Expert: Jacqui - 9/29/2008

Question
iam a 32yr old who has been onmethadone maintenance for 61/2 yrs,don't drink smoke or take any pills other than depakote(bipolar,epilepsy)paxil(panic disorder),occasionallyrisperdal .5 or seroquel 25mg.I started a yr long detox at my program, an am experiencing major problems with bone aches esp back & knees.everything else is ok.I am on 60mg now,but had 2 stp dtx for about a mos now and want 2 start back up.I've started taking ibuphrophren 800mg 3x day.it helps sum, but clearly not enough.dnt wnt to tke any narcotic containing pills. is there anything I can safely take? Will accupuncture help? these symptoms would b hard 2 endure for a full yr.

Answer
Hi Michelle,

I guess I have a few questions:

Firstly - what dose did you start on and how quickly did you reduce?  It is not particularly common for people to experience severe pain like you are talking about from reduction at a relatively high dose.

As far as recommending more medication, I think it would be better to find out what the pain is first.  All medications can have some side effects and too much ibuprofen can cause stomach problems, too much paracetamol liver problems, narcotics dependency problems.  

When you talk about bone ache, are you referring to the "restless legs" that you sometimes get from withdrawal, or are you talking about real aches ... like you would get from a sprain, arthritis, etc.  I really think that the most important thing is that you get a thorough check up to make sure there are not any other problems that the methadone has been covering up for 6 years, or something that has newly developed.  The problem when people have drug issues is that every little thing that goes wrong, people relate it to the drugs.  It is highly plausible that it is something else entirely.  If you methadone prescriber is not willing to investigate further, then find a good GP who is, and explain that you are not just after pain meds, you just want to find out what the problem is.

I hope that helps.  Let me know if I can answer any more questions.

Stay safe!

Jacqui