I've been an addict for 17 years. I'm 32. I've needed, for whatever reason, some substance or another to fill that unexplainable void that many addicts can relate to. Alcohol, pot, and pain meds for years and years, usually trading one for the other but never a lull in between.

I'm also a chronic pain sufferer, so I do need relief to that extent.

What I am wondering is if methadone might be the way to go for me. I know it is said to help with pain in the same way that opiates do. But, does it give you a high at all? Is there a "buzz" like say percocet gives you when it kicks in and then lasts for a few hours? Or does it not deliver any kind of a high, and only keep the cravings FOR a high to a minimum? I was under the impression that it did indeed give a high and that is why some people overdose on it. I have never used it though and was looking for some answers on how it makes you feel, as well as some potential side effects.
I don't think I'll ever recover from my addiction to substances, but my thinking is if I am going to be on one or another, would methadone be the way to go?

Hi there 72,

I was not addicted to Methadone, but used it prescribed from my Pain Management Doc. I would suggest that you first may want to discuss this with your doc because of your history. I wanted to tell you that we can recover from our addictions! I was a practicing addict for about 20 years and Methamphetamines was my thing. I had 4 years clean and relapsed for 60 days and now I have almost 3 years.
My experience with Methadone was a short one, March to the present. I am in the process of decreasing.
Everyone's body may have different experiences. This is my experience.
I titrated up slowly about 5 MG's a week to a total of 25 MG's. During the time I have been on it I will say that I really thought that it helped my pain, better than anything else I ever took. I wish they had put me on sooner. The side effects that I had were excessive tiredness. At night if I woke up to use the bathroom I would catch myself falling asleep on the toilet. I had some slight problems when I tried to read, hard to concentrate on things, some constpation(which I have had for a long time with pain meds of all kinds). I could see where people may really like the feeling they get when they are sort of at the point where they are just about to fall asleep, sort of a slight euphoric feeling. In the process of taking Methadone I would sometimes have a nauseated feeling but I could deal with that.
I am now decreasing the methadone and my pain is only soreness from using the muscles in Physical thepy and some occasional nerve twinges that I think are from the never repairing itsself, nothing to bad.
If I ever had to use this medication again I certainly would do it! It helped me so much with my pain. I was able to get out more and do more things without the nagging nerve pain and general all around aching throbbing stuff that would just take me down.
There are others on here that have taken Methadone, so just keep on reading and hang in there.
We are all here to support you!
Chrissy

Hi There,
I was on Methadone for about 6 mos. a couple yrs. ago. I don't remember too much about it, as i was put on Adderall also and ended up going kinda crazy from the Adderall.......ended up in rehab.
But, i do agree with Chrissy, i was very very tired. And that is why my dr. put me on Adderall. It is meant for people w/ADD - I didn't have ADD and it ended up doing the opposite for me and i basically went crazy on it. IT was not supposed to be prescribed to me since i didn't have ADD and the dr. was just trying to help my fatigue, but it backfired.
Anyways, thats what i really remember from it. Being tired.
BUT i suffer from chronic pain also, and it really did help with that. So sometimes u just have to accept side-effects in things that help w/pain.
As far as feeling a high, i am an addict also, so i know i wouldn't have liked it if it didn't give me some sort of high, so yeah, it probably does.

Hi 72575,

Well basically, you're looking to find something else to get "high" on, perhaps without acetaminophen since you've had a problem with that.
I can tell you that I know your story and I was on methadone for 12 days (went off last Friday) and you are not gonna get the kind of high you are looking for from Meth. It's not going to give you that "BOOM I took some pills" feeling. You are not going to get a boost of energy, a feeling of complacancy with life, or any kind of rush...and I think that is what you are seeking. It will keep you out of severe w/d's and slighty reduce cravings for your acetaminophen filled pills.
I apologize if I am way off base but, I feel like you are coming here really to find your next fix and avoid acetaminophen. I don't think you're gonna get too much help here because most are wanting to get away from wanting to get high.
You remind me alot of a friend of mine who went on methadone 7 years ago because of her hydro addiction and never actually dealt with why she wanted to get high in the first place. Therefore she's on every downer and benzo made along with the meth, only because once you take meth you cannot get high on the hydro.
It doesn't matter what drug you take, if it gets you high it's gonna be addictive, and with addiction comes risks physically not to mention a lifelong downward spiral. There is no SAFE HIGH. And that's what it seems you're looking for. It's just not gonna happen.
Methadone basically gives you all the same side effects as any other opoid. The major ones I experienced were extreme sleepiness, nodding, difficulty focusing, nausea, and for me no pain relief...or very minimal pain relief.
I hope I didn't offend you with anything, however sometimes situations warrant some straight forward talk.
I'm very worried about you. I've seen you in so many people I know as well as myself. You are on a fast slide to the bottom of a pit that is very deep and very hard to dig yourself out of.
Please be careful. There are programs out there that can help you understand why you want this high so badly, how to deal with it, and how to overcome it. If you want it. If you don't, pick any drug that makes you happy, you are not going to avoid damage.
I know none of this is anything you want to hear, but read the stories around here....you're no different, and are not going to avoid feeling the same way you do now from another drug. Plain and simple. You can just put your own name in any story here about using and it's your future.
I sure am praying for you and hope the best for you. I hope you can find what you're looking for, however, you're not going to find it in a pill....or any drug.
Best wishes
Shay
:cool:

How true, how true, Shay.
I'm not in any place to tell someone what is best for them, but i can speak from experience. If your life has not already started the downward spiral that opiate/alcohol addiction can bring, it is inevitable that IT WILL happen.....just a matter of when.
I have chronic pain also, daily constant headaches with migraines coming about 2x a week. It is hell on earth to be in constant pain, but when i'm honest with myself, the opiates are taken by me to "feel good", not to help with pain. Yeah, they do sometimes help, but i am fully aware that i take them even when the pain could easily be relieved by a mild OTC med.
Being addicted to opiates is (to me) one of the worst things on this earth. It is (to me) the hardest thing to overcome. It (opiates) screws with your brain and makes you think that you can not function without them....then when your finally, amazingly free of them and clean, you realize how much better you feel both physically and mentally without them. The problem though is getting back to that point where your sober.......because when your in the throws of the addiction, you can't remember how it felt to be clean, and you really can't remember that it was better.
Just my opinion.....

Huh!!! I do know that when you take pain meds you dont realize how your hurting yourself worse. Because you dont feel nothing, and infact feel good enough to take on the world. My ex was a drug counsler and he told me to stay as far as I could away from methadone. He wasnt happy about the whole vicodin thing either. He said it really messes your pain receptors up. We all know that though. I know how it feels to be scared to death of the tylonol thing, Im in that boat to. Everything pain I get I wonder if it is time for me togo to the ER and gna be dying. I still abuse the meds. Havent seem to be able to stop. I had the plan to get my refil and take my prescibed dose which is 3 a day. I got it yesterday and took 2 then 2, then 2, then, 2. Then 1 1/2 at bedtime. So nothing changed. I feel what Id call normal again, but until I soon run out again.....I did put up 45 of them and gave to my hubby. So at least I cant just down the whole bottle in 3-4 days, which Ive done somehow, dont know how.

Hi 72575

I'm with Shay on that one.
If you wanted to know how you could use methodone from heroine withdrawal I could give you a tried, tested n true calculation, but seeing that you appear to be interested with instant gratification and escape you will have to do your own research. I am working on healing my old wounds and it wouldn't be karma correct for me to tell you how you can enhance your life with underwater harpoons. I'm working on breaking the cycles of destructive patterns, I would like to think maybe one day you will too. Maybe somewhere along the way something happened to you, maybe you could step aside and take a look at that, instead of escaping into that 'something else' which I guarantee will... bite your butt and spit you out down the road. You are still quite young and you can turn it around but it feels like you might have a few rounds of ammunition left to fire off.

If I misunderstood you, please understand that sometimes it is difficult to read into peoples thoughts with their chosen words. You mention you are chronic pain sufferer, would you mind if I asked what from, to get a clearer picture. Did your doctor suggest you go on methodone? if so please correct and forgive me if I am wrong, I got the hit that you wanted to get high:D .

"Seek*n*Destroy is back in the day, Search*n*Rescue is where I am at today".
sounds like a quote, it is, it is mine, that makes me happy today.:wave:

take care
kadee

I just can't stop abusing one thing or another. Life is just too pointless when I'm sobre, I hate it. It's mainly depression that doesn't go away.

I got my refill of percocet today and have already taken 10 in 3 hours. 75mg already.

I only got 45 alltogether and they're suppsoed to last 2 weeks. It sucks.

I think maybe tomorrow I'll try drinking again. It's summer time and maybe I can drown the pain with beer like I have done in the past summer. It is one way to stay off the meds if it does work. I tell myself that I want to quit with the constant addiction but the reality of it is that I don't see it ever happening, nor do I truly want it to deep down. Not sure where to go or what to do, other than the only way I know how and continue down the same path.