DO you think its worth going on methadone?????
Personaly...no I dont.It can be a very danerous drug.However there are people out here that use it wisely & it has helped give them thier lives back.
For me it was a drug I KNOW I would of abused & probaly would of died on.
Have you ever heard of Suboxone?
I would look into that.
But even on Sub you will need somekind of support.Whether it be a 12 step group,private therapy,something to teach you how to live without "abusing"
Its worth looking into.
Good Luck
mj
For me it was a drug I KNOW I would of abused & probaly would of died on.
Have you ever heard of Suboxone?
I would look into that.
But even on Sub you will need somekind of support.Whether it be a 12 step group,private therapy,something to teach you how to live without "abusing"
Its worth looking into.
Good Luck
mj
I don't know your situation, so with that said: In my humble opinion - NO.
I took Methadone for quite a while. Coming off the Methadone was far harder than coming off any other opiates - by far!!
I have not taken Suboxone but from what I've read - that may be a better alternative.
Again, just my opinion.
I wish you well.
I took Methadone for quite a while. Coming off the Methadone was far harder than coming off any other opiates - by far!!
I have not taken Suboxone but from what I've read - that may be a better alternative.
Again, just my opinion.
I wish you well.
Going on Methadone for what?
Pain pills? absolutely not
Heroin? maybe...how many times have you tried to kick?
All DRT have it's pros and cons.Nothing comes for free but sometimes it may be the only option you have left.As Willasmom said and I've heard this from lot's of people on MMT,is that it's one of the hardest drugs to kick.
Suboxone might be a better route but with such little information you gave I find it hard to give any advise.
Pain pills? absolutely not
Heroin? maybe...how many times have you tried to kick?
All DRT have it's pros and cons.Nothing comes for free but sometimes it may be the only option you have left.As Willasmom said and I've heard this from lot's of people on MMT,is that it's one of the hardest drugs to kick.
Suboxone might be a better route but with such little information you gave I find it hard to give any advise.
Interesting question, most of which was answered in the post before mine. This subject has probably been debated to death a few times here. BUT NOW THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT ALTERNATIVE.
sUBOXONE IS more and more readily available. Because of that, I have to question the current value of methadone.
That being said, methadone is not something to consider unless:
You have a hard heroin or strong strong narcotic habit, u have tried everything else (Hospitol detox, etc) and use again and again and again
or
You want to continue getting high and are using hard core narcotic illegally, and poisining urself with stuff like acetamenophen.
DO A SEARCH ON THIS SITE ON METHADONE AND U WILL FIND MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF PROS &CONS OF methadone.
(By the way, in the for profit methadone clinics, its maybe not as expensive as buying pills, etc on the street, but its getting up there. $14.00 a day i think)
sUBOXONE IS more and more readily available. Because of that, I have to question the current value of methadone.
That being said, methadone is not something to consider unless:
You have a hard heroin or strong strong narcotic habit, u have tried everything else (Hospitol detox, etc) and use again and again and again
or
You want to continue getting high and are using hard core narcotic illegally, and poisining urself with stuff like acetamenophen.
DO A SEARCH ON THIS SITE ON METHADONE AND U WILL FIND MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF PROS &CONS OF methadone.
(By the way, in the for profit methadone clinics, its maybe not as expensive as buying pills, etc on the street, but its getting up there. $14.00 a day i think)
If you're still around, I'm an MMT patient, and I know firsthand the good that methadone can do, so I wouldn't categorically say no.
That said, suboxone is what I would call a "second generation" treatment drug, and does have certain advantages over methadone. People who shouldn't use suboxone, but can try methadone, would generally include anyone with liver disease, and/or anyone who can't be responsible with their meds. Even suboxone has a street value, and it can be abused, and is abused. If you think you are at all likely to sell your prescription of sub, and use it just to keep from being sick while you keep on getting high, it's not a good idea because you will get a week, or two, or more of meds at one time, right off the bat. Methadone is much more rigidly controlled, and it's difficult to get enough of it from a clinic to do much damage until you have shown that you can be responsible.
Sub can also be prohibitively expensive for those without insurance. Sometimes economics play a role.
I disagree that pill users shouldn't try MMT. Lortab or codeine? Yeah, I think Tim's got a point, and suboxone is nearly always going to be a better choice, but anyone who is using a couple hundred milligrams or more of oxy every day has a major league habit, especially if it is being snorted or used IV, and for those pill users I don't think methadone is necessarily overkill.
If you've never made an effort at abstinence-based treatment, I would do that first, before going the medication route. No one wants to have to take medication every day for years on end, or even the rest of their lives, and the thing about methadone or sub, they really only work well as long you keep taking them. If you are not comfortable with the idea of taking these meds indefinitely, they really probably aren't for you, because coming off of either one of them is not going to be any easier, and your chances of succeeding at it are not going to be any greater than if you go with abstinence in the first place.
Methadone, in particular, is very difficult to discontinue, and you *have* to be willing to take several months at a minimum to taper off if you don't want to have to endure the mother of all opiate withdrawal. It can be tapered off of without being much worse than other cessation programs, but it MUST be done slowly, slowly, slowly.
Methadone is also a huge time commitment, in that for the first 3 months at least, you will have to show up at the clinic every day to get your meds. It takes a full year at a *minimum* to be able to attend the clinic "only" once a week, and that's if you follow all the rules and stay off illicits the whole time. If there is no clinic close to you (and that is an issue for a lot of MMT patients who don't live in urban areas--it is not uncommon for patients to drive an hour or more one way to the clinic) it can be a huge expense, and can interfere with other commitments, work, family, etc. You have to *really* want to make it work and really believe in what you're doing for it to be worth it. There's a lot of rules to follow, a lot of hassle to endure, to get to the point where you have your freedom and it's not such a big deal.
Of course, it's a lot less hassle than active addiction and is an absolute miracle for many addicts who didn't see how they could ever get off the merry-go-round. It has given many a life back, including mine. You just have to be realistic about it.
That said, suboxone is what I would call a "second generation" treatment drug, and does have certain advantages over methadone. People who shouldn't use suboxone, but can try methadone, would generally include anyone with liver disease, and/or anyone who can't be responsible with their meds. Even suboxone has a street value, and it can be abused, and is abused. If you think you are at all likely to sell your prescription of sub, and use it just to keep from being sick while you keep on getting high, it's not a good idea because you will get a week, or two, or more of meds at one time, right off the bat. Methadone is much more rigidly controlled, and it's difficult to get enough of it from a clinic to do much damage until you have shown that you can be responsible.
Sub can also be prohibitively expensive for those without insurance. Sometimes economics play a role.
I disagree that pill users shouldn't try MMT. Lortab or codeine? Yeah, I think Tim's got a point, and suboxone is nearly always going to be a better choice, but anyone who is using a couple hundred milligrams or more of oxy every day has a major league habit, especially if it is being snorted or used IV, and for those pill users I don't think methadone is necessarily overkill.
If you've never made an effort at abstinence-based treatment, I would do that first, before going the medication route. No one wants to have to take medication every day for years on end, or even the rest of their lives, and the thing about methadone or sub, they really only work well as long you keep taking them. If you are not comfortable with the idea of taking these meds indefinitely, they really probably aren't for you, because coming off of either one of them is not going to be any easier, and your chances of succeeding at it are not going to be any greater than if you go with abstinence in the first place.
Methadone, in particular, is very difficult to discontinue, and you *have* to be willing to take several months at a minimum to taper off if you don't want to have to endure the mother of all opiate withdrawal. It can be tapered off of without being much worse than other cessation programs, but it MUST be done slowly, slowly, slowly.
Methadone is also a huge time commitment, in that for the first 3 months at least, you will have to show up at the clinic every day to get your meds. It takes a full year at a *minimum* to be able to attend the clinic "only" once a week, and that's if you follow all the rules and stay off illicits the whole time. If there is no clinic close to you (and that is an issue for a lot of MMT patients who don't live in urban areas--it is not uncommon for patients to drive an hour or more one way to the clinic) it can be a huge expense, and can interfere with other commitments, work, family, etc. You have to *really* want to make it work and really believe in what you're doing for it to be worth it. There's a lot of rules to follow, a lot of hassle to endure, to get to the point where you have your freedom and it's not such a big deal.
Of course, it's a lot less hassle than active addiction and is an absolute miracle for many addicts who didn't see how they could ever get off the merry-go-round. It has given many a life back, including mine. You just have to be realistic about it.
Another issue I was sthinking about when it comes to any type of treatment.DRT like Suboxone or Methadone.Counseling and even short time rehabs all come with a price tag but yet we found the money to buy expensive opiates like OxyContin.The last time I bought a bottle of 100 it was around $500 and that was probably 6 years ago.Maybe it's come down in price but the point I'm trying to make is when it came to buying my DOC,I always seemed to come up with the money.I usually worked 12 hour days because of the prize I knew I was getting.I was extremely motivated because I knew I was getting a quick fix.
Nowdays,although I do go to 12 step meetings,I don't seems to have money for therapy.I'll just call myself out on that.It's pure bulls***.I can cough up the $80,I just don't want to and money is always the best excuse.I haven't been in about 8 months and I have been noticing the difference.I know a lot of 12 steppers poo poo therapy but I have always found it helped.
Nowdays,although I do go to 12 step meetings,I don't seems to have money for therapy.I'll just call myself out on that.It's pure bulls***.I can cough up the $80,I just don't want to and money is always the best excuse.I haven't been in about 8 months and I have been noticing the difference.I know a lot of 12 steppers poo poo therapy but I have always found it helped.
