I did the switch at 5am this morning. My last dose of 30mg methadone was 6pm on Sunday. I Went all of mon, tues, wensday with nothing!. Starting feeling bad Tuesday by Wensday night no sleeping going on started running a fever. I was not craving to use but, looking for some releif. I srarted with 4mg subutex had to wait an hour. Felt NOTHING at all with 4mg. Only thing 4mg did was start a headache. Took 4mg more . Never did feel a lot better. 8mg total maybe 35% better. Still feeling sore and tired but, wide awake. Clinic will not give me another 4mg till tommorw. Not off to a very good start with this switch. Not sure it's gonna even work my head is killing me. I took asprin, hours later took Tylenol no help at all. Doctor said give it a week if it is not working he will switch me back to methadone....I so don't want to go that way. The whole point of the switch was to get off Methadone.
I am thinking subs ARE NOT NOT NOT the way to go. So sick in w/d's all night long ready to scream. I don't know how many more nights i can go like this. Even after 8mg never felt better better took a slight edge off.
Hey zerogirl,
sorry you are having so much trouble.
I personally haven't tried to fix what isnt broken. I have been on methadone for 19 yrs this month and have not used one time since that first day. I go to my clinic 2 times a month and am living my life without drugs.
Being a methadone advocate I talk to people all the time about their choices to take this or try that, while they are on methadone. Most of them have not or will not give methadone a chance to really fix their lives and to get to a place where all their ducks are in a row before trying another drug to kick their addiction. While I understand the not liking to have to go every day to the clinic, if you STOP using and give them clean tests, withing less that 2 years you should be eligible for 6 takehomes. While that seems like a long time, in the whole scheme of things its not.
All the time we use our lives are crazy and out of control for the most part and the longer we used the longer its going to take to get our life back in order. If you follow the clinic rules you will have order again, but it takes time. Like they say,"you didnt get addicted overnight, you arent going to get clean overnight."
You have been on this site for many years and you have struggled to stay clean all this time? Has methadone helped you to stay clean and if it did., why are you wanting to get off it?
best of luck to you,
Granny
I just went back to May 2012 and a post you wrote about how you missed your older kids childhood from using and that you were grateful your youngest,at 5,hadnt had to deal with it. Cowgirl and I both wrote letters to you. It may do you good to go back and read them again. Your counselor(wrongly) was telling you it was time you get off methadone.
Even now, my counselor asks me occassionally if I have any thoughts about getting off it anytime. I tell her NO everytime and that is the end of it.
Maybe by the time you have gone thru this attempt at detoxing you will see where you are headed. Just remember dont use.
I personally know 2 people who have detoxed off methadone as so far are doing quite well although it was rocky in the beginning. Neither of them went on Suboxone or subutex, just a long slow drawn out detox.
I'll be thinking about you.
sorry you are having so much trouble.
I personally haven't tried to fix what isnt broken. I have been on methadone for 19 yrs this month and have not used one time since that first day. I go to my clinic 2 times a month and am living my life without drugs.
Being a methadone advocate I talk to people all the time about their choices to take this or try that, while they are on methadone. Most of them have not or will not give methadone a chance to really fix their lives and to get to a place where all their ducks are in a row before trying another drug to kick their addiction. While I understand the not liking to have to go every day to the clinic, if you STOP using and give them clean tests, withing less that 2 years you should be eligible for 6 takehomes. While that seems like a long time, in the whole scheme of things its not.
All the time we use our lives are crazy and out of control for the most part and the longer we used the longer its going to take to get our life back in order. If you follow the clinic rules you will have order again, but it takes time. Like they say,"you didnt get addicted overnight, you arent going to get clean overnight."
You have been on this site for many years and you have struggled to stay clean all this time? Has methadone helped you to stay clean and if it did., why are you wanting to get off it?
best of luck to you,
Granny
I just went back to May 2012 and a post you wrote about how you missed your older kids childhood from using and that you were grateful your youngest,at 5,hadnt had to deal with it. Cowgirl and I both wrote letters to you. It may do you good to go back and read them again. Your counselor(wrongly) was telling you it was time you get off methadone.
Even now, my counselor asks me occassionally if I have any thoughts about getting off it anytime. I tell her NO everytime and that is the end of it.
Maybe by the time you have gone thru this attempt at detoxing you will see where you are headed. Just remember dont use.
I personally know 2 people who have detoxed off methadone as so far are doing quite well although it was rocky in the beginning. Neither of them went on Suboxone or subutex, just a long slow drawn out detox.
I'll be thinking about you.
TY Granny :) . I DO get take homes 2 full weeks worth. I have never had a dirty test at the clinic in 3 years. I Go to weekly groups + bi weekly counsling. Because OF my clean test the clinic doctor suggested switching. He felt I had enough clean time to make the move. Yes I have used H one time "would have been two!" my man found it tossed out everything...this was maybe 2 months ago during a detox I got very unstable. Right after that I went to the clinic upped my m-done that kind of pulled me out of that funk. I did not disclose the using to the clinic. I am also a ""strong"" methadone supporter. It has made my life managable sience 2004. It is a hardship for me to pay for + I want away from the whole clinic life style "the people, the cost,the drama, the methadone" . I do feel it takes from my children "financially". Yeah I do get that me using or me dead would be worse on my children for sure. I do think some people should stay on it. I do think the small % of people who need LONG term methadone treatment is LOW. I have hopes I'm not in that %. Yes a proper dose of methadone keeps me clean and stable. I don't know if the subs will work....I figured nothing changes if nothing changes. I don't know that days months years from now I want be back where I started but, I can say I started. Today at 16mg subs felling a bit better was thinking it was not going to work 8mg did next to nothing.
Zerogirl,
I applaud you for giving it a try, you sound like you have thought this out and besides what do you have to lose?? If you fail, try it again someday. The bottom line is dont use.
You have given it a lot thought and with your docs help decided,which is the RIGHT way to go. Most dont do that. They go off half cocked and for all the wrong reasons. Good for you.
I'll be thinking about you, let us know how you are doing, especially for those who are thinking about going the same way.
Granny
I applaud you for giving it a try, you sound like you have thought this out and besides what do you have to lose?? If you fail, try it again someday. The bottom line is dont use.
You have given it a lot thought and with your docs help decided,which is the RIGHT way to go. Most dont do that. They go off half cocked and for all the wrong reasons. Good for you.
I'll be thinking about you, let us know how you are doing, especially for those who are thinking about going the same way.
Granny
:) Yeah Granny this was in the making for weeks before I decided to for SURE make the leap. The Dr and my counslor both said if cravings kick in or it's just not working there is no issue just switching back to methadone. Today cried the whole 45 min drive to clinic. Not sure why, anytime I have decreased or tried to detox from methadone it makes me cry. Still next to no sleep anxity and some slight body ache but, BETTER. In the end I won't know if it matters to suffer like this. The dr. say's subs are easier to get off of. The plan which can always be changed is to do a month or 2 on a stable dose "don't know if i'm stable on 16mg i'm thinking not" i'm giving it the weekend to set in. Once i'm stable they will give me back my 2 week take homes. During the switch i have to drive everyday to clinic. After 1-2 months 1mg a week detox as tolerated. Or i can do 1mg less every 2 weeks.
Hey Zerogirl,
Am I missing something? Why would they give you back 2 weeks takehomes if you are on subs? Unless you mean they give you 2 weeks of subs for takehomes instead of methadone.?
I wish you all the luck in the world!!!
I write a monthly newsletter for our methadone clinic and each month we include a "Patient Journey" segment, with a short story of someones recovery. And by clean we mean, finding methadone, finding suboxone, or cold turkey, whatever worked to get the person off opiates. If you'd like, we would love to have yours for one of our future editions.
You could also wait, see if subs is the drug that does it for you.Whatever you are comfortable with.
Keep checkin' in!! I am rooting for you!!!
Granny
Am I missing something? Why would they give you back 2 weeks takehomes if you are on subs? Unless you mean they give you 2 weeks of subs for takehomes instead of methadone.?
I wish you all the luck in the world!!!
I write a monthly newsletter for our methadone clinic and each month we include a "Patient Journey" segment, with a short story of someones recovery. And by clean we mean, finding methadone, finding suboxone, or cold turkey, whatever worked to get the person off opiates. If you'd like, we would love to have yours for one of our future editions.
You could also wait, see if subs is the drug that does it for you.Whatever you are comfortable with.
Keep checkin' in!! I am rooting for you!!!
Granny
Exactly Granny soon as they think i'm stable "safe" they will give me 2 weeks of SUBUTEX takehomes. Also i need to call my counslor today yesterday for 1hr I was SO HIGH on my subs I threw up 2x. It all passed in about 1 hrs but, it was a BAD high. Felt exactly like herion. I think as the methadone is clearing out of my system 16mg of subs ARE now to much. When i 1st switched I was not even feeling better...now the subs seem to be a roller coaster of VERY high down to normal. It felt just like a shot of coke/herion WIDE awake but, wasted off my butt. Scary I was at work :(
How are you doing, Zerogirl?
Yeah Zerogirl ...how are you doing??
