Hi I was hoping somone could give me some information about methedone.
I have a 22 year old daughter who has been on methedone since Christmas, she has been an iv heroine user since for many years, (since she was 16). She has been to many programs, some long (1 year) some short, she has even lived at the Salvation Army. The programs helped, but once she left she always started using again. She is on 140mil a day of the methedone, but I just found out she is still using heroin. I thought she was doing so well, I am heart-broken. I guess I thought she would be safe on the methedone from using or from getting high. Can she still get high from the heroin, and if she can't why use? Is this normal? If the methedone and the programs have not worked, is it hopeless? I do go to FA meetings and I know there is always hope, I am just venting. If someone could share their experience of methedone with me I would appreciate it.
Thanks for listening.
attheend, I have no methadone experience with my daughter, she used suboxone to get clean, but I know plenty of folks who have used methadone maintenance and a couple of friends worked at the clinic.
140mg is a fairly high dose, not the highest, but plenty high, so using on top of that is not a good sign and she's probably not even getting high...it would take a lot of H to break through that much methadone for a high. I am wondering how they are not picking up on this in her UAs...or could it be she is not on MM anymore because she had a dirty UA....
You know, she may not be done yet, sometimes it's just that simple. I am so sorry for your heartache, I know how it is to hope and feel something positive may finally be happening only to hear it's not as we thought.
I'm glad you are attending FA...I wanted to attend their meetings, but the nearest one to me was 40 miles away. You keep working on you and keeping your side of the street clean and that's really all you can do.
When your daughter tires of the life she'll stop,. I'm sorry atthend, I really am.
Peace and Prayers ~ MomNMore
140mg is a fairly high dose, not the highest, but plenty high, so using on top of that is not a good sign and she's probably not even getting high...it would take a lot of H to break through that much methadone for a high. I am wondering how they are not picking up on this in her UAs...or could it be she is not on MM anymore because she had a dirty UA....
You know, she may not be done yet, sometimes it's just that simple. I am so sorry for your heartache, I know how it is to hope and feel something positive may finally be happening only to hear it's not as we thought.
I'm glad you are attending FA...I wanted to attend their meetings, but the nearest one to me was 40 miles away. You keep working on you and keeping your side of the street clean and that's really all you can do.
When your daughter tires of the life she'll stop,. I'm sorry atthend, I really am.
Peace and Prayers ~ MomNMore
If your daughter id on 140 mg of mdone- - she cant be feeling the dope too much.
Methadone at doses that high- (Im on 100) block the effect of heroin.
Now, when I was on 25-35-mgs I kept using dope because I could feel it w/o the mdone block-
She is throwing money away- my guess is that she is more addicted to the whole ritual of heroin use- -the copping,the the needle thing, looking for a vein- -believe me its a whole process that can be very addicting to someone who has been used to using a long time.
Methadone when used correctly is a good medicine. I turned my life totally around- -ok-it took awhile of doing what your kid ids doing but with a little therapy and finally realizing that I was wasting time,money.and still taking the risks of getting a decease,or getting arrested (again)- I focused on my recovery
Now 20 yrs later- all is well- I go to the clinic 2 times a months to pick up my medicine, work with an advocacy group for mdone awareness and stigma problems, and things are fairly normal
If I can help- you can e-mail me
or find go to http://atwatchdog.lefora.com/ and ask questions
These people will help you find a methadone anonymous program if you want and are very discreet and professional
bestregards
jack
Methadone at doses that high- (Im on 100) block the effect of heroin.
Now, when I was on 25-35-mgs I kept using dope because I could feel it w/o the mdone block-
She is throwing money away- my guess is that she is more addicted to the whole ritual of heroin use- -the copping,the the needle thing, looking for a vein- -believe me its a whole process that can be very addicting to someone who has been used to using a long time.
Methadone when used correctly is a good medicine. I turned my life totally around- -ok-it took awhile of doing what your kid ids doing but with a little therapy and finally realizing that I was wasting time,money.and still taking the risks of getting a decease,or getting arrested (again)- I focused on my recovery
Now 20 yrs later- all is well- I go to the clinic 2 times a months to pick up my medicine, work with an advocacy group for mdone awareness and stigma problems, and things are fairly normal
If I can help- you can e-mail me
or find go to http://atwatchdog.lefora.com/ and ask questions
These people will help you find a methadone anonymous program if you want and are very discreet and professional
bestregards
jack
I was on 130mg at my highest dose of methadone. I went to the clinic for about a year and a half only detoxed due to the cost "i was homeless" and the drive "had no car". I found methadone very helpful and untill a recent relaspe I was 5 years off H. I tried to use only one time while on methadone I was on 65mg at the time I felt NOTHING at all from the heroin shot so I never tried again to use on methadone. The clinic I went to did regular drug testing after one dirty test we would lose take home privilages. Two dirty test the clinic make you do a detox, they started taking your dose down 2mg a week untill you detoxed out. I agree she is not getting a heroin high using on top of the methadone but, it seems she is still having the urge to shoot up. The act of mixing, finding a vain, the needle everything is addictive. It's complex I have also done rehab, done meetings, done methadone, had years of no heroin, yet i'm still using even after I just did a cold withdraw weeks ago. I do think methadone changed my life while on it I was more together had little to no urge to use. I think one day I may be back on it. My advice is it's NEVER hopeless just because she is using on top of the methadone things are not at the end of the road. Keep doing your own family support and take care of your self my best advice. Also are you SURE it's heroin she is using? a lot of people on methadone use benzos "valuim, xanax" it gives real close to a heroin high looking at someone on methadone and benzos looks a lot like looking at someone high on H. Any clinic I know of will not aloow someone to stay on after getting several + drug test.
Hi All,
Thanks for the advice. I know you are all right, my daughter may not be ready or she may never be ready. All I can do is try to change myself and my reactions. She seems to be trying, and I guess it is all about progress, not perfection. I hope you are all well.
Thanks for the advice. I know you are all right, my daughter may not be ready or she may never be ready. All I can do is try to change myself and my reactions. She seems to be trying, and I guess it is all about progress, not perfection. I hope you are all well.
Hello Attheed.
As long as your daughter seems to be trying show support. Believe me, I know of not 1 person that wants to be addicted to Heroin. It's hell. It makes you do things would never even think of doing if not for Heroin. By the time you realize you have a problem it's too late. The hell you go through in WDs and all the stuff that follows is so damn hard to endure when you know relief is just a phone call away. I just got clean and did it myself with suboxone my dealer, believe it or not, GAVE to me. It was a life saver. I did 2 stints in the hospital detoxing and believe me it did nothing for me. The first 1 was with suboxone that they gave me too early and made me sick as hell and kept giving it to me even though it was making me sick. Waste of time and money. More or less, mostly run by people that have no idea what it is to be an addict or how to treat addiction.
As long as your daughter seems to be trying show support. Believe me, I know of not 1 person that wants to be addicted to Heroin. It's hell. It makes you do things would never even think of doing if not for Heroin. By the time you realize you have a problem it's too late. The hell you go through in WDs and all the stuff that follows is so damn hard to endure when you know relief is just a phone call away. I just got clean and did it myself with suboxone my dealer, believe it or not, GAVE to me. It was a life saver. I did 2 stints in the hospital detoxing and believe me it did nothing for me. The first 1 was with suboxone that they gave me too early and made me sick as hell and kept giving it to me even though it was making me sick. Waste of time and money. More or less, mostly run by people that have no idea what it is to be an addict or how to treat addiction.
If the daughter doesnt want to use methadone for short term, or long term- - I would advise that she move to detox off it as safely and quickly as she could.
There are few things worse than not wanting to be treated with a medicine that serves up a worse withdrawal than the one that started the whole cycle.
Everyone takes a different path. Medically assisted treatment can be very helpful, long term or short term- - -but if she is against that type of recovery, she probably should find a different path
withRespect
jack
There are few things worse than not wanting to be treated with a medicine that serves up a worse withdrawal than the one that started the whole cycle.
Everyone takes a different path. Medically assisted treatment can be very helpful, long term or short term- - -but if she is against that type of recovery, she probably should find a different path
withRespect
jack
Thanks again,
I reread some of the comments and she may be using valium and xanex. Yesterday she was definately high, slurred words, could hardly keep her eyes open. She said she only took 1/2 of a valium, but I don't really believe it , but if she is on 140 of Methedone maybe it's true. Could she overdose ? I thought the methedone would block all the effects of drugs or is it only the heroin? She does want to stay on the methedone, she is doing better than she has in a long time, even with these slips. Any advice?
I reread some of the comments and she may be using valium and xanex. Yesterday she was definately high, slurred words, could hardly keep her eyes open. She said she only took 1/2 of a valium, but I don't really believe it , but if she is on 140 of Methedone maybe it's true. Could she overdose ? I thought the methedone would block all the effects of drugs or is it only the heroin? She does want to stay on the methedone, she is doing better than she has in a long time, even with these slips. Any advice?
Attheend, you are still way too close to her situation...asking for advice for her problem, attending meetings together...not the stuff of recovery...not for her and certainly not for you. The meeting thing - who is going to be as brtually honest as the 12 steps require for success when one's mother is sitting beside her? Does she have a sponsor? That's who should be with her at meetings. Is attendance at meetings for your benefit, is she going to make you happy? Is she actually working the program with a sponsor? Often, an NA or AA meeting is scheduled at the same time and place as an AlAnon meeting (in the same church or hospital in another room), specifically so family members can attend their own meeting while the recovering addict/alcoholic attends his or her 12 step program.
From what you say it doesn't sound so much like she wants to stay on the methadone for its therapeutic value, but because she's still looking for a high. Mixing methadone with benzos like valium and xanax will absolutely get her high, and regardless of how much she took, the fact is she relapsed...maybe not to heroin, but a relapse (not a 'slip') nonetheless. That combo of opioids and benzos is a recipe for a fatal OD...half a valium now (or maybe more) and a few more next time...the desired effect is achieved. To whom is she accountable, because her valium will show up if she giving random UAs....still wondering how this works, because it doesn't work where we are.
I hope you will seriously consider that you need to separate your life from hers...you both need the space and opportunity to grow.
Peace ~ MomNMore
From what you say it doesn't sound so much like she wants to stay on the methadone for its therapeutic value, but because she's still looking for a high. Mixing methadone with benzos like valium and xanax will absolutely get her high, and regardless of how much she took, the fact is she relapsed...maybe not to heroin, but a relapse (not a 'slip') nonetheless. That combo of opioids and benzos is a recipe for a fatal OD...half a valium now (or maybe more) and a few more next time...the desired effect is achieved. To whom is she accountable, because her valium will show up if she giving random UAs....still wondering how this works, because it doesn't work where we are.
I hope you will seriously consider that you need to separate your life from hers...you both need the space and opportunity to grow.
Peace ~ MomNMore
Dear MandM,
I'm not sure where you got the idea that I go to her meetings, I don't. Actually she does not go to meetings. I do go to FA meetings weekly and have for a long time. I am trying to find out more about the methedone program and yes, how it will react with other drugs if they are used. My daughter is living at home now, she has not in a long time. She is in school and is working and has relapsed. She wants to continue on the methedone program because it is working better than most other options she has tried in the past. I know she may not be done with drugs yet, and I am preparing myself for that alternative. She may also be kicked out of the methedone program, but again these are her choices. She had a sponor at one time, but the sponsor relapsed, she has never been fully on board withth 12 step program, although I think it is a good idea. I am trying very hard to let her make her choices, but since she is living in my home it is very difficult. Even when we do all the right things, ( and I by no means do) our children may still choose addiction, and no matter how much I try to love and let go it still hurts.
Congratulations on your grandchild
I'm not sure where you got the idea that I go to her meetings, I don't. Actually she does not go to meetings. I do go to FA meetings weekly and have for a long time. I am trying to find out more about the methedone program and yes, how it will react with other drugs if they are used. My daughter is living at home now, she has not in a long time. She is in school and is working and has relapsed. She wants to continue on the methedone program because it is working better than most other options she has tried in the past. I know she may not be done with drugs yet, and I am preparing myself for that alternative. She may also be kicked out of the methedone program, but again these are her choices. She had a sponor at one time, but the sponsor relapsed, she has never been fully on board withth 12 step program, although I think it is a good idea. I am trying very hard to let her make her choices, but since she is living in my home it is very difficult. Even when we do all the right things, ( and I by no means do) our children may still choose addiction, and no matter how much I try to love and let go it still hurts.
Congratulations on your grandchild
Sorry attheend, I think I confused you with Trudy whose situation is very much like yours...my apologies.
And yes, it is very, very hard to let go...having done it I only wish I had been able to do so sooner, but we are all different and each in his own time.
Thank you, my grandson is a blessing to the family.
I truly hope your daughter has found a way to stay clean that works for her in the long term.
Peace ~ M&M
And yes, it is very, very hard to let go...having done it I only wish I had been able to do so sooner, but we are all different and each in his own time.
Thank you, my grandson is a blessing to the family.
I truly hope your daughter has found a way to stay clean that works for her in the long term.
Peace ~ M&M
hi
reading you post reminded me of my own struggle comming to terms with my daughters addiction to H.
i found it very hard to let go and after a great struggle i did.
i can only say things have improved since i did so ,yes we have are ups and downs but after reading all the posts written on here i feel i am not alone and am now able to cope.
like you i wanted to know all about methadone and did think at times my daughter was using while on the program.
but i thank god i still have her and now i feel strong enough to walk the road to recovery with her and if this means she will be on metadone for many yrs
i dont struggle with that any anymore.
i now support her in other ways i go to meettings with her and she now tells me when she is having a bad day. hang in there peace be with you
trudy
reading you post reminded me of my own struggle comming to terms with my daughters addiction to H.
i found it very hard to let go and after a great struggle i did.
i can only say things have improved since i did so ,yes we have are ups and downs but after reading all the posts written on here i feel i am not alone and am now able to cope.
like you i wanted to know all about methadone and did think at times my daughter was using while on the program.
but i thank god i still have her and now i feel strong enough to walk the road to recovery with her and if this means she will be on metadone for many yrs
i dont struggle with that any anymore.
i now support her in other ways i go to meettings with her and she now tells me when she is having a bad day. hang in there peace be with you
trudy
