Re: Methadone taper questions, my story in part.

[Guest guest]

Moderator's note:

Siouxs do you mean 15mg of methadone a day, not 15 methadone a day?

Kaylene

,

I take 15 Methadone a day. My neck and back are BAD. This has been going on for

10 years.

I realize now that I'm going to have to cut way down or tapir severely. This

amount causes severe constipation. I have to do something.

Boo Hoo. Any suggestions?

Siouxs

> wrote:

Hi all, I'm speaking from personal experience and asking for myself, NOT

commenting on any larger picture, particularly not commenting on anyone being

forced to change medications.

That said, here's a little background:

In 1997 I was working as an R.N. on the night shift. When I helped a patient up

in bed, It seems I caused a disc injury. There's some narrowing of the facets,

etc. too. After 6 years of various treatments with, sometimes, temporary

lessening of pain, I moved out of the area and was put on methadone -- which

made sense at the time -- and given prescriptions for Norco and Ultram for

breakthrough pain.

I was on methadone for 8 years. On April 4th of this year (2012) I finished a

methadone taper. The last 12.5 mgs were hardest. Its now been 5 weeks and 5 days

since I took any methadone.

Sleep, or lack of it, has been my main issue. My blood pressure is high and my

heart rate is high. I've had very few G.I. issues (yea). The sleep did get

better after 3 weeks, and I'm now sleeping between 3 and 5 hours a night, on

average. That's an improvement. I'm using as little Norco as I can. Ultram I've

used more often, along with Tylenol, aspirin, and naproxen. Over the counter

meds don't do much, though Tylenol sometimes helps as does soaking in the hot

tub. I'll be seeing a doctor on the 24th and will address blood pressure/heart

rate at that point.

So, has anyone else here been through this? When did your sleep get (more or

less) back to normal? Did your pain escalate while going through withdrawal,

then settle down later? How long does this withdrawal last? Can you offer any

tips that might help?

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[Guest guest]

Methadone only comes in 5 and 10 mg tablets and is taken up to four times per

day when taken for pain, so taking 15 tablets in one day is not that unusual.

There are 40 mg dispersable tablets, but they are restricted to addiction

treatment centers.

If you are tapering because you want to, go ahead, but please don't taper

because you feel like you are on to much and being judged.

Any dose of any opioid can cause constipation. There are things that can help,

including Miralax (available as OTC, generic or brand), Ex-Lax, Dulcolax, or

Relistor. Relistor was designed for OIC (Opioid Induced Constipation), but it

is an injected drug. Miralax generally works very well for OIC, but everyone

responds differently. In some places, if you try Miralax, ask your doctor for a

prescription and your insurance might cover it.

Hope you don't mind my unsolicited advice. If you do, I apologize.

Steve M in PA

Siouxs wrote:

I realize now that I'm going to have to cut way down or tapier severely. This

amount causes severe constipation. I have to do something.

Boo Hoo. Any suggestions?

[Guest guest]

I wanted to reply to this in regards to the constipation.  I also suffer from

Chronic constipation for other reasons besides just having to take Methadone.  I

have tried everything and I did find one medicine that you can buy at the

pharmacy that works so well for me.  It is called Prunelax ciruelax.  I take it

at night before bed.  I have had a lot of success.

Hope that might help you.  Good luck

> M. wrote:

> Any dose of any opioid can cause constipation.