Methadone weaning rate (time limit here have to get off 80mg by April)

[Tainted (OP)]

So, I've been on methadone for the past 2 years (well 2 years as of 11/16) and before that i was on it for like 4 months a year prior.
Currently, I'm at 80mg, I've been at 80mg for the last like 8 months, was at 70mg the rest of the time. I just moved to FL which has really strict regulations. I smoke pot, I have a legit script for benzos, and in Connecticut, I was allowed 5 take home bottles, was getting close to getting 14 take home bottles. Now that I've moved, they already told me I'm going to lose all my take homes without looking at my record. Friends have said they do benzo pill counts (which my previous clinic didn't do and will not go well for me) and they actually call your doctor (I signed the release at the clinic in CT, but my psyichatrist in CT doesn't know im on opiates, shes under the watchful eye of the DEA cause she does MMJ lost her license to schedule 2's and has signs saying you cant be on opiates and benzos all over her officE)

SO, this brings me to my problem. I'm going to see Shpongle Live last concerts on a 2 night run in Colorado at the beginning of May. I won't be able to get vacation bottles for that, almost definitely, even if i quit smoking pot, cause I don't see myself weaning off of benzos, I need them.

My plan is to wean off methadone by the beginning of april, so hopefully by may 3rd, I feel normal enough to take acid and DMT and enjoy it at the shows.

I've never weaned off methadone, ever. I know a lot of people drop by 10's until they hit 20 then drop by 2's. I was thinking I'll drop by 20's until I hit 40mg. Then I'll drop by 10's until I hit 20. once I hit 20, I'll drop by 4's. Every 10 days for these drops (I was told by friends who weaned off, that the effects of the drop only lasted ten days) I expect I'm going to be in hell in for these next 5 months, but I HAVE to be off methadone before I goto this show. Shpongle is my favorite band next to the grateful dead and it's their last live performance ever, I bought tickets for a 2 night run that sold out instantly. Tipper and Dessert Dwellers opening. Not only can I not miss it, I can't be in such a state that taking acid will just make me miserable. I want to be able to drop L, bump some K, and smoke some deems, and enjoy myself.

Anyone have any recommedations here? think this is too much in the timeframe?

[MoeMentim]

i've never been on methadone but you have until may to score something to keep you...  i've smoked dmt while on acid with an h habit, it didn't interfere with either. 

sorry, not the advice you're looking for but it's all i got from personal experience

[Chip]

I have done this many times but was only truly successful when i said "fuck this, i'm done for ever" because staying off opiates wasn't something i could manage and only after some 35+ (discontiguous) years of messing around with opiates, all the benefits were long gone.

don't fret. drop by 10 mg. now and you should have negligible discomfort and stabilize after 7 days.

let us know how it goes to assess your physiological response to that drop and I will step you through it ... i've done it 4 times so i know it well.

the regimen you described is brutal and far too aggressive.

you are looking at around 5 months so your timing is pretty damn good.

i reckon we can get you to jump off at 300 micrograms after leaving the clinic at 2.5 mg for a week and then we slowly drop you by 500-750 ug every 3-4 days ... if you can get around 100 mg stashed away somehow.

if so, get a 2.5 ml and a 1 ml barrel (no sharps ! )

If at any point you feel lousy then we go back to the previous dose and park you for a week.
Post Merged: November 04, 2018, 01:47:04 AMpost for Mr. @Tainted

[Tainted (OP)]

appreciate the response. im still guest dosing at the clinic so i can't even talk to them about dropping my dose yet, but im hopeful after hearing your responses. I've had a bunch of friends tell me that im going about it too aggressive it wont work etc.
right now though, i moved back to a state where in the 2 years i was gone every single person i knew died of an OD, i have zero connects nor any desire to get them seeing how carfent is killing people in FL.  but i moved back here cause my parents are in really bad health and i dont want to lose the time i got with them, so i havent told anyone i moved back other then a few close trippy friends that were never the dope type.

if it comes down to getting something for the show im not above that by all means, but thats certainly a last resort, as i dont have the connects in fl anymore and the shows in colorado anyways. would rather not spend any time worrying about being sick when tipper is opening for the last ever shpongle live performance. saw them a year 2? ago for the solar eclipses and that event was life changing. cant miss their last live show.

[Chip]

Yes. I strongly advise you staybon MMT and do not drop your dose if your parents aren't well as the stress will make you feel fear and overwhelming emotions.

You may even need to go up to cope or consider Gabapentin cotherapy.

Top priority and something that makes me proud to know you not to mention to family and self.

Sad to hear that your old circle has ODed ! That's heavy as fuck ... stay strong.

[bignasty]

Is the new clinic open on Sunday's? If not, why not just save 10-40mg's every Sunday until May where you have plenty of built up 'done to travel with? 40mg's might sound like a lot but one day of half-dosing won't be painful for you unless you're a serious CPP'er. You could probably even skip the entire dose but that'd make every Sunday suck for you but might be worth it since you're really wanting to go to this show. Also, one day per week of feeling somewhat shitty ain't bad compared to 5 months of feeling shitty.

Does the new clinic not allow benzo's while you're on 'done at all even if RX'd? The strictest clinic I've ever been to in Arkansas would let you get to either 60 or 80mg's if you were on benzo's but wouldn't let you go higher. I switched to another clinic really quick and got 120mg's with no problems and they gave me a list of shrinks that have no problem scripting benzo's to patients at the 'done clinic. But (I believe) the first really strict clinic said they might allow you to get higher doses than 60 or 80mgs as long as your shrink is ok with it and signs off on it. I got outta there before they could even get my shrink to sign my paperwork.

Is there another clinic you could transfer to? If not, I'd imagine they gotta allow benzo's if you're scripted 'em and your shrink signs the coordination of care paperwork. You could ask your counselor at the clinic if they have a list of shrinks that are fine with their patients going to the clinic. If that doesn't work, ask other patients that you hear are RX'd benzo's too. If they do pill counts, it won't take you long to find a few 'friends' that are also RX'd benzo's. Tell 'em your situation and ask 'em who they go to. Unless they're dicks that are scared their doctor is about to get busted, they'll tell u who to go to.

You could also use these 'friends' or other friends for potential pill counts. Just use somebody else's pills for the pill count then return them to your friend as soon as you leave the clinic. This is what I do at my current clinic when they ask for me to bring in my adds or kpins. They don't pay attention to the side of the bottle that says the pills should be blue with C1 on one side and scored on the other side. If it's the correct medicine and dose, they ain't gonna care or notice. I've also been a little low before and they don't really say anything. I think they do pill counts just to make sure you ain't either selling your pills or taking all of 'em in a week or something. 

Also, what benzo are you prescribed? I'm on 3mg's of kpin a day and I usually take at least 1.5mg's at 8-9PM before bed. Then, I piss for the clinic the next morning at 6-9AM and always negative for benzo's!!! I've asked them WTF before and they just say there's something about kpin that doesn't show up as benzo's at some labs. I've failed for benzo's at every other clinic while on kpin so this is probably a very small chance fluke but you could get lucky too. If not kpin, what about the RC benzo's? Do they show up as benzo's when they send your UA off to a lab? Maybe you could take those 'til you get some take-homes?

Gabapentin was also mentioned. Whether you try to taper off 'done or benzo's or just need to take something on Sunday's if you decide to try to stockpile some 'done from your take-homes, I highly recommend gabapentin. It would be a huge help if you tried to taper off benzo's but I have a feeling you ain't gonna do that and I don't blame you. I think I'd pick kpin if I had to choose between kpin and 'done. Also, if you try to taper off 'done or try to save some up on Sunday's if you get a take-home, I'd recommend taking some gabapentin either before or with your dose. It seems to potentiate it and make it last longer like they say white grape fruit juice and other shit is supposed to do.

Here are my recommendations in order of what I'd do:
1) take 60mg's of 'done and 600-1200mg's of gabapentin on Sunday so u can stockpile 20mg's of 'done per week 'til the show
2) find another clinic that's not so strict
3) find another psychiatrist that's ok with u taking 'done and benzo's (It's FL, they'll probably be happy you're not RX'd 640mg's of OxyContin per day and 360 roxies/dilaudid + 90 2mg bars a month)
4) take RC benzo's that won't show up on UAs at the 'done clinic so you can get take-homes
5) try to find something off the streets that'll keep you well during your trip. It'd be best to find somebody that'll sell a few of their take-homes (not hard to find if somebody gets 14 or 28 take-homes of 100-180mg's each and only take 40-80mg's a day) or try to find just 2-4 100mcg fent patches. You'd probably be fine just wearing one 100mcg patch for 48-72 hrs. Then, smoke the leftover gel with your DMT.
6) Guest-dose or find some BTH in Colorado. What city is the concert in?

How long are you going to be out of town or unable to go to the clinic for?

[Tainted (OP)]

Unforunately, this is the only game in town. There are two clinics in my entire county, both owned by the same company. They're both incredibly small considering how large my county is. (the county I lived in in CT was about 2/3 the population, but there was like 3 different clinic companies, each with like 5 locations within 5 miles of each other)

and they are open on sundays from 7-8am. they dont even close for christmas. they literally NEVER give take home bottles, doesnt matter what the holiday is, they open for an hour. They do allow benzos to be scripted as long as your doctor is okay with it, so im working on finding a doctor okay with it. I still have one friend in town whos on methadone and benzos and he gave me trhe number of his doctor, but also said he was kind of grandfathered in cause hes been going to him for years before he started methadone, and the dudes like 70 and only sees ppl 2 times a week so its a crapshoot ill get in.

getting RC benzos isn't a bad idea though. I'm on 1mg of kpin a day and 2 1mg of xanax a day, but i normally run out by week 2 and have to replace them. so im about to run out. i have access to gabapentin (my mom has a script for it and i told her i may need some so she had her dose upped so she could pocket extra for me) as im thinking i may have to cold turkey benzos this month and ive heard gabapentin can prevent possible seizures (although ive never had a problem cold turkeying higher doses of benzos in the past, but now im older so who knows)

problem with buying someones take homes here is the clinic is SO small. there can't be more than 300 patients and only a fraction of them get take homes. the building is literally like 2 offices in the back, the main area which has 2 chairs, the lady you pay, then you walk up and dose. theres literally never a line, maybe one person in front of you. (the clinic i came from in CT there was normally like 20-100 people in front of you in line and buying take homes was as easy as just asking a couple of people while you stood in line on a saturday [safest way to not get a diluted bottle] or if you wanted to gamble on dilution, stand outside the clinic for 5 minutes with $15)

im gonna see when i actually get transfered in what they're gonna do about taking all my take homes. i have the paperwork from the clinic in connecticut, and it shows my drug tests as like positive for 1 6 and 7 or something, which equals negative, so pretty sure thats weed benzos and methadone. but FL considers weed a positive UA. i wont piss dirty for weed right now, but if they ask to count my benzo bottle this month im fucked cause im about to run out.

they told me today i could pick what day i transfer it, it has to be before the 21st, and a monday, so im gonna get it as close to the 21st as i can since i refill on like the 22nd or some shit.

[bignasty]

Open on Christmas for real? I've had 1 clinic that didn't like to close for anything but they closed for Christmas and were open for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. My current clinic closes for every federal holiday so it's awesome. We're about to get an extra take-home this weekend for veteran's day on Monday.

Hope they don't take all your take-homes and you can stockpile some for your trip.

[Mr.pooper]

gabapentin and kratom. COLD TURKEY. Ive watched people taper their dose and its just them being miserable for months. I personally just jump in full blown. Grab a pillow and shake it out. Fuck being in acute withdrawal for months. Id rather just get it done. DONT LET THE FEAR GET TO YOU.

Switch to H, or another opiate for a little while, and use just enough to get right. DO NOT START AN IV HABIT. The half life of methadone is the shitty part. Id rather kick H anytime over subs or done.

And be a-fucking-countable. you exhibit self control with done. use the same for short acting opiates. Dont believe that bullshit rehabs tell you that you wont be able to control yourself. Kratom is what you should end up on if you truly feel you cant live without opiates. Its just enough to scratch that itch, and has a self limiting control mechanism built into itself. Im a CP so it does a good job for pain.

 I always found it odd that people on methadone can call themselves clean. Why cant i be on heroin and be clean? Same shit. There is even heroin maintanece programs popping up all over now showing huge success rates. Just the war on drugs makes the latter of dealing with illegal heroin a little more difficult. Just gotta operate differently. Plan it out. GET YOUR MONEY RIGHT. BUY IN BULK, so ur not picking up every dAY. Usually daily coping ends up wasting all day waiting/trying to pick up ur daily gram. FInally getting ur sack at 6pm-12PM at night cause ur dope man slept till 4PM, but he still needs to go pick up. Finally gets Back to you and then does the "ill be at X parking lot in 15 mins, be there waiting" game. Then they show up 3 hours later after numerous calls/texts saying they are almost to you, and various time periods of abstinence of all contact. Trying to resist the urge to blow up their phone with 20 calls and 40 texts in a course of 8 mins. The other thought of maybe i should wait to call cause i dont wanna piss them off and wait longer or not get served..then after 97 mins waiting in a 7/11 parking lot (shitty american gas station/convenience store thats notorious for cameras, and getting caught up in by police, yet universally all dealers seem to still use them for meets) "5 mins bro"...45 mins later asking where they are "5 mins bro"...33 mins later i call asking again on the phone where are they, "Bro im literally in your car serving you right now!, 5 mins"...countless panic attacks, and hot cold flashes, with RLS anxiety. Multiple thoughts of quiting to show that fucking dealer a fuck you. Thoughts of harming them and robbing them when they show up. At the bare minimum imma let them know what a piece of shit they are for lying and making me wait, and really give them a tongue lashing to make them respect me. Just to see their car turning in and instantly feel better, and see them finally in person, and its all happy moment of relief and joy to get my stuff,  and proceed to kindly say hello treating them like ur best friend. Because they are.(lmao ive seen almost every junkie tell their dealer this) just to be told by the dealer they only have half the weight  requested, but need all the cash so they can reup, and will get me back fat the next day, (usually either blown off next day by them, OR just receive owed weight a point short when repaid owed debt dope) then I finally Leave  parking lot hell with my precious(HAIR-ON) and shit running down my leg because i tried trusting a fart while kicking an hour earlier, vomit on side of car, and cum all over my shirt from masterbating in a public parking lot to feel better while waiting, and  finally get that almost better feeling cause the drugs are in my hands, and the good times are just a few mins away. Just to finally get well and realize FUCK that was my whole day. Tell myself imma shower and clean up now that im well. DONT FOLLOW THROUgh. NOD OUT, BURN HOLES IN CLOTHES FROM CIGs, AND WASTE MY HIGH SLEEPING, CAUSE IM EXHAUSTED FROM STRESS, AND THE WITHDRAWAL ALL DAY. JUST TO WAKE UP WET AND SICK WITH MY DOG LICKING PEANUT BUTTER OFF MY BALLS, AND REALIZING IM WET CAUSE I PISSED MYSELF NODDING, AND REPEAT.(i suspect the cat really pissed on me, but i have integrity, and own up to my problems like a man.

 I also hate when i get some fire dope the day before, but the next get served a sack that is not just stepped on, it was strait up danced on. Save a fuck ton of money in bulk buying. Stop paying $60-$150/G. Another thing buying in bulk will do is give you mostly the same consistent dope to use throughout the week-month to properly gage strength for personal use. THis is a way to prevent ODs from unknown purity and strength of daily new bags, and will also help you avoid taking too much at lets say a family event, and not be nodded out into your soup at the table n almost drown or nod out waiting tables n taking a families order, drop out n smash onto the table (hopefully scare the kids into needing therapy) n almost drown in clam chowder. Id say one of the most important reasons to buy bulk is Less exposure to police and the fuckboys of the street drug world. which is essentially what opiate replacement therapy does for someone. Bulk grams of BTH can be had for $20-$30.

FUck those methadone clinics telling me ill never be able to handle the PAWS in post addiction sobriety, without methadone. scams and lies. COLD TURKEY 6+ gram a day habit, and  5 years clean without you evil legal duck fucking doctors telling me it cant be done. FUCK rehab centers for telling me ill end up right back to a habit because of smoking weed, and doing hallucinogens. Fuck them for telling me if i drink im gonna justify going to cop cause its not the high im looking for. The only high i NEED is the rush you get from playing my favorite game, 25 to life felony homicide.

[bignasty]

Usually daily coping ends up wasting all day waiting/trying to pick up ur daily gram. FInally getting ur sack at 6pm-12PM at night cause ur dope man slept till 4PM, but he still needs to go pick up. Finally gets Back to you and then does the "ill be at X parking lot in 15 mins, be there waiting" game. Then they show up 3 hours later after numerous calls/texts saying they are almost to you, and various time periods of abstinence of all contact. Trying to resist the urge to blow up their phone with 20 calls and 40 texts in a course of 8 mins. The other thought of maybe i should wait to call cause i dont wanna piss them off and wait longer or not get served..then after 97 mins waiting in a 7/11 parking lot (shitty american gas station/convenience store thats notorious for cameras, and getting caught up in by police, yet universally all dealers seem to still use them for meets) "5 mins bro"...45 mins later asking where they are "5 mins bro"...33 mins later i call asking again on the phone where are they, "Bro im literally in your car serving you right now!, 5 mins"...countless panic attacks, and hot cold flashes, with RLS anxiety. Multiple thoughts of quiting to show that fucking dealer a fuck you. Thoughts of harming them and robbing them when they show up. At the bare minimum imma let them know what a piece of shit they are for lying and making me wait, and really give them a tongue lashing to make them respect me. Just to see their car turning in and instantly feel better, and see them finally in person, and its all happy moment of relief and joy to get my stuff,  and proceed to kindly say hello treating them like ur best friend. Because they are.(lmao ive seen almost every junkie tell their dealer this) just to be told by the dealer they only have half the weight  requested, but need all the cash so they can reup, and will get me back fat the next day, (usually either blown off next day by them, OR just receive owed weight a point short when repaid owed debt dope) then I finally Leave  parking lot hell with my precious(HAIR-ON) and shit running down my leg because i tried trusting a fart while kicking an hour earlier, vomit on side of car, and cum all over my shirt from masterbating in a public parking lot to feel better while waiting, and  finally get that almost better feeling cause the drugs are in my hands, and the good times are just a few mins away. Just to finally get well and realize FUCK that was my whole day. Tell myself imma shower and clean up now that im well. DONT FOLLOW THROUgh. NOD OUT, BURN HOLES IN CLOTHES FROM CIGs, AND WASTE MY HIGH SLEEPING, CAUSE IM EXHAUSTED FROM STRESS, AND THE WITHDRAWAL ALL DAY. JUST TO WAKE UP WET AND SICK

LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!! This is best, most accurate thread I've seen in awhile even though every H junky knows how this feels. I've thought about kicking the ever living fuck outta my dealer before (especially when he broke his ankle) but just like u said, all is forgotten and forgiven once you see that car pulling up. Then it's like YAYYYYYYYYYY!! FINALLY. I hate a fucking dopeboy piece of shit having that kinda control over me. Say what you will about 'done clinics but I'd rather have a clinic have that power over me than some dopeboy that's unreliable as fuck. At least with 'done, I know I'm gonna dose the same dose everyday at pretty much the same time and they're never gonna mute my calls or not answer the door or say "I'm out til so and so" then me saying "well, do you know anybody with anything?"

[Tainted (OP)]

I don't know how clinics that offer heroin work, but generally the reason people are considered clean that are on methadone or suboxone maintence programs is because they take a single sustained dose everyday which doesn't get them high or really any psychoactive effect. There is no need to sneak off to the bathroom at work as your dose is wearing off and you are able to live a stable life. I've personally never felt the need to try and take a ton of subs or drink several of my take home bottles to get high, though I know some people do. When I was doing street drugs, I was often able to get morphine from family members, but I couldn't last a single 10 hour shift without going to the bathroom to shoot up. Since I've been on methadone, I don't really think about hard drugs anymore. I've disconnected from all the street dealers I used to know. (as far as coke/dope/opiates goes. psychedelics and K are a whole different ballgame for me)

As far as my plan to wean off by April, it's on hold for the moment. I was admitted to my new clinic and was told that after 30 days they will bring me back to phase 4, so I'll get my 4 bottles back. However, last time I spoke with my counselor, she made it sound like I'd only get one back. (Last time I went to this clinic 3 years ago, the schedule was like 1 bottle after 3 months, 2 after 5, 3 after 8, 4 after 12, 5 after 2 years, and 6 after 3 years) However, they now allow you to get 14 days of take homes, and they didn't give me any paperwork with the schedule for take homes. So we'll see what happens. If they give me my 4 take homes back, I'll be able to apply for vacation bottles in May and it won't be a problem, so I can take my time getting off it. Unforunately, Florida clinics don't recognize medical marijuana cards and don't allow take homes for positives for pot, which really sucks. I'll end up losing some of my take homes when I goto colorado in May, that's for sure (going to see Shpongles last Live show , with Tipper and Desert Dwellers opening)

I am planning on getting kratom soon before it's outlawed for when I come off methadone. I lucked into a local connect who literally gets it by the ton, sells kilos for $90.