toji53

I'm currently on suboxone, and am currently looking for a job. The last job I had was a huge waste of time and money (an insurance company which turned out to have a 97% turnover rate). My parents have had to pick up the tab, which has been insanely expensive, not only for the medication itself, but for the doctor's appointments. $400 was paid for the first visit and every month it's an additional $200 just to get the prescription. Then on top of that it's $6 a pill, which I'm taking 12mg a day of. Not to mention my parents are helping cover my credit card bills, which I used while in college and can’t currently keep up with (graduated without a bunch of student loans, but with a little credit card debt). All in all they’re helping me out a lot and I feel awful about putting them in the situation they’re in…

I'm going to a clinic for counseling and because of my income, it's free. From what my councilor believes, I would also qualify for methadone free as well. I still need to confirm this, but if it is, that would save my parents, and when I do get a new job, me, nearly $500 per month.

I've done a lot of research on methadone and know the draw backs, and that methadone can be harder to get off of, as well as having to drive everyday to get dosed, but I don't know that I could afford the suboxone on my own anytime soon.

What would those who have experience with methadone do? Is it really not worth it if it'll keep me off heroin and cost me nothing but the gas to get to the clinic and back?

tsmba

My opinion is that we as addicts must do whatever it takes to maintain sobriety. If I were you, I would discuss this situation with both my doctor and my parents so you have all their input. Given your status as a student and eventual job-seeker, switching to methadone might limit your employment options. Most of your concerns are probably in the future, but you have to stay focused on the day at hand. Since your folks are helping you out, they (as always) have quite a stake in your future. Its a complex situation, and I think that honestly discussing your options, with all those involved with your recovery, is critical.

Whatever happens, please keep maintaining sobriety as your focus. If you return to addictive use, everything goes out the window. Welcome to the forum, please let us know what happens.

jazz66

I realy realy hate methadon right now becasue it was so hared to get off
monthes and monthes .i have herd on sr its not so bad in the short term
but in the long term its a nightmer .
you can totaly re biled your life on it and get back to normal living .
if you do take the methadon rout id quit it as soon as is practical for you
i was on it for years about 17 or 18
and it was the worst 5 to 6 monthes off my life physicaly and mentaly getting over it
im about 9 monthes clean now and feal ok .but still not sure im completly
over it.

Dee74

Hi Toji

This really is something you need to discuss with you doctor and probably, as Tsmba suggested, your parents.

I know from reading other threads you feel like you're a burden on them, and feel guilty for that - I don't think guilt is the best basis on which to make this decision, Toji.

I don't know what would be best - I'm not your doctor - but I believe there are a lot of other factors that need to be considered besides cost.

D

toji53

As far as my doctor goes, I don't really have one at this point. The family doctor I used through my life knows nothing about addiction. That was who my parents turned to when they first found out I was addicted and he was completely uncomfortable with the subject matter.

I'm not sure I'd completely trust the doctor I'm going to get the suboxone because, frankly, he's getting $200 cash from me every time I go there, and usually does nothing but write the prescription. He's obviously going to be a at least a little biased about the stuff since it's one of his specialties.

I'm curious about how methadone could limit my employment options? From having to be dosed each morning? I'd need to confirm it, but I believe after 9 months of giving clean urine, they only make you come in 2 or 3 times a week. At the 2 year mark, just once. The most they'll ever give you is a 2 week supply at a time. As long as I wouldn't have to be at work before 8 am, other than being a pain, I don't see how it wouldn't be possible.

A big concern of mine is that due to financial constraints, the last time I was on suboxone I wasn't successful staying clean. I was forced to ween down rather quickly, to the point where I was fighting creeping withdrawl symptoms for 6 to 12 hours everyday until I could take more suboxone. I would be clean for a few months at most, but as soon as I got the resources, I'd relapse once. Then once a week for a while, then twice a week, etc. Withdrawal with any regularity can make a winning battle in my head impossible to win, I've found out.

It seems like a lose-lose situation no matter how I slice this one. Either I go with the cheaper option and become addicted to a new substance that I have to travel for everyday (for now), or I try to manage with as little suboxone as I can stand and hope I don't relapse in the near future. $500 a month is not something my parents are able to swing while paying for two kids to go to college (my two younger siblings) and I'm in no position to cover the cost myself. I've already gone to 8 mg a day for the last few days, and it's not carrying me through the entire day like I hopped it would.

Painful93

The manufacturer of suboxone has a little known program where you can get them free. The clinic I'm going to had filled out the paperwork and I had to provide them with proof of income. In my case it was my unemploment benefits printout. The suboxone is working for me and I thank my higher power for it.
I was on methadone for many years. It is a horrible drug that led me to abusing other drugs in order to get high. And I'm not even talking about how much extra meth I bought from 'friends' I would suggesat you call Reckitt-Bensiger(sic) and ask about the free suboxone program and what documentation you might need to qualify. I would also suggest you stay away from the trap that is methadone maintenence. I know for me, it never worked. I went to the clinic the first thing in the morning which had me leaving the house at 5 AM. Then I'd go to work. After a year or two if this I would go to the clinic, then drive to get my benzo's and extra meth and then go to work. It was a horiffying schedule and my work and life sufferred. Try the manufacturer and see what they say. It can't hurt.
Peace

tsmba

Being a patient on MMT doesn't directly affect your employment, but it can limit your options to places near a clinic. Transferring from one clinic to another isn't always easy, especially if you are on a high dose. Some states have idiotic "dosage caps" imposed by politicians.

toji53

I'm going to ask about the assistance program tomorrow. I'm not expecting it to work since only 2-3 people per doctor can take advantage of it, but, here's hoping anyway.

tsmba

Both methadone and suboxone have their advantages and disadvantages. Speaking honestly to whatever professional(s) you have to help you is always your best bet. There are no "good" and "bad" drugs, anything can be misused. Personally, I felt methadone worked great....all the "problems" I experienced had to do with the clinic system, thus they were political in nature. Methadone is inexpensive compared to suboxone, but all the administrative crap creates roadblocks for its proper use. If my own doctor, who knows me best, could prescribe as he sees fit, I'd choose methadone in a heartbeat.

Insulated

RxAssist - Program Details

Shellslove

Hi Toji! Welcome to SR =) As several people here have mentioned, both methadone and suboxone have benefits and risks. It depends which medication and/or recovery program have benefits that outweigh the risks for you. This is most definitely a choice you need to make in conjunction with a doctor. If you have doubts about your doctor or find something 'off' about him/her, I'd suggest seeking the advice of another doctor/medical professional.

Some things to think about -- do you take the medication for addiction alone or for addiction as well as pain problems? Did you talk to the dr about the suboxone assistance program? Also, if your doctor is willing to prescribe Subutex, there is a generic form that is now available in many areas and is MUCH cheaper. This only helps for the medication itself, not the doctor, but it's a start. (not all drs will rx subutex due to problems with diversion, etc. Subutex is the same medication as Suboxone, minus the naloxone, which is an opiate blocker and is in the medication to deter from IV injection/insufflation.) Do you plan on using the medication as a long-term therapy, or is this a short-term detox for you? With methadone you start at a lower dose and titrate up until you are comfortable and find the correct blocking dose for you. With suboxone once you are at your set dose, you can reduce in mgs and come down to a lower dose where you can stay and still be comfortable - and still have the blocking effect on other opiates.

My fiance and I both started on Suboxone at the same time. I am still on SUbutex and have been for about 18 months. I am now slowly weaning off as I am working a program of recovery and I feel it has done for me what it needed to. I feel ready to work recovery on it's own, without the aid of the sub -- but for the time I needed and used it, it was a great tool in my recovery. My fiance on the other hand switched to methadone. He also has degenerative disk disease and wanted to be free from the he!! of opiates. The methadone worked for his pain and his addicition. He was going through a pain clinic and was able to get a monthly prescription. I can safely say having to go to a clinic daily or a couple times of week would not have been an option with his job. Def. something to take into consideration for further employment. He is coming off the methadone now as he is in a similar place in his recovery. As for the pain, he is seeking alternative methods b/c he has chosen to be drug free. However, the methadone really worked for him when he needed it.

Weaning off won't be a walk in the park for either of us, but I think we are both prepared to deal with it. We were both in active addiction for a long time -- I didn't expect coming off either of these medications to be easy, as addiction isn't an easy thing. But the problem is not the medication, it's the addiction. What I'm trying to say is that if you choose opiate replacement therapy, I strongly believe if the program works for you it's a blessing. Which ORT you choose, and for how long you choose to use it, is up to you and your doctor. The meds aren't a replacement for your DOC. They are a means to an end. If you use the meds as a replacement for other opiates and don't work on your recovery, the doctor becomes a dope dealer. Whether you choose the methadone or suboxone, remember this is just an aid in your recovery, not the answer.

ITGETSBETTER

2 words DONT DO IT, ok those were 3 words.
Methadone is hell, gets in your bones and forget about being sober.

Sub, is the way if done right.

I did it so can you

tsmba

Welcome to the forum....but get real! The notion that methadone "gets in your bones" is an old myth that is completely untrue. You may have had a negative experience with the drug, but the vast majority of patients are grateful to be relieved of their addictive use through proper methadone maintenance.

Painful93

Tsmba, I'd like to point out that you yourself said: all the "problems" I experienced had to do with the clinic system, thus they were political in nature.
That is what makes the MMTP such hell, the BS that goes along with it. The simple fact that subs can be prescribed at a pharmacy and cutting out the mmtp clinic BS makes it a better alternative. If I could have had it prescribed for me I might not have had such a horrid time at the clinic. And you know the crap they put you through. I would stand in line and some clients refused to go to specific nurses because of that political nonsense. And one is put through that Before one goes to work! "I can't medicate you, you have to see your counselor"! Or, "you owe 40.00 and I can't medicate you until you pay". Oh gosh, it was always some BS with them! Don't mean to get off the subject, just wanted to voice that thought.

tsmba

I'm sure that is true, but it still isn't evidence that one drug is "better" than another. Some patients need the structure of the clinic. I've known many addicts that simply couldn't handle filling scripts, they'd do all they had in a short time. The treatment has to be tailored to the individual, and there needs to be flexibility because people change. The clinic I used was definitely NOT in the business of flexibility!