what can a parent or anyone do to help some one who is forced to go cold turkey off methadone because they have been put in jail.

[bren12]

what can one do to help someone who has been put in jail and is forced to go cool turkey off methadone. He has medical records from one time 3 years ago at a detox center. There is no treatment or help for someone detoxing in jail. He wants to quit.

[kim715]

I am so sorry for your situation.Unfortunately if your loved one is in jail,theres not much you can do.I know most jails will not dose someone,nor do they really offer any type of comfort meds for the w/ds.How much methadone were they on before they were incarcerated and how long were they on it? How long of a jail sentence are they looking to face?

[avisg]

Depends but yes most jails dont care and they will let him WD CT in jail .I would try to find out what jail he is in and see what they will be willing to do .I would think he would have a methadone doctor or clinic to back you up ? If he is getting the methadone of the street then there is a very good chance they will not do anything .

[kim715]

Does your loved one have any past medical history that would make w/ding CT a danger to their health? If so perhaps then there may be something you can do to get them some help.

[gypsyjoey]

Bren,

This may sound cold but is definitely NOT intended to.

I have never known of anyone dying from withdrawal from opiate drugs.  I've known many who have gone through hellish torment for a week or more during withdrawals but after that is over they do just fine if involved in an ongoing recovery program and following directions.  

I guess I just have problems with methadone.  Methadone pretty much (in my opinion) just babies someone and is an addiction in and of itself.  Being forced to go cold turkey while in jail may be the best thing that ever happened to your person.  

I've worked in psychiatric hospitals, medical hospitals, county councils and prison units as a substance abuse counselor over the past 20-years and the only people who have had problems with withdrawal have been those who are physiologically dependent on depressant drugs such as downers including depressants and alcohol.  Those can be deadly with respiratory and cardiac arrest.  The other stuff is just discomfort and docs tend to want to medicate the discomfort of withdrawal.  I wouldn't worry about it.  The greater the discomfort of withdrawal, the greater the chance that an addict will be all excited about becoming dependent again.
Joey

[kim715]

I know you addressed your comment to the original poster but I just wanted to say that although I agree with you saying methadone can become an addiction in and of itself,I don't really agree with the 'babying' part.I know it's your opinion and respectfully,you are absolutely entitled to it.I was on methadone for almost 2 years,and believe it or not,I'm pretty anti-methadone for most pill addicts.I do think though that methadone can be a useful tool for some,if the maintenance program is followed correctly,and used short term {me being on it for 2 years was much too long,in my opinion,for my particular circumstance,and thats my fault} as a type of holding process to give the individual time to change the enviroment they may be in[persons,places,and things]and work on getting their life together and aftercare in place.It all depends on the individual and what they want out of it.What it did for me was got me away from people who were negative influences in my life.Stopped me from doing the illegal things I was doing in order to obtain my drugs.There are many people who abuse the maintenance programs,I agree,but there are a few of us who truly want to change our lives.Again it's all about the individual.Lets face it most methadone clinics do little or nothing to help you get off.As long as you keep handing over the money they will keep handing over the dosing cup,the skies the limit.I understand where you are coming from with your opinion,but being someone whos actually gone through it and now has 612 days clean from methadone,I just see things a little differently.

I couldn't agree with you more about after care though.The physical part,although no walk in the park,is the easy part.The mental part is the real battle and I believe after care is essential to living a drug free life.Respectfully...Kim

[dominosarah]

Good post kim and i also see this dfferently.......gypsyjoey, this is someones child.  I am a parent and i am also a recovering addict both pills and alcohol.  I couldnt imagine having one of my children in jail going thru wd from methadone or any other substance and not being able to be there.  Yes i understand this person is in jail for a reason but the mother in me would prevail.  You told this person not to worry about it......How do you do that?  You may be callused to all of this after working in many settings as you have but it isnt as easy as just quit and it is all over.  Support is very vital to an addict both during the wd process and aftercare.  Being forced into a situation such as this can be brutal for both the addict and the family.  I am in no way naive to these situations as i have spent some time in jail myself thru the years.  I hope this person gets the help they need and with some compassion and tough love all things are possible..........sara

[worried878]

I also immediately felt sympathetic for this person in jail....yes, it is true thatstrong narcs like su and methadone may not always be the right answer..but sometimes they r the right answer...and knowing what i know..i feel pain thinkin of someone in jail in wds from methadone..it makes my heart hurt'

I am a nurse and my friend is a nurse at the jail here...i will ask her tomorrow what can be done..in fact i just texted her as she works night shift...all cities..states may be different but it may give a general idea.....i do know a jail con not deny meds such as blood pressure meds, insulin etc....a note from the dr may help..this is sumpin this person may need for recovery..a letter of need may help....

MY HEART GOES OUT TO U

[TrayCee]

"Being forced to go cold turkey while in jail may be the best thing that ever happened to your person."


Are yoiu kidding??!!!  

You OBVIOUSLY have never been through Methadone withdrawals!  I PROMISE you would have a different attitude.

[dochollywood]

My sister is still on methadone and she's been arrested so many times for drug, traffic and petty theft charges that it's ridiculous.  She has had to go cold turkey for months at a time from methadone in jail or prison and though she will look fine, she ALWAYS comes out (longest was like 9 months) and states she can't make it and I don't understand it.  She always gets back on methadone.

Well, these last few time, her methadone clinic has arranged for a nurse to bring her methadone down to the jail.  It costs a fortune but her boyfriend always felt sorry for her and paid for it, so it is possible if the methadone clinic that was being used offers the service.

[gnarly_1]

hi....im sorry to here of your situation...I live in az with sheriff joe and they dont alow
narcotic of anny kind in jail so Manny have had to do what your son is having to do
our church has a weekly outreach to the prison and manny of the methadone people
come to the service looking for annything they can do to help with the withdrawals
I normally dont post much on god in this forum...dont want to offend annyone but
I will say this...god was huge in my recovery..and prayer works...it helped me
with the withdrawals and is something proactive you and your son can do...
sometimes you just have to hit rock bottom b/4 you will go to god but the god
I know (jesus) came to set the captives free and I truely think this will help your situation...at least you will be doing something....I hope i gave you some hope
good luck and god bless...I will pray for your family .....Gnarly  

[mjones5]

My son went to a methadone clinic for 2 years, tried to detox off of it twice and couldnt do it so he ended up going back. He got arrested and spent 6 days in jail, thats how he got off the stuff. They give nothing at all for help in detoxing. Maybe asprin and thats it. By the time we got him out of jail the worst of it was over. That was June 18th 2008 and hes been clean ever since and still attends NA meetings. Jail was the only thing that was going to get him off drugs. Methadone (prescribed)  was not the only drug he was doing, thats the one he was addicted to. Thank God jail was his bottom. For many people it is not. It is most likely they will give nothing. My son was in such a downward spiral I was glad to see him go to jail. I know that sounds bad, but when you spend so many nights wondering if your son is still alive, knowing he was in jail and WOULD wake up the next day was a blessing to me and brought me so much peace. I knew he would feel crappy while detoxing but he had to go through it. So for now he is still clean and picking up the pieces of his life. He lost everything during his using and now hes working again and doing well. You son will be ok detoxing in jail. It wont be easy but its going to happen, hes going to feel bad, but he will be clean. Good luck to you and your son. Saying a little prayer for you.

[kiylen]

I have come off methadone before and I am currently coming off this time because of my own will and mental preparedness.  Last time I was forced to by family members but in a hospital setting.  If you had ever been through ONE day of methadone withdrawal you would be a little more sympathetic.  Your experience should make you know that it is NOT a typical opiate and is a MUCH longer, severe withdrawal.  I went through seizures, hallucinations, fever, didn't eat for 16 days and a lot more the first time.  I'm tapering now and almost done and no, I do not advocate methadone.  I personally think it is handcrafted by the devil but also don't believe in torturing someone because they ended up in a bad situation as a drug addict.  Where I live, believe it or not, if the jail is close to the clinic, they will take you there if you have money on.

Bren12, I feel for you.  I am praying for you and your child and just hold on, God will get you guys through one way or the other.

[kiylen]

If your son has a primary care physician you might could maybe get an order in for something like clonidine ( not a controlled substance ) or just talk with the doctor to see if they could contact the jail of his condition.

[straightedge]

It ***** but he is not going to die, even if that was possible off of any opiate the jail or prison he is at, does have a medical facility. I DT'ed cold turkey in county before I went to DRDC then to prison. It was absolutley the best thing that has happened to me, well that and the time in.

[bren12]

wow...........all I can say is there is a lot of caring people in this world ....thanks for all the advise, it was all helpful....

[bren12]

thanks for the prayers.........they give me strength and encouragement..........now its up to my son..........thanks

[Lisa034]

It is so funny to me to hear people say "You are not gonna die from going cold turkey"  THAT IS NOT TRUE  You do not know these peoples history!!!!!  And another thing is sure the jails have medical staff, so what!!!!!!  They let people die in jails and prisions every single day!!!!!!!   I was dead from opiate cold turkey!!!!  Thank god I was taken to a good emergency room in about 2 minutes!!!!!  I mean some people can go cold turkey and be just fine and that is good.  However others need help becaue like me, I did not just take one pill a day, I took 60 pills a day. I am telling you cold turkey almost killed me.
Lisa034

[straightedge]

Am not sure about pills because I know they have a lot of other **** in them, my experience was with heroin. I guess you have to roll the dice and I think he is a lot safer in jail than on the street. Every doctor I have been to has always told me that am not going to die but I will wish I was dead. My heart goes out to him, none of it's fun. I hated every minute of it but, now having my sobriety, a healthy daughter and a good marriage with a white collar job...I still say it was the best thing that happened to me.