Welcome to MethadoneDetox.org
If you’ve ever been through opiate withdrawal, you understand how grueling the process can be. I’ve personally been through it more than a dozen times, and each time has been worse than the last.
Methadone detox and methadone maintenance programs can be helpful in getting you off of the hard stuff, but it’s wise to do some of your own research before you consider that route.
I hope that with www.methadonedetox.org, I can help you along with your research so you can make an informed decision based on the facts.
There are both pros and cons to this method of treatment, and I think that both sides of the story should be given a fair chance.
I wish you all the best. 
16 comments
I’ll be jumping off at 30 mg of methadone at a inpatient medical detox. I am terriffed. I still have to get from 45mg to 30mg in the next 2 weeks. so far dropping from 70mg to 45, has been painless dropping 5mg, every 2 weeks. But I know that hell is around the corner for me. I wish there was more info on this site, everything else I seem to find online are outdated message boards from 2005? help.
tigerlily,
I apologize for the delay in response. I’m going to send you a private message, please respond when you get a chance.
My daughter started at 50 mg. methodone this week she says she is still sick and she said she’s been still using heroin when she gets sick because the 50 mg. isn’t working. I don’t know anything about this and want to know if you can tell me anything. I am thinking that is not safe, what can happen?
i need some HELP i myself am not an addict and never have been but my husband is, he has currentily managed to get down to 18mg of methadone and needs off it straght away as the lifestyal it brings and i need it away from me and my kids like yesterday,
he says hes starting a home detox this wek and the support group are not keen to offer him help, the doctor has said he will provide sleeping pills, but will this be anuf, whats he going to be like, i have no idea what to expect will i give in and get him some when i see how bad he is as i dont want to see my hubby in so much pain, i am at my witts end and dont no what to do
HELP!!
thankyou x
I have been on the methadone programme this time for 7mths, i have been on it twice before that over the last 10years. All i can say to “asbos81″ is watching your husband withdraw will be hard for you and the kids, if would be advisable if you can to take the kids somewhere else for the week, it is a massive task your husband is about to embark on and he will be moody, sore, and not in the mood to communciate or participate in family things. Try and be strong for your husband, and if he can’t handle doing it himself at home, don’t break, if he decides that he needs to go and score he will, don’t do that for him, once he’s done a week, the pain will subside, and alot of it is in his head, telling himself that this is too hard and he can’t do it, try just giving him positive feedback, he will love it on the other side. Good luck.
As for me i would love some help coming of the methadone, i’ve gotten to a place in my life where i don’t want methadone in my life anymore, i hate it, a love hate relationship as they say. What can i do to find a doctor who will perscribe me the necessary pills i need to be succussful in a methadone withdrawal programme. All i seem to be offered is phenergan, which is for hayfever for godsake, I can’t do it without the aid of sleeping tablets and valium to keep you sane during the day. Any help would be much appreciated. Does anyone know of any inpatient treatment centres that don’t cost the earth.
Hey i just came across this site, and i myself have gone threw both Heroin and Methadone Withdrawal, i have been on Methadone and stable for over 10 years, and have tried to come of it twice in that time, Methadone is by a long long way alot harder and more importantly takes longer to come off then Heroin,
However i do have some Advise for someone wanting to come off long term Methadone maintenance, the Drug i used was called Lofexidine, and it for the most part handles the withdrawal symptoms, its the only drug i used that makes withdrawal bearable,
Its not like being in the withdrawal and using sleeping tablets or valum, where u still suffer badly but are medicated,
Lofexidine is non addictive and actually removes many of the worst symtoms,
To asbo81
Hey i wish your Husband well i do not know your situation, but the No1 most important aspect of weather he will be successful is if the idea and drive for detox is from him and not from others.
he needs to be committed himself and even with that its incredibly difficult, you dont say how long he has been on Methadone but getting down to 18mg is good progress,
as to weather Sleeping pills will be enough, it will be very hard with just sleeping pills i used lofexidine when i did mine and that did help alot
To Sundevil
If your daughter is on 50mg and is still using heroin then its not and i would recommend upping the dose untill she is comfortable not using heroin, people get hung up on weather 50 70 or even 90mg is enough or to much and in my experience if 75mg versus 50mg meens not using heroin thats the important thing,
particularly if she is using needles
I’m about to enter a detox/rehab inpatient program where they will taper me off methadone a bit at a time. I’m currently on a prescribed dose of 60 mg daily, but the problem is that I take mroe than I’m supposed to and that leaves me most months with 8-12 days with no methadone. I end up buying other opioids from friends. At the detox/rehab they will start me (I guess) on 60 mg. per day and go down about 5 mg every 2 weeks. I may have to be there for 4, 5 , or 6 months but I’ll do whatever it takes.
What scares me most is withdrawal. I’ve been through it before when I ran out of my prescription and either couldn’t find any opiates to buy or was broke and couldn’t afford any. I hate it! I’ve been through childbirth, surgeries, etc., and there is nothing worse to have to go through than opiate withdrawal. Freinds and family don’t fully understand this. Everybody pretty much knows that heroin withdrawal is hellish because it’s been on TV and taught in school health classes, but people don’t understand that trying to get off prescription opiates is just as bad.
Anybody have advice?
im currently at 35 mg and going down to 25 for another week and then 15 for 3 days then gonna try to totally detox at a family members Up north … ne suggestions of nething i can take to help with the withdrawls …. i took pills like candy for 2 1/2 years and have been on methadone for 15 months now and sick and tired of being dependant on something
I just came off 20 mg off methadone and i am not gonna lie it has been hell on earth. i DO NOT recommend coming off methadone alone, i went to a detox program in a hospital for3 days and that wasnt the hard part. The last week since ive been home, a week today, has been second to second, minute to minute and that was the hard part. i finally am starting to not psychologically think i need an oxycontin or methadone. i have been incapable of handling anything this last week and being at home atleast for me was hard but i had my family. i think the psychological part was harder than the physical. Methadone is not an answer, though it helped me to be clean from oxycontin for 9 months i should have just detoxed from that than methadone. I pray for everyone who is suffering from this disease. If you can be patient and dose down slowly from methadone 5mg every other week is what i did til i got to 20 mg, i would suggest that. versus just trying to stop cold turkey. Best wishes to all.
i am sorry about the way i type i am new at this i can remember when i was sober sleeping, eating, you know just regular things that we as human beings take for granted, i have a unique story too tell. i know everyone has but i truly do i was a drug dealer making heroin
Hi to everyone ehre,
well I am in the middle of a methadone detox now, I was started many yrs ago and built up to 100mls a week, i got to the age of around 37 and didn’t want the lifestyle that I’d had constantly through the yrs, i have done around 6 methadone withdrawls whilst in prison and this was at a time when they wouldn’t help u in there with methadone, even though i was prescribed it outside, i had also continued to do heroin and crack whilst in and out of prison over numerous yrs, as i said I got to an age were enuff was enuff, so I moved over 35 miles away from my home town of wigan 5 yrs ago to an hostel, i started a methadone programme once i moved and i’ve never looked back, i haven’t had illicit drugs for over 3yrs now but was still on methadone, my doctor and drug workeer have simply been great, they have seen a big difference in me and my life since i first came to my new home, yes i got a flat just round the corner from the hostel, my family came back into my life after 15 yrs of no contact with them, and i now am so happy i could burst with it, and so just under a week ago i went to see my doctor as i have been down to the last 20mls and had dropped from 90 to 70 for 2 wks then from 70 to 50 for 2 wks then from 50 to 40 then 40 to 30 then 30 to 20, i had even started to get my methadone on 2 days a week from my local chemist, anyway i had gotten so fed up with going to the chemist and having to go to a special counter set out for the methadone addicts and felt ashamed, so i told my doctor i needed his help to come off the last 20 mls, and that i just wanted to drop it, and he asked what I thought would work for me, so I asked for an anti-spasmodic tablet called buscopan as the ur body is given to doing to involuntary jumps and is a big issue when ur withdrawing and also for diazepam to get rid of the massive anxiety attacks that come as well, i’ve never had pains in my legs or diaorreah although some ppl do and vomit profusely as well so i guess i’m lucky there too, i was also lucky in the fact that my doctor is also the top drug doctor for the area next to mine so he knew what he was doing and he gave me what i asked for, I am now into my 3rd day of withdrawls and to tell the truth, i’m not 100% I feel very lethargic and my neck aches and stomach, and i’m restless but with no body jumping, i haven’t even had the cold and hot sweats that usually come and it’s a breeze so far compared to what i expected, my partner is very supportive and has done the house work,fed the dog, fed the birds and any other jobs that have needed doing, it’s also brought on my periods which i have a bad time with anyway early, but I want to do this, i want to be coherent everyday now and love my life, i lived a life of crime for most of my life and u wouldn’t think i was the same person from 5yrs ago, I pay all my bills on time and go shopping for food weekly and am an honest law abiding citezen these days, I love the peace of mind I have now, had I stayed in wigan i think it would of been much harder and would probably still be stuck in the same old rut, so I advise anyone getting off the sh%t to move away if u can and start fresh, no one knows me here, no one knocking asking can i score and they’ll sort me, no dealers knocking asking if i want some stuff, and no one asking me if i’m shop lifting and can i get them things, i had to leave it all behind, but more importantly I wanted too, u know in ur heart wether or not ur serious about coming off drugs altogether but when ppl can see u are like my parents and sister and children and doctor and drug worker they will go out of their way to accomadate u and help, thats been my experience, and i did try re-hab and other things over the years but was never really serious, I just want u to tell ur children, brothers,sisters and husbands that there is a better life for then than what drugs brings, but u have to give urself a chance and then everyone else will, i hope this helps some of u and gives u hope? regards…
I was on methadone for four years. Stabalized at 130 mlgs after using heroin for many years. I went to a clinic and slowly detoxed about 5-10 mlg a month then took 2.5 mg for 4 weeks and am now at zero for the past 8 days. My regular doctor prescribed Xanax and ambien to help with the detox. It’s been tough but I am getting through it. The worst symptoms are insomnia, restless leg, muscle cramps, anxiety,irritability and exhaustion. However it is tolarable. I go to work daily sleep 2-4 hours a night and sweat a lot. But that being said I am winning I know this will be over soon. Hang in there YOU CAN DO THIS good luck everyone
I’m so glad I found this site, not sure it will do any good, but I too am battling methadone, I tried to cold turkey, big mistake, but there’s no place that will detox me coz I’m on such a high dose, 120, they want you to be under 30, so I tried, went to a sober living house but it got too bad, ended up having a seizure, and of course the hospital wouldn’t do anything, I’ve been in recovery before but relasped, went right to the methadone coz the heroin wasn’t strong enough, got the methadone at a pain clinic, been on it for a year at 120, my friends in recovery, think that if I really want to I can just do this, bullshit, I tried and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to do, so now i have a friend that is dosing me, now at 60, but he wants to hurry and bring me down 10 a day and I’m already uncomfortable at 60, sometimes I think maybe I will just have to be on it the rest of my life, I’m 52 and I’ve struggled with opiates all of my adult life, my family, friends just don’t want to have anything to do with me when I’m on it so for along time I lied, but the guilt just made me do more, then I couldn’t hold down a job, so I know I can’t manage it alone, but i also know I can’t just stop quickly, to make everyone happy and then there’s always the money issue, people won’t help you without money, so I’m stuck, any advice would help at this point, I’m open minded……….Jo
hi,
i have been on methadone for about 10 or so years and recently i have had no other alternative but to quit cold turkey and yes it was PURE HELL but it’s been @ 12 days now with me being completly off this drug and i was on 200+ mg a day, percsribed by a doctor and plus other opiate medications as well that i was taken on top of the methadone and had to come off cold turkey and i’m writing because i have fought this battle for many years now and i’m in a place in my life to where i hate myself for allowing this to hurt me and my family in the ways that it has and i’m determined to stay methadone-free and sober but can anyone shed any light on how long the pain, weakness, diarea, LEG PAIN (omg, the leg pain), insomnia, muscle cramps, the twitching, bad dreams, loss of appetite, the yawning, sneezing, and tiredness will last? like i said it’s been about 12 days now and i’m in such pain still and even though i feeel that ive detoxed cold turkey and have somehow survived the inevidle, i just wanted to get some opinions on my situation PLEASE!!!!!!!! thank u
Pushing thru the Storm
What an experience getting off methadone. I am writing this article to assist in my recovery. Getting off methadone, the pain and hell that I went through, is an experience that I will use to motivate myself to stay clean and proactive. I remember the confidence I had to build prior to attempting yto detox off methadone. I assume the reason your reading about my experience is so you can get a sense of what’s to come when you attempt your detox experience. I too did a lot of research on the net reading blogs and research on the detox symptoms on health sites. Apparently detoxing off methadone takes roughly 3 to 4 weeks. Don’t let that discourage you! If your anything like me, I’m an average Joe weighing roughly 170lbs at age 33, than you too can succeed on your quest to cut that ball and chain.
Now I was on a daily dose of 95mg. What I did was I had my daily intake cut down to 30 mg. Now I did feel the detox effects, but surprisingly that detox experience was pleasantly easy. I would take my dose of 30mg right before I work, and that allowed me stay functional. Now when the work day came to an end, I experienced some mild discomfort. So I would then finish all parental responsibilities, and go to bed early. That way I can sleep the discomfort away. Now I admit getting up in the morning is harder than usual, but I would push through the pain and discomfort and begin the cycle again. It took me about a week to get my body rebalanced. I stayed on 30 mg for roughly a month. I then decided I was ready to quit cold turkey, and here I am, alive and well! Over coming my addiction is a wonderful feeling, but I know that the battle isn’t over.. On my 23rd day, my mental health is roughly 70%. I am currently experiencing strange high and low emotions. I feel like a woman going through metapause. So I have an appointment scheduled for a mental health physician. I suggest you be proactive and set up a mental health appointment before you begin your detox. Also it is important to take vitamins while you detox. You most likely be too sick to eat, but it is very important to try to maintain your nutrition needs. If your body isn’t happy, than your mind wont be happy.
Now the key to successfully detox off methadone, is to maintain your determination, and to remember why your quitting in the first place! Wanting to better provide for my son was my motivation. Just looking at him, helped me to keep pushing forward. Now the detox experience was the most exhausting and miserable experience of my life. You will get sick and tired of being sick and tired! Stay determined and keep pushing forward. Now I must warn you, YOU CANNOT DETOX ALONE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE A SINGLE PARENT! I say this for you and your children’s safety. Your first week will be the worst week you will ever experience. Doing simple tasks will become exhausting! You will feel incredibly heavy. The chills will haunt you, and I became very cold for roughly 2 weeks. Your body’s natural response is to go to sleep when your sick. You will feel sick, but another symptom of methadone detox is restlessness. Roughly my 5th day I began to experience insomnia. I remember laying down tossing and turning because I felr this deep tickling sensation in all my joints. That very sensation inhibited me from getting any sleep . My sleep deprevation intensified the detox symptoms, and I was truly miserable. I was so exhausted for not sleeping for multiples days. It got so bad I’ve experienced hallucinations and I was on the brink of insanity. I am blessed to have my brother on my side supporting me in my recovery. I wouldn’t be where I am today without his help. We eventually went to a physician to help alleviate my symptoms, and most importantly prescribe a medication to help me sleep. Now the medications prescribed did help immensely, and my days began to get better from there! Now recovering from Methadone is a long process. You will eventually get sick and tired of being sick and tired. Its more like, as a day or two go by, your level of misery will drop from a 10 to a 9. Another day or two go by and your level will drop to an 8. Now I am on my 23rd day and I can honestly rate my level at 3. But thankfully I am functional. I was functional by my 15th day. I hope my experience will help you in your quest to better your life! Your success will be very rewarding, and your quality of life will get better as time goes by. Stay determined and use your experience as a tool to keep yourself motivated! You can do it. Just keep pushing thru the storm, and remember the misery is only temporary. Wise words spoken from a true poet (Bob Marley) “Everythings Gonna Be Alright!”
GOOD LUCK!
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