SWIM has a few question about methadone please!

[themidnite1]

okay-if you want to get right to the questions, please scroll to the bottom. If you're interested in hearing the whole story regarding methadone, opiates etc about SWIM, then read on.

SWIM was diagnosed with TMJ 7 years ago. This started their viscious cycle. Starting with Vikes, then up to and finally Lortab 10/500. SWIM at their worst was taking between 30-50 Lorries a DAY (Yes that IS 100% true). Street and dr shopping.

SWIM moved to another state, got their head out of their butt, and went to a methadone clinic. For exactly 51 weeks, SWIM was religious about the clinic and the methadone. And since the M block all OP receptors, there was not much choice. But SWIM was just sick all the time, tired, had pretty much almost every side effect of M possible. Peaked usage at 129 (SWIM was doing "split" dosages; 1/2 at clinic, the other 1/2 later; but was also known to take a bit more since SWIM had weekly takehome priveleges). Gradually, SWIM got down to 104MG a day (52x2). What the clinic did NOT know was that for the 50th week or so, SWIM was only taking the 1st dose, and pouring the 2nd down the drain at home. So basiclly they went from 104 to 52 in/for a week and they were fine. Next step, SWIM went cold turkey 100% and it has been exactly one week to the day since SWIM has taken ANY M at all! However, SWIM used Oxies to keep away the WD's.
so now, SWIM isn't sure if that was good? bad? Basically they want to know:
and yes, it's question time!

1-how long will it take for ALL of the methadoe to be out of SWIM system? 100% GONE!
2-How long before SWIM can feel a "buzzzzzzzzzz" like a bee again from Oxies or h?
3-Any other side effects, problems etc i should warn SWIM about?
FYI-today was SWIM's FIRST day WITHOUT any WD symptoms! BUT, SWIM still didn't get that yummy feeling from 100mg of OC
4-SWIM really didn't stop the M just to start over; SWIM wants to be a clean guy. However, SWIM would LOVE to feel a bee buzz or two before the straight and narrow starts. But SWIM doesn't know what to do or how long to wait etc. SWIM was thinking of TRYING to go maybe 2 days or so with ZERO op's at all? Any and all information i can pass on to SWIM would be GREAT! thank you!

[Ataraxia]

So far it sounds like SWIY is in pretty good shape. Dropping down the dose during that 50th week helped you out a lot.

To answer your questions I would need to know how much/how long SWIY was using the ocs. Some people might not think so, but I think using the ocs to get off of the methadone is a pretty smart move.

And for the last part, don't even think about it. You said you're not having any more withdrawal? I'm sure you know by now that catching a bee buzz or two after getting clean will make you end up at the start.

[rocco_blitz]

Originally Posted by Ataraxia

So far it sounds like SWIY is in pretty good shape. Dropping down the dose during that 50th week helped you out a lot.

To answer your questions I would need to know how much/how long SWIY was using the ocs. Some people might not think so, but I think using the ocs to get off of the methadone is a pretty smart move.

And for the last part, don't even think about it. You said you're not having any more withdrawal? I'm sure you know by now that catching a bee buzz or two after getting clean will make you end up at the start.

Swim does not agree with the statement about replacing dolophine(methadone) with oxy"s for one if you got to the point where you have no withdrawls then youre stupid for putting yourself back in that state of mind,.Swim is not trying to piss you off or offend you but man if you got yourself off the doans then why go back down the same path you bagan on,If youre truley off opiates then swim suggest that YOU STAY OFF OF THEM.Swim whishes he could do that but has not been given the chance to take methadone on a daily basis to kick his habbit.Trust swim,if he could go to the clinic then he would............................

[Ataraxia]

I think he meant he used the ocs after he stopped taking 52mg/day to prevent withdrawal from the methadone, which allowed him to become opiate free.

I agree with you, like I said in my first post, he shouldn't even think about catching that "buzzzzzzzzzz" now that he's withdrawal-free.

[themidnite1]

Thank you both! yes swim DID stop the methadone 100% before starting oxys, and used them to not have w/d pain (it is said by some that methadone w/d is the worst; worse than "H," just maybe not worse than cigarettes lol.
However swim just wants to get a bee buzz occasionally; swim has lived that life for 15 years and will NEVER go back to the way he was at his worst. SWIM would lose his baby man! thanks again. ps-ataraxia is not a bitch : )

[BUZZFACTOR]

If SWIY was using the oc's to curb wd's why is he still taking 100 mg of oc after all the wd's are gone? With all due respect SWIM thinks SWIY is not being honest with themselves. Keep in mind it is very difficult to be a chipper when SWIY has prior addiction history. SWIY is playing with fire. Once the bee buzz comes back with oc use SWIY will become preoccupied with the high on days SWIY doesn't use. The chase will begin shortly thereafter.

[wellhelm]

Swithemidnite1 knows there's not going to be just 1 or 2 before"the straight and narrow". 1 or 2 will lead to 3 or 4 etc....For swim after he switched from H to methadone it was like being at the gates of hell and then waliking through them. Methadone was the worst most painfull addiction swim will ever have. To be off it was a grant for a new life. If swiy is still thinking about the buzz, in swims opinion, swiy should be extremly carefull because it sounds like swiy is not ready to stop. Swim can only think of the hell he put hims self through.

[acolon_5]

SWIM used to go to the meth clinic. Meth is the MOST EVIL of all narcotics. Addiction Dr's usually prefer that a person gets off the methadone and back on other opiates before treating them as the w/d's from methadone lasts 2-3WEEKS!!! In SWIM's Experiance though it takes a good 3-4 days at high doses of methadone before the antagonist effects diminish.

I agree with willhelm you don't sound ready, in fact you sound exactly like SWIM did when he got off the methadone. Methadone is only good for long term maintanence in SWIM's oh so humble opinion. There were people at the meth clinic that had been there for over 10 years. 10 YEARS!!! At the prices they charged it was almost worse than an H habit.

Wanting that b-bzzzz as you call it before getting sober is not the way to go man....you will have a hell of a time getting clean, I can almost promise you that. W/D's are a true bitch, but the mental addiction after you are over the W/D's are even worse because they last so much longer. It takes almost 6 months before your brain starts to normalize (and it may never get back to pre opiate addiction) and produce and accept the endorphines the way it should.

The best way to go, in SWIM's opinion having tried everything from Kratom, to poppy tea, to benzo's is buprenorphine. It is only mildly addictive and one can get off of a very serious habbit in about a month. If you are serious about getting clean this is the way you should go, IMHO. In America you can go to the Dr's office and get a script for it (not worth abusing so they don't worry about it). It saved SWIM's life. The mental addiction was GREATLY reduced with the buprenorphine, SWIM didn't think about it, he didn't worry about it, and most importantly he didn't CRAVE it. Since buprenorphine is also an opiate antagonizer it was worthless to try and dose up on other opiates.

Check it out on the NIDA website for DR's in your area that are authorized to prescribe buprenorphine if you really want to get clean.

[Nicaine]

Originally Posted by themidnite1

Next step, SWIM went cold turkey 100% and it has been exactly one week to the day since SWIM has taken ANY M at all! However, SWIM used Oxies to keep away the WD's.

It can take 3-5 days for methadone WD symptoms to even start, so the Oxy probably is holding off WD's at this point.

1-how long will it take for ALL of the methadoe to be out of SWIM system? 100% GONE!

Around three months. Unless the Oxy changes something about how it clears out of the system. Methadone is very long acting, so the W/D from it is very protracted.

2-How long before SWIM can feel a "buzzzzzzzzzz" like a bee again from Oxies or h?

Around the second month (with a cold turkey methadone WD). Or never, if Oxy is maintaining those opiate receptors in their current state.

SWIM was thinking of TRYING to go maybe 2 days or so with ZERO op's at all?

2 days won't tell anything at all, where methadone is involved. SWIY may feel just fine & not get sick for 4 or 5 days.

[Imperfectcircle25]

Swim has been on meth-maintenance for almost 2 years and has stayed "clean" the whole time. By clean Swim means no other drugs besides the methadone. Swim rarely ever even thinks about getting the "b-buz" any longer, Swim is to busy with other more worthwhile things in life like Swims gf, job, family...etc. It would seem to Swim that Swiy is not really ready to kick the habit if Swiy is still hasing the "b-buz". It took Swim 6 years to descided Swim was ready to give up heroin for good, many people take much longer. People just need to keep trying until it finally sinks in that they need to get thier shit together.

All that being said, Swiy has a little bit of a differant situation than Swim since Swiy was on the opiates for a medical reason. Does Swiy doctors know about Swiy addiction?

[Imperfectcircle25]

YI-today was SWIM's FIRST day WITHOUT any WD symptoms! BUT, SWIM still didn't get that yummy feeling from 100mg of OC
4-SWIM really didn't stop the M just to start over; SWIM wants to be a clean guy. However, SWIM would LOVE to feel a bee buzz or two before the straight and narrow starts. But SWIM doesn't know what to do or how long to wait etc. SWIM was thinking of TRYING to go maybe 2 days or so with ZERO op's at all? Any and all information i can pass on to SWIM would be GREAT! thank you!

If SWIY and truly wants to be a "clean guy" SWIY wouldnt be thinking about feeling that "bee buzz" a few more times before going straight. SWIM had this same feeling the first few times he tried to get off H, SWIM wasnt ready to be clean but was going to give it a shot for his family, gf....etc SWIM went to a detox and was clean for about a week or two. He then started to think hey since he was clean for two weeks imagine how good it would feel to do H just once or twice more, SWIM promised himself it would only be once or twice. Needless to say that once or twice ended up being another year of getting high and another year of wasting his life. I guess what SWIM is trying to say is that when a person is ready to get clean for real, he/she wont be thinking about that one more time anymore and thats when they will get clean for real. Usually he/she has to hit the bottom before they will truly be ready to change and get clean. Swim tried 10-15times to get clean using various methods, detox, inpateint and outpatient rehab, NA, subutex......etc In the end meth-maintenance plus truly being ready to give up H was the only thing that worked for SWIM. SWIY needs to be honest with themself, are they doing this(getting clean) because they want to, or because others(family, freinds, kids, police...) want them to. It only works if the person themself wants to do it for themself.

Sorry SWIM isnt the best at getting feelings into writing, hope that made some sort of sense