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Methadone

I have a 22 year old daughter who was addicted to oxie cotan. She was pregnant at the time of addiction and spend nearly three weeks in the hospital going threw extreme withdrawals. Just when I thought she was over the worst of it, one of the doctors put her on methadone. She gave birth to her son eight months ago. The baby has been weaned off and is very healthy, but my daughter is still on methadone. I am so concerned about her, she wants off it so bad but every time they lower the dose she becomes so ill. The clinic then increase her dose. I am so frustrated and I don't know where to go for help. Thanks. -Balinda
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I suggest a detox program...to get off the methadone...look to see if your own insurance covers detox. I know of a person who was on methadone for 6 months...they went on vacation and ran out...they had a terrible withdrawal reaction and had to be hospitalized. They were sedated in the hospital to help deal with the detox for about 2-3 days...after 6 days they were let go and there have been no more withdrawal symptoms...they do have her on some psychiatric drugs temporarily to help with any possible psychotic attack due to the methadone...but this is temporary 3-6 months.

They also pumped her with a lot of vitamins through the I.V. If you can find a high quality facility that knows how to detox and get her off...I would go this route. And don't forget a high quality supplemental regiment that includes a lot of b-vitamins. The facility should do a blood test to see what she is deficient in (minerals, vitamins, amino acids...etc.) Best wishes. Lourdes Martinez
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What Lourdes says sounds the best route to me. No matter how she does it, it's going to hurt and she's going to be sick. I'm sorry to be so matter of fact. I never detoxed Methadone, but I did detox MS Contin (morphine)and if I had to do it over again I would go the hospital/detox center route. I decreased my doses over three weeks til I was off (doctor's advice) but had aches, pains, and diarrhea for literally months after. -Mandy
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I have shared here and on the old NSP forum that I am a recoverying addict. I was "turned into" an addict by taking meds the Drs put me on and taking them the way they prescribed.

I now have over 6 1/2 years clean.

I share this because I want you to understand where my advise is coming from.

I feel deeply for your daughter and even more for your grandchild. Your daughter needs to go to Narcotics Anonymous weather she goes to a recovery center or not. The physical addiction to a spefic drug(s) is just a small part of the addiction problem. She needs a meeting a day for 90 days and than meetings and the program the rest of her life.

For you I recommend th book "Bradshaw on the Family" by John Bradshaw.

Addiction is a family disease and every one needs to work on recovery.

In closing I would like to point out that this Drs behavior is more evidence of the dangers of Drs. They kill not the 127,000 that JAMA admits to them having killed in 1997 but well over 1 million a year and damage and addict many more. -Richard Ask
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Q: My 21 year old daughter completed her methadone program about 15 months ago and was told that her inability to sleep is due to lack of dopamine. Apparently narcotics inhibit your body's ability to produce dopamine. She has always suffered from insomnia to some degree, but now it is extreme. Even if she sleeps she wakes up often and very easily. She also is still having some "withdrawal" symptoms such as the severe and chronic muscle cramps, lack of energy, along with the insomnia already mentioned. She is finally able to eat some, though she did not eat for a long time. I know that a general nutritional supplement is going to be important, but to help her get some sleep I need suggestions. 5HTP and Herbal Sleep don't seem to do anything, yet. I thought perhaps nervous fatigue. I would imagine her adrenals are burned out, to coin a phrase. I've also lost the page in my book that tells me where the adrenal points are to MT. Can anyone remind me; it's been a long time! Thanks, Stormie
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Dear Stormie, The point for the adrenals is right about where your bra strap would be on your back on either side.

Your hunch seems right that she needs Nervous Fatigue...she has the signs; finding it hard to get to sleep and then afterwards waking up periodically during the night (many times people urinate frequently at night), the tongue also quivers when it is extended.

Assuming the adrenals are exhausted/under active, she is probably very low in sodium because when adrenals are in this condition the body tends not to hold on to sodium. This can make you feel lethargic. It can also make you feel depressed or weepy. Some folks suffer constipation.

It would be good to try Alfalfa because it has both organic sodium and potassium and many other minerals and vitamins (Six capsules a day).

For the muscle cramps she may be very low in Magnesium. The MT point for Magnesium is the belly button. Just place your fingers on the belly button and have your daughter say "Magnesium" and test (if low, test for quantity to see how much she needs).

By the way don't forget to test her polarity first before you start the MT.

I bet she will see great results with these things if she tests the way I think she will. All the best to you and your daughter. -Lourdes Martinez
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Dear Lourdes, Thanks for the help with the points. Sure enough, both adrenal points blew! I'm going to get her on the nervous fatigue right away. I already put her on the magnesium and she is already responding to that. She has a tendency toward thyroid weakness, so I am giving her kelp. Would the alfalfa provide the same kind of nutrients as kelp, or do I need to do both? -Thanks, Stormie
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Stormie, Kelp is highest in iodine, calcium, sulfur and silicon and contains many trace minerals. It does contain sodium and potassium but not in the highest quantity as alfalfa. I would suggest she still take alfalfa...maybe 6 a day for the first 2-3 weeks then drop to 4 a day since the kelp will supply her as well.

Sounds like you're on your way to helping her feel better. By the way the nervous fatigue you need to probably start her at 9 a day (three with each meal). --Lourdes Martinez
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May want to try GABA plus before bed.

Also look into reading "The Brain Chemistry Diet" by Michael Lesser, M.D.

The other thing to check out Crainio Electrical Stimulation (CES). Both Eric Clapton and Pete Townsend beat their addictions with the use of one of these devices. -Peter Marino