methadone withdrawal

[Paregoric Kid]

how long do the physical withdrawal symptoms usually last? I've heard 2-3 weeks and also up to a month. but I've also heard if you take a short acting opiate, like hydrocodone or morphine for example, after you go into withdrawal from methadone that since their half lifes are much shorter that your withdrawal will only last as long as regular morphine withdrawals, like 1-2 weeks, is this true?
if you were at day 10 or so of methadone withdrawal how much longer would the average person have to wait for the physical symptoms to go away?

[LayinLow]

I had to quit methadone cold turkey while I was on MMT at 110mg's a day. It was pure hell.. I don't know how I made it. For me to feel completely normal again it took about 2 1/2 months.

[dorje]

The Done withdrawal is horribly long...I don't think it ever ends.. I hate that chemical and thank god haven't touched any in years.

[Tar_Baby]

Ive kicked methadone 3 times...Twice in jail, once at home.
First kick was off 80 mg's for 2 years + $200 a day tar heroin ..This was in 1997 and was the worst, I had to go to prison for some heroin charges I started to feel human again after 5 weeks.
At home I tapered off of 170 mgs...I had bi weekly carry outs ( 2 weeks) and I dropped immediately from 170 to 120 without telling clinic..and I dumped the "runoff" 50 mgs a day into a milk jug for about 17 months..at which time I had almost a full gallon of methadone syrup undilluted. I was also using approx 1 gram of high powered ice methamphetamine a day IV and sometimes belly bombing. Anyway I dropped myself from 150 to 0 from january till about june..I didnt go into hardcore WD till I got to about 40 mgs a day..Id say though after I dropped to 0 mg's I was sick for about 9 weeks.
I really dont like to think or talk about methadone kicks, they are so long and hard on every pore of your mind body and soul..I think methadone kicks literally destroy part of the soul..the rush of emotions and depression etc along with physical symptoms are just indescribeable.

Dont taper any more than 1 % of your total dose per month is the only way to do it in relative comfort. Thing is, the clinics wont taper you this slow.

[Paregoric Kid]

so is it your opinion that stimulants are a good tool for methadone wd? I've had mixed results but I was never in full withdrawal taking lots of speed. seems to make sense though they both increase dopamine release. though I imagine people that don't particularly like stimulants would hate it. withdrawal causes norepinephrine release on it's own which is something a lot of stimulants do (this is why they prescribe clonidine for wd sometimes or to counteract the side effects of stimulants, it lowers the levels of NE). or is that not totally right? last time I read about clonidine was too long ago. I know methcathinone doesn't cause NE release and coke only does to a lesser extent than amphetamines.
any experience on how to make methadone wd better would be appreciated and especially the questions about switching to a shorter acting opiate during methadone wd and how long you thought the physical wd lasted.