is it normal to take over 10 days to get off methadone

Hi,

Methadone does take much longer to detox from than heroin, this is due to how long it stays active in your system.. With heroin mostly a dose lasts 4-6 hours, without another dose (if your an addict) after about 24 hours you start the joy of feeling ruff and so it begins, first 3-5 days being the worst usually managing to get the physical symptoms all done and dusted within 7-10 days.  Now lets take a look at methadone.  When you start your prescription of methadone the first 3 days are the worst.this is a combination of stopping your previous opiate and adjusting and the fact this is how long it takes for methadone to establish a constant level in your system and the timing is pretty similar to start getting it to leave your system.   After 24 hours since a methadone dose you feel fine due to it's long acting supply in your system.  36 hours after the last dose your feeling a bit grim but can get on.  48 hours after the last dose the levels in your system have more than halved now your body is wondering why it's not been topped up and your starting to feel crappy.  72 hours after your last dose it hits if it has not already, and compared to a heroin detox is not pleasant, not saying detoxing from heroin is either but to compare the two the effects from methadone are more intense.  You then need to start working through the symptoms 

Day 4 and 5 they seem worse than the previous day as now you have no methadone left in your system, and this is when methadone withdrawal will really start to bite, your receptors are screaming out for opiates to enter your system to let you feel ok again, while the lack of them is causing your brain to release extra levels of norepinephrine,which has till now been limited in it's supply by the use of opiates.  This  chemical is responsible for if you have ever heard the term 'fight or flight' response where your body is on edge ready to deal with a stressful situation, receiving an overload of this chemical makes all your senses, nerve endings alertness over sensitive It basically puts your body in a state of hight stress and panic ready to fend off some danger when there is none,  as the levels don't seem to drop this makes you highly agitated and in turn the pains and other symptoms your having from other receptors now flooding their contribution into your system makes for as you know a highly unpleasant experience, which takes time for your body to regulate, and to start producing the correct amount of these chemicals again and eventually as this happens end the physical withdrawal period.

By around day 6 you may have a good day, start getting a bit of emotion back you didn't realize you'd lost, this can be a good thing fits of giggles or happy feelings , even getting aroused, or it can go the other way and the tears start and your brain seems to go into overdrive, nothing seems to shut it up and you just can't relax.  Day 7-10 you may be getting stomach cramps and upset stomach about this time, it's different with everyone and dose related too.  By day 11-12 your feeling exhausted and may be able to just sleep now without feeling like you want to push your feet through the base of your bed to stop your legs feeling so dam bad.  Slowly after the crash point you will feel weak as fek but start pulling yourself together, this may take anything from 2-4 weeks you'll wake up one day and not feel like step ford wives/partridge family happy, but will get in the shower step out and feel nice and start to potter about doing whatever. 

Sadly when the physical stuff is over you have the mental side stil to deal with, you just have to keep occupied and be determined as there is no time limit on that one I'm afraid.

I hope this helps you<3