how long does methadone withdrawal last

My first post from 2013-03-10 was posted as a Guest, I now have a posting title: lovelydamage "I started methadone in 2007 at 80mg after being on heroin since I was 15. I am now 29 and thought it was time to wean off of methadone once and for all. In January 2013 I was down to 15mg. I started to lower my dose in the middle of January, like 2mg-4mg every few weeks, then in February I went from 8mg to 1mg, the last day I took methadone was the 1mg last Sunday."........ ETC.

I have stopped methadone 10 mg..3 years ago and withdrawals ARE STILL LINGERING! I am still not right..YOU NEVER get your energy back you will always feel sick! IT IS HORRIBLE! the doctor that first prescribed me this for SEVERE PAIN should burn in hell! for ever prescribing me this horrid stuff!..WARNING! DO NOT EVER START METHADONE FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT EVER! your life will be over!..at first it works great but after a couple of years you see your body chnanging..you dont get high on it but it does physical changes and cellular changes to your INSIDES!..YOU WILL NEVER EVER EVER GET YOUR ENERGY BACK! you will just want to lie down after work or sit around..everything will become bothersome..you wont want to have a social life or go anywhere..I AM TELLING YOU NOW DONT DO IT! no matter how low the dose!..once its in you ITS IN YOU!..

I'm 6 months in and posted 16 days in. All the physicals at done except for restless legs and swollen ankles wrists and above the knees.

But I'm still dealing with depression and no energy. It really sucks. 

I figure that at the one year point if it's still going on I am gonna go back to lighter opiates like Vicodin. 

My buddy had done pills so I would take 1 or 2 a day the first year and 3/4 the last six months. Sometime I missed a day or 2 but the idea was to not draw 

I am very health past minor league hockEy player and but am notloosing the done weight

I have been off methadone for over 3 months, I jumped from 75 mg/daily. I did go into a treatment facility, knowing everything I was about to go through. I got onto methadone because of a heroin addiction. I was on methadone 4 1/2 years. Methadone gave me a sense of a normal life again; however, the longer I was on it the more I hated being on it. The anxiety, depression and isolation had taken there toll. 

Getting off methadone was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but it was the best decision I ever made. I feel like I'm getting my life back, this time for real. The process has been long and grueling and I know there is still a long way ahead to really start getting where I want to be. There are still difficult days/weeks, but the longer I'm off there are getting to be more better days. 

Here a few things that have helped me.

Exercise daily- Naturally start creating your endorphins again

eat healthy - No caffeine and tobacco especially

Take vitamins- especially fish oil and 5htp

Have a positive outlook on life- Have the faith things are/will get better

Talking to someone on those bad days really helps

Stay busy- especially during the bad days

 

 

 

Been on 20 mg for 12 years for CP.  Started losing leg strength about a year ago and suspected it was the mdone.  Approximately seven days ago, tapered 5 mg daily till down to 5, then 2.5 mg ea 12 hr, taking last titrated dose 3.5 days ago.  Was not bad at first, was getting sleep till two nights ago.  Now, lucky to get 2 hrs per night,  restless legs kicking about, pupils came back to normal days 1-3 but this am they were again pinned.  WTF is that, I assume the trace Mdone in my system is still getting accessed by neurotransmitters?  This really sucks.  penis hard as cement but that does me no good in this shape.  I'm interested in the estimated duration of the end of restless legs which are always kicking.  Also, how long till I get good sleep?  First time detoxing.  Haven't told doc, tired of this sh*t running my life.

I had been on 220mg for 3 years and am only 22 today is my 4th day and my body is KILLIMG me, can't sit still can't get comfortable... I'm really scared.. how much longer will this last?

For those who come here and see this post. There has been quite a bit of inadvertent misinformation. People here were talking from experience. I had quite a bit of misconceptions about methadone also. But human experience is not the optimum accurate conditions we humans have. Research is extremely important. Many clinics were and continue to mistreat patients with the wrong protocols. The first know science based protocol I know is The State Methadone Treatment Guidelines. Published by the Federal Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration You can still find copies in the World Wide Web. When I read these guidelines I wanted to know where the hell was that clinic because the clinic I was in were ignoring the science and they were do much the reversed (I say 70 to 80 percent, seems like everything they were doing was backwards.) of what my clinic was doing.

Srry to say but it could last months the reason his legs and bones hurt is cuz it stays in our bones longer so it drags the pain tell him keep drink ing water he shouldnt have done it cold turkey he should have came down five a week or so its way safer some ppl can die from withdraw I know benzos helped me alot methadone isthe number one worst drug to come off of he should try subxone I think thats how it Iis spelled let me know what state ur in there might be help he can get there or to help him get thru it

my doctor put me on methodone and xanax over ten years ago for spinal pain and scoliosis . i would never let myself get over 20 mg because how nervous it made me and fear of severe addiction. i went cold turkey 12 days ago and let me say that my body has self destructed in awful ways. lack of sleep no matter what i do, severe loss of fluids, weight loss, leg cramps, congestion and extreme fatigue. I feel like death. ...but, it isworth every single blasted moment! no longer will i be a medical slave to the practice that requires me to come in every 30 days or face withdrawal , treat me like a substandard human and then charge my insurance for it. i have 2 weeks to start sleeping because i have taken a job out of state far from my old routines and i am ready to be free! pain will still be there, i am still 100% disabled but i wont be owned and exploited anymore. good luck to all and fight for your life.

I have battled drugs for 20 years now!Intravenous drugs got a hold on me at 16. The past 12 years I have been going to a Methadone Clinic. The past year I was doing 180 mgs through a horse needle. 2 months ago I quit cold turkey and worked 12 hours a day for the first 2 weeks and haven't missed a day yet. I always thought people was crazy when they said its in your head. They were right,if you don't make up your mind then you'll never quit.I'm not gonna lie it's been a battle but I never once thought about drugs of any kind since. I finally have my life back and it's so awesome! I learned something about myself and their might be a hand full people in the world who could pull this off and I am one of them. The best thing I have found to get through withdraws,well most don't want to hear it but it worked for me. HARD WORK you have to push your self way past the pain. It's a mind game,yes it hurts but just try this pump yourself up buck the pain. Get up every morning beat your chest like Tarzan and say I'm awesome and I got this!!!!!!!!!Sound's crazy but it WORKS.

Just stumbled across this. I have been on methadone only a month before realizing it was nt a good idea. I was supposed to be brought to 80mg daily but only made it to 65mg when I decided to taper off while I could. Unfortunately I also don't have the money to afford an appropriate taper, so I've been taken from 65mg-5mg in one week. I am on day 3 of withdrawal and the insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, and depression are the worst aspects for me. I have been unable to sleep at night and find myself constantly tensing all of my muscles. Methadone withdrawals feel much worse to me than opiate. Today I'm going to my doctor about a clonidine patch so I will see if that hopefully works.

That was a highly informed bit of support, you are right on top there

You my friend can do anything with Jesus in your life.
We have similar stories. I was on 30 mills a day. And 14 days ago I washed all my meds down the drain. Not saying it's been easy but with my pastors support and my g/F's support its made it bar able. Good luck to you.

Well, firstly no body takes methadone once a week so what gives?...if your using this methadone to get high you are going down a path to death...Methadone is nothing to f**k around with...people have died on very small doses...your body needs to adjust and gradually end up at a good dose...So you are taking it once a week, your gona kill yourself..No withdrawls, just death!

Hey man very usefull advice I currently started 30 mg and I'm going up 10ml tommorow then another 10 ml Monday ive been cold turkey before from heroin wich was hell for the first week but I learned a lesson Never smoke weed when withdrawing as it makes you worse yawning eyes watering discomfort cravings all the above I found valium helped at night for sleeping and plenty of fluids