Detox from Methadone

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jessiesmom123

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This is my 1st post and I am looking for some advice. I have been going to a methadone clinic (70 mgs being my highest dose) for about 1 1/2 years. I am now at 30 mgs and want to know how fast can I detox. I have gone from 70 to 30 mgs in about 2 months with no real problems. According to the clinic I am going too fast and need to slow down. I am paying $95 per week and am loosing my unemployment in about a month and can get no financial help from the clinic. I know I can find employment but am scared of drug testing (for the methadone) and if I can work while detoxing. I feel like I am just going on and on but I need to know the best way to detox and how long I should give myself on this 30 mgs. I have read posts recommending vitamins, advil... I want to be drug free so bad! I know I can do this I just need some help!
 
Hi and welcome to the board. I was on methadone maintenance over 30 years ago. I don't remeraber the mg, but I had been on it for a few years and I'm sure it wasn't a low dose. Anyway, when I went to (court-ordered) rehab, I was sent to detox first. I might've been there a week tops. I felt fine in detox because they were supplementing with Valium, but I didn't feel so great after I got into rehab and was off it entirely.

But my point being, fast detoxes have been done. So you've come down basically 5 mg per week over eight weeks. Now you would need to taper down 7.5 per week to get off it entirely in a month. Does the clinic think you'll suffer from withdrawal, or are they concerned about the possibility of going back to drugs?
 
Hello jessiesmom: Do you have problems with pain or is it a problem with addiction. I hope I wasn't too intrusive there.
Methadone is very difficult to go off of. If I were to go off Methadone, I'd die. My pain is severe!
I manage through my days and nights - but even with Methadone - it's not
easy.
Nelee
 
You said that was your last post so I do hope you'll read this. I don't believe that you
CAN go off Methadone quickly. It's a long-term med and is prescribed for people who
will need their whole lives. You will no doubt need a doctor's advicel Seriously. It's
dangerous to go off. If you need financial assistance try to get state aid. Please write
back.
Nelee
 
Hello, I know what you are going through!!! I am addicted to opiates with a doctor of course. But the other day i was so close to being out that i was physically and emotionally dying-felt like it anyways-. My husband and i both are. We found a doctor to help us get off with methadone I failedrug test-with opiates in my system- magine that... anyways my husband is still getting the help when i had to step back to the opiates. Now I can't find a doctor to prescribe me methadone as i really want to get off opiates and back on domes. It's not easy i dont care what others say, i know! and yes all people are different but even our or now just his doctor says it's a long process! You can't dind a doctor that will write you a script for a month instead of a weekly basis'?? That would break anyone, 95 a week thats 400 a month. when you could find a doc and go once a month fot about half that! ANYWAY just holla at me and good luck!!
Michelle
Louisiana
 
Thanks for the responses. First of all that was my first post (1st). I'll try to answer some of your questions. I haven't tried to get state aid, According to the clinic my husband and I make too much money. I have private medical insurance but they dont pay anything for outpatient. Because of the addiction we filed bankruptcy almost a year ago so a lot of our income goes to the courts every month. My counselor thinks I have done very well, no dirty urines since I started the clinic. I haven't touched anything since the day I started the methadone (1 1/2 years). I still have cravings since I started detoxing from the meth but I am determined I am doing this I just need to know what to expect. I guess I wasn't as far into it as some but I dont want to take the chance of going back and loosing everything. My husband of 14 years has been here but is having a hard time dealing with my addiction. He feels like if I really wanted to I could just stop and that would be the end of it. Other than the adiction he is also dealing with the fact that I broke us financially and ruined our credit over about a 3 year period and has a hard time with me giving the clinic money every week. We are more like room mates than husband and wife since this started. He really resents me and I cant say that I blame him. I've lost good frienRAB too and I can't risk loosing anything or anybody else. I dont think I would have survived if I didn't have my daughter with me. She just turned 10. SHe is the love of my life and I have to do this for her as well as for myself. I want my life and my marriage back.
 
Hi Michelle, that's how I started was with a doctor. I hurt my back jumping on my daughters trampoline. I was 42 at the time, shoulda known better (LOL). I went from never taking a pain pill in my life to 25 - 30 lortabs a day. I did a few oxy's but not much else. I was spending every penny we made on pills after my scripts ran out. My husband and one other person are the only 2 people that know anything about my addiciton. Up until 6 months ago I held down a 8 - 5 job in a customer service position for 13 years. My job was eliminated and I have collected unemployment since.

I don't think having a prescription for meth would be smart for me. If I had someone who could give them to me as prescribed to detox it may would work but I have no-one. The clinic has been a great help but they are breaking me. My counselor is a great guy but he doesn't have a clue what addicts are experiencing. He is young and needed a job. I think it takes a special kid of person to work in that position and it's hard when it pays so little. My family doctor helped me get to the place I am now by prescribing me anything I asked for and not even questioning me. I know I can't blame him but doesn't he need to carry a little of the blame? He is known in my little town as the one to go to for whatever you need. He has been in rehab several times him self. How could he even have a license and especially a right to write prescriptions!!

As I said, my husband doesn't have a clue about addiction and I think he would rather be blind than deal. It's been hard, after all we have been through he didn't even take the check book. I am still responsible for paying the bills and budgeting. It's not that he trusts me he just doesn't want to deal with the situation. I really dont think we would be together if it were not for my daughter and not being able to support 2 householRAB with the bankruptcy. But, as I said earlier, how can I blame him. He has worked his whole life to make a home for his family and have the things we have and I go and throw it all away. We were able to keep our home and cars since we filed chapter 13 but we are paying a BIG percentage of our income for the next 5 years.

I have read and reread posts (especially the recommendations on detoxing from home). I think they may be a big help. I am going to talk to my counselor on Thursday and start going down 7 1/2 a week and try to get off the meth. My parents will be here tomorrow for a 2 week visit from Tennessee. I want to tell my mom so bad but I am supposed to be the "good one" here, the child that never got in any trouble, with the perfect life.... I want so bad not to dissapoint them.

I know it has to be hard for both you and your husband. Especially with you having to go back to Opiates. I hope you both find help and thanks for listening!
 
Hello again jessiesmom... To be honest, having the script 4 the whole month, doesn't do us justice either!!! It's good talking to you, it does help to get things out in the open off your chest-although it's with complete strangers b/c we can't really tell anyone else b/c we are addicts! My mother does not know either. Good luck with that!!
 
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