I finished all my lab work and physical examination today! Tomorrow I start a 21-day outpatient, blind detox from heroin with methadone. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this type of withdrawal treatment. I can't take it anymore. I'm too old to be doing this to myself and have been battling this monster most of my life. After being clean for 10 years and then waking it up with morphine and Lortabs after surgery because I was not honest with my doctor, I want so bad to be clean and start living again. Opiates just don't work anymore for me, no high, just getting half-way well. So I hope and pray this is it, that this is the last day of my using heroin for the rest of my life, one day at a time. I would appreciate any support but I know also the stigma that being a heroin addict brings with it. To me it's just one of many opiates and I've been addicted to most I shamefully admit. I hope I either get clean or God takes me out of this world because the fight has worn me down and I'm afraid I can't take it much longer. It just does not work anymore. So I'm hoping this works for me and I think it will because I'm determined to get back what I had, really living life, during those 10 years I was clean and sober. Take care and thanks for letting me get this out.
Josh

Josh, You are doing the right thing. Hang in there. God will get you through, just ask Him. I'll ask for you too. Be Strong, S

Josh,
I don't have any experience but I wanted to say you can do this! Best of luck to you And I hope you have a speady road to recovery.
Sam

IMO you are making a mistake and you probably know it. A 21 day day detox with methadone is enough time to become addicted to the methadone. Methadone addiction is a long hard detox. Low dose suboxone and clonidine is a much easier way to go. There are programs and doctors that can help you. In the long run you will be much better off.

well im going to have to agree with the previous post because 21 days of methadone is alot, it takes about a week of medium to high doses to get a habit
i did a 6 day detox and i was fine. the first 2 days i was nodding then after that pretty normal, no symptoms at all, but i was on other meds as well for sleep, nausea, chills. try a 5-7 day thats more then enough because you can always add on but you cant just stop you have to be weened off it
good luck but i think 21 days is way too long id be weary of 10.
also within 21 days of going to detox i was back to normal it only takes a week or two after detox to start feeling normal

JOSH:
I have no idea at all what is involved in detox, etc, but I just want you to know I wish you all the luck in the world with what you are going to be going through.
You are wanting a change in your life to better yourself and that is GREAT.
Good luck to you!!!

let me know how your doin...im on 60 mg daily of methadone for chronic back pain/addiction...was on bupenorphine for 4 years...was on methadone for 6 months back in 1984...was told you have to wean very very slowly from meth do to its long acting opiate half life...my doc said do it slow over months and with clonidine/desyrl when it comes time...i felt like crap when i tried a 10 day detox back in 1984 but you have to wean slow....good luck and let me know hows it goin.....chef

Hi josh-
Im a x-H addict now on suboxone.
Ive done the methadone detox and it works very well.
Do they give you the methadone for a week then you stay in-patient for therapy/meetings?
I am also an older addict-in my 40's..i relapsed after 2 yrs. clean and decieded to do the subox-maitainance program.I couldn't seem to get off it-after that last one.
The suboxone has really been a saving grace for me.
My quality of life sober was terrible-the depression and cravings never went away-so ultimately i relapsed and then detoxed w/ the sub.
I can relate to your post-not getting high/the $/etc.
You had 10 yrs. so you know you can do this.
Wishing you well-Good luck in your recovery.
Heather

yes i think we didnt understand correctly, its probally a 3-7 day detox then a 14-18 day inpatient program. One because ive never heard of 21 day detox, and two thats way too long to detox. 21 days detox/inpatient sounds right because insurance usually covers 21 days, 28 days, 90 days, then 3-4 months intensive outpatient, 3-4 months of regular outpatient. Good luck man if I could do it anyone can. Also I wanted methadone maintenace, but id suggest try doing without it then if you need it take it, the only problem is insurance might not cover it till next year if you relapse (usually its one a year) also the list is very long and not that many spots open up

Hi there,

I just wanted to chime in and say that I helped my brother go a 21 day detox at a methadone center and it worked very well for him. They started him at around 40 mgs and then dropped him at a very slow rate and he had close to no wd symtons.

He has been clean from heroin ever since. You can do it, you are doing a outpatint clinic correct?

Go for it, it can be done!

Good luck!

Just in response to a few posts, Ive done methadone detox 7 times this year alone and suboxone just once.... suboxone w/d is noooooooooo better than methadone and im sure they put him on 21 days for a very good reason :) Best of luck josh and we'd all love to hear that you pulled through, keep us posted.