Lindy205

Ok.. so where do I start?! Well first off, this is my first time on here. I have some questions and I hope someone somewhere can answer them for me.. Here's a rundown of my problems..
For the last 4 years, both me and my husband have been on Oxy30's. We were involved in a car accident and now have some pretty bad problems. My husband has 2 fused(brth defect), 2 herniated and 2 buldging disks in his back. All the doctors that we have been to have said he will more than likely be in a wheelchair before he is 40, he's 32 now. Myself, my C-3 and C-4 in neck are herniated, which is in need of surgery. I have bad Knee joints, I dislocate them constantly and finally I have a broken tailbone form giving childbirth, my son decided to come out "SunnySide Up".. that was a bowl of cherries!!!
We do not have insurance or state medical coverage because my husband recieves unemployment. We also have 2 little boys, ages 6 and 4, so going into a residential treatment center is not gonna happen...
We are on our last pill each.. I haven't dicussed thias with our doctor because he will send us to a different doctor for help(I know this for sure from another patient & friend) and like I said, we do not have the money nor the insurance to switch doctors.
NOW... Here's my BIG question-
Is it advisable to go down to a methadone clinic for help tomorrow morning? My friend, same friend form doctors office, did that very thing and has been off the Oxy's for 3 weeks and suffered absolute no withdrawls. I have heard such bad things about methadone and trust me if we could afford Suboxone, we'd do it in a heartbeat..
We each take anywhere from 120-180mg in a day, so 4-6 Oxy 30's. On the methadone, how fast can I slowly cut down on it, so we can eventually stop, without feeling misrable? I don't have anyone to watch my boys, otherwise we'd say "Screw It!" and suffer for a week of withdrawls form the Oxy's...

I need some advice... I'm scared to death.. My worst fear is leaving my boys, I don't want to over-dose of the methadone. But it seems thats all I ever hear is just how terrible it is...

PLEASE HELP!!!!

jazz66

Hi lindy ' if you take methadone under proper suppervishion iv'e never herd off eny one OD of it. if you have it in your home lock it away so your kids dont get near it.
taken properly it shud help with the oxy withdrawls.

That wasent the problem for me .when it had done it's job.{not for pain for herowin withdrawls} going to the clinik becomes a real drage you have to plan your hole life around it.

It's very hard to quit . but not inposabull.
I hope everything goes well and good luck.

snowman76

Lindy it sounds like you have some serious health issues there that sounds like Methadone could benefit you....but beware it's one of the hardest drugs to get off of.

I have a bulging disc in my neck, that I've had everything from epidural shots, nerve blocks, neuronton, methadone, and oxycodone. To me, the most effective procedure was the epidural shots. But I also have insurance which makes alot easier and I thank God I work for a company that is gracious enough to make sure their employees have affordable health care.

Again you and your husband have A LOT more going on that what I did...and I know living in pain is no fun, and if there's an out, it's hard not to take it. To me, Methadone was like a wrecking ball in my life and I'm now trying to put the pieces back together. I didn't do any research before deciding to take it, and this is really something you need to discuss with your doctor. But in my opinion, they do not give you the fine lines on the medication before dishing it out...spent almost 5 years on it...and I'm just about off. Yeah it helped "numb" the pain, but it just turned into a non stop trip to the doctor every month, nodding off @ the wheel, "head in the clouds", non responsive, very forgetful, increasing dosages, then eventually, the only purpose it was solving was keeping me feeling "normal", it was not doing anything for the pain anymore and I was back doing the procedures AND had acquired an opiate dependency. And heaven forbid you miss a dose or leave home forgetting your meds...God help you. There were several times when I would go to work, and would have to drive 25 minutes back home @ lunch to get my meds, I finally got smart and kept some here as well.

Anyways, please remember this was my experience and don't base your decision strictly on mine. There are plenty of people on here and everywhere that will contest that it's a wonderful drug. Good luck to you.......

tsmba

I would think, simply from reading what you have written, that you have more medical concerns than addiction issues. Doctors can prescribe methadone for pain as they see fit (subject, of course, to the ever-critical eye of DEA clods). The methadone clinic system would never be my choice for serious medical attention.

Dee74

I agree with Tsmba Lindy - a methadone clinic should never be your chocie for serious medical attention.

I know you have no insurance but have you checked out all the options - government assistance at state and Federal levels, free clinics etc...

I live in Australia - I have no idea where to start with government assistance - but I found these links for medical resources:

Where to Find Free, Affordable Health Care Clinics in Las Vegas, Nevada - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

Locate a Health Center

I also know that suboxone is also available to some on a subsidy basis but you will need to check with a doctor who knows about subs to see if you're eligible, and to get the ball rolling.

Ultimately, even at a worst case scenario and you have to pay something it seems to me a medical bill for professional medical advice and supervision is better than trying to go it alone and self medicate....

D

jazz66

over here in the uk when you go to the clinice biffor thay dish out eny meds
you have to see a docter that docter has all your records from previous docters

If thats not the case in the us it shud be

tsmba

Thankfully, electronic medical records aren't in place yet in the US. There are commercials on TV trumpeting all the supposed "benefits", but of course there is no mention of the downside. Our methadone clinics have medical directors, but the actual physical given, and medical monitoring is flimsy at best. The clinics are designed only for dispensing methadone to addicts for MMT. They make themselves aware of medical problems, but aren't equipped to deal with them. The docs I had were all psychiatrists, not internists, pain specialists, etc.

jazz66

Not happey with the electronic system myself {who nows who sees your records}
not good when you have a drug problem on them
It used to take six monthes just to see the docter to get a script.
now i hear it's just a couple weeks .thats not good either.

There seems to be a big differanc between us and uk systems thanks for pointing it out