the tapering mechanism when down "low" (MMT, in this case)

[Chip (OP)]

i attempted to taper right down but once i hit 20 mg. i was feeling crappier than i anticipated.

so i sat on that dose, did my usual antics with double-dosing etc. but this time, it had gotten harder and i'm failing ... lining up extra from "somewhere" not even definite. i pissed off at myself. grrr.

i can only conclude that the higher your mileage, the longer you have to sit on lower doses and taper more gently.

this had never happened before ... if you're young enough, it's easy but the longer you persist, the harder it becomes at the thin edge of the wedge.

so, younger heads, this is how i understand it to be ... the longer you stay on it and the higher the dosage that you use to you compromise your endorphin regulatory system, the harder it becomes to taper off your maint. meds. (or whatever opiate) as quickly.

just a warning from somebody there.

unfortunately.

[Opus]

I'm on the same trip, but a ways behind you. What's worked for me in the past is %10 cuts, but ONLY when I feel like I've adjusted to the last cut, however long that takes.

I just did this with Xanax, went from 4mg/day to nada over roughly 6-8 months, maybe a bit longer, but there were lots of setbacks - it's hard to kick such an addictive drug when it's in the house and all I gotta do is ask. The last half mg was BY FAR the hardest part, the end is always the hardest.

Don't beat yourself up over setbacks, I think it's part of the process. 10-20mg md is ALWAYS where it starts to get really hard for people, so take your time, you didn't get strung out overnight, you're not gonna kick overnight either.

I really think it's important to scale the size of your cuts, ie cut a percentage of your dose (what % you use is up to you, but I think consistency is important) - again for me for benzos it was %10, and that's the number I'm using now for the methadone. My last cut from 100 to 90 hurt, but it seems that now 4 days in, I feel a little better, tho still really sleep deprived but that's another subject.

My advice would be to keep your cuts small (and proportionally consistent), and make sure you're adjusted before you do another cut. It's a gnarly drug bro, and we both know that's the truth, getting off this shit was never gonna be easy...

Give yourself a break and take it slow.. And toss those points, yeah? Slips happen, but having a pile of rigs around as temptation probably isn't gonna help yer cause much, right?

Slow and steady brother, one cut at a time.. Also I think the importance of exercise really can't be overstated. Doesn't matter the flavor, just that you're using your body and not trying to kick by laying on the couch 24/7..

[Wildcat]

i attempted to taper right down but once i hit 20 mg. i was feeling crappier than i anticipated.

so i sat on that dose, did my usual antics with double-dosing etc. but this time, it had gotten harder and i'm failing ... lining up extra from "somewhere" not even definite. i pissed off at myself. grrr.

i can only conclude that the higher your mileage, the longer you have to sit on lower doses and taper more gently.

this had never happened before ... if you're young enough, it's easy but the longer you persist, the harder it becomes at the thin edge of the wedge.

so, younger heads, this is how i understand it to be ... the longer you stay on it and the higher the dosage that you use to you compromise your endorphin regulatory system, the harder it becomes to taper off your maint. meds. (or whatever opiate) as quickly.

just a warning from somebody there.

unfortunately.

Chipper, I was wondering, when you use your meth-how does it effect the md?  I mean, I know you're tapering the md-does the meth/stims help or make it easier or harder, as far as the wd's from the md taper.

[Chip (OP)]

good question.

the day I use meth, my MD works harder for at least 6-12 hours longer.

my taper is stuck on 17.5 mg.

I can use less MD when I use meth. but overall, it has little impact on my taper except for opiate cravings - I want more opiates.

you can't blame me, yeah ?

[Narkotikon]

That's interesting to me.

I would have thought that the meth would make the methadone less efficient.  Like it would make the methadone metabolize faster b/c of increased heart rate, more sweating, more metabolism, etc. 

Hopefully you'll stabilize and feel better soon. 

[Chip (OP)]

yeah, it was a surprise but my usage is weekly so like i need less sleep, I need less MD. if I was using both daily then I reckon the reverse would apply.

thanks, I'm stable but not yet at 0

[Mr.Apothecary]

yeah, it was a surprise but my usage is weekly so like i need less sleep, I need less MD. if I was using both daily then I reckon the reverse would apply.

thanks, I'm stable but not yet at 0

You are doing quite well!  Do you plan to switch to something else for the <5 part or will they work with you to taper into the <1 range?  I don't think clinics typically do that (at least I don't think they do in my area) but they should!

[Chip (OP)]

I'm not sure yet but the clinic won't dose under 2.5 mg. so I need an exit strategy - I get 6 days takehomes so I should be able to step down from there after a week of 2.5's - like taking what they give me and titrate from that.

[jdub]

Dropped from 80-30 in about 9mos and have been stuck at 30 for a year. Blah