Methadone: Methadone Symptoms & Side Effects

Question: Should i stop my methadone treatment?

(Posted by: on 2012-01-16 21:07:56)

Here is the thing, I am an ex- drug addict, I was a pretty bad user, (started pills when I was 18 from a chronic pain condition called endometrosis) but I have been sober or clean from heroin and pills for 2 years about....I got on methadone treatment about 2 years ago. I am living with my friend who is into natural medicine and is against methadone. I know that methadone causes some stuff like i heard it depletes the calcium in the bones over time, and it's REALLY hard to get off..I know I tried before. But I don't want to be on it for the rest of my life. I am 27 and I'm on 105mg a day. My roommate says I should get off because 1. it prevents me from going/ living anywhere that doesn't have a methadone clinic nearby. 2. I have to go almost everyday to the clinic..(I'm on phase 2 which means I can have 3 take- outs a week, and I will be getting my phase 3 soon.) 3. He's worried about the calcium thing. 4. Also he thinks I will die from a liver thing or slow breathing in my sleep. Those are the main things he is worried about, but the things is..I have been on it for about 2 years and I have not had a dirty UA since getting on the methadone. It's has been helping me..Also it really is hard to get off. I have heard of this treatment called. Ibogain? It supposedly helps people get off opiates, and it addresses the withdrawal that would come with stopping it. I know I don't want to be on it forever but....it's helping me right now....what do you think? Thank you.

Posted by: Zachary Padilla on 2012-01-16, 21:14:23

Theres another solution. but its illegal. i dont know why it is illegal since it has proven to help people with actual pains, downsyndrome, that dizeaz where u cant stop shaking. and so on. but if u hav a addiction problem to actual deadly deadly or minor drugs u wants to get off. i suggest you go to medicinal marijuana shop and tell them u want to kick your addiction from something that you think is bad for your health and ask if they can help you. then show them the sttuff your taking and your addicted to. and they should actually be able to help. you. most smoke shops(medicinalm marijuana) are in san jose california.

Posted by: Flitternitter on 2012-01-17, 18:17:33

Methadone is alot harder to come off than heroin the wds are much worse but your friend is right its fairly hard on the body. But the thing is methadone is an effective medicine and it should be treated as such. When you are ill you take medication until you are better or ready to stop taking it you dont keep taking it when you dont need to. if you feel you are ready to stop you could start lowering the dose under supervision of a doctor or in a treatment centre specifically for coming off opiates. Alot of people who start a methadone programme dont ever come off it and in the end it can cause permanant damage or death because the tolerence levels rise increasing the risk of overdose. Iobgaine is meant to be effective but there are alot of questions around the saftey of it as its a highly potent hallucogenic and could affect people in different ways. I think a treatment centre is the best option because they can lower the dose over a number of weeks which would minimalise the wds as much as possible. You can also go on an opiate blocker (naltrexone)once you are clean , it just means if you used you would feel nothing from it. Hope this helps if you feel you are ready go for it. Good luck.