I am permanently disabled, on ssdi, not even 40 and been taking a 10mg ER dose of methadone for about 3 years. I had to switch doctors a few months ago when my PCP moved on. My new doctor told me up front his biggest concern was that I was taking methadone, even at such a modest dose. That, coupled with a husband who has been very concerned about me taking that med since day 1, planted the seed that I needed to work on getting off of it. I did a bunch of online research, knew I was in for HELL to get off of even a low dose, and 3 weeks ago today I stopped taking it. Since I take vicodin for breakthrough I am sure that weakened the withdrawals, but it was awful. I felt pain in parts of my body that I never knew existed, couldn't sleep, pain was higher of course, and on day 12 I finally landed in my doctor's office because I didn't think I could take it anymore. He suggested a 2.5mg weaning dose for a good month. I picked up the refill, but couldn't bring myself to take it. I felt I'd already been through the worst and was being told I'd have to eventually go through it again. On day 19 I stopped the vicodin, the past 3 days have destroyed me. I have every withdrawal symptom imaginable and this clonidine my dr prescribed doesn't seem to be helping. Nobody is making me do this, but I am really questioning how I am going to manage a chronic pain disease that has already ruined my life. Taking these pills, while clearly making me deathly ill, did give me some quality of life. I guess I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing and am not sure if things are going to get better. I know withdrawals won't last forever, but then what? I feel like I am walking a plank into darkness. I'm a wife, a mom, a friend, a person. I don't want to live my life in bed all because I have a complex about being dependent on pills. Has anyone been in this very lonely place before???? I don't even know what to do. Thankfully I have a family that is 100% behind me, but they can't fix me or these dark thoughts in my head. Any advice or insight would help. Thanks
Dear disconnected,
You are in my prayers! I lost a beautiful 21-year-old daughter nearly 2 years ago to methadone overdose and my eldest daughter (a heroin junkie) is begging to go back on it for maintenance. I understand the pain, not because I have pain, not physically anyway, but I have watched my girls hurt and hurt bad! I am learning that all I can do is trust God, seriously put all my faith, hope, and strength in Him! I don't know you and you don't know me, but if you believe in God, BELIEVE Him! This life will pass, but he will never forsake you. Again...I am learning, it's a good place to start.
You are in my prayers! I lost a beautiful 21-year-old daughter nearly 2 years ago to methadone overdose and my eldest daughter (a heroin junkie) is begging to go back on it for maintenance. I understand the pain, not because I have pain, not physically anyway, but I have watched my girls hurt and hurt bad! I am learning that all I can do is trust God, seriously put all my faith, hope, and strength in Him! I don't know you and you don't know me, but if you believe in God, BELIEVE Him! This life will pass, but he will never forsake you. Again...I am learning, it's a good place to start.
Good news since this post is from a few days ago you should be through withdrawal bad news you still have no pain tolerance due to the meds. I have had chronic pain for 6 years from a rugby accident.Things have recently changed for me in a lot of ways. I was at a pill dispenser for a Dr. who wouldn't refer me to any alternative treatments and was under perscribing my pain all while treating me like a junkie and making me feel like I'm on probation. Up until Three weeks ago I was on 30mg of Methadone for about a year since my new insurance wouldn't cover 20mg oxycontin ER. Along with the methadone I was taking 20mg of percocet a day, which is just enough to get moving in the morning until the methadone kicked in. I wish I would have tried to take anything else. Methadone was extremely effective for my pain but apparently harder than heroine to get off of. Luckily you are on a very low dose of methadone but methadone has a 36hour half life and youre all ready past that and in withdrawal. The pills you picked up from the doc to ween down would have been great in the begining but youre on the other side now and you would just be making it worse on yourself by taking them at this point. The only thing worse than withdrawal is making it last longer and the best insentive to stay away from them.
In withdrawal everyone hits the wall I get it but feel proud you didn't give in. I would say first there are alternatives to pain killers but you do have to accept in the mean time that you are hurt that you need to take the most evil class of drugs known to man until you can get some relief. I will be getting a remedial branch block soon I am hoping to help I went through withdrawal for 5 days and now they gave me 3 5mg percs a day which my as well be a sugar pill. Methadone screws with your tolerance, withdrawals take far longer than anyone can stand and seem to be a worse alternative to heroine as a drug to get off of. Vicodin is not an effective medication for breakthrough for anyone who has taken methadone and is in pain. I took 8 vicodin and was still in withdrawal from 30mg of methadone so honestly I would just stop taking the vicodin it will extend your withdrawals and not help you at all. You are experiencing hypersensitivity. Go through withdrawal for 6 weeks at least. Do PT see a chiropractor at least twice a week schedule a surgical consult try acupuncture do anything and everything but pain killers for those 6 weeks. Start exercising I suggest swimming take a bunch of natural supplements. Keep a pain journal ice do traction heat and ibuprofen even if it doesn't seem to make a difference. After you're on the other side of opiate withdrawal evaluate your pain and ask yourself can I survive another day without pain meds. You wont feel normal for a year but you will know where your pain actually is in 6 weeks. You may be surprised because pain meds increase your pain tolerance that's all they do, so when you don't have them you don't have any pain tolerance at for the pain your in and worse than that withdrawal causes pain for people who dont have chronic pain. When you hit the wall in these next 6 weeks have your husband take your phone and share this plan with your dr.
If you need the meds to function after the 6 weeks after all the alternatives and changing how much you do in a given day if all you do is lie in bed get some percocet from your Dr. dont ever excede 6 a day and dont ever take more than 1 maybe 2 20mg oxycontin extended release every 12 hours if you need more than that, which I've felt that I did there is not enough pain killers in the world to help your pain, for any extended amount of time and youre better off without them you could bang 2 grams of heroine and still be in pain at that point. At least with just the oxy you can get on the other side of withdrawal after 4 days. Never become satisfied with being in pain and never be ok with taking narcotics. many addicts without the complication of pain are probably screaming at me right now. If your doc will give you just enough meds to scrape by but not help fix the problem get out of there asap and tough it out for 6 weeks you wont know where your pain actually is until you go at least that long without them.
In withdrawal everyone hits the wall I get it but feel proud you didn't give in. I would say first there are alternatives to pain killers but you do have to accept in the mean time that you are hurt that you need to take the most evil class of drugs known to man until you can get some relief. I will be getting a remedial branch block soon I am hoping to help I went through withdrawal for 5 days and now they gave me 3 5mg percs a day which my as well be a sugar pill. Methadone screws with your tolerance, withdrawals take far longer than anyone can stand and seem to be a worse alternative to heroine as a drug to get off of. Vicodin is not an effective medication for breakthrough for anyone who has taken methadone and is in pain. I took 8 vicodin and was still in withdrawal from 30mg of methadone so honestly I would just stop taking the vicodin it will extend your withdrawals and not help you at all. You are experiencing hypersensitivity. Go through withdrawal for 6 weeks at least. Do PT see a chiropractor at least twice a week schedule a surgical consult try acupuncture do anything and everything but pain killers for those 6 weeks. Start exercising I suggest swimming take a bunch of natural supplements. Keep a pain journal ice do traction heat and ibuprofen even if it doesn't seem to make a difference. After you're on the other side of opiate withdrawal evaluate your pain and ask yourself can I survive another day without pain meds. You wont feel normal for a year but you will know where your pain actually is in 6 weeks. You may be surprised because pain meds increase your pain tolerance that's all they do, so when you don't have them you don't have any pain tolerance at for the pain your in and worse than that withdrawal causes pain for people who dont have chronic pain. When you hit the wall in these next 6 weeks have your husband take your phone and share this plan with your dr.
If you need the meds to function after the 6 weeks after all the alternatives and changing how much you do in a given day if all you do is lie in bed get some percocet from your Dr. dont ever excede 6 a day and dont ever take more than 1 maybe 2 20mg oxycontin extended release every 12 hours if you need more than that, which I've felt that I did there is not enough pain killers in the world to help your pain, for any extended amount of time and youre better off without them you could bang 2 grams of heroine and still be in pain at that point. At least with just the oxy you can get on the other side of withdrawal after 4 days. Never become satisfied with being in pain and never be ok with taking narcotics. many addicts without the complication of pain are probably screaming at me right now. If your doc will give you just enough meds to scrape by but not help fix the problem get out of there asap and tough it out for 6 weeks you wont know where your pain actually is until you go at least that long without them.
