Hello,
I just came across this website and wish I had started looking sooner. I have been off methadone for only a little over two weeks - stopped cold. I feel awful and I start a new job on Monday. How long do these symptoms last? I'm tired of being and feeling sick, exhausted, and no sleep. I am afraid. I am a woman of faith but I feel very alone and ashamed. Nobody that knew me knew I was taking so I can't really go to my friends. Nobody in my family knew either. I was on methadone for over 10 years. I was hoping beyond hope that I would feel better by now. Can anybody shed any true light on how long I am going to feel so crappy? All other websites said in two weeks but that time went and gone. Thank you.
Hello TOMF:
Isn't the internet great !!
People will tell you that you can be an addict but walk away from it in 2 weeks ??!!
I will suggest that you look up Narcotics Anonymous in your phone book and call them, find out where the meetings are and attend a few. See what recovery is really like.
When I quit drinking/using was when I began to realize why I started drinking/using in the first place. My problems weren't leaving .. they were just starting.
I needed the program of AA/NA to get me clean sober and I need it today to keep me clean/sober.
I wish you the best.
Bob R
Isn't the internet great !!
People will tell you that you can be an addict but walk away from it in 2 weeks ??!!
I will suggest that you look up Narcotics Anonymous in your phone book and call them, find out where the meetings are and attend a few. See what recovery is really like.
When I quit drinking/using was when I began to realize why I started drinking/using in the first place. My problems weren't leaving .. they were just starting.
I needed the program of AA/NA to get me clean sober and I need it today to keep me clean/sober.
I wish you the best.
Bob R
TOMF,
Welcome.
You say you were on methadone for 10 years. If you don't mind my asking, what was your dose and why did you stop cold????
From what I know doing a detox after all that time on methadone it should have been done over a LONG period of time, a year or more depending on what your dose was. Also from what I know it takes sometimes another 6 mos to a year ,it varies greatly per person, to feel 100% back to normal.
Why all the secrecy and feeling so bad about using methadone to stay clean??. If your life was good and you were clean why all the shame?. It is legal. Does you job require drug testing?
Papa Bear has a good suggestion, but they frown on using methadone believing you are replacing one addictive drug with another which is a bunch of hooey as methadone is not classified as an addictive drug. If it was you would need to take it 4 or more times a day instead of once every 24-48 hours.
To be honest, jumping off like that after being on it for 10 years (unless your dose was VERY low) I cant imagine you are going to feel like a hundred bucks by tomorrow. Sorry.
Please come back and fill us in so maybe we can help you some more. Good luck on your new job and hang tough you can get through it, just stay hydrated and keep busy.
granny
Welcome.
You say you were on methadone for 10 years. If you don't mind my asking, what was your dose and why did you stop cold????
From what I know doing a detox after all that time on methadone it should have been done over a LONG period of time, a year or more depending on what your dose was. Also from what I know it takes sometimes another 6 mos to a year ,it varies greatly per person, to feel 100% back to normal.
Why all the secrecy and feeling so bad about using methadone to stay clean??. If your life was good and you were clean why all the shame?. It is legal. Does you job require drug testing?
Papa Bear has a good suggestion, but they frown on using methadone believing you are replacing one addictive drug with another which is a bunch of hooey as methadone is not classified as an addictive drug. If it was you would need to take it 4 or more times a day instead of once every 24-48 hours.
To be honest, jumping off like that after being on it for 10 years (unless your dose was VERY low) I cant imagine you are going to feel like a hundred bucks by tomorrow. Sorry.
Please come back and fill us in so maybe we can help you some more. Good luck on your new job and hang tough you can get through it, just stay hydrated and keep busy.
granny
Hi again,
Yeah 10 years. I wasn't taking very much, only 10 mg per day. Which seems like nothing compared to what I'm reading here. Methadone had a really weird effect on me. It rev'd me up and took care of all my aches and pains so I could do my job. I left my job and found another, however, this new place did drug testing. I had a week to get most of it out of my system. If I passed, I had a week till I started my new job - which brings me to now. (I don't know if I passed my test or not - haven't heard) (I did home testing and it showed there wasn't anything in my system) I have to get up in less than 12 hours to start my new job and I really haven't been off the couch for two weeks. My stomache is still cramped from throwing up and dry heaving), I haven't slept. The sweating is killing me, too. I have no health insurance either. In hindsight, I would have loved to gone through rehab.
Thanks for your replys and concerns
Yeah 10 years. I wasn't taking very much, only 10 mg per day. Which seems like nothing compared to what I'm reading here. Methadone had a really weird effect on me. It rev'd me up and took care of all my aches and pains so I could do my job. I left my job and found another, however, this new place did drug testing. I had a week to get most of it out of my system. If I passed, I had a week till I started my new job - which brings me to now. (I don't know if I passed my test or not - haven't heard) (I did home testing and it showed there wasn't anything in my system) I have to get up in less than 12 hours to start my new job and I really haven't been off the couch for two weeks. My stomache is still cramped from throwing up and dry heaving), I haven't slept. The sweating is killing me, too. I have no health insurance either. In hindsight, I would have loved to gone through rehab.
Thanks for your replys and concerns
What is NA like exactly. I know very little about AA or NA. Also was anybody a little afraid of running into someone you know. Sorry it's silly, but I have never ever attended a meeting of any kind. I start my new job tomorrow and am in for a grueling 6 days of training. Please pray for my strength and courage to face this.
Methadone was very accessible to me, so I took it when my hands hurt (cut a tendon in my finger on one hand and have a giant knuckle on the other. I haven't had health insurance for over 14 years. I cannot hold anything heavy with my left hand. I justified using methadone for so long. Trying to come up with an alibi if my pee test comes back POS+. The lab said I would know in 3 days - it's been a week.
I am rambling....
Thank you for hearing me.
Methadone was very accessible to me, so I took it when my hands hurt (cut a tendon in my finger on one hand and have a giant knuckle on the other. I haven't had health insurance for over 14 years. I cannot hold anything heavy with my left hand. I justified using methadone for so long. Trying to come up with an alibi if my pee test comes back POS+. The lab said I would know in 3 days - it's been a week.
I am rambling....
Thank you for hearing me.
Hello and welcome! Believe it or not the worst is over. Day by day you will feel a little better. I jumped off the methadone at 30 ml(I think it's been a while lol). Honestly i felt like crap for about 21 days. The cold sweats did linger for awhile. And i didn't get a lot of sleep for 2 weeks. Hey the good news is you'll get your life back. Other things are now going to come into play. Feelings ah feelings remember those? There is a thread on here about PAWS that i'll bump for you it's called your brain on opiates. I have been off methadone for about 2 1/2 years and i do attend NA. I was worried about seeing people i knew as well, but had no problem going to a dealers house 2 or 3 times a day where the whole neighberhood knew wtf was going on. It's anonymous. Says so right in the title. Na has taught me how to live clean while facing everyday problems. We are a group of people who share our experience, strength, and hope. We get a chance to live two lives in one lifetime not many people get a second chance most die are are not willing to stop. It never hurts to try new things and i have yet to see a person i knew from using at a meeting. Not saying that won't happen to you, just that it didn't to me so all that fear i had was just me being afraid of the unknown. It does get better. Hang in there. That post will be in the pain pills forum look for it please.
" Also was anybody a little afraid of running into someone you know."
No, I was f'ing scared $hitless that someone would know me.
We all feel that way.
Don't let that feeling stop you. Call NA in the phone book and talk to them.
They will save your life.
All the best.
Bob R
No, I was f'ing scared $hitless that someone would know me.
We all feel that way.
Don't let that feeling stop you. Call NA in the phone book and talk to them.
They will save your life.
All the best.
Bob R
Showed up at work today with dry heaves and shaking. What a horrible first day. I made it through even breaking in a new pair of work shoes. I have 5 days of training left. I will call NA, I need to. Because right now I would freely give any of my limbs to feel better, you all know what I mean. However, I cut my ties so I can no longer get methadone. I better try and get some sleep.
Thanks again all for listening to me and for the support.
and congrats on your roads.
Thanks again all for listening to me and for the support.
and congrats on your roads.
Keep coming back!
How are you doing today?
