How do I make the jump from 1mg to 0 of methadone

[nonny419]

Methadone has ruined my body I am 350lbs I first started weighing 110 went thinking it was a 30 detox and was put on 178mg My weight went to about 250lbs I was only on it for about 90 days and began coming down lost 75 lb went to 6 mg I broke my arm in 4 places and was in a full cast 6 months I went to 20mgs for pain ,I gained the weight right back slowly I was up to 140mg again .my thyroid levels dropped I sat for 7 years with no life just tire and then 340 I have a huge mass in my uterus and lupus and MS so I an a health mess I remember being a 40 year old still dancing with our dance co then I was 54 I have been detoxing for 2 year at 2mg every other week Iam now finally at 16 they took me down slower this time because of being on it so much longer .I wonder why I have not lost no weight last time it fell off but again i had only been on it 90 days this time It was actually about 10 years when I started I have had no problems I am at 16 now and my mind is messing with me what if I go from 1 to 0 and get sick ? I plan when or if I start to feel anything to go to 1 every other week .I have take homes but I have never went a day without it ,I have such a fear  of withdrawal. Going this slow and taking it all the way down slow will  I get sick? .I don't use, never been dirty. I just got pneumonia and was on dilaudid 6 month because they had to saw my ribs to take out my lung and I stopped it, thinking since I never abused it I wouldn't get sick .I was wrong and I don't want to ever get sick like that again. please tell me if I will be okay doing this right and will my weight come off/,ever again. Please help me with the end so I can live my life again I dont want to have withdrawal. I cant go much slower I have done great from 140 to 16 so please let me know how to finish right. Please someone out there help me to stay calm ,just a bit of support. All I hear is how sock people get ,at the clinic no one believes I have felt nothing ,I actually feel and sleep much better. I just want it to stay that way.

[Vinny987]

I HAVE ALSO WEENED DOWN FROM 150MG TO .5MG I AM ON MY FIFTH DAY OFF OF THE METHADOSE I AM CURRENTLY SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY AND INSOMNIA BUT I KNOW FROM PAST EXPERIENCE THAT LIVING WITH A SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEM IS NOT A TOTAL LIFE KEEP ON FIGHTING YOUR WORTH IT. I KNOW I AM

[nonny419]

Thanks to all of you ,I at least don't feel alone I have done fine so far so i will
just try to stay positive.  

[nonny419]

he seems to be trying since I talked with him the other day.

[Merri123]

Sorry posted too soon.

When the time comes to stop at 1mg. Keep up your taper. Yes varying how you take (in juice ) may help. Also how about sleeping downstairs now? Then you will be where the family is is meals and what you can do. That will make you so happy. It would make me for sure.

I know you are scared. Everyone here has been there. How about checking into the hospital for 5 days ish. When that happens? They can monitor you and hep you feel better. You go through so much now you may find it is not so bad. But you won't be scared of dying bc nurses will there to monitor.

I wish you all the best. Just relax. You will have your life back. You will be fine with the taper. You are under 20mg. You can do this!!!! We'll be here.

[Merri123]

You are right. A one start house would do you a lot of good. Give you your mobility back to get around the house cook and clean. And that will give you exercise too. Did your husband think that would be good too? If most of the kids are grown you don't need such a big place.

You not have been thru so much. I am glad you talked. Things make. Better sense. Do you think he would go to counseling with you to work on your issues and to make your marriage good again? I am sure he has been scared too.

It sounds like meh may be there when time comes to stop.

[nonny419]

Yes my doctor said I was insulin resistant due to my body being in starvation mode hanging on to fat, water .We had a long talk tonight .we have 5 kids I have been with him since i was 14 I have no family mom dad both died no brothers or sisters or anyone.I had a full life as a midwife author lyrical dancer
,  yoga teacher. I started loosing my balance and thought it was just my middle ear like a virus I had a bust reduction and that really upset him .They messed up bad I was a H an going to a dd I woke up swollen so I looked about a c  But I was uneven they were under my arms more than in front when the swelling went down there was only skin so I had already got post op pneumonia,  that's how they found I had Lupus the MS has progressed I stayed on the methadone also because it help the pain bet I had got such a big belly I figured Coming off and losing the weight I would have less pain .My husband I don't know what happened I told him tonight what would make it easier would be t lay by him I can sleep without him He changed he lost his broth to cancer he was 46 the same age his dad died a year later he was diagnosised with nonhodgkins.them this xmas he had massive clots to the lungs and coded so he has been through alot and I have exactly been able to cook and clean like I use to He was spoiled I messed up with the methadone I just need it to end but I don't want to die ,withdrawal could kill me I am not strong like I was 10 years ago I do yoga at night I take calmax to relax magnesium help me alot. I do feel i ave been lonely and neglected but he has be trying to get me to get down stairs to eat with everyone .It hurts tho I need a one story home thats a big issue I can keep up this house he make a ton of money a smaller open home would make life easier. I know if I have to do this alone I will leave,If he helps me We will see.

[nonny419]

My husband for the first time in 12 years gave me some support .He said when I get to 1 I go pick up my take homes and treat it like any other day no good byes just in and out and you go on with life like i do the two weeks and just dont go back .The doc said to try every other day if I am to scared .My counselor said she was 15 years try to stop and she taper down thinking the worst staying at 1-3 for a year and said it was nothing and she couldn't believe she wasted so much time . How did you do stopping .I think its a habit if taking something every morning I said I wish the could do it like they did years ago Putting it in OJ and then they would put something else init for a few weeks then when you were two week on a placebo they would stop you and tell you you had been off it for weeks .I know when I first started I went down 2 mg and thought I was sick my counselor said get my *** out there I wasn't sick she got me down to the 6 .I have bad luck my arm was broke so band I went into shock. 4 breaks 2 torn ligaments .I dont know how i went back up .I was close to the people at the clinic and my counselor It seemed my whole life .Then I know I would never get out so I switched .the suff was so much stronger were I am now My head hurt for 2 month and I  could only take half my bottle I wanted to stop then but it took 3 months to get a counselor by then I was able to take it all .Anyway please tell me you did fine 1 to0 lie if you have to LOL.

[nonny419]

Did you get really sick? I have to watch y body 1 I am 54 and am not that well so I am trying to give my body 2 week between each 2mg drop If I start to feel any thing or I may do it anyway is when I get to 5 star going i every 2 week .they said if I wanted then I could try 1 every other day.I have 2 week take home I should try to go every other day but I get afraid I will get sick .I have never been so scared of something in my life .I am so afraid I will die before I get to live again I have lost so much time I want to dance again .I need several surgery's my husband refused to let me have them on this,so i will most likely suck up the pain .Believe me loosing my lung when they crack your chest ,and cut from under the breast around your side up your beck sawing your ribs .It was so painful I had 5 kids to me it was nothing but that surgery I thought they should have put me in a comma . Are you still clean/ I don't know what they mean that detoxing is horrible I really don't feel anything ,one days grouchy but taking calmax helps so much to relax you..You stopped at 5 mgs were you taking anything with methadone and how sick did you get?

[Merri123]

Wow. Ok. Let's move past this.

First I have BAD restless legs so I know what you mean. People here say Hylands restless leg medicine you can buy at stores work well. Maybe try that. I take Requip for it. One pill before bed and I am good.

Second, your husband is being abusive. Honestly even if you lost the weight I doubt it would get better. He is not helping you at all. He is hurting you emotionally and depriving you of what you need. Starving you won't help you lose the weight. Do you want to be with him? You could get a little apartment at an assisted living place and have all the healthy meals, help and care you need. Do you have children (don't remember reading that)?

Tell your doctor everything and see how he can assist you in gett ing help. Maybe your insurance allows for drop in care for a while. Are you on disability or Medicare? If so make sure you change it so your husband can't get the $$ or be in charge of your care.

I'm sorry to say harsh things but you are being neglected and deprived. You know that if your body is starved it will attack your muscles for food first? Not the fat areas. Your metabolism slows down and it goes I to protection mode. Which means it stores more fat for energy and you won't lose weight.

Please keep posting. Continue your taper. You can do this. And start taking g your life back one step at a time. You can do it. Not for your husband. For YOU!!!!

[nonny419]

Yes I am on synthroid it wasn't until I got down to low enough about 20mg of methadone that my thyroid med kicked in. My thyroid is in normal range but still no weight loss I keep wondering why the first time I came down my weight dropped I means as soon as I started going down but I was on it only 90 days before going down I wish I wouldn't of broke my arm so bad being at 6 mg  I didn't think it was even show in my urine anymore the counselor said oh yeah it's there but then I still felt nothing .I feel better now than I did at hgher doses I never slept .a hour here and there Now I at least sleep 4 hours strait
All the **** I have causes so much pain and fatigue that is off the chart but my husband hates the methadone and for 12 years has took everything away no sex in 12 years no bed no car sold my 40,000  dollars wedding ring. I sit in silence all day except for patients I am so fat an disgusting ,tired cant clean I thought is was the methadone but I still go into flareups bad if I get a cold or stressed which takes me down fast. The one thing that helps me is calmax it's just calcium and magnesium it knock me out and I struggle anyway with restless legs ,it don't help sleeping in a chair i crave to lay down I tried to sleep on our pool tale one night .My husband changed and I need support .I don't want to talk myself into getting sick.the doc saig when I got down to 1 if I was scared to go every other day .sometimes I think it would be easier to go in a rehab and just get done Nobody will take me because I can die from withdrawal. my body and heart are not great so I hope I can do this right an get my life back and body back I want to run again I do yoga every night but my belly is so big I mean my waist is 50 inches but my ribs are sticking out in back and I am malnourished .I have to ask for my food I eat a piece of  fruit and broccoli when he gets home I can't get myself down the stairs alone .Life has taken such a toll on me I hope you all will keep me positive this is a big step .The stupid thing is I have never abused drugs and I still lost a decade to this crap .I should have research it. What is withdrawal anyway from this like?. Stomach things. chills, I have no idea. I know when I stopped my meds after surgery it was like sweating but cold, My legs I was kicking the wall over and over my head puking and going to the bathroom at the same time .I could never take tat again Please tell me it's not like that

[Merri123]

You said at one point your thyroid was affected. Are you on medicine for that? Low thyroid will cause you to gain weight and prevent you from losing. If not, get it checked to start treatment for it.

[gnarly_1]

Hi  welcome to the forum.....well methadone is a strong narcotic it has a 1/2 life of 36hrs so you realy dont feel the drop in dose for 3 days or should I say the full effect there is no compleatly painless way to get off of it  I went from 150mg to 1mg and jumped off there the last 20mg are the tufest there is not much there to keep your serum level high enough to take you threw the whole day ...''you just got to be ok without being ok for a wile your recovery can be anywhere from 30 to 90 days depending on how long how high a dose and your age mine lasted about 90 days till I got past the energy crash keep posting for support we all want to see you get clean.....................................Gnarly.................................

[Ldytaz]

I too gained weight on methadone. Being disabled and carrying around an extra 50 lbs now. I hv lost some the last couple weeks but,know it will be a long road. When I got off my doc 17years ago,I was so healthy that weight was not an issue. Now being older and heavier it is. U hv to be patient and keep moving forward. We r here for u...

[CRSeaside]

Here for your support too.   I had a taper buddy. When I was vacillating on the jump time, he gave me support & a bit of " tough love".
  Ok, he said, you've been at this long enough. You'll be ok. I think it's time we did this thing!".  
That's what it took for me. Knowing someone had confidence in me. It was a trigger. He said what I needed to hear at the right moment.
  Let us be there for you too.  Please take one issue at a time. Yes. You will lose the weight. Have faith in your body. But first lets get you well.
  Much love & encouragement to you!  Pamela

[atthebeach]

You have done a great job with your taper. Next step is stopping.
1mg is as low as you can go. You have been on methadone a long time. Your body will still have to detox and flush out all the toxins From your system. This will take time.
Don't let the fear of withdrawal keep you chained any longer.
There is freedom from the chains and bondage of addiction.

Take vitamins. Drink protein shakes. Move around as much as possible.
Drink lots of water. Get rid of any methadone You have so you ate not tempted to use.
Get into some counseling, support group meetings, church.
You will need to start an exercise program. Start with walking.
Eat lean protein, fruits and veggies.
You can do this.
Don't let the fear in.

[Ldytaz]

Congrats on your taper.. I was on methadone for a shorter time (2yrs).My experience with the wds was the worst I hv ever been thru,but I did it and so can u.I went from 100-30 in 2 months,then 15 for week and was just tired of giving them my money and still sick.I really didnt feel the effects at the higher taper.When I got to 30 it started.So I went 15,11,8,5 and jumped.Never turning back..I read here that if u can do the taper it is better for u and the effects r less.lots of ppl will be on to help u.I just wanted to let u know someone was here and thinking about u...