Question about methadone addiction

[KristenV]

I've been addicted to methadone for 9 yrs. I buy from dealer. I take 30 mg. per day. I don't drink,smoke or do any other drugs. I cannot go to methadone clinic because it's far away and the hrs. conflict with my work hours. I am finding it increasingly difficult to pay for my methadone from dealer. I have to work so I can't go cold turkey. What are my options or do I have any other than cold turkey? Would a doctor help wean me off or not?

[Michelle0922]

Hi Kristen,
I was on methadone in a clinic setting for nearly 5 years, after a 5 year period of Vicodin abuse. For a bunch of reasons, the clinic just wasn't working for me anymore, so I just quit cold turkey. I was on 80, but had gotten down to 65mg when I left. There is not an easy way to get off methadone. For me, even if its a corny line, I think of it like if you do the crime you're gonna have to do the time. There is no way but through it. Any way you go its gonna hurt. I think you should tell your doctor, a one you trust, what's going on and that you want off, and what can they do to help you. I am on day 11 of no methadone, and I am doing it at home with medical and mental health support. A blood pressure med has helped me a lot with anxiety/aggitation. I also am taking ibuprofen every 4 hours for aches. Mainly I am still having periods where I feel cold to the core of my bones, but am sweating and having goose bumps all at once. I work part time, but have been off for a week and a half. I personally could not have worked during the worst of it. I was just sweating/chilling/having diarrhea/anxiety too badly. You're gonna have to have some time off. Sorry there is no easy way! Even if you taper, its just less pain but for longer. You need support from mental health/addiction and an MD. Do you have family support? The more support you can put in, the better you are going to be.  This is probably not what you want to hear, but I didn't want to hear it either. That's why I stayed on methadone as long as I did. I was afraid. But its amazing how you feel once you make up your mind to DO something. Its better than sitting on the fence all the time waffling. I had to just make up my mind and DO IT. Hope this helps some.

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

It is illegal to taper a person off methadone unless the doc is part of a methadone program... and most of those won't do the tapers, as they are more interested in keeping people on methadone.   Your options include tapering yourself, going in for detox and treatment, or finding a Suboxone program-- you could use it to taper, but in general that is being seen more and more as a bad idea, as the people doing best are those who take Suboxone for the long term-- at the very least, six months-- and then taper off Suboxone somewhere down the line, after everything in life is going well-- job, marriage, family, finances, etc.  There is also a 'right way' to taper that helps avoid most of the withdrawal-- see prior post for details.