I have been on methadone for over 6 years now and it is not working like it did when I first took it. What is my next step in the process of killing the pain? Or is there a next step? How long will it take for me to get off this medication and get out of my body? I know I can't do without it now without being totally knocked down and not able to work or anything else. I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I too was oon methadone for several years, however although my withdrawal was not fun I did not have to go in the howpital or anything the doctor just slowly weaned my off of it. It was bad do not get me wrong but it was not as horrible as I thought it would be. I wish they would find something that would stop the pain and not destroy our ability to function normally.
Good Luck
jeanne
I just received an email that said I had a reply to my question many months ago...I didn't even know I had the first one..??? But, I wanted to thank you for the reply and to also find out that there are others out there that face the same problems..or something like..my own. I am still on the medication but I have been trying different doses thru the day so I don't take as much as I am suppose to. I am trying to only take 20mg in the morning and not take any til the evening, when I will take anywhere from 40-70mg. My prescription reads 30 mg x 3 times a day= 90mg a day. I was at one time at a dosage of 120 mg a day and since I have been contimplating about getting "off" the methadone...I have dropped down to 90 mg. I have gone thru many different drugs trying to stop the pain, from darvocett, hydracodone(sp?), muscle relaxers, dillaudid(sp?), demoral, oxoycotin, advill, asprin, in combinations, w/, w/o, you name it, I've tried it. I found myself addicted to many of them, like I am with the methadone "now", and completely "sick" with others. But, I had to have something so I could function from day to day and mostly so I could work.... I am and hate to say it..always will be... a hard working, get dirty, come home late, construction worker. I have been a foreman for the last 12 years. But, I will still jump in right beside my men, doing the "hard stuff" and making sure the job is done "right". I have been in construction since I was 20 and just out of the Army, I have had my back broke, bones broken-smashed and splintered, my right arm has had more surgery done on it than most people have operations on their entire body...Thru their whole life! I've hit "big" (13'high)chain link fences at over 100 mph on a motorcycle, rolled, chrashed, tumbled and flattened cars on a racetrack and off, been stabbed, hit, kicked and broken in more fights than I can remember and tho I never ment to set out to be one of the ones that have "Chronic Pain", I am one and I hate it!! As I read thru many of the comments and replys, from people all over, I feel I am in a "Club" so to speak. One that many of us would not set out to be in or not to have ever heard of. Even tho some, like myself, have made this proverbable "bed" that we now live in, we never thought nor expected to have the type of never ending pain that we have found ourselves in today. If I had known, please believe me, I would have done things differently...I truthfully don't know which ones, but the outcome would not be the same. Our fun has turned our lives into something sadistic and torchered.
Thru it all, this medication "methadone" which has had so much negative exposure has helped "Me" in allot more ways than just killing pain. As long as I can continue to get the medication, all the negative things in my life have stopped...the addiction end of it anyway. I no longer drink alcohol..period, I returned to school and received my college degree in Psych (which I will use one day when I get too old to build waterplants), I have remarried and live a "normal"(whatever that is) life, I have a wonderful relationship with my wife, my children, my grandchildren and my family. Everything is "Great" except...I am still having to take and still addicted to a drug. A drug, one of the tools that has made my life so "Great", but one that still has me in a situation that I really don't have control over. In someways, yes, I have control, but in another outlook..no..it has control over me...I have to have it to function, if I don't have it, I can't and won't function..at all. When I first started trying to cut down on my dosage, I started having these "hot flashes" where I would sweat so bad that I could soak a shirt, my skin would feel like it's on fire and hot to the touch and this is only trying to cut down on the dosage!! I have only tried to "cold turkey" it one time and that was enough...I have never had my bones hurt deep down inside them like I did then, the vomitting, diahreia(sp?), shakes, sweatting, I can only put it to having the flu x a million!! There has got to be a better way...using another drug of lesser strength and weening off of it too, sleeping, dieing.... What would happen if I tried to work while doing this...you just plain couldn't!! And then, what do you use for the pain and that vicious cycle? Where does it end, or does it??...?? What does a person do, what can he do, would it be easier to just end it all... I think not, but you can see what the never ending cycle of pain and fustration a person can go thru...
I never expected to write anything like this, only to thank you for replying to my comment and it truned into this... I would love to find an answer to it all and believe me I have looked and asked in many places. I can only return to the one place that I know to give me all the correct answers..but he only answers questions in his time. I have found that even tho his answers are sometimes long coming...they always arrive just when they are needed the most.... Maybe that's why your reply came when it did,,God knows better than I..and that my friend, is a fact!!
I am glad if I could help you some. Here is something else you might consider when you are down on yourself for needing pain meds. If you were diabetic and needed to take insulin and people said you were an addict because you took insulin everyday you would think they were crazy. But here we are suffering everyday in horrible pain and if we take something for to help our body cope with the pain then just because our body would have a bad reaction if we suddenly stop taking it we are a drug addict. Chronic pain is an illness and we need our meds just as much as anyone with any illness needs theirs, if more of the health profession would treat chronic pain as an illness it is the stigma from needing pain meds for treatment instead of addiction would be more widely accepted. There are so many of us out there suffering so know you ae never alone . I hope I can help you feel a little better today.
Jeanne
Thank you Jeanne. I too have been feeling guilt for having to take pain meds for so many years. Feeling like I should be ashamed of myself for needing them just to take care of my daily basic needs. Forget about having a real life. I am in way to much pain to go out more everyday more than a few hours. But it could be worse. So I thank God everyday for what I have and just keep having faith and moving forward. It really helps having others out there that understand. Because it is true, even the Doctors are not understanding( the uneducated ones regarding chronic pain and addiction), they can even look at you and say that is alot of meds. And just reinforce the shame. I have a GREAT Dr. whom I trust and has made a great difference in my life. Now if I would just stop being so hard on myself. Be well
Lynette
I can't believe any doctor would describe this stuff. I'm so sorry. My boyfriend is currently detoxing from methadone withdrawal. It is not pretty and it is not fast. There are lots of debates on tapering off, but the deal is - it's in your system and tapering vs going cold turkey doesn't seem to make a difference. It's hard. It's painful. You won't be able to sleep, but this stuff is so severe on your system surely there's a better option. HE's on day 23 and barely showing improvement, but his will is still strong thank goodness.
Try accupuncture, try anything. Get off the drugs...
I was on methadone for 3 years for back pain. I made the serious mistake of having a 'rapid' detox. I have never been so sick in my life. I was sick for a whole month before I could finction. I hope your doctor does a very slow taper which will be difficult but not life threatening. I was on a low dose too- 30 -40mgs a day! Good luck. Also suboxone works well for opiate withdrawal including methadone. It could be a good option.
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Wow, I can relate to what you are saying. I too was put on methadone for my chronic pain-at first I thought it was a wonder drug as it took away all my pain. Then as it started taking away my personality, my zest for just life and waking up in the morning I knew it was time to do somehting about it.
I am not going to lie or sugar coat anything about methadone withdraw, it was horrible. One of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life. I wanted to get off the med and so my dr said that I would need to go into the hospital and detox safely. If I had not gone into the hospital I would not have made it! It is very hard and the withdraw is unbearable, and you have been on it for 6 years,I was on it for 2. Listen make sure you talk to your Dr before you do anything! You are going to need medical supervision to get off it and dont ever look back! Once you are off and out of the clouds you will never want to take it agian. I am sorry and dont mean to scare you-but what really upsets me is that the Drs tell you that its a wonder drug and it is cheap, but they dont tell you of the negative side and its so wrong, I wanted to die! It took me a good 2 months to start feeling normal, methadone is evil-get on something else as soon as you can and just be prepared, it does get better, just keep telling yourself that, it will pass! Good luck to you my friend in pain!