Posted 2/17/2016 11:07 AM (GMT 0)
Take it from someone who lived to tell about it its possible! You can read my story and struggles here by using my name and methadone in the search option but I would suggest you don't read it until the struggle gets real. 13 years and numerous attempts with failure but finally a Dr who cared enough to work with me and my needs and not by some recommendation by medical guidelines,experts or the FDA or even the manufacturer. He met my personal needs one at a time as my body struggled to learn to function without that which it had grown increasingly dependent on.
Regardless of how slow the taper,regardless of what other meds were onboard the struggle was real and the hardest most rewarding medical decisions I have made. It had been so lung and I was noticing things,small things that were troubling the last few years I was on it. Weight gain of course was always a challenge but my already horrific hearing loss had recently started getting more profound with a constant background noise,running water, my memory at 56 was atrocious,my cardiac issues were troubling and believed to be related,but the worst was the fact I was nothing like I use to be pre methadone years.
The things I always enjoyed in life nolonger seemed as pleasurable,music,reading,camping,I really had no particular interests in anything. My emotions according to the family were nonexistent. From their perspective and thats important,nothing effected me on a emotional level. Had been that way for a good many years. The methadone although a lifesaver at that moment in time had somehow managed to robbed me of well all the things that made me.
We will certainly talk more if you wish about the times I tried and failed,the multiple surgeries to fix the pain causes and not even knowing if there were still present because the methadone was always lurking.
Just know that you will see the differences as the before and after start emerging and don't be afraid to talk to your Dr about what things he can do to greatly increase your chances of getting out from under the methadone blanket. I did get down fairly easily to the last 15mgs and I can assure you it was a slow process but nothing was helping that last 15mgs. I was as sick as if I was coming off of that dose as I was 60mgs.
At this point we opted to utilize one of the other opiate meds and butran was chosen mainly due to the transdermal form and the medication being utilized in the addiction process. It was a good thing and some people believed I was just switching addictions but once all the methadone had been reduced completely and was nolonger in my body titrating off was easy. Don't fear that or asking for help.
Were my pain issues gone completely? I wish but they were much more manageable on a low dose ER med without a b/t and I am talking the lowest you can get,lots of other nonmedication modalities but today almost 3 years out I still say getting off was the best thing I did.
Good luck and you can do this.