This is my first time on this site. I am so desperate for help. My husband is detoxing off of methadone. His dr. just lost his license for over prescribing to 2 patients, 1 killed herself, 1 is my husband. At one point he was taking 66 pills a day( I did not even know he was taking that much). Now we have no dr. and are all on our own. He still has some of his rx and I am giving them to him each day. Basically I have been thrown into the position of his dr. with no experience whatsoever! I just hope I am doing it right. I don't even know the mg. but we are cutting down 2 pills a week. One less pill in the am and one in the pm. He has been doing this for 5 weeks. He is miserable and so am I. He is aching and grouchy. Any advice would be greatly apreciated. I would love to hear any advice from anyone on tips or suggestions. We have a young family of 4 and none of our family or friends no what is going on. We are just trying to go through this ourselves and it is the hardest thing I have ever ever had to go through. I want to be able to stay married when this is all over with. We have no medical insurance so that is out also.
HI
what an awesome person you are for helping him out!
i am sorry i cant be of much help, i would suggest going to a narcotics anonymous meeting you shouldnt have to do this alone. I just recently found this site myself and feel so lucky to have found it.
Good luck and believe in yourself and your husband.
I hope others better than myself will be able to help you.
I have heard alot of interesting, informative, smart people on here.
communicate
i will pray for you
crystal
what an awesome person you are for helping him out!
i am sorry i cant be of much help, i would suggest going to a narcotics anonymous meeting you shouldnt have to do this alone. I just recently found this site myself and feel so lucky to have found it.
Good luck and believe in yourself and your husband.
I hope others better than myself will be able to help you.
I have heard alot of interesting, informative, smart people on here.
communicate
i will pray for you
crystal
Breezy, this is not really my area of expertise, but I would strongly suggest that he quickly look into a detox unit. From what I have gathered on this board, it appears that detoxing too quickly from methadone is extremely risky. Hopefully some folks with better insight than me will pick up this thread and run with it.
Good luck.
August
Good luck.
August
I appreciate your reply. I hope we can do this on our own, he has his own business and can't really be gone. I know that sounds so unimportant compared to his health, but he just won't leave it.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Breezy,
i got your email and it's on it way (the link)
i gotta run to base ball and will answer your post later.
love,
ladybug
i got your email and it's on it way (the link)
i gotta run to base ball and will answer your post later.
love,
ladybug
((Breezy)),
I went to a Dr. who withdrew me from Methadone, I have been advised by 2 different Dr.'s how to withdrawal. I was taking 12 10mg tablets per day, which was very high and always had to get a special Dr. authorization. I am not a Dr. and would encourage you to get medical treatment. I am also in your same position as far as no one knew, family, children, community etc. We live where everyone knows everything about each other. I have friends that are Dr.'s but could not ask for advice. My first Dr. took 2 pills away from me each week, then another 2 the next week, so basically 28 days I believe I would have been off, I did ok until it got down to 6 a day, I could never get to that 4th, this was all for pain management. Then I went to a pain mgmt specialist, he told me he would have taken 1 pill away every 3 days. He switched me back to Oxycontin. I am not sure the dosage he's on. I would be very careful. Methadone stays in your system for a long time. I won't tell you about the withdrawal, they are all about the same, but vary in degree and length. My main Dr. left for 6 months, so I know how you feel, I was lucky that he had just recommended me to the pain mgmt. specialist. Well my thoughts and prayers are with you. If I can help anymore just ask. But I would seek medical advice. Take care and Best Wishes P.S. I give you alot of credit for what your doing, my thoughts are with you!
I went to a Dr. who withdrew me from Methadone, I have been advised by 2 different Dr.'s how to withdrawal. I was taking 12 10mg tablets per day, which was very high and always had to get a special Dr. authorization. I am not a Dr. and would encourage you to get medical treatment. I am also in your same position as far as no one knew, family, children, community etc. We live where everyone knows everything about each other. I have friends that are Dr.'s but could not ask for advice. My first Dr. took 2 pills away from me each week, then another 2 the next week, so basically 28 days I believe I would have been off, I did ok until it got down to 6 a day, I could never get to that 4th, this was all for pain management. Then I went to a pain mgmt specialist, he told me he would have taken 1 pill away every 3 days. He switched me back to Oxycontin. I am not sure the dosage he's on. I would be very careful. Methadone stays in your system for a long time. I won't tell you about the withdrawal, they are all about the same, but vary in degree and length. My main Dr. left for 6 months, so I know how you feel, I was lucky that he had just recommended me to the pain mgmt. specialist. Well my thoughts and prayers are with you. If I can help anymore just ask. But I would seek medical advice. Take care and Best Wishes P.S. I give you alot of credit for what your doing, my thoughts are with you!
i know this will not really help you with what you are seeking at the moment but obviously if this guy lost his license maybe you should try to see if you can speak to the procescutor who handled the case against the dr. seems to me he would have some type of obligation to help your husband medically at this point since you have no insurance of your own. that is why these guys have malpractice insurance. at least that way you might be able to get your husband the medical help he needs and not have to worry about how to pay for it expecially since this guy has been found guilty of misconduct due to his prescribing practices, i just believe you are entitled to some sort of compensation even if it is only medical help for a problem he created.
Your words are so encouraging, any little bit of advice is so appreciated. It is very hard when everyone knows you and forms an opinion that will last a lifetime. Do you think it would be best for him to go down 1 pill every 3 days or 1 pill in the am and pm every 3 days? I know we should seek medical advice, but since the last dr. that was helping us really did not help the situation, we do not know who to turn to. How do you find a good dr. without asking around about our situation and keep the situation to ourselves. I just so appreciate your words of advice, I am just feeling so alllllll alone in this mess!
You might find that a methadone maintenance clinic will work with the situation.Those docs are knowledgable in methadone tapering and can offer other methods and aids.Methadone is a man made opiate that is lipid soluble and can be very dangerous.Any other doc is better than hoping for the best.I think his business could suffer briefly if that is even needed.It is his health after all.good luck and keep us posted.
kenny
kenny
Can you believe this dr. has no medical malpractice insurance. I feel that he should be responsible to help get him off since he had a lot to do with upping his meds so high. It was like Christmas for him, when he would go in and for no apparent reason the dr. would up his meds for him. I think the dr. wanted him to be dependant on him because he is a real loner with no friends in this town. But all of that is not important now. Getting him better and making it through all of this with our family still intact is what I am concentrating on now. I am amazed at all of the people addicted to rx pain medicine. I feel that something really needs to be done. It is like this dirty little secret that all of the dr's know about, but aren't really telling how addicting all of this is and how it could possibly ruin your life and your families. This is truly a learning time for me also. I just have such a more compassionate view for people in this world that are really truly suffering and have no one to help. Life is tough!
Breezy,
Just wanted to reconfirm, I had two options told for tapering, but would NEVER recommend them without seeking medical advice, how many milligrams is he on per day? I would call a Meth Clinic, or another Dr., and Pharmacist, before listening to anyone else. Is this for Pain? I just want you to be careful, he should not be feeling withdrawal symtpoms this early in the game, very minimal ones, depending on what he has been taken off of. He's grumpy because of Dr., treatment, frustration, but should not be having much withdrawals, until it gets lower, I believe. Kenny is right, it attaches to the fat cells, I believe. Breezy, keep posting, but try to make a couple calls. Take care, Best Wishes
P.S. Don't be scared, you will get through this, just take one day at a time, and make the most of it.
Just wanted to reconfirm, I had two options told for tapering, but would NEVER recommend them without seeking medical advice, how many milligrams is he on per day? I would call a Meth Clinic, or another Dr., and Pharmacist, before listening to anyone else. Is this for Pain? I just want you to be careful, he should not be feeling withdrawal symtpoms this early in the game, very minimal ones, depending on what he has been taken off of. He's grumpy because of Dr., treatment, frustration, but should not be having much withdrawals, until it gets lower, I believe. Kenny is right, it attaches to the fat cells, I believe. Breezy, keep posting, but try to make a couple calls. Take care, Best Wishes
P.S. Don't be scared, you will get through this, just take one day at a time, and make the most of it.
Breezy,
you can call your local mental health clinic and tell them your husbands situation.They have a wealth of information and help on a sliding scale for these types of situations.They do more than just treat mental illness.They can get you in touch with the right resources.it's really important that he get's some professional help.
love,
ladybug
you can call your local mental health clinic and tell them your husbands situation.They have a wealth of information and help on a sliding scale for these types of situations.They do more than just treat mental illness.They can get you in touch with the right resources.it's really important that he get's some professional help.
love,
ladybug
breezy
how are you both making out today?
crystal cave
how are you both making out today?
crystal cave
Hello Breezy, I am new this site also. I found it as I was looking for help for my husband too. He told me 3 days ago that he is addicted to prescription drugs and I was blown away. I knew he was taking some for pain, but had no idea how many. When I asked him how many, he said it depended on how many he had any where from 10 to 40 or more a day. It is so frightening to me. And even more so was how long he had been doing this. He is trying to wean himself at home, so I am holding onto the pills and giving them to him. I only hope that we are doing the right thing. He does not want to go to rehab, though he told me that he almost left for 2 weeks to go to a rehab in Florida. I feel so stupid that I didnt see this coming. I dont have much advise to give you with the meth and detox, because I dont know anything about it, but I do know that love and encouragment can help you through this. We also have young children and I cant imagine my life without my husband. I wish you lots of luck and prayers. You can both get through this with each other.
mszaney
dont be hard on yourself - nothing is your fault - it was and is out of your control - just try to be loving like you suggested and i pray you will get through this - he didnt want you to know - we are very good at hiding things when we want to - so just know this is not about you in anyway other than you have to deal with it, but with your love and support, it will work. GOod luck and keep us posted
crystal
dont be hard on yourself - nothing is your fault - it was and is out of your control - just try to be loving like you suggested and i pray you will get through this - he didnt want you to know - we are very good at hiding things when we want to - so just know this is not about you in anyway other than you have to deal with it, but with your love and support, it will work. GOod luck and keep us posted
crystal
