on methadone and going thru almost of month of hell.

Im on day 8 w/d from methadone , clean from all drugs except ADVIL lol . Im feeling much better .... only thing thats driving me up the efin walls is, I cant SLEEEEEEEEEEP ever ! maybe 20 min then Im wide awake . I have been on methdone 2 yrs started at 60 ml then up to 120ml ,worked my way down to 2.5 ml in 1 yr then nothing , If your thinking you cant do it ,YOU CAN .... If I can anyone can ! you just have to realy want it . you will need family or friends to support you ,if you dont have anyone check into detox .good luck ! stay clean ! life is grand and so much better when your not HIGH!

                                                                                  NIGHT HAWK :)

Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know how I got off doan.  No need to get into the past history as many of us are similar.  To make a long story short and give you people some hope out there, this is what I did and for some reason, it worked! 

I was on doan, roughly 130 or so mgs for years.  Got all the way down to 4 mgs and jumped on suboxone.  Was on suboxone for some years, about 3 and I some how, one day, ended back at the doan clinic.  Don't ask me how but I did.  So, here I am, now back on doan.  Here's the thing... the amount I was taking was about 20 mgs daily, never going above 30 mgs.  I've been on this amount for about 6 months.  I decided the other day that I'm going to stop and that's exactly what I did.  I took my last dose 3 days ago and I haven't had so much as a misplaced yawn.  It's the strangest thing... I took some over the counter sleep aid and was knocked out and woke up feeling like a million dollars on day 2.  I even went on a jog!  Seriously, no restless legs, no weak legs, no yawns, no tearing of the eyes, no runny nose, NOTHING!  The only thing I ran into were slight hot flashes but they passed in about 2 minutes and I haven't had more than 6, about 2 a day.  I can't explain why this is happening other than that the amount of doan I was taking, after taking suboxone, didn't get me high, at all.  Which is why I decided that I'd had enough and I got off.  Now, I'm going on day 4 and I haven't gotten any worse.  Very strange.  Now, I know what withdrawals feel like because I've experienced them, horribly, as many of you have.  But here is the strange thing about this- When I had withdrawals in the past, the methadone would get me buzzed, even at 4 mgs.  And when I didn't have that 4 mgs, I was in pain.  That 4 mgs worked as though it were 130 mgs.  And that pain would kick in if I didn't dose that day.  So, for example, I'd dose the one day and then not the next day.  Starting at about noon the next day, I'd go into bad, bad wd's.  But I'm going on 72 hours here this time around and not a single symptom.  Why?  Couldn't tell ya.  Perhaps because at the 20 mgs mark, (and even at the 30 mg mark), I didn't get that same buzz or high that I did when I was on doan years ago (the first time before I started taking the sub), which is why I got off this time. 

So perhaps there is a way to do this painlessly?  I've never heard of anything like this but in all honestly, no exaggerating, no lying, no spin and no withdrawals.

I don't know if that's the way to approach it and I'm merely telling you my experience.  Try it out if you want, perhaps it'll work.  This is honestly so bizarre to me and I haven't the foggiest idea as to why I haven't had ANY withdrawals. 

Good luck to you all.  I'm sitting here scratching my head... wondering why and just very, very grateful. 

And to those of you who say not enough time has passed, trust me, I know my body and I've experienced them before.  Doan wd's kick in 24 hours after my last dose.  I've got a very fast metabolism and if I tell you that I'm fine at hour 72, that means something very odd is happening here....

 

i have same question. ive been on methadone for chronuc pain n recently took myself off, 8 days today. im better but nights are the worst, im not sleepimg n tge hebby gebbies just donr let up. im better many ways, still have pain but have celebrex muscle relaxerr but nites suck.

How are you doing now??? I like you have had meth withdrawels. I was on it for 5 years.. and slowly detoxing. Never been higher than 70. Anyways. Droping from 12 to 9 was killer on me.. and then I just did 1 mg a week decrease till I got to 5 mgs.. then I got fed up I just wanted to be off. I spit out half the five one day and then just never came back. I myself am on day 5 and for the most part I feel fine. I've always had restless leg syndrome and insomnia so yeah that's there. But I work out for 2 hours hard everyday. Take lots of vitamin and supplements.. why are we okay?? And others bug out?? My metabolism is pretty high too..but I had that sh*t in me for 5 years. I do have a lot of cravings to get high..on pills. But I won't do it.. weed helps.. I couldn't smoke weed on methadone or opiates it screwed with me..whereas I used to love it.. now I do again it really really helps. I like music now again. And I'm so turned on all the time... did you get that? All those years of my sex drive just being on pause.. I hoe ur still clean. I hope you didn't get more sick. That whole fat soluable sh*t is scaring me. I just want to be normall.. wish me luck

My last dose was yesterday... it hasnt hit me yet but im really scared about the coming days. I wish i had someone to talk to during this time, cuz i know alot of its mental, and trying to keep my mind occupied is going to be hard. Good luck to everyone thats going thru the withdrawls to get their life back

You Wud UP NC, Man I was taking like 80 mgs of Perc a day foe like 2 years just not to be sick, then I OD from Methodone pills and should of died, I tried to quit but I was so sick I could not lift my hand to light a cigarette, Thank God for the Methadone Clinic,  I was on 80 mgs for like 1.5 yrs, then I went down 5 mgs I started feeling sort of sick in the morning waking up at like 4 am waitiing for the clinic to open when I was on 9 mgs, still I kept going down, on day 3 of 4mgs the dose would not last all day, I would take it a 6 am and it be gone by 12 pm so I going, its been 72 hours and I feel like im over ther worst

 

Dont let ne one lie to you, the clinic is a trap, your not suppose to get off, you have to want to do it. Why is it that they tell you it takes 72 hours to feel WDs but I get kicked out if i do not dose fo72 hours, the reason we dose every day is because we withdraw after 24 hours so we need to get id daily, all ive been told is how hard its gonna be and im not ready, well maybee not but im not going back, they got us trapped they wo;rse than the dope man, at least the dope man let you get a front, if im - 18 on my cash I get kicked out cold turkey, i mean whats really good, they try to scare you so that you dont believe that you can beat it, and tell you your not ready, most of these people have never been hooked bf so how can they tell us what its like, 

 

sleeping pills helped me bc I could not sleep, and I have taken a half of 7.5 hydro when times got bad but its day 3 and I dont feel like I need ne thing, I kinda hurt a lil bit but its not so bad, I just went and push mowed my yard and hit the punching bag,  ne thing you can do to keep your mind off it is helpful

 

just because I quit on 4 mgs of methadone, im still not done weening off, I believe a half of 7.5 mg a day helps , I was on heroin wen I was young and I was doing like a bag or 2 a day, for like a month, then I I did a bag a day, then 2 days later  a 1/2 bag, then a half, then a quarter, then a quarter, then I quit for 5 years, so im hoping it will work about the same this time,

 

 

good luck to every one this is no way to live

I took my last dose (2.5 mg) Tuesday morning at 7am, Wednesday at work the effects began to hit me hard, I had to meet with 2 Brides and it was like out of movie, I knew that they knew that I was beginning to resemble Ewan McGregor ala trains potting. I Left early , I couldn't hide it. Thankfully my Boss wasn't there this week. After reading all the horror stories about not sleeping, I decide to med up, 4 Tylenol pm, 2 trazedone did nothing. The following day was a slow and very painful experience I found the only thing that remotely helped ease the pain was a hot shower/bath, orgasms, plus a lot of tricking myself, you see I'd set these mini goals, like every 3 hours I'll shower or every two hours I'll alternate gayer headache with Bauer back and body ( which I personally thought was great, but again, I probably just want to believe it) . The worst part and completly out of my control thing is the deafness, seriously I feel like I can here 50% less, I haven't seen to many comments about going deaf during withdrawls for 3 days straight, so if anyone else is feeling it your not alone. That night a found a good sleep method 4 benadryll, 1 shot of nyquil and 1 tylenol pm, i slept for 6 hours straight...Any way good news , I guess I did a decent enough job of tricking myself cause honestly I feel good in comparison to yesterday. Definetly not whole but good. I was hooked for 2 plus years, I can't believe it. Bur Im not looking back. Going back is not an option. For all of you going through this , my hat is off to you. If you can beat this you can conquer anything.

Hi, so I to just stop taking methadone this past Saturday an today is Monday. I had only been on it for 6weeks an this was the first time I ever tried it. I joined a clinic because I was on pain pills from surgeries an a bad car accident from a year ago. I was taking a little over 10 10mg.hydrocodones a day some days more. I started the methadone with no knowledge about it so I thought well ok I hope it helps me to stop these pain pills. Last week which was week6 I decided ok I want off because my thoughts my dreams my everything about me had changed dramatically changed!!!! I kept asking myself why am I here an what is my purpose? After my wreck last year it was an eye opener for me an Lord knows I have changed so much an I have given my life to the Lord an I attend church every Sun an I pray everyday an I never once asked the Lord why am I here ever until getting on this. I dont feel normal I dont feel anything but negative depressed anxiety an useless. I am 27 an I have done other things in my life an I lost my best friend 2 years ago from murder. I never dealt with life on a clear mind, well in a long time I haven't an I have to say I HATE METHADONE!!!!! I hate everything about it!!!! It did help keep pain pills off my mind but now that I am off I dont want anything. I freaked out just telling myself I was getting off of it. I dont know what to expect because everyone is different an this is day 3 an only hot flashes then chills an no appetite. I drink alot of water everyday an have been for a long time I used to eat a lot but not now.  I think negative constantly an (no thoughts of killing myself) just negative about life an something might happen to me trying to get off of this c**p. I dont think I have ever had withdrawals except like mood swings so this is so scary to me. Every time I get on the net I look it up an read things that really scare me. I pray really hard that God will help me get through this an never look back. I just typed something in the search engine an this site popped up, I want to say to all who have commented on this site, Reading all of a you guys stories has really helped me to not give up!!!! I felt a relief by just reading some of the same signs I have an different stories about how some of you dont have any symptoms WHOOOOOOOHHHH...... I am telling you all thank you from the bottom of my heart an my God bless you all.... This is one of the scariest things I have ever been through an I will never ever take or even look at Methadone again an if anyone ask me about it, well I have a story now an I dont mind sharing it with the world...... Thank you all again an you all are a huge blessing to me.... last thing if anyone has any good advice or anything to help me get through this please feel free to help because I am clueless about this c**p. God bless you all

i was on it for a yr and a half im not having any withdrawls and ive had them before VERY VERY BAD also i cant explain it but it feels great