How long do methadone withdrawal symptoms last - part 2

Day 7 is here, and it could be worse, not feeling all that good. But weed helps.

Feel a little better today. I feel like I want to get up and do stuff now, only the energy is not there. I think I am over the worst of it now, now just to keep being head strong and remember being sick for all its worth so that I know to stay away. The feeling of complete control is still there. If you use the methadone program right there is no reason you can't get off it. its all in your head.

Where are you know my friend? I said the same thing day 5. Now it's day 22 and I'm slowly losing my confidence. Still have severe withdrawal symptoms (5 months methadone maintenance 40mg taper to 20mg). I'm going out of my mind. How bout you? I'm hoping just 1 more week of this?

Hello all - this is my first time posting after reading various threads across the Web over the course of 4 years while on methadone. I'd really like to share my story and give some HOPE to all struggling addicts trying to get their lives together.

I am a 26 year old drug addict that got hooked on heroin at 21. After almost ending up in prison I decided to try methadone maintenance to get off of heroin. This worked for a while, and during the first 2 years I stopped using anything other than my 120 mg of methadone per day.

After about 2 years I tried detoxing slowly... I got down to 17 mg per day, but this quickly became miserable and I started using heroin and oxy (anything I could get ahold of) again. I was influenced by the methadone clinic to stay on and increase back to 120 mg / day. The "Dr." at the clinic tried to increase me up to 180 mg and tried to convince me that my path was as a "lifer".

This last May (2012) I had enough and decided to face my fears. I had already lost my job, money, gf, and alienated all of the important people in my life. Enough was enough.... I went and visited a friend out of town and brought with me my weekly take homes of methadone. She had agreed to help me while I detoxed.

I went off about 6 weeks ago taking the full 120 mg per day. In my limited experience I have found that a detox from 120 mg, 12 mg, or 1.2 mg are all just about the same. A solid week went by where I ate almost nothing, slept 1-2 hours per day and felt like I was Dante walking through the Inferno in Hell. I cannot lie and say this part was easy, because it wasn't. But the important thing is I stayed on my 2 feet and walked my @$$ right out of hell.

The important thing is that it WAS NOT as BAD as I imagined it would be. On the 8th day I woke up and looked outside, and for the first time since I got in to drugs I felt like myself again. This feeling was/is so new to me and it is amazing. I still have withdrawal symptoms 6 weeks later like leg cramping, nausea, diarrhea (ended about a week ago), eye tearing, and all the fun stuff... But, my life has improved 1000%. I've gone to about 14 NA meetings to find strength and it has been extremely helpful. With my new found cleanliness I had an unexpected return (more of a discovery) of spirituality. Perhaps the greatest thing has been the new bonds I have with my family and best friends.

All of the good things that are happening have come on their own. I am a much happier person now, even if I suffer a couple hours each day with mild withdrawal symptoms. Point is... the human body is extremely resilient and we are all capable of accomplishing things that we had nightmares of, thinking we were stuck forever and with no way out.

Good luck to everyone! Don't be afraid - I have faith in you even if you lost faith in yourself.

Hi,God bless! Rarely do I resond to stranger's stories but you seemed to be in great need, and I've been in your shoes. I have no clue how you are today but want you to know that some of what you went thru will pay off in the future. You'll be able to draw on the strength it took to gt thru it, and apply that to many other situati9ons that will be coming up. Been thru it w/ wife. Contact me if yiu want to talk further. T.Brown

Above message is all the room I had. You are welcome to e-mail me and/or my wife if you wish. Hope this finds the tough times you shared behind you!

                                                                  Later, Thomas (and Debra) Brown:

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I am on my 8th day, and as I am starting to feel a little better, I am very weak and do not sleep more than 2 hours in a 24 hour. I was put on this drug eight years ago and was up to 40mg a day. On the 4th day I started severe with drawl. I have never gone through anything like that in my life. I am still going thru it now but the pain is not so intense. I started walking a few days ago. The first day i couldn't even make it two houses down. The taste in my mouth is so gross and the smell is like nothing I have ever smelled. I am so glad to read your post because I know it is just a matter of time before I feel good. I am so afraid of what I am going thru that I don't ever want to put something like that in my body again. I got hurt at work and it led to six back surgeries. I was eating Vicodin like it was candy and went to a pain specialist and thought this drug was the best thing in the world. Boy was I wrong. When I started taking it nobody ever told me I would go thru something like this if I went off of it. Please tell me how long this is going to last. I think I have made it through the hardest part but then I read about how it stores in your fat cells and can be up to a year before I will be healthy... Please help any and all info would be wonderful.

Please help me figure out an easy or easier way to get off methadone!! My doc has prescribed for 1 1/2 yrs and I was up to about 120mg a day. I just decided to quit cold turkey and am miserable. This is the hardest thing I've ever done but not going through all this again for anything. I would do anything to know what I do now and never gotten on it. I need advice and help. I haven't eaten in 4 days and can't even take care Of my kids. I will take any advice I can!! 

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Thankyou that was such an inspiration to me. I am detox from methadone, and i feel like Im gonna die, but your article encoureged me. Thanks LeeAnn

Hi I am on 65 mgs a day now and have been comingdown slowly for about 6 months now, it is so easy and nice, I too have gone cold turkey before and i thought I was going to die... But doing it slowly is the only way to go...Once I get down to like 10 mgs I will be about done and will also be so grateful that I did it this way...

day 21 of methadone detox from 19ml im in the uk, so had valium , brilofex ,and that was at the start for 10 days feel alot better now odd sweats when i get a little stressed get some meds from your drug worker for the fist bad bits at the beginning honestly from week 2 onwards i seem to feel a little better every day i know iv done the hardest part h`avnt used in 5 years which helps anyway GOOD LUCK EVERYONE !!!!!!!!X

What is DLPA?

I'm a mom of a 25 year old, and quite frankly, your mom sucks. I cannot imagine treating mown son this way.

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time of it. I was on methadone 5 mg for 12 years and had to cold turkey detox 5 weeks ago because of my heart rate increasing rapidly. It's been Hell. I ache so bad I want to die. I feel like it's never going to end.

The first 3 weeks almost killed me. You need to be taking supplements and Melatonin at night. Also,drink Ensure clear if you can't stomach food. Stay in the tub as much as possible. It gets better, but vey slowly.

Hang in there and you can talk to me anytime. You're not alone.

Sorry. I was replying to someone and thought I'd quoted their post as well. This probably makes noticed to anyone now. Not to sharp these days'

I hadn't smoked pot since my teens, and my son gave me some to help. It's the only thing that helps me with the the pain of cold turkey detox, and gets me to sleep at night. I'm 5 weeks into coming off 5 mg for 12 years for chronic pain. What a nightmare. I only use weed at night. Thank God for it. It's better to smoke a little than to go back to narcotics or use benzos.