Posted by Elizabeth on November 21, 2001, at 19:39:09
In reply to Re: Morphine for depression » Elizabeth, posted by shelliR on November 21, 2001, at 9:53:40
Shelli,
It sounds like you might need to take methadone three times a day. This is typical for pain patients, although MMT patients do generally just need it once a day. I don't know why this should be different, but it is.
Buprenorphine is shorter-acting than methadone, and I consistently wake up depressed, BTW. Since you can sleep on methadone, though, I think you'd have a better time if you took some at bedtime. Let your doctor know about the problems you've been having with dosing frequency -- it seems he's assuming that your needs will be similar to those of an addict, but they're not, obviously. I'm guessing that, in general, the way that you and I are using opioids is more similar to the way that pain patients use them.
> So if I'm ever injured or in great pain, they would have to give me more methadone? Oxy or morphine would not be at all effective while I'm on methadone?
A high enough dose of oxy or morphine would displace the methadone, but it would have to be *very* high.
> My depression absolutely feels like physical pain.
I feel the same, although I can't really relate to the "weight" analogy. Talk therapy doesn't relieve pain, of course.
> When people are on methadone maintenance, do they generally become habituated to their dose and have to raise it (like my experience on oxycontin), or is it a more stable opiate?
Eventually they reach a dose that they can stay at, although it's often very high. They don't feel anything from it except for relief of cravings and other withdrawal symptoms. If they need pain medication, their tolerance prevents normal doses of opioids from working, of course.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:84007
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011113/msgs/84871.html