Methadone Withdrawal -- scared with no one else to get answers from?!
Question: Methadone Withdrawal -- scared with no one else to get answers from.?
My dr put me on methadone for pain management about 2 years ago. I started out at 5 mg (total a day) and he eventually got me up to 40 mg (total a day). I had major hip surgery hence the methadone. So eventually, about 10 months ago we started to taper my methadone and things weren't a 'walk in the park' but for the most part things were going smoothly and he was easy to communicate with if I had any problems. All of a sudden my dr is gone; (this past april) I had called the clinic for a refill and was told my dr was no longer practicing at the clinic. I was anxious but to work that day on establishing a new internal medicine dr in the same clinic. The office made me an appt for 30 days later (may) and a day before the appt canceled it. So I tried to reschedule and they decided to schedule me with a different dr this time, which was fine with me. Same thing happened again, the appt was canceled last minute. And... get this... this happened a third time in June. So this whole time my medicine wasn't being tapered... I was at a constant 4 ml. I had to go to the hospital's Patient Advocacy office to finally get an appt that wouldn't be canceled last minute. So now I'm with a dr that has sped up my taper to an incredibly uncomfortable speed. More than twice the speed of the plan w/ my previous dr whom left his practice.
So... my question: The day I picked up the my current prescription I told the receptionist that I need to talk to her, my dr, as soon as possible because I was so anxious and fearful about the current taper my dr wanted me at. So now it's 2 weeks later, she called me once and I wasn't at my phone so I'm waiting for another call. (I tried for a 2nd time today) And at this point I just want to see if I can handle the withdrawal myself. I feel like she invalidates how I tell her I'm feeling. When I tell her about my withdrawal symptoms, I feel like she doesn't believe me. So last Fri (17th Oct) I went from 4 ml a day (I had been on 4 ml a day for about 17 days.) That day I realized that she probably wasn't going to call me back in any timely manner; I felt like I was backed up into a corner. So the next day, Saturday the 18th I went to 2 ml a day, Sunday I went to 1 ml a day (half AM, half PM) and I've been on that dose since Sunday... so 2 and a half days. But tonights 'the big night'... tonight is my last dose and it will be exactly .4-.5 ml. What I;m trying desperately to figure out is how bad my withdrawals will be or if they will be bad at all. The last time I went through withdrawals was a long time ago and I was at 10 mg, so I know for a fact that the withdrawals won't be nearly as bad as they were then. But I know this won't be a walk in the park by any means, I just want to be prepared and have some sense of control over what I'm going to be feeling like for the next 2 weeks or however long they last. What's even worse is my mom is leaving in 2 days for a Napa Valley vacation and will be gone for 2 weeks so I'm going to be all by myself and I can honestly say I'm scared shi*less.
Does anyone out there know what I'm going to be going through, symptoms-wise, in the next week or 2 weeks.?.? Any help, information, suggestions, or piece of mind is greatly appreciated... I have absolutely no one else to talk to about this. Thanks!Health Question & Answer
So... my question: The day I picked up the my current prescription I told the receptionist that I need to talk to her, my dr, as soon as possible because I was so anxious and fearful about the current taper my dr wanted me at. So now it's 2 weeks later, she called me once and I wasn't at my phone so I'm waiting for another call. (I tried for a 2nd time today) And at this point I just want to see if I can handle the withdrawal myself. I feel like she invalidates how I tell her I'm feeling. When I tell her about my withdrawal symptoms, I feel like she doesn't believe me. So last Fri (17th Oct) I went from 4 ml a day (I had been on 4 ml a day for about 17 days.) That day I realized that she probably wasn't going to call me back in any timely manner; I felt like I was backed up into a corner. So the next day, Saturday the 18th I went to 2 ml a day, Sunday I went to 1 ml a day (half AM, half PM) and I've been on that dose since Sunday... so 2 and a half days. But tonights 'the big night'... tonight is my last dose and it will be exactly .4-.5 ml. What I;m trying desperately to figure out is how bad my withdrawals will be or if they will be bad at all. The last time I went through withdrawals was a long time ago and I was at 10 mg, so I know for a fact that the withdrawals won't be nearly as bad as they were then. But I know this won't be a walk in the park by any means, I just want to be prepared and have some sense of control over what I'm going to be feeling like for the next 2 weeks or however long they last. What's even worse is my mom is leaving in 2 days for a Napa Valley vacation and will be gone for 2 weeks so I'm going to be all by myself and I can honestly say I'm scared shi*less.
Does anyone out there know what I'm going to be going through, symptoms-wise, in the next week or 2 weeks.?.? Any help, information, suggestions, or piece of mind is greatly appreciated... I have absolutely no one else to talk to about this. Thanks!Health Question & Answer
Answers:
I know what the withdraw symptoms are like. It's living hell, honey. And I'm sorry you're going to go through it. The worst symtom I have experienced is a feeling in my legs - as if I MUST move them or else the muscles will build up pressure. This pressure is horrible. You cant stay still for even five seconds. It has gotten so bad for me in the past as to where I would wake up at night and run around the neighborhood.
You will feel extremely tired, but you can't sleep due to the muscle pressure. I wish you the best... I've gone through the exact same thing. I don't know how to make it go away, just move A LOT. Don't sit still or else the pressure feeling will build up horribly. I hope you don't endure it like I did.
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You will feel extremely tired, but you can't sleep due to the muscle pressure. I wish you the best... I've gone through the exact same thing. I don't know how to make it go away, just move A LOT. Don't sit still or else the pressure feeling will build up horribly. I hope you don't endure it like I did.
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you know...that office is whacked, I worked in pain managment for years and you cannot taper a patient/or whatever they say they're doing and cancel appts like that....they have an obligation to fill/treat every 30 days if they put you on it to begin with. They have to monitor you, as you know withdrawals are dangerous and painful. 40 mg to 4 is TOO DRASTIC!!! You need to get the office manager on the phone over there try to be nice, then see another pain...also you need something for the anxiety your going to have they need to give you xanex. also get to another pain management doctor asap...if you start having anxiety attacks you can call me, I'll help you thru themHealth Question & Answer
you will most likely be irritable, have hot flashes at times and feel sick in the stomache. Mabe some loose stools here and there. But you will be fine. Your making it sound and expecting it to be like your last time which by the way as you said yourself, will be no where near what you have been through.Health Question & Answer