Tapering Had to stop methadone abruptly due to health issue; dilemma with where to go from here

[crzydiamond]

Hi
Brief summary of my current situation:

I am currently in hospital after experiencing 2 passing out episodes. The first was Friday Oct 8, and I passed out while driving. Minor accident only thankfully. The second was two days later (Sunday) at home while sitting on my bed.

Doctors found the causes to be very low potassium and me being on methadone combining to cause a long QT syndrome that made me go into heart arrhythmia

Due to the risk, they would not dose me methadone (was at 70 mg. Had been down to 10 as recent as 4 months ago but clinic raised me without knowledge and then against wishes but that’s another story). The hospital replaced it with 30 mg morphine 4 times a day

and left me in limbo other than recommending I switch to Suboxone. (I was going to do it with the microdose method one doctor told me she would do. Then she was off and the other tox dr wouldn’t do it ). I do have an appointment for Monday for assessment and to start Wednesday

However, since Sunday (today is Saturday) I have tapered the morphine from 30 mg 4 times a day to 7.5 mg 4 times a day. So from 120 mg/day to 30 mg/day. With little to no symptoms

so at this point, I’m thinking about just tapering rest of way off. They plan on letting me leave tomorrow with enough morphine to hold me at current dose til Tuesday (so I would be in wd Wednesday… though I’m thinking now maybe I won’t even be?)

What do you think? Would you just try to jump off ? I was on methadone since 2013 this time, but I have been completely clean for an almost 10 year stretch before that run that led me back to methadone. I won’t have an issue staying off if I’m not physical sick.

or would you induct to Suboxone? And taper at a later date?

or maybe, only induct if I do get sick? And maybe just use it to taper instead of maintain?

No one I know really grasps my dilemma so thought maybe I would get some good feedback here! Thanks in advance!

 

[DogBone]

Hi
Brief summary of my current situation:

I am currently in hospital after experiencing 2 passing out episodes. The first was Friday Oct 8, and I passed out while driving. Minor accident only thankfully. The second was two days later (Sunday) at home while sitting on my bed.

Doctors found the causes to be very low potassium and me being on methadone combining to cause a long QT syndrome that made me go into heart arrhythmia

Due to the risk, they would not dose me methadone (was at 70 mg. Had been down to 10 as recent as 4 months ago but clinic raised me without knowledge and then against wishes but that’s another story). The hospital replaced it with 30 mg morphine 4 times a day

and left me in limbo other than recommending I switch to Suboxone. (I was going to do it with the microdose method one doctor told me she would do. Then she was off and the other tox dr wouldn’t do it ). I do have an appointment for Monday for assessment and to start Wednesday

However, since Sunday (today is Saturday) I have tapered the morphine from 30 mg 4 times a day to 7.5 mg 4 times a day. So from 120 mg/day to 30 mg/day. With little to no symptoms

so at this point, I’m thinking about just tapering rest of way off. They plan on letting me leave tomorrow with enough morphine to hold me at current dose til Tuesday (so I would be in wd Wednesday… though I’m thinking now maybe I won’t even be?)

What do you think? Would you just try to jump off ? I was on methadone since 2013 this time, but I have been completely clean for an almost 10 year stretch before that run that led me back to methadone. I won’t have an issue staying off if I’m not physical sick.

or would you induct to Suboxone? And taper at a later date?

or maybe, only induct if I do get sick? And maybe just use it to taper instead of maintain?

No one I know really grasps my dilemma so thought maybe I would get some good feedback here! Thanks in advance!

Hi
Brief summary of my current situation:

I am currently in hospital after experiencing 2 passing out episodes. The first was Friday Oct 8, and I passed out while driving. Minor accident only thankfully. The second was two days later (Sunday) at home while sitting on my bed.

Doctors found the causes to be very low potassium and me being on methadone combining to cause a long QT syndrome that made me go into heart arrhythmia

Due to the risk, they would not dose me methadone (was at 70 mg. Had been down to 10 as recent as 4 months ago but clinic raised me without knowledge and then against wishes but that’s another story). The hospital replaced it with 30 mg morphine 4 times a day

and left me in limbo other than recommending I switch to Suboxone. (I was going to do it with the microdose method one doctor told me she would do. Then she was off and the other tox dr wouldn’t do it ). I do have an appointment for Monday for assessment and to start Wednesday

However, since Sunday (today is Saturday) I have tapered the morphine from 30 mg 4 times a day to 7.5 mg 4 times a day. So from 120 mg/day to 30 mg/day. With little to no symptoms

so at this point, I’m thinking about just tapering rest of way off. They plan on letting me leave tomorrow with enough morphine to hold me at current dose til Tuesday (so I would be in wd Wednesday… though I’m thinking now maybe I won’t even be?)

What do you think? Would you just try to jump off ? I was on methadone since 2013 this time, but I have been completely clean for an almost 10 year stretch before that run that led me back to methadone. I won’t have an issue staying off if I’m not physical sick.

or would you induct to Suboxone? And taper at a later date?

or maybe, only induct if I do get sick? And maybe just use it to taper instead of maintain?

No one I know really grasps my dilemma so thought maybe I would get some good feedback here! Thanks in advance!

Hi
Brief summary of my current situation:

I am currently in hospital after experiencing 2 passing out episodes. The first was Friday Oct 8, and I passed out while driving. Minor accident only thankfully. The second was two days later (Sunday) at home while sitting on my bed.

Doctors found the causes to be very low potassium and me being on methadone combining to cause a long QT syndrome that made me go into heart arrhythmia

Due to the risk, they would not dose me methadone (was at 70 mg. Had been down to 10 as recent as 4 months ago but clinic raised me without knowledge and then against wishes but that’s another story). The hospital replaced it with 30 mg morphine 4 times a day

and left me in limbo other than recommending I switch to Suboxone. (I was going to do it with the microdose method one doctor told me she would do. Then she was off and the other tox dr wouldn’t do it ). I do have an appointment for Monday for assessment and to start Wednesday

However, since Sunday (today is Saturday) I have tapered the morphine from 30 mg 4 times a day to 7.5 mg 4 times a day. So from 120 mg/day to 30 mg/day. With little to no symptoms

so at this point, I’m thinking about just tapering rest of way off. They plan on letting me leave tomorrow with enough morphine to hold me at current dose til Tuesday (so I would be in wd Wednesday… though I’m thinking now maybe I won’t even be?)

What do you think? Would you just try to jump off ? I was on methadone since 2013 this time, but I have been completely clean for an almost 10 year stretch before that run that led me back to methadone. I won’t have an issue staying off if I’m not physical sick.

or would you induct to Suboxone? And taper at a later date?

or maybe, only induct if I do get sick? And maybe just use it to taper instead of maintain?

No one I know really grasps my dilemma so thought maybe I would get some good feedback here! Thanks in advance!

Hi
Brief summary of my current situation:

I am currently in hospital after experiencing 2 passing out episodes. The first was Friday Oct 8, and I passed out while driving. Minor accident only thankfully. The second was two days later (Sunday) at home while sitting on my bed.

Doctors found the causes to be very low potassium and me being on methadone combining to cause a long QT syndrome that made me go into heart arrhythmia

Due to the risk, they would not dose me methadone (was at 70 mg. Had been down to 10 as recent as 4 months ago but clinic raised me without knowledge and then against wishes but that’s another story). The hospital replaced it with 30 mg morphine 4 times a day

and left me in limbo other than recommending I switch to Suboxone. (I was going to do it with the microdose method one doctor told me she would do. Then she was off and the other tox dr wouldn’t do it ). I do have an appointment for Monday for assessment and to start Wednesday

However, since Sunday (today is Saturday) I have tapered the morphine from 30 mg 4 times a day to 7.5 mg 4 times a day. So from 120 mg/day to 30 mg/day. With little to no symptoms

so at this point, I’m thinking about just tapering rest of way off. They plan on letting me leave tomorrow with enough morphine to hold me at current dose til Tuesday (so I would be in wd Wednesday… though I’m thinking now maybe I won’t even be?)

What do you think? Would you just try to jump off ? I was on methadone since 2013 this time, but I have been completely clean for an almost 10 year stretch before that run that led me back to methadone. I won’t have an issue staying off if I’m not physical sick.

or would you induct to Suboxone? And taper at a later date?

or maybe, only induct if I do get sick? And maybe just use it to taper instead of maintain

No one I know really grasps my dilemma so thought maybe I would get some good feedback here! Thanks in advance!

Hey just saw your post. I too am in a-fib probably from drinking and taking done for pain. They are probably pumping you full of potassium at this time, and if you can, jump on suboxone ONLY AFTER you've started to feel rough from WD's. To quick from methadone or morphine and you'll be in trouble. Thats pretty awesome that the morphine has kept you stable from 70mg. of done. I'd do anything to keep from getting back on the methadone personally, except street dope. Keep an eye on the old ticker and get a good cardio doc. I'm gonna bet they put you on some heart meds, and fluid meds. Maybe you'll have a chance to get you back in rhythm. Eat bananas, cut the salt, and religiously check that BP. Best of luck and blue skies!

 

[crzydiamond]

I really think I’m going to play it by ear. If I don’t go into WD bad enough to induct , then I think I’ll just jump off the morphine and consider it a blessing in getting off methadone.

and yes, lots of potassium IV when I came in. I’m stable now on all electrolytes luckily; no further cardiac issues (also lucky)
So only thing keeping me here is the possible wd. And yes, surprisingly I haven’t had anything worse than a little sweating and lack of energy.

thanks for the response!

 

[pandemiprincess]

I think you should just take this nudge from the universe to get off it!! You can totally do it! Don't psych yourself out. I got kicked out of the methadone clinic for using someone else's box (lol) and I said fuck it I'm not finding a new clinic. I was at 22mg. And in may I will have two years off methadone. I think the biggest part is not fixating on the withdrawals mentally. Also, benzos helped me trendously during the hardest of it.