View Full Version : I finally got off methadone! U Can 2!!
betty_bupe
13-11-2004, 19:43
Hey group,
I'm new here...I used to be a member on drugabuse.com, which has since
disbanded. I just wanted to share my story of overcoming opiates,
so that I might be of help/inspiration to all of youz struggling.
First of all, getting off opiates is NOT easy...anyone that tells you otherwise is a knob, not to mention a LIAR.
Here's what I did: I tapered my methadone down to a low, low
dosage(15mg), and then switched to morphine for two weeks, while the
methadone exited my body. I stayed on morphine for the entire
duration of the two weeks- the switch was NOT easy- and then detoxed
with Ibogaine. I should mention, that even after 3.5 weeks off
methadone, my urinalysis still tested positive for that shite.
It has now been over four weeks since my last drink, and 2.5 weeks
since my last morphine tab. I won't lie- I had a bit of residual
withdrawal; however, Ibogaine reduced this to about 10-20% of what it
would have been initially. Hot bathes, ginger tea, Sweet Leaf,
and lots of positive music (think Ray Charles, gospel, etc.) got me
through the worst of it, which truly wasn't too bad by any means.
The only lingering symptom is periodic insomnia, and a bit of
grumpiness. No more hot/cold flashes, tingles, nausea, diarrhea,
etc etc etc......
To all my dear peeps still on the 'done: when you are ready, don't
worry- it CAN be done!! Please feel free to contact me by email;
I would be more than happy to answer any questions.
love Bettyhttp://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/smileys/smiley17.gif
WhiteRyan
14-11-2004, 06:52
Well I never got hooked on much but reef. But on behalf of drugs-forum I would like to congradulate you on your great achievement. Keep your head up girl...or guy
P!MPJU!C3
14-11-2004, 19:24
Wow, great job. On behalf of the dutch drug-forum members, congradulation! Just stay off, aight?!Edited by: P!MPJU!C3
Thank Betty, I sure you'll be a be a big help to other members.
BA
betty_bupe
15-11-2004, 18:36
Thank you for the kind replies. I would be more than happy to
help any other members, particularly ones with opiate addiction issues-
my 'specialty'.
Group, please check out Ibogaine- it's nothing short of a wonder drug
in terms of opiate dependency. For heroin addictions, I believe
it can reduce symptoms to 5-10% of what they would be normally.
Methadone is another story. Because it is such a long lasting
drug- was still in my system almost four weeks after my last dose- it
will not be as successful in reducing withdrawal; however, it sure
saved my sorry butt, and reduced my symptoms by about 80%.
Please think long and hard before deciding to go on methadone.
Clinics are often run for profit, not altruism. Think about
that...
love Betty
First of GREAT JOB !!!!
I'm also curious about the effects of Ibogaine, as far as fear or bad trip kinda thing. I mean it is a super strong hallucinogen.
Did you have a nurse administer the ibogaine ?
And sorry for so many questions but was it iboga extract, or ibogaine HCL.
Once again It is sooo great that you goy off the methadone.
best of luck in the future.
I am planning on taking ibogaine in the very near future, and
already have access to the HCl salt (not the rootbark). I
am scared shitless, in spite of being rather experienced with
psychedelics (DMT, 5-MeO, DPT, 'foxy', MDMA, MDA, ayahuasca, peyote,
2CT7, 2CB, ketamine, just to name a few).
Ibogaine was once described to me as somewhat of a cross between
ayahuasca and ketamine, if it had to be compared to other
entheogens. Several people have told me that it is NOTHING like
any other psychedelic, and has many unique psychoactive qualities.
I want to overcome my opiate dependence of 5+ years more than
anything, and your story stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration for
me. I am particularly scared that you have to be already going
into withdrawl to allow the ibogaine to bond to the opiate receptors in
your brain, and if you take it while there is still opiates occupying
the receptor sites, that it will be less or even un-effective. I
am also nervous about vomiting the dose up too soon, before it has time
to enter my bloodstream/brain, and thus ends up wasted. It was
RIDICULOUSLY hard for me to acquire the substance, and it would be next
to impossible for me to afford another dose.
Please share all the details (experience, was there a sitter,
was it as a clinic, side effects, dosage and form, preparation, etc.)
Thank you, and best of luck in your new life free from the shackles of dependence. :)
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Darthcarlos
12-02-2005, 05:39
good on ya http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/smileys/smiley32.gif , dont relapse on us http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gif
Hey Betty, that's really tight- keep up the good work!!
-M http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/smileys/smiley17.gif
well done iam on meth at the mo have been useingh for 3yrs been on meth solely for 6 months and have been comeing down slowly as not to make my slef withdraw and then go and use again when i am on about 10mg of meth i will use subutext a sublingual that block the recepters in the brain then when i come right down off of this and have been off of everything for two weeks i will have the naltraxone implant and have it redun for about a yr untill i feel ready to move on
Adzket-- that's great. I have yet to take the ibogaine,
but Subutex is working great for a female friend of mine who is on it--
she's been clean for over 2 months now from heroin and she experienced
only the slightest withdrawl symptoms. Methadone metabolizes a
bit slower, so it's good that you are tapering down so much before you
switch over.
BTW-- in the United States, 99% of the time "meth" is a usually
a term reffering to methamphetamine, not methadone, so I wasn't certain
which of those you were using until you mentioned switching to
Subutex. It's weird how drug terminology differs from place to
place.
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thanks eirias i am going to look up about ibogaine as i have heard a few good things about it however i dont think i will need it as it seams alot easyer to get help over hear and cheper than in the us. i will try to remember the meth thing just over hear methamphetamine is not that comon it like you say odd though how things are diffriant from plac to place when methamphetamine has been avalibel over hear its know as cristal so worth knowing the diffrences especialy if anyone is planing on traverling any where.
oldskoolraver
09-04-2005, 08:00
Congrats on kicking betty!http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/smileys/smiley32.gif I don't
think it was very smart getting onto morphine to kick, very unsafe! Its
kinda like saying I'm gonna kick after these bags are all gone(it ain't
gonna happen! Like in janes addiction jane says song "I'm gonna kick
tomarrow" some famous words of all h addicts! Right? I'm not gonna
preach but I'm just looking out 4 you!
I have been a h addict since 98 and
started getting raw dope, the sickness off that is worse than street
stuff. I have been clean but on 'done for 2 yrs. since
3/25. I was stupid and went up to 170mg's to stay dopey, what a
mistake! I am down to 25 mgs. and want to know how much/how often to
decrease safetly, I hear that once you get low enough you get sick
quick. I used to be able to miss a dose for a day and a half w/out
symptoms. If I don't take it @ my usual time(wakeup) now I feel shitty
by lunch time.
Is it safe to get on subutex or bupe to help
withdrawl? If so @ what point do I get on it? Is it pricey, (no
insurance)? Also, 'done messed my teeth up(as well as dope) has this
happend to anyone else?
Thanks,
OldSkoolWindyCityRaverInATL
methodone can rot your teeth as it has a high suger content to make it taste beter but you can ask for suger free. my doctor advised me that once i hit 30 mg i should come down 2mg at a time to limit withdrawel befor this i was coming down 5mg at a time from 70mg. this is because when you hit 30mg 5mg is a larger % to cut out the last time round my doc put me on subutext when i was on 15mg of methadione i feelt rough for a few days as subutext makes you feel compleatly straight and normal which after haveing a habbit for so long i was not ready for. good luck and only do it when your ready.
I have been on Methadone since I kicked smack on Oct 26th 2005, I started on 30mg and I'm now at 10mg a day but I can't afford the $9.00 a day it costs me here in Canada so I'm thinking of quitting it cold turkey and was wondering what the withdrawal would be like. I'm confident of not getting back into heroin again (I haven't honestly considered using since I stopped) so that's not a concern but I was wondering just what I would be in for if I just jumped off the 'done' train at 10mg a day....
I know it's not easy but just how nasty would it be..?
10mg doesn't seem like much, would the withdrawal be huge or minor..?
thx
D
I wouldn't imagine it would be too bad. But it will be significant. Can you cut down to 5mg for a while. Or even taking your dose every other day. Something just occured to me. Methadone has a very long halflife like 36 hours. When you take it everyday it builds up, no matter how small a dose you take. I hypothesize that the key to tapering off methadone may be taking it every other day to prevent the build up. I say taper down to 5mg a day then, 5mg every other day after a week. Then after another week no more. Let me know this is a topic of great interest.
I have started dropping an mg every two days, now I'm at
7mg. My doctor also gave me some clonidine to help with the withdrawal, so far so good......
Psykonauten_dk
30-01-2006, 14:00
Is it safe to get on subutex or bupe to help
withdrawl? If so @ what point do I get on it?
I think it's a good idea to go on bupe since it's easier to quit than methadone. Many doctors won't switch you unless you're down to 15 mg. pr. day however. I believe that it's best to wait 24-36 hours after you've taken the last dose of methadone untill you take your first dose of buprenorphine.
Since I live in a welfare state I don't know how much bupe cost...
Also, 'done messed my teeth up(as well as dope) has this
happend to anyone else?
It hasn't really happened to me (although I have had some problems with my teeth/gums due to drugabuse) but I can tell you WHY it's happening. All opiods decrease the ability to produce saliva (spit) which is an essential component when it comes to keep the teeth/mouth clean. Without it your teeth will be more vulnerable to cavities.
Betty_bupe > Congratulations on your success. I don't mean to rain on your parade but switching to morphine is generally not considered a god idea. The problem is that the short halflife makes it difficult to dose properly and the drugs kinship with heroin will increase the risk of a relapse into this.
That being said it's nice that you've managed to quit - now you just have to stay clean.
Best regards.
-Psyko
I got to 2 mg's a dan and then stopped and have a few days in bed with
a bag of weed and got through the last of it. Haven't taken Heroin for
4 months or Methadone for a few weeks..... It could well be that it's not
for everyone but Methadone has certainly helped me clean up.
It wasn't easy but neither was my smack habit (that took a lot more effort.!)
Here's to hoping...D
Methadone is the straight withdrawal from hell. With heroin, you are feeling better at day 4. Methadone just getting bad at day 4. Peaking at day 15-18, and continue for a while. If you let it own your sleep, you will be sicker than ever.
I jumped off 25mg after 5 years of methadone. Been 25 days now and still sick. Feeling better, but still sick.
I dont recommend anyone to do what I did. By far the craziest thing I have done in my life. You have no clue how bad a withdrawal can get until you try to kick long term methadone cold turkey.
Get as close to 0mg as you can, or use subs.
But either way, anyone can kick methadone.
decliningdruguse
04-05-2006, 20:40
Congrats! :)
Respect to you as kicking that shit is the toughest to do.
CrookedEye
05-05-2006, 07:45
Congratulations!! Swim kicked opioids(methadone included) back in april of 04 with Iboga, and is still opioid free and happy as can bee.. :D Swim took 5g of whole alkaloid extract given by a well known iboga/entheogen treatment specialist/shaman named Sara Glatt, from the Netherlands.. Not to mention, he's stopped smokin cigs, using cocaine, and only drinks beer on occasion.. Herb and trippin are all he really cares to do anymore, and it feels great...:D
millhaven
31-05-2006, 16:29
I took my last dose of 50mg about 48 hours ago. I am planning to take to my bed and ride it out. I've known real pain before in my life, a shattered upper arm and disclocated shoulder for 2 days before treatment really did make me wince!
I'm looking out for the deep muscluo/skeletal torment I had when I tried to kick it before. The plan is to take 'Syndol', (paracetemol, codiene, doxylamine succinate) its the latter muscle relaxant I'm pinning my hopes on. I'll try to sleep through some of it with Diphenhydramine.
As a last resort if it gets really bad I have a bunch of drugs my recently deceased father was prescribed for his cancer. I'm sure some Oromorph will help (yeah, I know, trust my judgement ;o))
As a really last resort I may take some methadone to stabilise it, maybe 10mg, though I'm really loath to consider that path.
I feel pretty cold like at the moment and surmise that things are about to get interesting. As Arnie once said, "I'll be back!"
millhaven
02-06-2006, 13:51
Its Friday midday, 4 days after stopping taking my methadone. I've woken up obviously out the otherside of the withdrawel.
Apart from smelling a bit rancid from all the sweating:eek: i'm fine. I have to say that the withdrawel thing depends on how long you been on the green syrup.
For my part I only took it for 5 months, long enough to get off the naughty but nice gear. as a consequence the process of getting clean has been like a bad dose of flu most of the time.
I had for the bad days 2 tablespoons of Oromorph ( which could just as easily have been Flu med's )and 2 50mg Nytols (Diphenhydramine) in the evening to ensure sleep came.
I went outside only once to water the plants. I felt very weak and everything was a bit too bright. The flushes came and went, sometimes taking me to the brink of hurling.
There are a wealth of horror stories about getting off methadone and I dont doubt they justified. In my case as I wasn't taking too much (50mg) for too long (5 months tops) the process was routine.
In the back of my mind I was waiting for it to get grim last night as I read that it has an amazingly long half life. And that was the trouble, I was affraid because I had read somewhere...
This story is not about "SWIM", its about exactly how it was for me.
That I dont have to go to the chemist every day is huge result. No longer at someones beck and call, no longer feeling grubby.
The trick now is to move forward, resisting those wraps of temptation...
CrookedEye
02-06-2006, 18:16
For an idea of Swim's addiction, he was using a bundle (ten bags) a day, easy, just to keep from getting sick, of white/tan powder heroin(and sometimes fentanyl).. He also was no stranger to pills(oxy's, vic's, dilaudid's, etc).. He was addicted for about 2-3 years and tried detoxing at least 7 times, before giving in and starting methadone.. He got up to 100mgs a day and decided that would be enough and couldn't feel the heroin anymore, so he stopped... He was on methadone for another 3+ years.. Yes, the size and length of the habit have a alot to do with intensity/length of withdrawal as well as health, nutrition, age, etc... But, trust Swim, it sure get's much worse after each relapse.. Iboga was the only thing that took almost all the withdrawal away, and stopped cravings..
millhaven
02-06-2006, 22:21
In my case I had been using oxy's for about 3 years and DF's for another 2. It was only the smack use with a non fatal OD that made me think methadone was the right step for me. My health is good, 100kg bloke who rides a bike a few miles most days on a vegetarian diet. I'm sure it helped lessen the effects. That said the sweats and general nausea has come back some.
millhaven
04-06-2006, 23:21
12 hours short of a week since the last dose of Methadone, still feeling bouts of deathly cold sweats. The sheer unrelenting misery of being under the weather coupled with the rather alarming resumption of 'normal' existance...straight.
Maybe the cutting down option coupled with Lofexidene might have been worth exploring because as its been I would never have been able to go to work for the last week.
Relapse seems entirely viable and most welcome as I sit here with a body the temp boiling and the sweating icy face.
Just to add my bit I need to let u know that its possible I gotta let you know that its your inner strength that will get you thru this and the love of your family .
I was injecting between 8 and 12 amps of meth (mixed with cyclizine) every day at the peak of my 8 years of being prescribed the drug at a local D.C. in Merseyside U.K. I did 2 6 week stints at rehab in 2 different rehabs only to return to the 3 times a week pick up days and old haunts and habits.
In the end which was now 12 years ago when i quit with no outside assistance. Just the love of my wife n daughter and the knowledge that i was gonna lose it all if i didnt quit.
Well , we are still together and yeah , every so often we blow up and i get reminded what an ass i was, but like i said, were still together. Im real happy with myself with quitting and still feel good about it after 12 years. Its worth it. whats a little discomfort compared to a life of pain on your own !No comparison.
good luck