Thank you twofish for stopping by and giving me your support! I have been following your thread too. I have a daughter (oldest) who, in my opinion, parties a little too hearty. She also graduated from the infamous University of Wisconsin, Madison. She's married has a son (grandchild #1) with a great job but still I worry. Her DOC is alcohol. So far it has not interfered in her life but I know first hand how quickly things can change.
Well, you probably already know that sub has saved my life and I highly recommend it for those who just can't stay clean and need a little extra support to get their life in order. I do not recommend it without seriously working a recovery program. (IOP or NA/AA meetings, therapist, other non-step programs) It should be used as a tool only. I don't have any experience with methadone. So I cannot make an honest comparison. I think someone like Marcus would be better at that than me.
In the beginning the sub doctor usually prescribes the med on a weekly or bimonthly basis to see how the patient is adjusting and I'm sure to ensure that it's being used appropriately. After a couple of months the doctor will switch to monthly scripts. This might not be true for every doctor but it was for me. The good thing is that there is a coupon available for a free copay every month which makes the sub free for those insured.
The one thing that you should be concerned about is the possibility of her abusing the med or not taking it as prescribed. There is much more freedom with sub and someone who is not completely ready for recovery could use it as a cushion in between Herion runs to keep from avoiding WD. It's also easy to become addicted to. I hadn't realized it until it happened to me. I'm not saying that it will happen to your daughter. The thing is my husband/family are very involved in my recovery. Since you probably already read, I've handed my script over to my husband to dole out my doses. I'm not saying you should do that since it probably goes against the F&F side of this forum and falls into codependency but it works well for me. There was I time when I was doing it myself but then I started slipping and I realized this is the safest way to go for a while. Hopefully it won't be nessisary for a long time. I've noticed that good communication with my family, doctor, and counselor are crucial in taming this beast and getting back on track. Prayers going out to you and your daughters!