need advice....!

[taya75]

New to the site and like most say, I AM NOT A DOCTOR, but feel that I must put in my two cents worth. For those thinking about methadone please make sure that you are using this as a way to detox. However detoxing from methadone can be just as difficult, sometimes even worse. The problem ( my sister is addicted to methadone but was told about the "clinic" because of pill addiction. She got into some problems with the law and it was either this or jail.) It is now going on 7 years and she has yet to drop below 70mls. The problem is the clinic where she goes is more of a "legal drug house" then a program designed to help her with her addiction. $11.00 a day for seven years. Another problem is that she was introduced to many other addicts (some not really trying to recover) and decided to make friends. You know people she could relate to, going through the same things she was. Blah blah. It is obvious that at that time in her life she was not making good decisions, and was vulnerable to drugs and began smoking crack. this of course is not likely to happen to everyone as there are a lot of people out there really trying to recover. I would just like to say to those of you out there make sure that is the game plan. I don't think methadone is a long term plan for addiction. I watched methadone take her down (of course it alone did not do this and she played a 99% role.) but not only that I watched her nod of while driving, smoking, feeding her new baby, or just during a conversation, she became unable to sleep had major depression and a lot of emotional difficulties that go along with addiction ( guilt and shame )and although she said that she did not feel "high" from the methadone she lost most of the person that she had been and became a zombie. Maybe due to her refusal to go down in her mgs. She used methadone as a crutch always saying that she was scared to go down because she felt she would use again. this is the reason there should be counseling along with the program ( her counseling was vol. a lot of the clinics have this and it should be mandatory with every patient ) even though the whole time she pretty much was using. Be wise to changing one drug for another. If used properly I guess meth could help, but in my sister's case I think it really made things worse. Now she says she is ready to detox off of methadone and I want to help her but really don't know what to expect or what to do. Any advice for a "helper" would be great. I don't want her to be to dependant on me, but I want her to know that I am here for her when she needs me....Help...!
also would like to know some info on buprenporphine. is this really a good choice for detoxing off of methadone or again would she be changing one drug for another? is it addictive? would she then have to detox from that? it is hard to find a doctor out there who would suggest anything other then methadone and then even harder to find one that is willing to help her detox "from" the methadone that she was placed on. Beings that she went on methadone in the first place to save herself from jail is in itself ridiculous. How can a judge decide what is the best program for someone who had only been using pills for about two years and had never tried to quit before. She began shoplifting and was then found to have drugs in her system while pregnant with her son. The state was going to take her baby unless she went into the methadone program. No other option was given to her. In any case again I would like to say to anyone thinking of volunteering for this program think long and hard...There could be better options out there for you.

[taya75]

It would seem the logical thing to do, make counseling part of the program. Isn't drug addiction mostly about the reason a person starts to self-medicate ( at least in the beginnig) fixing the "need" for the drug is only half of the battle, there should be a lot of "me" work to go along with it. Maybe it is just the clinic that she goes to maybe there are clinics out there that are really all about the patient and not all about the money.. Seems to me that the clinic is designed to keep her on the meth rather then to help with any withdrawls....And Addictedme I totally agree with what you are saying. There is no incentive to quit, matter of fact she gets assistance for housing through the clinic where she goes, they pay most of her rent based on a sliding scale, she only has to pass those 2 frug screens a month. That is more of an incentive to stay on the drug rather then to come down and eventually stop. Knowing what I know now about Methadone I would be an advocate towards not going on the program to anyone who would listen.     Thanks everyone for advice and comments. this is not just her struggle it is mine as well, and I am as helpless as she is. I realize that this is something that she must do for and by herself only that I want it for her so much. I miss her so much and drugs have taken her from me. Anyway =, thanks to all!!!

[addictedme]

Rather its methadone,subxonone,or tapering it seems like the question is not what but how long. They suggest a quit date when your trying to quit smoking and I agree. Whatever program including tapering if theres not a definate date then what is the goal? If I"m taking 10 lortabs a day and trade it for 1 pill a day , a week or a month wheres the freedom? I understand that eliminates the dr shopping and illegal purchases but is that the goal or is complete freedom the goal. I could be wrong about this cause I"ve made no surveys or even read any but I believe that if you asked a diabetic if theyed trade having to take a shot for a week,a month of wds but then no more shots theyed take the wds.Bottom line though ,, getting clean is tough and staying in recovery needs a positive attitude and if you feel positive in what your doing then thats what you need to do.gl all

[mestiza]

I am so surprised that they didnt make her go to counseling . I was on a maintenace methadone program for almost two years, and drug testing, group and one on one counseling were a requirement.  You are so right about trading in one drug for another.  Both methadone and suboxone are supposed to be bridges to sobriety, although they are different from one another. When i was on methadone i used to nod off too.  This doesnt happen to me with suboxone.  Ultimately girl, i know you mean well, but unless you sister real wants sobriety, there wont be alot you can do for her. And that crack is one drug , probably the only drug that i am afraid of, that doesnt mean i havent tried it i just thank God that i didnt like it.  All you can  do is be the wonderful sister that i'm sure you are being.  Be tough on her don't sugar coat things for her even if she gets mad.  I hope she gets it together for her baby's sake, if not for herself.

[IBKleen]

Your sister would have a very difficult time transitioning from 7 mgs of Meth to suboxone. If she wants to go thru the program, she is going to have to first taper the Meth.

[avisg]

I just wanted to say the story of your sister touched and saddened me , I cant say a whole lot about  Sub .I have not taken it .She does seem to have a history of replacing one drug with another ,some people use sub for a short period of time to jump off other meds some use it long term.There are many here that will be able to advise you on this . The weekends are a bit slower ,but trust me people will respond ....
avis