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getting off of methadone

I have a friend who's husband is addicted to methadone, never was on heroin but started using methadone as as a street drug, he has been in rehab 3 times for this. My question is would a rehab clinic prescribe oxycodden as a treatment to get off of methadone? Do they normally prescribe you anything to get off of methadone? This last time he went to rehab for 3 days, personally it seems to me that he's going to rehab for the drugs he gets prescribed when he leaves. He is diagnosed bipolar. So this time he left with 3 prescription. One for anxiety, 1 for sleeping and one for his cravings. He is to the point he doesn't work and sleeps all day. I just want to know is he going to rehab for help or for drugs? She only knows what he tells her about his addictions and i was curious if you normally get prescribed a script to get off of methadone... I have never heard of this before.......i have had other friends get off of it but it was by lowering there doses until nothing.
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Avatar universal
Ive never heard of an inpatient detox for methadone discharging a person after 3 days with a script for oxy's. Sounds more like an easy, drive-thru way of getting drugs more than a place to help him get clean. Ive just seen people stop using methadone and start using hyrdo/oxycodone in an attempt to lessen the w/d's and eventually the length of w/d when it comes time to actually quit. Bottom line is sounds like this guy isnt anywhere near ready to quit and until he is the problem will only get worse. First step would be to kick out the brother who is selling the drugs in his home. Its a pretty hopeless situation when the pills are in the next room constantly. All of it just doesnt make sense, really needs to find a specialized facility like mtgoat stated where he atleast completes a 21day detox. Best of luck to you and your friend!
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Avatar universal
i kicked a large methadone habit in 04, i have kicked ct and gone into detox
every treatment center i have been to or worked at has a differerent way of doing things
now the most popular treatment at county detoxes is to send the patient home with suboxone, which is the new methadone, maybe your husband is taking that and abusing medication they may have been prescribing him for his mental illness
if you have insurance, take him to a facility that specializes in duel diagnosed patients, if you do not have insurance, make a goal, first get the drugs out, then find out what medication works best for his bipolar, people with mental illness have a tough time getting clean, they have a disease that tells them to take more drugs than prescribed and another diseasse that tells them to quit taking their psyc. meds.......you can find supprot for yourself at naranon or alonon, there are people at those meetings that can take you through this step by step.......oh sorry, i jusr read that it is your friends husband, its really her battle not yours, so maybe you can just pass on this information
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Avatar universal
Yeah it makes absolutely no sense to me either. He just recenltly dropped his oxy addiction in the first place. Either this doctor is entirely stupid or he is playing the system in my mind. Literally when he went to rehab he pretended to have the shakes he told his wife that he had to make it look worst than it was so that they would  help. As far as therapy or meetings no he does attend anything and he lets his brother live with him who sells these pills but refused to sell him anymore because he has no money...etc....thanks for eveyones input
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Avatar universal
I've know people who they themselves jumped back on their original doc to quit the methadone.I don't know of any personal success stories either.I'm just curious though.Like I said above I know nothing about in patient detox,are there some hospitals or rehabs that really use this method? I guess I could understand if they were dosing him with the oxy to lessen the w/ds while he was still in patient,that way they could monitor his dosing,but to send someone home,especially only after 3 days,detoxing from methadone with a script,that just makes no sense to me.
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Avatar universal
Ive known people who have used scripts of oxy/hydrocodone to try and get off of methadone, basicly just enough to curb the w/d's. Of those few people not one that I know of is clean right now, although they managed to go 1-6months clean they ended up right back at it. I kind of understand the intentions of the person is to switch over to a short acting opiate so the w/d's wont last as long, but Ive just never seen it work in the long run. As far as a facility using that process just sounds ridiculous, I would think any legitimate doctor would recognize that treating opiate addiction with opiates just doesnt make sense. Anyways sorry I cant give you some better info, its really depends on the individuals determination to get and stay clean, that is the key. Good luck.
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Avatar universal
Does he participate in any after care like therapy or meetings? I hope you get some more responses,because I am really confused about why they would give him a script of oxys upon discharge.I'm also confused as to why they would only keep him for 3 days,especially coming off methadone.I only hit the full w/ds on day 3.Like I said I don't know much at all about in patient detox,but this really sounds strange to me.This will bump your post back up and hopefully someone who knows a lot more then me will come along......Kim
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Avatar universal
Yeah, the scripts I seen, One was for oxys. He actually went in "pretending" to have the shakes and that he was in pain! Seemed a little questionable to me. Thanks for everyones input. She has 3 kids with this man and right now he isn't even working. If he is really trying to get help thats one thing but we're not really sure.
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Avatar universal
In my experience when detoxing off of methadone I was prescribed clonidine, a benzo(valium,librium,ativan etc.) and they usually wanted me to take an anti-depressant. Now theres no way to be sure what he is getting prescribed but clonidine and some type of benzo were always prescribed to me. I never managed to stay clean for more than a few months when I did inpatient treatment. This time around I tried the suboxone route and so far so good but to me it should be a last resort option after other methods have failed. I havent taken methadone for about 9months and have been off of suboxone for 101days now and have no intention on getting anywhere near any opiates again. I wish your friend the best of luck, take care.
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Avatar universal
I was on methadone too.I have a 11 months clean now.I don't know much about in patient rehab though.I know more then I ever cared to know about methadone.It's a hard drug to detox from,but you're right it can be done.It's late so there probably aren't too many people on right now,but more will be along in a few hours,so be sure to check back if you don't get a response before signing off.   Peace...Kim

Just curious...what type of drug did they give him for his cravings? Are you saying they gave him a script of oxys? If thats the case,that sounds strange to me.What type of after care does he attend,if any?
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