Tapering off Methadone June 4th 70mgs today?

[johnnykelly]

Hello and welcome to all to ingage in a intellectually based discussion on the PROS + CONS of the therapeutic and recreational use of Methadone. I john K on June 4th had a hip replacement.Post operative i had a Morphine Drip for post operative acute pain.The next step was 2 percocets every 4hours for breakthrough pain this was for 2-days Morphine and i was hospitalized for a total of 5-days pills and methadone for the whole 5straight days.I increased my Meth dose up to 70mgs prior to the operation. After the sergury in had to MORE HIP PAIN!!!! excellent result.The Osteoarthritis was cut out and gone.*I FEEL GREAT!!!! REgarding the Methadone i have a very long history of using percocet ,oxycontin for both or 3 reasons !pain,2Pleasure 3 Money,i made money off them.I tapered from 7oin 1week to 1week later to60,1wk50 40 30 At 4months later im at 25mgs and on the 16 of sept it wuill be 20mgmgs So far physically everthing is fine,I dont get me meth dose on Sunday to 11:am,but as i get lower,I was this morning @ an A.A. meeting and looking atr my watch  to get dosed. I got my 25mgs and now feel good. any suggestion about when i hit on the 16th 20mgs as a ,lot is psychological as well as physical your truly john

[godezzofchaos]

JohnKelly, you sent me a glowing e-mail regarding my idea of blind dosing...now let me return the favor..i 1000000% agree with you..give it 10 years and we'll be hearing how SUBOXENE and SUBUTEX are "hell drugs" and a "horror"....HIND SIGHT IS 20/20!!!!   I personally have been extremely successful in my treatment with methadone. It gave me back my life and I am fortunate enough to have worked the program EXACTLY how it was designed and I get 28 take-homes at a time, so no DAILY clinic visits. It's no different for me than a diabetic who needs insulin.  Anyway, that will ruffle some feathers, but I did want to tell you that at my clinic (in Tennessee) they offer BOTH liquid OR wafers. You have a choic, and the offer Suboxene and Subutex..it is a very good clinic and they have helped me tremendously!  

[sadinmichigan]

LOL...i am hearin ya..LOL..I am really praying that it isn't so bad for you..I mean that. I had to do what I had to do..but with that..I am more than jaded about the whole experience..i hope you understand..but..the important thing is I have been off that for 2 yrs..you are funny..lol still laughing thanks..  I wish i would have tried tapering more..but whats done is done..right..all the best to you johnny from toronto..

[johnnykelly]

Honey id rather taper,pregnancy and me giving birth.That may cause stretch Marks Ha,HA, Unless i can have something for the pain??

[johnnykelly]

Yiu outlined the perfect plan.We all are in agreement that the half-life is a misnomer,its more like 3-lives.I found it no problem at the high end. say i was on 200mgs,i could easily drop 100mgs the first shot,because my body and mind is saturated.The time when the rubber meets the road is when in my case. To9day i got my first indication of wd syndrom and that was sneezing 6-times in a row,that used to happen when i ran out of perks.That shows me at least my storage level is getting even.The suboxone program in Canada a patient has to be below 30mgs,the prefered dose is 20mgs and by the way thanks for the additional tool to use in my detox and recovery yours truly johnk in Toronto

[sadinmichigan]

in all due respect...i don't care about any of the technical stuff..I lived through the reality..however..that was MY reality..that being said..nobody could convice me otherwise..i did try to taper..It was he11..I simply wasn't willing to feel like that for the year the clinic said to taper..I hated the whole process..I am pulling for you..I really am..It is not imposssible to do..it's hard for sure..i rather give birth everyday..thats all..

[johnnykelly]

The dose we think we are on is not the amount in our blood plasma.I am on for the last weel or so 25mgs,but my blood level probably show anywher from 25 to 70 a lot has to do with that super-long half-life.I respect your opinion i am trying to handle mty taper the best way possible.Have you ever heard of blood-tests to measure the amount of Bio-available methadone in a persons system. thanks john

[worried878]

Good luck and stay strong...methadone has a long half life and it takes a long time to get it out of your system...but it is do-able and I have watched several kick it on the forum...some taper down slowly..have seen others get to a low dose then go on sub for the final month or so...A patient in the pain clinic at the hospital i work at, was at 75 mg a day...she tapered down 5 mg each week until she was at 10 mg a day/actually i think she was down to 10 mg every other day...then she started sub and stayed on sub for a month...she had some residual wds after she stopped the sub but bearable..she is now clean...she was an elderly lady who was physically dependent and did not abuse/was on her prescribed dose and like u she had a surgery that relieved her pain and it was time to come off...when we are mentally addicted as well as physically addicted, there are other issues that can make it a bit harder to get clean...good luck to u and keep posting

[sadinmichigan]

you said it perfect...tortured slowly ..my skin is crawling thinking about it..thanks for saying the truth...no matter what dose your on

[johnnykelly]

Wow after 6-weeks with no methadone your symtoms got worse.I know the half-life is the longest of all narcotis .the same as the Suboxone.One reason is that the drug builds in our blood levels.Say we take 100mgs today,with the half life there still 50mgs the next day,and then we take the 100mgs for that day and on,on on on it goes.You can imagine if a person has been using for months.I guess that the reason you felt terrible 6-weeks later.It took that long for the blood levels to deplete.Thank for your imput. johnk

[johnnykelly]

I like your handle,at first i thought it was a reply from a man,well this is even better.First and foremost thanks for the support. In Toronto,Canada i good thing regarding methadone is it only dispensed in Liquid form from a pharmacy thats has a special liscense. One major problem i have noticed in the U>S>A> is that methadone is dispensed in pill-form,wafers and hardly anybody gets the liquid.A person goes to the DR and say dr. im having problems controling my use of percocets,oxys,vicodin,so the WISE_ONE in white coat writes the patient a RX for methadone-pills. LORD!!!! doctor i said i take my 100 percocets in 5-days,how am i supposed to take these methadone pill as prescribed.?????? One stupid thing the Canadian goverment did ,was When all the negative report of HILLBILLY HEROIN AKA OXYCONTIN at that time100-80mgs would $cost 450.00 dollars the pill werent covered under WElfare drug plan and even some private insurance,basically a person had to pay $$$$ Then our goverment after all the American horror stories decides to get this!!!! THee CANADIAN GOV< now covers oxycontin on all drug-plans. can you believe that. thanks for your response john kelly

[fibromama]

Methadone is a hell drug and the w/d process varies from person to person,,my experience was that of being alive but being tortured slowly and after 6 weeks my symptoms got worse.  I pray for every person who is on the drug and trying to get off it,,take care of yourself very well before you taper or c/t its a long excruciating process.

[DenverBroncos07]

I just wanted to tell my experiance with methadone.  I first got addicted to Vicodin, Percocet Oxy...etc. I went to my Doctor for help and was put on 80mg of methadone.  This was the worst thing that my doc could have prescribed me.  I took it for over a year and decided to try and taper at home.  I got slowly down to 30mg and ran out.  It Sucked! many people say that it is stored in your bones not like opiates such as Vicodin etc. so when i ran out i was walking into walls, getting maybe 1 or 2 hours of sleep leg cramps, you know the story.  I did end up kicking it, but i fealt strange for a good 60 days.  You are definatly doing it the right way, i did not have to go through so much if i would have tapered better...but we all know there is going to be pain, w/d no matter what.  I found myself thinking like you (is it going to hurt when i drop to ?mgs) and although it is almost impossible not to think that way I know for a fact in my case i created pain by dwelling on it.  So much junk is trying to come out and the brain is so stressed because of detox, taper etc. that it is so hard not to think about (how bad will it hurt) but i know it is probably better not to think about it.  I Truely hope you have a generally painless Detox, but if it starts to get uncomfertable keep in mind it is all Normal.  It is so worth getting off that stuff.  My thoughts are with you.

[johnnykelly]

Yes Sir;,I think you hit upon and excellent therapeautic tool to aid the patient in their psychological acclimation and faith in a successful recovery via a ?? Taper,once again Godezz an excellent strategy in the psychological turmoil that patient encounter in trying to numerically reduse the mgs dose of methadone,its all Warm and Fuzzy !!!! When we are at the upper mgs of a taper from methadone,percocet,vicodin, DOG Poop, etc.But as the 10pills a day goes down weekly to below saY 5, IN MY CASE AS I ASSUME AS IN OTHERS WE START TO CRINGE.I also agree with the well stated and intellectually and ,moreover,Physically demonstrated strategies of Sadinmichigan,yes your right methadone doesant work,by using conventional methods,but Godezz may of found a (tool,to the psychological approach) and not to Forget THEEAGle,Brother we share alot in common my friend,remember our disscussion on codien extraction!!! I like my friends to be (On the Intellectual-Ball) and to reiterate your points Yes methadone is not in the same category as Any other opioid,But come5years The Miracle Suboxone/Subutex. People on Med-help in 2013,or before in my opinion will Say!!! I wish i didnt stay on the Sub that Long!! Remember submarines do down in depth,and the same symtoms as todays Methadone patient experience will,Be Tomarrows Suboxone/Subutex,The difference between the two for those wondering is Subutex is a pure-narcotic,and Suboxone is the Narcotic and NALTREXONE,naltrexone is the drug used on the T.V. shows when we see a Heroin o.d and him/her get that injection and then there WIDE AWAKE AND MAD AS HELL!!!! Goodluck and sobriety to all jkelly

[godezzofchaos]

Not sure if they still do this, but I think if you ask, perhaps your clinic will start BLIND DOSING you..that is NOT tell you how much you have taken, for this reason perhaps your mind will not be focused on the 20mgs..so to speak. If you trust them you could set a goal date and have them blind dose you the rest of the way down. I have had a friend who did this and it was quite helpful. I may take this avenue when my dose become low aswell.  I am still on a very high dose but in the next year and 1/2 plan to detox.  Good luck darlin!

[sadinmichigan]

I agree 100% with eagle..there is no other drug like methadone..it's in a class all it's own no matter what one chooses to believe..The lower the dose you go the harder it is..regardless of all the other stuff...why not just bite the bullet and get it done and over with....I quit cold at 65 mgs..a few others here at 25 mgs and less..we all pretty much had the same w/d and for the same amount of time..somewhere around 6 weeks..if you have time..please check out my journal entry about methadone/opiate..it is written by a dr. who also was an addict..it's very informative ..good luck..

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

Methadone is not like most of the other narcs - it is a monster and you can have w/d symptoms for a really long time ...many researchers say they cannot distinguish a difference between c/t on 30mg or the same on 5mg - - one of our members was down to 1mg and was going to drop to 1/2 before quiting....and this is a man with experience....it is a tricky place to be ......