Methadone Drug Addiction .com

I am perscribed methadone for chronic back pain due to DDD. Methadone and all the other pain meds I have tried make me sweat so much. Does anyone know any remidies to relieve the excessive sweating. special deodorant, pills..etc any help at all would be great, thanks

Hi im also on methadone and it made me sweat really bad but as soon as I went down on my dose it stopped even if you go down like 10 mil. it might help.I know alot of people on methadone and they say the same thing.Usually if your sweating from it then it means your dose is 2 high or sometimes 2 low.Hope it helps good luck

2008-02-03 07:09:37 by patm5771

Thisvideo was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA AHA MEDIA is at www.AHAMEDIA.CA AHA MEDIA is about exploring mobile media production through New ...

the past three days have been hell. no work. haven't left the house. any ideas how to make the aching, sweating, shaking, and miserable pain to lessen a little??

besides going to the doctor. he would just give me more. and no 911 obviously
can't sleep one bit either. cant get comfortable. just shaking. all night. and terrible night sweats.

Morphine is not too difficult but methadone is one of the hardest withdrawal medications.

The very properties which make it an excellent pain medication also make it hard to detox from. It has the longest half-life of any opiate and 72 hours after taking the final dose your body will produce a metabolite of the methadone which will then stretch the effect out longer.

You can taper the dose down to a lower level to a point, but for most people taking 30 mg per day or less ther is no benefit to further reduction over "cold turkey" withdrawal and some feel that it actually stretches the withdrawal symptoms out more to reduce too much because you have some of the symptoms while you taper.

Key medical problems are blood pressure and the possibility of seizures. While there is little that can be done about the seizure potential except to observe. The other issue is blood pressure. Elevations in blood pressure could lead to cardiac issues and stroke. The blood pressure should be monitored during the withdrawal period and the patient taken to the A&E/Emergency Department if it becomes significantly elevated. If your physician is available, he/she may be willing to monitor and prescribe a low dose antihypertensive during this period. Nausea and vomiting are not uncommon, and medications for this are helpful.

The following nutritional guidance may be helpful during the withdrawal period.

Oral nutrition: Increase the right proteins!!!! Proteins are the building blocks for neurotransmitters and neurotransmitter receptors…as well as the building blocks for your natural opiate receptors

• For 3 weeks you must remove all red meats from your diet. Red meat has chemical components that increase inflammation and pain. Fish, chicken, eggs are good sources of protein. If you are having a hard time taking in solid foods go to a health food store and buy protein powders that can be made into smoothies or drinks. You absolutely must have increased protein intake…proteins are the building blocks for all enzymes, neurotransmitters, and enzyme receptors in the body. No chemical works in the body without receptors. Just like opioids have to have opioid receptors.

• L-Methionine—a sulfur bearing amino acid…necessary for the production of S-Adenosyl-methionine (SAM-e)…SAM-e is a necessary cofactor in the production of the master neurotransmitters—serotonin, dopamine, adrenalin, and nor-adrenalin…this must be added to any amino acid therapy directed at rebuilding neurotransmitter production and function…500 mg—two twice per day

• Increase your intake of raw fruits and vegetables…you get little or nothing from canned foods…fresh fruits and veggies are loaded with fiber which help bind and remove toxins from your body…they also normalize gut function

• Stay off candy, and other sugar heavy foods

• Drink lots of good water, green teas are good for the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties…no cokes or soda waters for three weeks

• When capable you must start exercising…swimming is best because it is low impact exercise…yoga…tai chi…walking daily…detoxing or otherwise…exercise is a normal component of good health.

Supplements: Some need less and some more…remember the efficacy of all nutrition and supplement use is ultimately guided by your genetics…and we are all different to some degree…

Multivitamin with a strong mineral component: in gel caps only…an excellent quality multivitamin is absolutely necessary…remember that vitamins and minerals are cofactors/coenzymes for repair, healing, and normal function of the body…most times I have patients double up on multivitamins for the first 3-4 weeks

Mineral complex: see above

Fish oils, or flax seed oil.: necessary for repair and proper function of cellular membranes…anti-inflammatory…these need to be mixed omega 3, omega 6, omega 9 oils—4000 to 6000 mg per day in split doses…although some can be purchased as liquids and mixed with your smoothies.

If you don’t do the drinks…get proteins as free amino acids…double up

L-Glutamine 500mg caps…at least 2000-3000 mg per day…split the dose so that your doing it at least twice per day…helps heal the gut and the building block for GABA…the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter…helps slow things down…Do not take GABA as a supplement…GABA is make in the brain…when out side the brain the molecule is to large to cross the blood brain barrier…the building block for GABA is L-Glutamine or Glutamic acid…these building blocks readily cross the blood brain barrier.

Valarian Root 450 mg: Botanical that reduces anxiety and helps one to sleep…Kava, Jamaican Dog Wood, Lemon Balm, Avena are all nervine botanicals which can be used together or by self…I find the doses for each individual varies but typically 1000 to 1500 mg every 4 hours.

Melatonin…dosages vary…this is a hormone released from the pinal gland in the human body at night time for sleep…this is essential for those coming off opioids…in my experience as little as 1 mg to 30 mg has been effective…do what you have to do…I’ve had addicts coming off $100.00 a day habits sleep 4 hours the first night…start low and add 3-5 mg every half-hour till sleep…research on healthy volunteers using up to 100 mg of melatonin in a single dose shows little side effects…Melatonin is also known as a very strong antioxidant with 1000 times the potency as Vit E…Take only at night when you would be going to bed at the regular time…the room must be dark…that’s the way this hormone is released in the natural state…

Full Spectrum antioxidants: relieves inflammation and helps normalize inflammatory pathways and reduces damaging molecules (free radicals) present in the system while detoxing

Vitamin C: 2000-3000 mg per day divided doses…

Reduced L-Glutathione 300mg per day: Helps liver detox metabolites of methadone…Detoxing agents can be found in many products…most in combinations…

Adrenal Support: Research has shown that methadone, and drug use in general, has profound effects on the adrenal glands. In fact, research shows that there is a profound negative effect by methadone on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This is why those that withdraw from methadone have protracted fatigue and problems with anxiety and insomnia. I often use freeze dried adrenal extracts in treatment with fairly good results. You’ll find these products listed under names such as Adrenal Plus, or Adrenplus…the starting dose is around 1000 mg per day in split doses.

Milk Thistle with alpha-Lipoic Acid is one combination that I use extensively---for liver repair and detoxification…1200 to 1500 mg of milk thistle and 400 mg of lipoic acid per day in split doses

This is the basics. There is absolutely no way to eliminate all the problems associated with withdrawal from opiates...one must have a supportive environment and sometimes with daily visits from a compassionate health care provider…This will not kill you…it will be a miserable event… In fact, cold turkey deaths coming off opioids are rare and usually associated with other health problems, or overdosing on prescription medications…withdrawal from opioids is much less of a risk than total withdrawal from alcohol. I wish you all luck on this endeavor…My compassion and empathy goes out to you…Ultimately, I know that you can do this…after all…it has to be done.

I was on methadone for 3 years at one time due to a diabling injury, and had to do this myself, the above methods I used for myself, and I have used the same method for many opiate patients.

EDIT: I have noticed that some of the people have recommended that you consider using a sedative/anxiolytic agent from the benzodiazapine family like Klonapin or Valium. These can help with some of the shaking itching and anxiety during the withdrawal, but are very addictive, especially in patients with addiction issues. I recommend using 50 mg of over-the counter Benadryl instead. It provides relaxation, relieves some of the shakes and skin itching feeling without the problems of addiction.

2008-02-28 12:39:29 by EpicFail

Price: $20.00 $12.63

Queers concert flyer
Flyer to advertise a Queers concert
Window display/ Telephone Pole Flyer sized Poster

One of my friends took some thing called Methadone, well when he went to sleep, he started making noises constantly in his sleep, it was really wierd. Like a chattering of his throat, and his teeth, he told me in this morning that his mouth was dry of saliva, and his teeth really hurt.. Is there any connection? What was making him make a noise?

Methadone does decrease saliva and can give you a dry mouth. Although many who have been around people who have overdosed from Methadone have reported a loud snoring an attempt to arouse the person should be made before you panic. The person may snore anyway and the decreased saliva makes it louder. However, iof he took Methadone that was not prescribed to him or mixed it with another drug like Xanax he is playing with fire. What you heard may very well have been a precursor to an overdose and you should talk to him.

2008-07-10 14:04:32 by Pizzachelli

Price: $0.99

my neighbor ask me to look on the computer cause her doctor said they were going to quit making it and took her off it

no, they are not going to quit making methadone. methadone is a powerful pain medication and it is also used for people in the hospital to wean them off opiates. It is used for chronically ill people in the hospital as well. They are, however, starting to regulate it more out in the public. Methadone clinics will soon be a thing of the past and doctors are beginning to be more reluctant in prescribing patients methadone. especially if they are going to get a prescription and go home out in the public with it. there are so many overdoses b/c of methadone that it is a huge problem.

methadone is THE most addictive medication out there and it is more difficult to get off of than heroin. your friend needs to be weaned off of it slowly.

2008-09-08 10:07:46 by MICHELLE W

The concept that methadone maintenance clinics are just money hungry & keep patients on it for years for fiscal gain is a myth.
Methadone has two indicated uses: it is used to treat chronic, severe pain (chemo patients, terminal illness, etc), and it is also used to treat opiate addition. There are many types of treatment for opiate addiction, but methadone, unlike the bulk of them, is a maintenance program, and you stay on it for several years, if need be- for this reason, it's often considered a substitute drug and is misunderstood a great deal; despite being the safest, most studied form of treatment out there, and the most successful. I'm assuming you're asking about MMT clinics for opiate addiction, as a physician prescribing for pain does so out of his regular office, not a methadone clinic.
Methadone clinics aren't in it for the money- they barley break even.- between sliding scales based on income to facilitate incoming patient's opportunities to get clean; Medicaid reimbursement, and the actual amount they do bill self paying clients,methadone qualifies as a non profit. Most client are self-paying, and prices vary, but the breakdown of cost is carefully audited by the state, and only covers the cost of services rendered. Many people are unaware that MMT clinics have services beyond dosing someone, but they do- I will expound on that in a moment.
Opiate addiction based MMT Clinics are regulated first by the laws set forth by the government, the FDA, and finally by the individual state.
The Office of Applied Studies of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), conducts bi-annual surveys and retains statistical data as to the current number of facilities using methadone for opiate treatment. While specific laws vary by state, all have some agreed baselines. Here is a link to the 1995 Report regarding the Federal regulation of methadone treatment:
*http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id =4899

There are no business men either- you can't just "start" a methadone clinic; they are strictly regulated & state incited. Even state mandated clinics have difficulty sometimes opening clinics, b/c miseducated people who think it's just a den of drug users boycott and do their best to run them out of town.
I’m assuming we’re all familiar, but in case not- opiate addiction, unlike other drugs, causes a physical dependence. If an addict suddenly stops using opiates, they become severely ill. Methadone is an opioid agonist- not an opiate, but a synthetic drug that works on the same receptors in the brain that opiates do, and therefore “tricks” the brain into thinking it’s getting opiates.
There is a lot of science behind it- but the long and short of it is that our bodies produce endorphins- natural pain killers- in small amounts, as needed. Opiates- drugs derived from the poppy plant- (heroin, vicodin, Darvon, oxycontin, morphine, dilaudid, etc.)- when taken, cause an influx of these endorphins. When a person takes opiates on a regular basis, the human body, which is extremely adept at conserving it’s natural resources- recognizes that the person is providing them with more than enough synthetic endorphins through opiates- and the body stops producing it’s small amounts. So when an opiate addict suddenly stops using opiates, the body goes into an endorphin-deficiency, causing the person to become very ill.
The Harrison Drug Act made it illegal for physicians- general practitioners- to prescribe methadone to patients for opiate addiction. Only MMT clinics, which are strictly regulated, may prescribe it for addiction. MMT clinics require frequent, SUPERVISED, random drug screens (so anyone on methadone for opiate addiction cannot be abusing other meds, or they would be kicked off the program); as well as one on one counseling, group treatments, state required classes, state required physicals and blood tests, as well as anything else the individual’s counselor feels they need. They must complete treatment plans and goals on a monthly basis, demonstrating they are moving forward with employment, housing, etc., and they are not permitted to take many medications, even when prescribed by a physician, if there is any chance of an interaction. So you can see what i meant by "other" services. Every clinic has RN's who are methadone certified, on staff to dose clients; a prescribing physician who oversees the clinic, a rotation of other physicians who handle routine check ups and physicals; CDCL counselors to handle individual clients on a case by case basis; and a host of other folks who are involves in some way with the veryday running of things. I have yet to meet any clinic staff who are making a fortune working there- for most, it's a labour of love- something they do because they believe in it, despite the shoddy pay.
A general practitioner, on the other hand, can prescribe methadone to whomever he sees fit for pain management, and there are no other regulations.
Bottom line is, methadone- MMT- is not a business or even the type of conglomerate you see with pharmaceutical reps who pass out promo's and bonuses to physicians for prescribing their meds- methadone (Dolephine) has been around since the 1900's, and it's not a new shiny drug that requires pushing or advertising- look to things like Suboxone- the latest opiate addiction darling of the treatment world, which is far less effective, has a monumentally smaller success rate, but found a loophole that allows general practitioners to prescribe it without much regulation. Aside from having to take a few hours of in-services to be certified as a suboxone doc, and being limited to 25 suboxone patients within their practice,they're free to prescribe it as they please- and as a newer drug, it's far more expensive. About a decade ago, another drug, ORALAM came on the scene,much like Suboxone- and physicians and MMT clinics were pushed to prescribe it. Only after a few years did it become apparent that a) it was less effective at keeping people sober, b) it cost more, and c) it caused heart problems that eventually led to it's being pulled from the market.
Methadone is a medical service, but one that is strictly regulated; and as such, not getting anyone rich. No one is forced to stay on; you get off when you feel you're ready. Clinics DO accept Medicaid, but usually not private health insurance- you may be able to bill your insurance provider yourself for some reimbursement, but you would have to have become an addict AFTER getting insured by them, or it would be seen as a pre-existing condition, and not covered. Some clinics also have grants, but these are far and few between- while many incoming patients are on Medicaid and public assistance, they usually are self paying clients, and employed within a few months- because unlike other treatment types, methadone doesn't put your life on hold for a year or longer. Rather, it aims to acclimate you back into everyday life, and support you as you become a valuable member of society- part of that entails working a job, having a stable home, paying your bills- the theory that the tax payers are footing the bill is just rhetoric. The bulk of clients who temporarily have Medicaid coverage paid into Medicaid, just like everyone else, and I assure you far more tax payer money goes in to footing the bill for non methadone services. To help support clients who have moved forward and are working, clinics will work with you on payments- some allow patients to pay daily in times of hardship even. Most patients pay a weekly or monthly bill- again, it varies by state as to exactly what, but if this is for a paper or educational purposes, and you'd like a breakdown of the bill for a few states, feel free to email me and I will forward them to you.
Hope this helps.
Some other resources you might find useful:
• * http://www.facebook.com/erinmsantana#!/g roup.php?gid=106559159942&ref=ts
(This is a group on Facebook about MMT education. If you have any questions, feel free to email me; i am the admin for the group).

* http://www.methadone.org/ (NAMA_ National Alliance for Medication Assisted Recovery , is one of the leading sources of information and education on methadone for MMT)

*http://www.drugtext.org/library/books/me thadone/section4.html (The Methadone Briefing is an excellent resource that breaks down the myths and stigmas regarding methadone).

*http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publ ications/factsht/methadone/index.html (ONDCP- a factsheet on methadone from the Office of National Drug Control policy

2010-11-14 13:59:47 by carlosc1dbz