How long can methadone withdrawal go on?

[tongowefli]

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?

[jimi62]

When i went to a meth clinit my highest dose was 45mg then started dropping 5mg every 5 or 6 days with no problems got low as 10mg and relasped but my goal was to go down to 1mg for a week and try skipping a day then 2 days and seen what i felt like, i would think the lower you jump off at the easier just my opion.

[oldtyme]

Most methadonians are too anxious and attempt to get off meth ads fast as possible. The real trick is to do it as slowly as possible and -i swear to god-take up hobbies and exercise and find others also doing it-a few places(I did it in Boston) would allow a rate of withdrawal that amounted to 1 milligram /2 weeks. It might have beemn dosed differently-I didn't want to know-but this drug will defeat you if you try and cut it out instantly-like 5 mg per week or even a month.
Go slow-the time will pass so fast you will wonder how it happened. As my first Methdone warned me(Harvey Karkus), be ware of alcohol-most methadone patients are seveely prone to alcoholism.  He was right and I had to kick alcohol.
Don't be too interested in instant results!!! This is the downfall of everyone's first Meth detox.

Go re-e--e-a-l slow and youll than yourself. 1 % of a dose per 2 weeks is almost imposible to fel the diffeence-treat yourself like you are still human.

[jj190]

How long did it take for your w/d to end?  I was only on 60 mgs of methadone and had been using heroin intravenously before I started the methadone because I wanted to stop using. I recently quit going to the methadone clinic and quit cold turkey. I couldn't stand the withdrawals so I thought if I used heroin for a week, then take suboxone for a few days that I would be ok.  All that did was hide the symptoms for a few days and now I'm on week 5 of withdrawals and it's the worst thing I have EVER had to do. I went to detox and they let me leave after 72 hours and gave me nothing to take at home.  Ended up going to the doctors 2 days later because I couldn't take it anymore. He gave me a different blood pressure med instead of clonidine so I don't have the cold and hot sweats, my blood pressure is usually 105/56 and it was 148/80 when I was on my third week of w/d (higher then it was 5 days before when I was admitted into detox), Xanax xr 3mg which didn't help right away and it took a day or two for me to at least endure the anxiety, but still have anxiety and irratibility where I want to rip my insides out again (klonopin seemed to work the best). I have flexeril for muscle aches and the bone pain is awful, but the vomiting has stopped (taking over the counter meds for that).  I have no energy and when I think I'm starting to feel better, the next day it's like I'm starting from the beginning. The doctor said 6-8 weeks or sometimes it can last 3 months.  I thought 60 mgs of methadone would be easy because when I started I was not on the right dose and was still withdrawaling from Heroin, but didn't want to ask for more because of how long it takes to wean off of it.  Now I have insomnia, I want to sleep so bad but can't and am constantly moving my legs.  I just want this to be over with.  Everyone keeps telling me it will get better, but it seems like this is a NEVER ending nightmare.  Not to mention, nothing right now seems to excite me or make me happy. I made it this far because I left the state and am staying at my parents or I probably would of relapsed.  The withdrawals are what always made me go back to using just so I could function at work.  I just want to know when will I feel somewhat normal and be able to function again?  

[Jenelle2020]

Hey darcy , wow, you jumped off methadone at a huge dose! It's no wonder you are suffering so badly. I think it would be a good idea to go back on the methadone and do a slow taper. I know you want this over with but you are going to suffer incredibly bad! I know others have jumped at doses as high as yours, but they really suffered. I am currently tapering my methadone, have been tapering for almost 3 years and am now at 9mgs going down 1mg every two weeks to make my withdrawals as minimal as possible. It is ultimately your choice as to what you want to do but if it were me I would get back on and do a slow taper. I can't even fathom how terrible your withdrawals are going to be. Whatever you choose to do I wish you all the best..........

[darcy101]

I jumped off 140ml of methadone 4 days ago and I feel like I am going to die, either at my own hand or from these horrible withdrawls!! I am in a dark hole with no way out and I am suffering, can't sleep or eat and I have nobody. I just googled methadone withdrawls for any kind of help or advice and found this forum. I don't know if I can get through this, please any help or advice would be appreciated.

[superfreakNC]

well i dont know about anyone else in the world but the ruthless fkrs of child services are trying like helll to take my baaby over the same thing. he was born oct 21, at 8and1/2pounds. im at about a week now, i had to cold turkey 90 mgs a day adn i am freaking out, i mean the freak in me is bustin outta my skin and cant see to type. child services is acting like i am a child abuser because i began goin to the clinic to stop shootin opiates!! wow i have never told anyone that part, anyway, i got help in order to have a healthy baby. i could have afforded an abortion or some more pills, maybe some heroin, i want to jump off my roof right now but my luck i would just make myself hurt worse and blow my mentality out my butt, as if this could get worse. from reading everyones stuff im almost thru the worst of the hardcore stuff. its got to get better, my baby needs me, so does daddy

[alice31]

My daughter started methadone to get off heroin.  Shortly after she found out she was pregnant so she had to remain on methadone until the baby was born.  She started tapering slowly right after the baby was born.  She was on 70mg at that time.  When the baby was six months old she was ready to get off completely.  She made sure she had a week off of work and I helped her with the baby everyday.  It helped for her to exercise every day, drink lots of water, and take over the counter sleeping aides to help her sleep at night along with Aleve for muscle pain.  She became very depressed and went to her family doctor and began Wellbutrin.  It wasn't easy for her but slowly she started feeling better.  I would say she was feeling very good by 30 days after she went off completely and was pretty much back to normal by the sixty day mark.  I know that sounds like a long time but the worst part only lasted a week.  She was so afraid to go off it and when it got hard she felt like she wouldn't be able to do it and thought she would just stay on it forever.  But she stuck with it and all the hard times were worth it!  The baby is doing fine.  She spent 5 weeks in the hospital after her birth.  That was horrible.  But she just turned 10 months old and she has been walking for about 3 weeks, has excellent fine motor control, babbles constantly and is adorable.  So  GET OFF THE METHADONE!!!  YOU CAN DO IT!!! DON'T GIVE UP!!!