What are your experiences with Methadone?

[tutsi]

For people who feel chained in addiction I highly recommend a medical treatment with Methadone.
Methadone is not a "Opioid version for children" you can be totally high on Methadone if you need it. The high is good, and you will be able to choose your dosage, you know exactly what you are taking unlike street drugs, which makes all the difference.
Be careful not to underestimate the power of methadone it is a strong and dangerous product, you can even OD with it.

I got rid of a strong heroin addiction with Methadone. Methadone changed my life, really.

 

[tutsi]

Does anyone know if methadone treatment works with fentanyl?
This treatment works well with heroin because it saturates the morphine receptors and therefore heroin consumption no longer has any effect.

 

[Paracelsus]

Fentanyl is significantly more potent than heroin or other traditional opioids. Its unique properties create specific challenges:
1. Users transitioning from fentanyl may initially require higher methadone doses to stabilize due to fentanyl’s potency and rapid withdrawal onset.
2. Chronic fentanyl use may alter opioid receptor function, leading to tolerance and increased sensitivity to withdrawal. Methadone's long-acting nature can ease this transition but requires medical oversight.
3. Many individuals using fentanyl also use other substances, such as benzodiazepines, stimulants, or alcohol. Methadone clinics assess for polysubstance use to avoid dangerous interactions.
4. Fentanyl withdrawal can be severe and rapid. Clinics may address withdrawal with induction protocols to carefully introduce methadone while mitigating symptoms.

But yes, methadone has shown effectiveness in treating fentanyl addiction:

• Methadone can stabilize individuals using fentanyl and reduce overdose risks.
• Individuals may need longer treatment durations compared to heroin or prescription opioid users due to fentanyl’s impact on the brain and body.
• Counseling and psychosocial support are particularly important, as fentanyl users often face more severe psychological impacts from addiction.

As you noted, Methadone is a powerful opioid. While it can stabilize addiction, taking too much or combining it with other depressants like alcohol or benzodiazepines can lead to fatal respiratory depression. Methadone itself can cause physical dependency, though it’s managed in a supervised context. Stopping methadone abruptly can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms. Tapering under supervision is critical.

Methadone vs. Other Treatment Options

1. Buprenorphine (Suboxone/Subutex): A partial opioid agonist with a ceiling effect, reducing overdose risk.
2. Naltrexone: An opioid antagonist that blocks opioid effects but requires full detoxification before starting.

The choice between methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone depends on factors like addiction severity, medical history, and personal preference.

 

[mycelium]

I don't believe that to end the case, I know a dude (a couple) who have been on methadone since Jerry garcia died in 1995(both,) and one does heroin sometimes and gets high

 

[mycelium]

I have snorted a lot of methadone pills in prison, and some powder for caught in the back of my throat, and I projectile-vomited into a toilet in another dudes cell. From 4 feet away

 

[tutsi]

Are you still on opioids?

 

[mycelium]

No
But at the time, I didn't have a habit after I was arrested, I just did opiates when I could.
Now I only use kratom, for now

 

[tutsi]

prison sucks, you did a long time?

 

[tutsi]

I was arrested with 1 KG weed, i took 1 years....

 

[SoldadoDeDrogas]

I been doing opiates on and off for about 20 years now. Started with MS Contin and other pharms, graduated to H - when it was actually heroin. Around 2015 is when I noticed it starting to change and gradually everyone and everything had fentanyl. Quitting cold turkey used to be pretty easy, especially if you had a suboxone if you could make it 24+ hours. Now it is such a long and gradual onset of the withdrawal phase and symptoms.. it takes over 48 hours after my last dose, and if I try to take a suboxone it will precipitate withdrawals immediately - that is the LAST thing you want.

I had no other options it seemed but to turn to methadone. I had been avoiding and fighting going the clinic for years, out of fear of having the notorious methadone addiction. I could have saved alot of problems, and money and face just getting on with it a long time ago, but, like I said I resisted and tried to "quit on my own" and exhausted all my own resources until I didn't have a choice other than be sick or go to the clinic.

So, methadone works just fine with fentanyl, heroin, any opiate/opioid or anything that occupies the receptors that causes a dependance and withdrawal syndrome after cessation. It will just require a higher dose for wherever you are at in your use. The problem I had after deciding to get on board with it is that the dose they start you at is 30mg which is ridiculously low. Then you can go up 10mg every 5 days. Anything less than 100mg isn't doing shit for someone using fentanyl daily.. and it takes almost two months at the clinic to get there - so if you were wanting to transition from street use to the clinic without any real setbacks or obstacles, you had best plan ahead and make sure you can dose consistently without fail. You are probably going to have to keep using to supplement the methadone until your dose is raised. If you miss a couple days they reduce your dose, and you'd gotta start over. They've got their regulations and everything they have to follow for people who abuse this, so it can be a real tough time just trying to get your life 'back to normal'.