Chronic back pain, treated with methadone

[kmk12086]

I posted this somewhere else but someone suggested I come here to ask.


Hi everyone...

I've been on methadone for chronic pain management for the past 4 years and it's the only medication that has ever helped me. However, my insurance has been changed and my current doctor does not accept it anymore. I have been to over 7 different places to try and find a new doctor who can prescribe the methadone and every place I go to turns me away. I have no problem submitting to random tox screens or anything else that is asked of me. So what is the problem, why can't i find help? If I don't find a new doctor very soon I'm going to go through withdrawal which I've never experienced and am afraid of. I've even called methadone clinics and they say they don't treat pain. I live about 2 hours away from New York City. Does anyone have any suggestions of any places I can call to get some help? I even went to the emergency room and they told me they cannot legally dispense methadone in the ER. If someone can help, I would be forever grateful.

[namnam46]

I want to welcome you to the Pain Management Forum and let you know that we are glad that you found this Forum.  I need to be sure that you understand that there are NO Doctors on this Forum.  We are ALL CP  (Chronic Pain) Patients that help each other through our own expertise and experiences that we have gained from our own CP issues.

I'm sorry that you are having this problem because your Doctor DOESN'T accept your new insurance. That happens a lot and it's such a shame!!!  I think that you BEST bet is to find a NEW PM Doctor and change your pain meds to whatever they will offer to you.  Most of the PM Clinics DON'T offer the Methadone, it seems.  We've heard of this problem quite a bit.  ESPECIALLY from the NY City area. The reason that I'm telling you to do this is so that you WON'T go through the w/d's as severely as you would WITHOUT ANYTHING to help you out.  I understand that Methadone is EXTREMELY difficult to come off of.  I hope that you WON'T waste any time and get a Doctor QUICKLY!!!

I hope that you will keep us updated on how you are doing.....Sherry  :)

PS I read your OTHER post and Gnarly gave you a second option of going to the Methadone Clinic and telling them that you are addicted and getting it that way - BUT - IF you do that then you will FOREVER be labeled as an ADDICT!!!!  You DON'T want to have that happen.  You would have a WORLD of problems later with trying to get a PM Clinic to give you ANY medication!!!  PLEASE think LONG and HARD before making that decision!!!   ((((HUGS!!))))...Sherry

[mellie4]

No suggestions, sorry.  But I think it's a disgrace  the position you're in.  It doesn't seem right to me.  Basically, if you were an addict, you could get treatment?  But because it's for pain you'll have to go through withdrawal?

Have any pain specialists suggested anything else?  Maybe in the four years you've been on methadone there's something else that might work?

Hope you'll keep us posted, and best of luck.