Detoxing off Methadone

[helpron791]

How do I kick the last 30mgs of methadone?  I was on 240 mgs a day but the lower I get the harder & more painful it has become..Please help

[Jaybay]

Jaded - I swear I'm about to print this post just to make sure my DH lays eyes on the words, "Jaybay is right on everything."  LOL!  :-D

[JadedSweetheart]

Jaybay is right on everything.  I am just chiming in my support and encouragement.  You have really tapered down a lot!  
I also agree that a lot depends on your reasons for getting off the methadone.  Were you taking it for pain?  If so you will probably need to talk to the doctor about something else for pain.  
Jaybay mentioned the Substance Abuse forum and I definetly recommend them too.  They are great with support for tapering/withdrawl and are very knowlegable.
I hope this last stretch of detoxing goes as comfortably as possible for you.  Congratulations and Good luck!

[Jaybay]

Whoa!  You were on a tremendous dose of methodone at 240 mgs.  Most rehab clinics only go as high as 120 mg in a detox or maintenance situation.  Was that prescribed by a doctor or were you abusing it?  The reason I ask is because detox for addiction absolutely requires psychological support or the risk of relapse is a near certainty.  Psychotherapy should also be included in treatment for chronic pain patients, but it gets thrown to the side of the road in too many cases.

Anyway, you must know by now that detoxing from methadone takes quite a long time due to it's very long half-life.  It's normal for the body to get angry when it gets down to the last nitty gritty of detox.  While tapering is safer and less painful, there really is no way to completely avoid withdrawal symptoms.  It's going to rear its ugly head at some point, which is why relapse is so common in patients without medical and psychological support.

You've done an incredible job with your taper so far, but if you are trying to do this on your own I really think it's time to ask for help from an addictionologist.  These last 30 mgs are going to be the most difficult to stop, and you'll probably have to lengthen your taper quite a bit.  Have a chat with the good folks over at the Addiction - Substance Abuse forum here at Med Help.  They are so very supportive and far more knowledgeable about detox than I am.  There are also a whole lot of success stories there that may help inspire you to keep up the good fight.  Congratulations on your work so far and for asking for help now that you know you need it.  Great job!  :-)