The safest way to get off methadone is to work with a healthcare provider on a tapering schedule that gradually lowers the dose of the drug. Years ago you took a chance and fought against your drug addiction.
Whether you or someone you know is trying to get off methadone for the first time or ready to try it again buprenorphine therapy can help.
How to get off methadone maintenance. We know that methadone has an extremely long half-life thats why men and women addicted to it must be tapered off slowly. By placing our patients on a supervised taper schedule the likelihood of successfully completing the detox process and treatment program is much higher. There are several ways of doing this including tapering off methadone and using another drug such as Suboxone to assist the process over the course of several weeks.
If a taper is done properly it will be slow and gradual enough for your body to adjust to lower and lower amounts of methadone without you having to experience withdrawal symptoms. The first step in being in methadone maintenance treatment is to stabilize your methadone dose. A therapist methadone doctor and medical staff will work with you and together you will be on a stable amount of methadone.
Typically it takes a few months to work this out. You will have to be honest with the doctor and your therapist. The safest way to get off methadone is to work with a healthcare provider on a tapering schedule that gradually lowers the dose of the drug.
A taper helps to decrease the severity of withdrawal symptoms and avoid a relapse. Whether you or someone you know is trying to get off methadone for the first time or ready to try it again buprenorphine therapy can help. Buprenorphine acts on the same brain structures and processes as methadone but with protective and normalizing effects.
Following a safe detox plan recommended by your physician or OTP provider is just the beginning of knowing how to get off methadone. You must take care of yourself physically mentally and emotionally. Anything short of that can cause you to relapse back to using.
Although tapering is considered the best way of detoxing from methadone it can still be challenging. You are likely to experience withdrawal symptoms each time your dose is cut. Working closely with a doctor you can extend your taper timeline and reduce your dose by.
You can get off of drugs like oxycodone and heroin even tho 90 of people will get back on but methadone is different. Getting off of it leaves you in a deep depression and anxiety that just seems to stick around and get worse instead of better. Taper with methadone.
There are two methods of tapering. A relatively quick method and a more recently prescribed long term method. In both cases clonidine is often given to help reduce the symptoms of withdrawal.
The more traditional tapering. Methadone maintenance treatment can be very beneficial for an individual who is ready to stop using heroin or other opioids. However methadone is addictive 809 W.
Erie Street Albion MI 49224 Awakenings Rehabilitation in Michigan. Tapering off methadone in a trusted drug rehab facility may involve the use of a different form of MAT that uses suboxone or clonidine. These medications may be the preferred route to gradually wean you off methadone and help ease your transition to recovery from methadone dependence and addiction.
If you take methadone as a pain medication and you want to stop your doctor will work with you to slowly taper off the substance. Even people who take methadone as prescribed and do not abuse the drug are at risk of developing a physical tolerance to it which can lead to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop taking the medication. A tapering plan provides clear and straightforward guidelines for helping recovering addicts get off methadone.
Tapering plans can vary from person to person with each one developed on an individual basis by both the physician and the patient. The decision to taper off of methadone is one that can only be made in consultation with a physician and any tapering should occur very slowly for the greatest success. Advantages of Methadone Maintenance for Addiction Treatment.
The analgesic effect of methadone lasts between four and eight hours. However it takes anywhere from eight to 59 hours for a dose to be eliminated from the body. With prolonged dosing methadone is retained in the liver and then slowly released prolonging how long it works for and how long side effects may last.
How to Get Off Methadone for Good. So you did it. Years ago you took a chance and fought against your drug addiction.
When you went to your doctor they did what they were supposed to do prescribed you methadone and sent you off to the clinic. Getting Off Methadone. You can get off methadone but its not easy.
You must be sure its what you want to do and be willing to stick to a plan for anywhere up to 18 months to achieve it on your own. Here are some guidelines for detoxing from methadone. Educate yourself about the subjects methadone detox and endorphins.
Methadone treatment is seen as allowing the person the chance to get well and get his or her life in order. Once this is accomplished the person can then taper off methadone and progress toward a drug-free life. Short-term methadone treatment is usually one to two years.