Methadone Disaster

[outraged]

I have been on Methadone for 6 years now. I got serious about getting off all drugs in Dec of 2005, besdies Methadone. I then decied to detox from that starting in late 2007. I have gone from 100mg down to 5mg, back to 10mg for two months and then slowly down to 5mg again. I have been feeling just fine and then the disaster of all disasters happened. I went to get my 6 take homes for the week, ALMOST done with methadone forever. I get my in clinic dose, take my 6 bottles in my lock box and go to work. Within an hour, I felt very high, something I had not felt in years. I started saying to myself, "They could not have given me wrong dose, could they?" A half hour later, I am outside trying to cool off. What seemed like seconds after that, my supervisors were telling me to go sit down. Then EMT's arrived.. Then BOOM, I was awaked only because the EMT's gave me an IV with NARCAN in it.. Yes, I was given the WRONG, VERY HIGH DOSE of methadone AT the clnic and I almost died. If I had not been at work, I would not be posting this right now. I am outraged. I was breathing 2 breaths per minute. Was in the ER all day being monitored. They faxed all the info to the clinic and the clinic says they see no error!!  They are gonna try to cover this up and blame it on the person on the methadone. I dont want money, I want justice. I was doing so well, i was back with the girl I love and then this happens. It is so sad that this could happen. I am not going back to any clinic and will suffer the pain but this isnt over. DONT TRUST METHADONE CLINICS! This was supposed to be one of the best ones around. I have nothing to gain by lying about this. I have years of clean drug screens, have quit smoking, lost weight, work out 4-5 times a week, counciling programs and this is my reward. How is this fair. WHAT DO I DO NOW?

[Hazeleyes_2128]

I have been going to a methadone clinic since I found out I was pregnant in August. I had been told that this was the only option if I wanted to keep the baby, as detox was not an option and the clinic informed me I would have a miscarriage if I didn't get in and stay in the program. So I did what I though was best for the baby, and started attending the clinic.
I am 28 weeks along and have only met with the clinic physician on 2 different occasions even though I have had many problems and concerns I just seem to get put off every time...
I don't know if my dose is where is should be I swear I'm doing all the treatment on my own from the counselors job to the doctors...as they have no input on my dose I guess??? If I say I don't feel good, and wonder if my dose should be raised they just raise it. They have a newer nurse and she has made mistakes several times...the protocol states during pregnancy to only raise 10mg per day...I'm on a split dose...she raised both am & pm dose giving me 20 mg increase. I didn't realize this of coarse until after dosing I felt very sedated and began to worry,..I had looked at the bottle and seen the mistake I had no idea it was my job to double check the nurses. Now I check every time...
To this day I still do not have a treatment plan...I have been through 6 counselors since I started in August...that's an average of 1 a month...the latest counselor is no longer with the clinic because she is dating a patient.
There was an incident the day before thanksgiving, the slowest most hectic day since I began at the clinic...I had checked in at 5:30AM...sat down waited very patiently it was after 8:00AM when I finally got to the dosing room where I was told I was a liar and they refused to dose me...they said I was on hold to see the doctor...no one told me this....somehow I was put on hold in between checking in at front desk and waiting to dose...which is against the policy...I said that was fine I will see the doc but asked for my am dose as I was feeling very sick and starting to withdrawal at this point I am used to doing at 5:30-6am...he said no because I need to wait my turn since he said I lied and never checked in at all...which the receptionist later confirmed that yes I did check in and no I didn't have a hold when she checked me in...the receptionist talked with a counselor and they directed the nurses to administer my am dose it's protocol cause I'm pregnant...I waited another 15-20 mins they called my # and it was the female nurse this time...she also refused to dose me started yelling that i was lying and to wait my turn...very frustrated at this point I wanted to leave...the receptionist went in the dosing room told me to stay there she ran to check me back in I was being yelled at the entire time I might add...I finally was given my 1st dose...then I waited to see the doc...told him what had happened and seemed he didn't care too much....later that day after I had called my OB doc told her what happened...she wrote a letter to the clinic for me to be fast tracked for the rest of the pregnancy...this meant I would no longer have to wait the receptionist would call back to the dose room and they would call me immediately I had thought this would be helpful...it was.
I was grabbed by some creep outside the clinic early one morning after being fast tracked I went to wait in the car for my fiancé to get done dosing...he was not fast tracked...this really scared me...I had informed counselors and dosing nurses they didn't seem to care about the incident...since I was scared from that point on I would not walk to the car on my own in the dark...I would simply wait for my fiancé to dose and we would leave together...
We began to get harassed by staff claiming I was hanging out at the clinic...this happened several times...even though they knew why I began to wait for him...my counselor came up with a "solution" she said to call her on our way there and she would check him in then I could check in once I got there with him that way we would be done at same time...also they took me off early am dosing idk why I need to dose this early so I can avoid starting withdrawal...they started making me go at that time now they change???
Back to the solution...so first day I called 3-4 times no answer...just voicemail...went in to dose and it was a mad house...we told the front desk what the counselor had set up...and she was furious...she lied saying she never said that...stating she said to us only call in advance when the clinic is busy.,.how are we to know from home if its busy??? So we waited a long time...patiently I might add...and of causes I was yelled at again for "hanging out"....the counselor finally said to one of the dosing nurses to go ahead and fast track my fiancé too from that day forward...we thought it was taken care of...boy were we wrong...now even though I have a doc note on file stating I medically need fast track somehow it was erased from the computer...and when the counselor went to grab my physical file it was locked up in a different counselors office????
I have never felt so wronged or defeated in my life...I mind my own business...don't get dirty ua's...go to group i am 100% compliant with treatment...still no treatment plan...and had earned some take home doses but the paperwork wasn't filed...
I'm tired of all this but I don't know what to do...
Or who to go to???? Anyone have any suggestions???
And believe me this isn't even the half of it...

[MethHead]

I feel your pain, I have been on Methadone for 7 years, got up to 150mg down to 4mg now back to 20mg, while at 15mg the "machine" pumped out 2 bottles worth, which I had already taken while waiting for my sun. dose, which is when the nurse wondered where my bottle was and what did "I" do with it. Her Super then said she had put both doses in my cup instead of just 1, she was slacking. I am just very happy that didn't happen at 150mg, to which I am now on the pill so I know what I'm taking. Yes  the liquid is very dangerous, in that you cannot tell what dose you are taking w/out a machine. And Bro u have case, because 30mg is the intake dose, and with 6 takehomes it would only be 30 mg, at most, if you took 'em all at once, to which if you tested for only methadone, then they overmedicated you, which falls in the malpractice category. GFL on finding a lawyer w/out a conflict of interest. Maybe you can sue the maker of methadone for not monitoring the doctors output of meds.

[avisg]

I am so happy you are ok .Most likely they will either try to settle it quietly or there malpractice insurance will kick in. Go you know how much they gave you .Are you off it all together now ?

[sobersis710]

I read your story.  What methadone clinic did you use?  How are you doing?  How long were you on methadone?

sobersis710

[Ella789]

Clinic 's and Dr. do not want to be held responsible for anything like that.  They are the good guys and the people they treat are the ones who they all blame.  It would be hard to fight this one.Even with your good records.  It is too bad that this happens.  I hope you will be okay during your detox.  Wish you had some Clonidine and a few tranzene to help out.  It really did help me during detox.  
Don't look back, keep going and get off the Methadone and stay clean.  You have been a fighter and you can do this one too.  
These places do make mistakes,  thank goodness you did have people around you that cared abt. you or it does sound like u would not be here today.
Keep posting
Ella