getting off methadone!

a little prayer, hope and faith, along with daily exercise will fix you right up.

I was a heavy IV heroin user for many years and I am now only 24. I was on 200 mg of methadone to start and used both drugs at first. I now have to beautiful kids and have gotton married. I have been off of methadone now for four months. If I can do it, you can do it. You will read and hear all sorts of horror stories, but let me tell you, if you can get clean and change your life, than the hard part is over. Not many people get off methadone, but usually it is because they don't want it bad enough. 90% of your withdrawl symptoms are in your head. Now don't get me wrong if you are on 100 mg and drop to 50mg overnight, u will be sick. If you want off of it your gonna feel sick. The question is how long do you want to drag it out. Setting goals worked for me...if you are on a high dose (anything over 100mg) you can go down much quicker than if you are on 20mg. My suggestion is go down 10 mg every two weeks. This allows your body enough time to adjust in between tapering. Every person hits a wall where they have to start going down less and less each time. The main thing is to keep busy. Don't change anything about your routine. My wall was at around 15mg. It seems like nothing when you are only on 10mg or less, but you need to go slowly, even if it is a mg a week. Once you lower your dose, even if you don't feel quite right, DONT go back up, all that sick feeling will be for nothing. For me when I started to feel sick, it was very uncomfortable for a day or two but then you feel "normal" and you are 1mg less on your dose. Maybe this won't help you but I did it. I know you can. Tell yourself your feeling good and you will actually start feeling good. The worst part was when I cut myself off... I stoped at 10mg cold turkey..and it really wasn't that bad...uncomfortable but managable...I was only sick for about ten days but I wasn't bedridden. Sleeping pills help, but no benzo's....Hope that this helps a little bit. Good Luck. Liz

Hey I used to but u cant tell people how they r gonna feel. I went from 50 mg and went down 3 every week and now im going down 1 mg since ive started 7 mg. I m on 4 mg and I find it very hard and ya it can be in ur head and i wanna quit so bad ive been feeling like sh*t for the past few months. Dont tell people how they will feel cause we all feel it different!!!!!!!!! Plus I never lowered myself to inject it in my body so dont try to be a hero and make it sound easy when its something u have to wanna quit when u try to quit otherwise it aint happening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a recovering heroin user as well. When I went to detox, they started me with 50 mg and tapered me off and on my last day I took 5 mg. It took about another 10 days (I was in a program following detox) for me to feel my last symptom. My main system was the "hot flashes and cold sweats" where your body temperature seems to elevate for no reason, then drops. I'm sure you know what I mean! It was more annoying than it was unbearable. I've heard methadone takes longer to withdrawal from than heroin, but just suck it up and do it! Sweating/working out speeds up any detox, that I know from experience. Drink a lot of water too. There were people in that program that stayed on methadone, but I went to the program to get off drugs, not start a new one!

As far as the drug test goes.. is it supervised? If not, you could just bring in clean piss from a friend if you don't think you'll be clean in time. I had that down to a science for my parole/probation officer. Just microwave it before you go, wrap it in foil (this is so if theres a temp. strip on the cup), drive to the appt. with it on the defroster in your car, and put it in your draws (spandex or briefs work). Thats foolproof.. if it's not supervised. Also they have detox drinks for 20$ around here.. check the bodegas (if you live in the city) or convenience marts that the ghandis run. Finally, you could buy a home drug test kit at CVS or walgreens and monitor your own toxicology, although I'm not 100% sure if that test will pick up on Methadone considering it is synthetic. Definitely check that out first before you buy it!

Hope this helps.

Chuck - 63 days clean - New Haven, CT

I know most places don't check for methodone. So no worries. Don't really know when you posted. Wasn't looking. I know that you'll be alright though. I been on it for like 4 or more yrs. too. I do understand how you feel. Sucks ass!

hello anita, ive bean on methadone 11yrs,110mg per day..u can only get off if u want it bad in ur mind to get off,a job offer wont make any differenece,u cant work properly wen hangin out or comin down off methadone! i have tkts to drive towercranes an other hvy earthmoving equipment,i have tried and tried to get off the done over the yrs,it is hard,so hard,u cant concentrate either!! dont fool urself, u qouted u have to get off cos of a work offer,that wont happen anita,i dont know wat else to say my email is ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed **

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if u need to talk,u will run urself into the ground or worse trying to get off prematully,it has to run its course,thats why ur body is telling u that u need it,u probably do! its so hard anita,ive come off heroin a lot quicker and easyer than doan,once it has soaked into ur bone structure after 8 months of use,it may be a mental health query as well to deal with as to whether u should come off it,do u go cold turkey or are u droping slowly(ha) ive tried and tried and nearly died comin off it or trying too,each person is different, i dont know wat else to say girl,just keep trying,dont give up,

sorry anita,i meant i have tkts to drive the huge machinery for big money,a good job too,but cant do sqaut untill im off the doan,ive had huge job offers on brandnew machines but have to turn them down,also had jobs where i would only be sitting next to someone teaching them how to drive or operate a machine,nope no way,on heroin i could go thru withdrawls while working,but that was wen i was 20 and i could do it then,im 42now BIG DIFFERENCE my body is spent from yrs of abuse,i still have my tkts but there useless at moment and i may never get on a machine again,IF THEY READ THIS I WONT HAVE MY TKTS FOR LONG,lol,,they mose well,there just memories of what i could do once,i have been to many times around the sun,yes pray anita,u mose well,i do,pray ,scream,beg barter for some relief,i scream at god then say sorry,but once its said it is said and u cant take it back,good luck again,

depends what test they usemost jobs dont but for p.o an sh*t yeah,get off itanywayim on 120mg at first i went tometadone clinic an its way cheaoer than streets u get wafer 40mf for 3 dallas its ten a day for your hole dose.an tht way if ugo to clinic job cant tell u or not hire u cuz tht crossroads tha anme of clinic

My son is on Methadone but is is still using and stealing for drugs we are scared for his life HE is the best kid when he is straight and prays all the time for help from he is 26 has 4 wonderful kids and wife . If there is any one that can help us please help we need direction and advice

marilyn i was on the methadone clinic for bout 2 years 140 mg a day.i got way worse on that and watched my whole life plument on that trash.and i still used when i was on it too.and my methadone had oppiate blockers in it and i still was doing it.it doesnt sound like the methadone is working for your son.it might work for some people but for us real addicts i think it just makes us worse cause we dont feel high from it no more and we still crave that high.so some of us start using benzos like zanez ect..which is very dangerous and can kill you.I think you should try your dambdissed to get him off the methadone if hes still using and stuff but it aint something you can just cut some1 off from.he needs help.lots and lots off help.i dropped from 140 mg to 20 in 6 days than waited a couple days b4 any detox would even take me in.than i stayed their for 8 days and they told me i had too leave for 7 days and i could come back for another 8 than leave again for another 7 and keep repeating the process till it all got outta my system.it was a living nightmare but i hear their are some rehabiltation places that ya can actually live at for like months to come off th stuff.outta all the people i know it was my ex fiancee mother, my ex and my son sat me down and told me i had a problem.they basically gave me an intervention at home and offered me a place to stay while i came off it.she also happened to be a registured nurse which ended up working out for me casue i needed medical attention a couple times casue i decieded to drink coffee and my blood pressure went so high i allmost had a heart attack and at detox i allmost had a couple too.so word to the wise.DONT TRY THIS AT HOME!I was extremly blessed to have a nurse in the house in which i was staying so i am alive to tell the story.i think you should call some rehabilitation programs and find out what you need to do to b able to get him into their and make sure you got a sure fire plan set then give him an intervention with as many people who care and love him and want him too stop.hemay take it he may not but at least it will put the thought into his head that every1 knows and loves him and still cares and wants him to stop.he may hate you for it but 1 day he might love you that much more for helping him.

My son was on 150 milligrams a day of methadone and reduced down to 20 over time. You need additional support from people who understand what you will go through. Try to keep the pressure on you to a minimum. My son went to the gym, started swimming and writing his thoughts. His description of how he was feeling was that the constant flood of thoughts in his head and being unable to sleep . His level of agitation increased and he was very short tempered. Being well is what you want to achieve dont worry about work so much and heal yourself.

that sounds like good news im also on 12.5 mg and i just started 3 DAYS AGO AND Feel ok so im hoping that if i lower each 2 days by A SMALL AMOunt i should be able to do this any adivce

even if your on 30 milgrams of meth its gonna take some time to leave the body slowly take out two milgrams a day till you get to ten milgrams then take it slow every other day five milgrams then three then two then one and a volume only when your sick take a little you can do it its all in your head try it youll seeit worked for meeeee

I was wondering if I could write to you about cold turkey, I'm doing it and I will be at 15mgs tomorrow n I wanna do cold turkey