Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

How long can methadone withdrawal go on?

I have been on Methadone for the last 6 years, all starting with 5mg dose all the way up to 120mg per day. I was put on methadone to get me off of percocet that had been perscribed to treat my Migraine headaches. Finally I had enouugh of the Methadone and asked to be taken off of it. I had already tapered myself down to about 60-80mg perday, then went cold, on the third day I hurt so bad I finally went to the hospital and they treated me with Suboxone for 3 days. Starting with 4mg per day and I started feeling better almost immediately so I asked if we could taper the Suboxone. The one thing that really confused me was that even though i had not taken any methadone for 6 days by the time i got out of the hospital I was still coming up positive for methadone in my urine. Now i have been home for 6 days and the withdrawal symptoms have come back hard and I am really suffering. What advice do you have?
114 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
6207615 tn?1380212808
Wow, all these post are really good.  It's amazing how long suffering we can be, and we thought kicking Heroin was tough!  Someone posted that when your playing with Methadone your in the Big leagues and that couldn't be said any better.  Methadone is the last ditch effort for any opiate addict, and for me, the most intoxicating when mixed with benzo's and other meds.  I've kicked Methadone and Benzo's together many times and usually it's forced by incarceration.  I am currently 40 days clean and it's 3am and I just woke up after an hour of sleep with goosebumps running up my back and neck, gotta love it, gotta respect it.  I was taking 120mgs a day for the past two years and of course Xanax and clonazepam daily.  I couldn't Do it anymore, so when I got my months script I downed the whole bottle-3600mgs.  I was found 12 hours later still alive, rushed to ER, where I woke straight up when my unconscious mind heard "give him 6.5 of Narcan" Fell back out woke 24hours later on  a Narcan drip that lasted 5 days.  When I was taken off the drip I fell back out- 5 days later, That's Methadone.  I didn't Even start Detoxing until day 8 and the real deal kicked in around day 10.  For me detox is a roller coaster.  Feeling good one minute than super bad the next.  At day ten I was shaking and quivering so much my eyebrows were even trembling.  Reality is, nothing but an opiate is going to take away the pain.  Valium, ativan, clonadine, zefra(stomach) seem to help the detox suck just a little less.  It is what it is and for me I noticed in the past that weening down from  Methadone doesn't help that much.  That's just for me.  I can usually track my symptoms by the amount of sneezing that I do.  My sneezing peeks at 7 in a row than starts to lesson as the days and weeks go by.  When I get to 3 in a row I know i'm on the down slope.  Stomach cramps go away after a week or so, but the cramps in legs and back and chills stay for a good 30- 50 days.
     If I were to give advice to someone planning to detox from Methadone that doesn't know what to expect I would say take a good 30 days off of life.  Plan this out because it's gonna be tough.  If your on 20mgs or 120mgs, it's gonna be rough.  Go to a doctor and be honest or get your A** in a treatment center.  

Suboxone and methadone dont mix well.  The risk of going into precip. WD's is way to high.  I took suboxone 10 days after my last dose 5 years ago and went into unbelievable withdrawl within 15 minutes.  I thought I was sick enough to take it, but boy was I wrong.  If you take sub's to quick you will know within 10-20 minutes and theres no coming back from that one for atleast 15-24 hours-probably more than that. so be warned.

This is all personal experience not something I read.  So if your reading this you know someone that is going through this or your doing the thing and it does get better, than worse, than better, than worse, than better!  So Hang in there guys.  The real test is when were done the detox, right?  We can forget the pain so easily.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was addicted to oxycondone for years.  I went through a 5 year period constantly taking drugs or going to the methadone clinic.  I finally got clean and beat my mental addiction.  About 3 years ago I had a set twins via C-section.  Two months after that I started devolping cyst on my ovaries and the after two months of dealing with that my Doctor put me on percocet.  I took it for 7 months while dealing with cysts forming going away and coming again. I had developed a physical dependence so I went back to the clinic.  I was on 50mg Daily and when i detoxed I went down between 2 and 3mg a week. It took a lttle over 4 months to get down to 1mg.  And the first week was very hard with withdrawl.  I was blessed to be sleeping at least 4 hours a night.  But had no energy and had 4 kids to take care of.  Let me tell you I have no mental addiction so going through this yes i felt bad but I thanked God everyday to allow me to breath and for giving me the strength to do this.  It has been 31 days since I took my last dose.  Dont give up.  With time everything thing gets better. I am not 100 percent but I am getting there and still attending celebrate recovery as I have for the last three years. Those of you who that struggle with the depression and wanting to just make the withdrawl go away it helps to have you mental addiction erradicated before you detox.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been on methadone for eight month was on 180 and quit cold turkey fourteen days ago how much longer with withdraws some one plz help
Helpful - 0
5962785 tn?1377459772
I had got to half a pill (5mg) a day and thought What the Hell how bad could  could it be to totally quit?  Well its been 7 weeks and at least I can sleep about every other day about 4 hrs which of course is no fun,but I won't take any pharma for it.
You mentioned this may continue for a year or two? Gasp! Well nothing worth having is easy.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
what......no clinics start anyone at 180 per day. If you have no idea what you are talking about then please don't send a bunch of bs.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I loved your comment about womaning up & just doing it.  I'm about to go to jail maybe) and stressing B I G  T I M E about just stopping my 12mgs a day cold turkey.  I have to say however that if you aimed to inspire, mission accomplished! Thank you
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Addiction: Substance Abuse Community

Top Addiction Answerers
495284 tn?1333894042
City of Dominatrix, MN
Avatar universal
phoenix, AZ
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.