Tapering Off Methadone in Just Two Years and 13 Rehabs

NOW SUBOXONE –

Oct. 15, 2024 – Since early 2023, I’ve been surfing my way across what feels like every New Jersey substance use disorder treatment facility that takes Medicaid. In that time I’ve worked my way down from 140 mg methadone per day to 60 mg. I’m about to check in to lucky number 13, which will hopefully be the last one before I get down to 30 mg and make the jump to buprenorphine.

Treatment and recovery centers tend to be very moralizing places, and you’d think a lot of the people who work at them would approve of someone wanting to stop using all opioids including prescribed methadone. But mostly these providers don’t want to be involved with methadone at all, even to get someone off of it. The ones inclined to help still haven’t known how, because they’ve never heard of someone doing it this way. But as much bureaucracy and judgment as I’ve voluntarily subjected myself to in the rehab system, it’s worth it to bypass the methadone clinic system.

In New Jersey at least, the treatment facilities that take Medicaid will start you at their short-term programs—usually 28 to 35 days.