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help with methadone withdrawals
Hello.
My husband has been on a methadone program for almost 5yrs. now. He started on 250mg(yes 250mg). He deceided he wanted to detox. He followed the programs suggestions and has SLOWLY been detoxing for 2yrs. 1 month ago he was down to 90mg. At that time he just simply got feed up waiting so long. He has been taking 6-10mg of klonopin daily and dropping his methadone every 5 days. He is at 20mg of methadone right now. I have never taking either one. I meet and married him in the last 5 yrs(when he was already on the methadone program).
My problem,question is now I feel he is acting high...really high. He cant keep his eyes open but at the same time is running around trying to conquer the world it seems like. He is not able to complete sentences right. He is stumbling(or forgetting) words. Major mood swings. Constantly negative. Most of all the easiest smallest task is taking him an outragous amount of time and gets him frustrated.
I guess I really thought methadone withdrawals were going to be like what I read..shakes, vomiting, sweats etc. None of that is happening. Sorry to say but I feel like Im living with a crack addict.
Im not sure at this point if I should be worried about him using again..because of the klonopin or if this is some type of withdrawal.
Can someone PLEASE help me understand what is going on??>>
Also I guess it goes without saying the klonopin is not prescribed by his doc.
My husband has been on a methadone program for almost 5yrs. now. He started on 250mg(yes 250mg). He deceided he wanted to detox. He followed the programs suggestions and has SLOWLY been detoxing for 2yrs. 1 month ago he was down to 90mg. At that time he just simply got feed up waiting so long. He has been taking 6-10mg of klonopin daily and dropping his methadone every 5 days. He is at 20mg of methadone right now. I have never taking either one. I meet and married him in the last 5 yrs(when he was already on the methadone program).
My problem,question is now I feel he is acting high...really high. He cant keep his eyes open but at the same time is running around trying to conquer the world it seems like. He is not able to complete sentences right. He is stumbling(or forgetting) words. Major mood swings. Constantly negative. Most of all the easiest smallest task is taking him an outragous amount of time and gets him frustrated.
I guess I really thought methadone withdrawals were going to be like what I read..shakes, vomiting, sweats etc. None of that is happening. Sorry to say but I feel like Im living with a crack addict.
Im not sure at this point if I should be worried about him using again..because of the klonopin or if this is some type of withdrawal.
Can someone PLEASE help me understand what is going on??>>
Also I guess it goes without saying the klonopin is not prescribed by his doc.
Best Answer
I dont know. The clonazepam dose sounds (to me anyway) to be a crutch which has helped your husband drop his methadone so rapidly over the past month but presents a whole new set of prob;ems if not carefully managed. I disagree that it is lethal or even terribly excessive( 20 mgs was a single dose for me when I used and I would repeat that 2-3 times a day) but it is certainly enough to catch a "good" buzz and fail a sobriety test, especially if he is not usually a benzo abuser. It would explain almost all of the symptoms you described. The best advise I could suggest is to take him along to a sympathetic GP and maybe they can help design a more tenable detox plan.
4mgs is a lot, period. He's "nodding" out because he's coupling a benzo with methadone. It gives the same effect as heroin when used together. In the meantime he's dropping rapidly but isn't in the throws of withdrawal at all. Once he hits zero and is there for a solid 4-7 days, you'll notice a VAST difference. He should be on far less of a benzo as well as a blood pressure med (taken for restless leg). I hope he's not self medicating because a lethal combination can occur.
People speak of the horrors of benzo withdrawals but I went from 4mgs of xanax a day (was on it scripted for years) to zero with little to no issue. Yes, I felt very out of body but I also know how to function as I detox and to listen to my body. He's going to have to detox off of them as well, this is now 2 addictions he'll have to maintain and withdrawal. Most dr's would have given him a monitored dose of benzo (or buspar) as well as clondine. He is risking an overdose if he's eating them like candy now (when things aren't even really started), imagine how he will be once he's at 0 mgs!
Please get him to an ER and they will admit him for a medical detox of 10 days. The VA will have no say so in this as he's now a risk to himself and others on Benzo's. Please don't let him drive!
People speak of the horrors of benzo withdrawals but I went from 4mgs of xanax a day (was on it scripted for years) to zero with little to no issue. Yes, I felt very out of body but I also know how to function as I detox and to listen to my body. He's going to have to detox off of them as well, this is now 2 addictions he'll have to maintain and withdrawal. Most dr's would have given him a monitored dose of benzo (or buspar) as well as clondine. He is risking an overdose if he's eating them like candy now (when things aren't even really started), imagine how he will be once he's at 0 mgs!
Please get him to an ER and they will admit him for a medical detox of 10 days. The VA will have no say so in this as he's now a risk to himself and others on Benzo's. Please don't let him drive!
thank you for responding. I just signed up and this was my first post.
I guess I should also say that he is a veteran and is on the methadone program at the V.A. He has countless times tried to request a rapid detox and/or inpatient treatment. Bottom line is they say there is no inpatient detox and they will not assist or refer him to get some type of rapid detox. I am blown away that the same people/organization that put him on the program are not offering some type of detox from the medication they are giving him. Methadone has pretty much dictated his life and he has thought long and hard and does NOT want to be dependent on it or any other drug.
Does anyone know if methadone withdrawals are really bad once at a very low dose or are they any time you rapidly drop your dose?
The klonopin was the option because he was told it was used to help with the withdrawal from methadone. After reading the first response he has decided to take 4mg of the klonopin daily.
I guess I should also say that he is a veteran and is on the methadone program at the V.A. He has countless times tried to request a rapid detox and/or inpatient treatment. Bottom line is they say there is no inpatient detox and they will not assist or refer him to get some type of rapid detox. I am blown away that the same people/organization that put him on the program are not offering some type of detox from the medication they are giving him. Methadone has pretty much dictated his life and he has thought long and hard and does NOT want to be dependent on it or any other drug.
Does anyone know if methadone withdrawals are really bad once at a very low dose or are they any time you rapidly drop your dose?
The klonopin was the option because he was told it was used to help with the withdrawal from methadone. After reading the first response he has decided to take 4mg of the klonopin daily.
What your describing is not methadone withdrawals and that is a HUGE amount of clonapine
dont know if thats enough to make him act the way he is or he might very well be mixing it with something else.....the clonipine at that dose is lethal and if he got pulled over by the cops he would not be able to pass a sobriety test.....he will need professional help weening off the clonipine it is dangerous to just go off of you can go into seizures I would look for a rehab at this point this is beyond the scope of a home detox ...I wish you all the luck in the world with this .....God bless,,,,,,Gnarly
dont know if thats enough to make him act the way he is or he might very well be mixing it with something else.....the clonipine at that dose is lethal and if he got pulled over by the cops he would not be able to pass a sobriety test.....he will need professional help weening off the clonipine it is dangerous to just go off of you can go into seizures I would look for a rehab at this point this is beyond the scope of a home detox ...I wish you all the luck in the world with this .....God bless,,,,,,Gnarly
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