Methadone sleepy side effect

[Bedbboc]

I’ve asked this before I think but I’ve been taking 5 mg of methadone for 2 weeks now. I’m sleeping a lot, some days as much as 4 hours at night, then 6 hours in two 3 hour naps during the day. Then back to bed at 7-8 pm for the night again. I wake two ot three times at night but not for more than an hour.

I’m not accustomed to sleeping this much. I must say I like sleeping less and getting more accomplished.

Does anyone remember how long it took for the sleepy side effect of methadone to wear off. I’m not taking anything else that has sleepy side effect. Nothing else for RLS. I don’t want to sleep this much.

[badnights]

That certainly breaks your day up into small pieces! Your total hours of sleep is 10, which is not incredible, though more than most people need. It's the pattern that's so disruptive.

Could it be that you're just that tired from years of insufficient sleep? Or are you fairly sure it's a side effect?

[Bedbboc]

I am sure of nothing. For the past two night, I’ve slept at night, for 8-9 hours. One night I did not get up to pee! For 9 hours. After an entire lifetime of always being more awake than asleep, I find this disorienting. To wake up , look at the clock, and it’s been 9 hours! I thought I might have gotten up but not remembered but my husband said I did not get up! He’s pretty attuned to my roaming the house at night. So???

My doctor told me to take 5 mg of methadone 5 nights a week and 2.5 mg for 2 nights a week. He said this will lower possibility of building tolerance. It makes sense so I choose Thursday and Sunday to take a half a pill, 2.5 mg. Tonight is Sunday and I’ll see if it’s the same as Thursday. Thursday was the night I slept so erratically.

Friday I took 5 mg and slept nine hours and last night I took 5 mg and slept 6 hours, got up for a half hour, then slept 2 more hours. I’ve felt great all day. Not sleepy, no naps.

I’m having other positive health responses. I’ll share later because it’s sort of unbelievable and I’ll see if it lasts.

It could be from having stopped the sinemet and mirapex, no titrate, 17 days ago.

It could be that the methadone I started 17 days ago is building up and/or I was catching up on sleep?

Or I’ve entered the twilight zone ( pun intended).

Mostly I’m extremely happy with the results. Sleeping at night or early morning for two days. Eating better. Not tired or sleepy all day.

It’s just odd. I’ve never slept like this before. It might be normal ( if using methadone to sleep can be considered normal) sleep.
I’ve always awakened often, since childhood. Sometimes I go back to sleep right away but I am aware of waking. Sometimes I get up.

Not sure what tonight on half a pill will be but I’ll let you know. Thanks badnights and all. It has helped so much having you to talk to.

Has anyone found their overall health improved after withdrawing from dopamine drugs? If so, in what ways?

[badnights]

Re your sleep, it does sound like you're finally getting normal sleep. I used to sleep thru the night very often, maybe even more than half the time, before this disease flared up in my early 40's. Now it's been 13 years of almost never sleeping more than 2-4 hr at a time, sometimes less, so I bet 9 straight hours would be disorienting to me, too.

The effects are going to change, though. I just say that because nothing (as far as medication is concerned) ever seems to stay the same. I like your doctor's suggestion to halve the dose twice a week. Fractured sleep two nights a week is a small price to pay if it keeps that dose effective for years.

I’m having other positive health responses. I’ll share later because it’s sort of unbelievable and I’ll see if it lasts.
It could be from having stopped the sinemet and mirapex, no titrate, 17 days ago.
It could be that the methadone I started 17 days ago is building up and/or I was catching up on sleep

Probably both! Or all three - I can't recall any specific ways in which my overall health improved after ceasing dopamine meds, but I was on them a relatively short time - some months, but I augmented within days.

Your positive health responses might be a response to stopping dopamine meds, but don't forget also that your improved sleep will be causing benefits.