How do I deal with my boyfriend while hes comes down on his methadone?

Question

I have been with my boyfriend now for 4 months . he is the love of my life. when i met him he was on methadone for a prior addiction to prescription drugs most of the time hes easy to deal with but now that he is coming down on his dosage every week by 2.5 ml he gets very depressive and down on himself he thinks everyone including me hates him and that hes a bad person but then the next morning hes fine how can i cope with him while hes going through these moments?

Answer 1

first off i just want to tell you that your an amazing and very strong women and your boyfriend is so lucky to have such a strong person to standing next to him through all of this cause this will be one of the hardest things he will ever go through and it will be a struggle for the rest of his life... as far as the methadone goes it can be just as addicting as the narcs he was taking so coming down off can be terrible.. one thing that is so important is stay positive for him and keep reassuring him that you love him and will be there no matter what to support him... when he goes in to the depression sit and talk with him and try to redirect his thoughts. when my sister was weaning her dose down i would find little positive poems or sayings and i would leave them for her she said that reading them would give her hope and strength in knowing that she could do it look forward to starting her life over again with out the drugs.. also with methadone they have to take him down slowly they usually drop the dose anywhere from 2-5 mg a week and if the person is having a hard time they can increase the dose a little or keep him at the same lower level for 2 weeks so if he is having severe problems he should let the clinic know and they will try to adjust the dose to help take the edge off and maybe he should hold off from dropping his dose for a couple of weeks because if he makes himself sick going down to fast he has a huge chance that we will start to use again just to get the edge off.. so just make sure to support him and stay strong so he can draw strength from you and if he feels the need to use again just try to talk him and make sure he is telling the clinic everything he is feeling so they can help him... also ask his doctor if there is any depression drug that they could put him on that won't react with the methadone (unfor there are not to many meds that don't react) but depression and addiction go hand in hand so that might also help him.. well i hope i helped a little but just stay strong and your in my prayers..

Answer 2

Just curious...Is he coming off the Methadone for himself or for you? The general rule of thumb with Methadone is if it ain't broke don't fix it. People often feel the need to stop the Meds when they are living perfectly normal lives on it due to social stigma, and pressure from others. Many believe the lies they hear on TV & the internet and may not know what to believe.

Answer 3

He is coming down TOO fast,   the doctor says that you only should go for 1 ml every week or so as the meth takes three days to realise the new dose.  He is prob getting depressed as he knows what he will go thro to quit.   Jus be supportive as you can, you are brave to take on a man wid a drug addiction, I have one myself.  If he treats you too badly you have only known this guy a short time give him up til he works thro it.    

Answer 4

It sounds like he needs a little reassurance. Just listen to him, and help him think positive. Keep your chin up. It will get better.