my son, 27, has been on meth clinic, 100mg a day for almost 6 mos. he told me today that after xmas he wanted to go into a clinic for 5 days to withdraw from methadone. he said the price is only 50.00, which sounds awful cheap! he said if he does'nt do this he thinks he will be going to the methadone clinic for the rest of his life.
has anyone heard of an inpatient program like this? if so, are the results good?
thankyou.......bevann

I am on Methadone, I have been a hydrocodone addict for 9 years (since I was 15) I was taking 15 a day. I was put on 10mg Methadone for 4 times daily, and they tapered me from there, I am on 1 10mg tablet a day now for 14 days then I think I will be on 5mgs once a day. Is your son on the liquid?? He is right about the $50 dollars a week, here in Houston thats how much the clinic costs, but you have to go to the clinic everyday and get it, they dont give it to you to take home, and they do drug test you to make sure you arent using anything else, and they also check you opaite levels to assure them that you arent taking anymore opiates than you should. Methadone is very hard to get off of, and the withdrawls are more severe. Good Luck to you and your son
Lyn

yes, he is on the liquid at the out-patient clinic. the 50.00 is for and in-patient program for 5 days to not need the clinic or meth anymore
thanks for your help, best of luck to you....bevann

Good decision from your son. I know folks who were on the Methadone clinic for over 15 years. Not what it's set up for but they'll let you come forever at some places.

new news from him last night. said he talked with his councelor, and she feels he needs to get down from 100mg to 10mg before he goes into a rehab to stop! told him it would be way too hard w/d from 100mg.
last night my husband and i questioned him about being on some kind of drug. he was acting super charged up, moving fast, talking fast etc. he got upset with us and said we just don't want him to be in a good mood!? said he was in a good mood because he met a new girl yesterday(has not had a girlfriend in 2 yrs). we asked him about her. he said he met her at the mall where she works. she is 34, he is 27. she has 2 kids that don't live with her. she lives in a shelter for battered women, and is divorced, losing her home, car and kids with the divorce. this really does'nt seem right to me! but, when we speak negative to him, he blows his top and says we just don't want to see him happy! heroin and oxy's has always been his drugs of choice, but, last night it seemed like he was on something different. i don't know, i am just stupid when it comes to recognizing drugs!
he was suppose to come back here last nite, after taking this"new girl" out to dinner. he was going to spend the nite like he did last yr. to get up with us on xmas morning, well he never showed up. i have called him twice this morning and got his ansering machine both times! i don't know if i am over reacting about all this or not. any input from you wonderful people would be greatly appreciated.
bevann>>worried mom

i was on methadone,120mg daily for two years....there is no way humanly posible to go from 100 to 10mg unless it is done over a long,long time....methadones half life is 72 hours,which means you do not feel the w/d's strong until then...i relapsed several times after finally getting of the done.....he will need constant supervision and a damm good doc...good thing my doc was a ex-addict....your son will be fighting this battle for the rest of his life....my doc told me to knock off 5mg a week to do a taper but we are weak people....its not easy,but with proper rehab and help anything can be done.....god bless.....the chef

I don't know if you've ready anything about me or my post, but I am speaking as a recovering crack addict. In my humble opinion, son is making a huge mistake with new gf. Just wondering why she's losing everything including the kids??? Drug related??? Who knows??? Old behaviors are popping up?? He has no right to think that just because he's on Methadone that you should think everything is ok. Be very careful. Love him dearly but don't enable or tolerate crap. Addicts do get angry when they are stilling using and questioned. They also get angry when getting clean and questioned. Hope you can make him understand the questions are out of love and not wanting him to self-destruct. Can you guys sit down and have a conversation without accusations, anger....that's hard I know. You guys may want to check at Alanon also for family and friends of alcoholics/addicts. They will be able to help on a daily basis because they have gone through exactly what you're going through right now. He needs therapy or a 12 step program to work this out. Getting off drugs is not enough. If you have a gut feeling about this then my suggestion is to go with it. Detoxing in a facility would be best at this point. Jumping of 100mg needs monitoring and other meds to assure his physical/mental safety.

thankyou guys for all your words, it gives me hope and strength.
yes, arememom, i have kept up with your posts and you are doing wonderful!
he never hooked back up with that girl xmas eve. she said she had alot to do and would be really late before she was done.
he finally answered his phone after 11 am, saying it had been in the other rm and he was awake half the night with a tooth killing him, and needed more sleep. told me to call him back at 1 pm and he'd come right over. no such luck, he was'nt answering phone again. so, i went over there. i worry about him also because he is such a bad diabetic. we were finally opening gifts at 3 pm, not our usual morning ritual.
anyway, he brought his methadone with him, the clinic gives take home when they are'nt open. he only drank half of it, saying lately it is hitting him real bad. well we got thru the gifts in two shifts, so he could rest in between(nodding off). when we finally got done, he had been and continued talking soft and mumbling his words, getting upset with us that we needed him to repeat. called his grandparents, they could hardly understand him. he told them and us it was from his tooth and swelling in his mouth. anyway, it was like he was not here after that. he fell asleep on the couch til i woke him for dinner at 7. was still talking the same. he went home right after he ate saying he needed to go to bed. soooo, that was our xmas with our son.
i know nothing about methadone. could he be taking something else with it and get these effects? he has been on it for 6 mos. now and first time i've seen him all hyped up(xmas eve) and nodding off and mumbling the next day.
up until now, he has been normal acting and back to the before drugs son.
sorry this is so long, i really am dumb to all this drug stuff. any insight out there would be greatly appreciated. hope you all had a merry christmas!
bevann

One of two things is happening for sure. Either he is taking something else with the Methadone or he's talking too much Methadone. If he's not taking other meds and no extra dosing of Methadone, then he needs to tell the clinic and back off. My ex-boyfriend was on Methadone and you are describing him to a "T" when he took too much. Hope your week goes well and son can start a New Year.

thankyou, arememom....i know he's not taking too much methadone. the past 2 wks he has missed one, sometimes 2 days of going to the clinic because of oversleeping. on xmas i saw him drink only 1/2 the dose, saying he did'nt need it all and would take rest later. he held a job for 6 mos. after starting the clinic. now, has quit three jobs in 2 mos., taking a wk off each time to find another job. we paid $1000.00 to get him into another apartment in sept. after paying his rent since last april in previous apartment. he has only had the full rent once. we have kicked in or paid it everytime since. it is due again on jan.1. he only has one ck coming to him and it won't cover the rent. we cannot keep doing this, but we don't want him back home with his craziness, and we don't want to see him on the street. he would lose all his furniture, belongings etc. we feel like we are back in that vicious circle with him again!
i really need help to get me thru this, and not pay his rent on the first!
bevann

hey bevann26, :wave:

I'm afraid you're not going to like my post. But I call it as I see from a recoverying addicts point of view. You guys are enabling your son to continue his addict behavior. Caretaking is something that is hard for loved one to stop doing. But as long as son doesn't have to suffer any consequences of his behavior, then he's got it made. I know you don't want him on the street. And that's not what I'm saying should happen. But son needs to "Hit Bottom" as we call it. And everyone's bottom is different. Some end up in prison, rehabs/psych hospitals, the streets, dope houses, half-way houses. And unfortunately the ultimate bottom is "Death".

You didn't cause his addiction and you can't save him from it. He must be willing to go to any lengths to get/stay clean. As addicts we went to any and all lengths to stay high. And for some, they aren't willing to go to those lengths to get/stay clean.

Don't pay his rent, don't let him move in. Check out rehabs or half-way houses. Give him advice, options....but not money or continuing caretaking him. I encourage you to find an Alanon group and go everyday/night. Learn the tools you need to live a happy life weather your son gets/stay clean or not. Addiction makes the entire family sick. And as long as you allow it, he will continue to make your life miserable.

My family let me go and I had to fend for myself. Sometimes I am pissed off about it and sometimes I understand. But as they see a change in me, some of them are slowly/cautiously coming back into my life and helping me in some ways. But I had to fend for myself when I started this journey in sobriety, found friends who would let me live with them, go to outpatient rehab, attend Cocaine Anonymous 5-7 nights/week, got a job..... and it's been 4 months (seems like an eternity).

You are right about the vicious cycle with your son. And it will continue until you break it. I turn my life over to my Higher Power whom I choose to call God, every single morning. I let him guide me and do the things for me that I can't do for myself. If I do that each morning, then things happen (for the good) every single day. It's one of those 12 step beliefs that works for me. It doesn't mean I sit around and don't do anything, but I don't try to force my will of what I want to happen, when I want it.

As always I'll keep each and every addict/family/friends in my daily prayers.

thankyou arememom! i know in my head that everything you said is true, it's my heart i'm having problems with.
he was here last nite for a short time. we told him of our decision>>>>no more help money wise from us period! he walked out after that, saying he won't be back, and thanks for kicking him when he's down! i have'nt seen him hold a job, or put in a 40 hr wk in i don't know how long. if we wait to cut him off when he's up, that will be forever.
one thing also i worry about, is him losing all his belongings if he gets evicted, with no place to put them. we set him up with furniture, and everything else you need to live with in his first place, this place is his third in a yr and a half.
living back with us for 6 mos. of that time. everything was put in storage at that time, which we were paying every month for! if i could just stop thinking what could or would happen, i'd feel better!
any input would be appreciated, i ck these boards everyday.
thanks......bevann

Bevann,

I Am Going Through The Same Thing I Dont Know When I Am Enabling And When I Am Being A Good Mom.but My 23 Year Old Has Lost It All.fights With Us All The Time And Wants More Help.i Cant Afford It And Dont Know What To Do.but I Do That The More I Help The Less She Tries To Even Attempt To Get Clean.its A Living Hell.im A Bad Mom If I Do And A Bad Mom If I Dont With Her.but I Am Having Trouble Telling The Difference Of What I Should Be Doing.i Know I Have Enabled Her For Along Time.she Has Told Me To Rot In Hell And What Do I Do I Bring Her Home Because I Dont Want Her On The Streets.but All I Hear Is That She Needs 5-6 Pills To Get Through The Day Or Shell Be Sick.her Daughter Is Here And It Kills Her To See Her Mom Sick All The Time.i Have Health Problems My Self Had Surgery In Oct And Another Coming On 1-12.she Doesnt Care.she Only Cares If I Will Get Pain Meds And How She Can Get Her Hands On Them.she Wants Us To Give Her Our Van, That Will Take Care Of All Her Problems She Thinks.i Wont Do It Because She Has No Licesnce ,no Job,no Home And I Have Her Kid.she Said If She Had The Van She Would Have A Job.she Has Had 3 Jobs In 3 Months And Got Into It With Each Boss And Lost The Jobs.and All The Money Went To Buying Pills Anyway.
All I Can Tell You Is To Stop The Money.we Have To See Them Get To A Place That They Dont Want To Be Before They Will Help Themselves.i Know How Hard This Is I Struggle Every Single Day.i Feel Like Im Going Crazy.i Feel Alone Dealing With This.last Nite She Didnt Come Back Here Because We Got Into It Yesterday And I Told Her I Didnt Want Her Living Here Anymore Because I Was Just Tired Of Dealing With Her Addiction.didnt Stop Worrying About Her All Last Nite Though.i Know From Her Hitting Bottom Once Before She Has To Go Pretty Far Before She Even Wants To Get Help.
I Will Pray For You / For Us That We Can Find Some Kind Of Peace In Our Life Through This Craziness And For Our Kids That They Are Safe.but Im Right There With You Going Through The Same Struggle As A Mom.
Tami

tami...we do need to confide in each other at times like this. i have been on this board since last summer and it gives me alot of insight. he got into his first apt. down here last april. we set him up in it because we could'nt stand living with him and his lifestyle, and friends coming in and out. my husband retired the april before and we moved from mass. to florida. he stayed in mass., with us setting him up in his first apt. there. well, i had to pay for the rent all summer because my husband was co-signer on the lease. anyway he was on suboxone back then and we thought he was kicking heroin. found out later he still was'nt holding down jobs etc. because he was using the sub, only when he could not afford heroin, to help his withdrawals. he was also selling the suboxone, that i paid for every mo. to others, to get heroin. his sub doc had talked to me and thought if i got him down here and away from all his drug buddies it would help him make a new start(this is what he wanted also). soooo, we paid his way in a u-haul with all his belongings to drive down here. he sought out the dealers right away down here and started smoking pot, and snorting oxycontins.
he had been using our truck for work(when he went) until the cops had it towed from a drug neighborhood in the big city near us. the cops told me he was with a bad crowd that they were sure were dealing and one guy even ran when the cops showed up but they got him. of course he told us he only stopped there because the truck needed tran fluid! after that we bought him his own used car to go to work. he has had 8 jobs since being down here. anyway, we supported this last apt. til we finally said no more when he was'nt working at all, so, he got evicted. we went north for the summer and i was wiring him money down here for all his bills, and other excuses about money he needed(tires for car, before he gets killed in it, etc.) when we came home labor day, we set him up in another apt. his 700.00 rent is due this monday and he has'nt been working for 2 wks with no money put aside. we are done, he has drained us! he cannot come home, we've been there!
he is on the methadone clinic since july, was doing well, til the holidays were coming. he skips the clinic a day or two evey wk., still can't hold a job, but it is always someone elses fault he can't!
i know he is not doing opiates again, because the methadone is an opiate blocker. what he is doing is something that has him flying high, then needs to sleep forever when he comes down.
my son was 23 also, when we first became aware of his drug use, he is 27 now. i am not telling you what to do with your daughter, but, we wish we had thrown him out the minute we found out, and maybe we would not still be living this hell. he also went to rehab for a wk, got his new truck repo'd at that time, came out and went back to dope full throttle within a month.
i don't want to see my son on the streets either, but, it is the only option we have'nt already tried.
it's hard to do, tami, but please try to think of yourself, and take care of your own health. addicts are very selfish, good liars, good tempers when you don't give money, and blame everyone but themselves for their downfalls. trust me, i've been there for years and still going through it, but, without him disrupting our home, it does make it easier.
please keep in touch, best of luck with your upcoming surgery.....bevann