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methadone to subuxone?

So today I called a local methadone clinic. They said that since I`ve cut down to 25mg on my own and want to get off of it that they won`t help me. They said they don`t help people get off opiates. I called another place and they said they will put me inpatient for 4 days and put me on subuxone. After 4 days I`ll be released and will need to got to their out patient clinic after that. I don`t have enough methadone to slowly cut down slowlt on my own and am wondering if going to subuxone is really the answer. I`m on methadone for cronic pain and have never abused my medication or even had it raised in the 7 years I`ve been on it. 40mg is the max per day and there have been days I haven`t even taken the full 40mg if I didn`t need it. I really want to just get off the methadone. I can`t get a doctor to give it to me because they think I`m a drug addict because of what I`m on and I have never abused my meds in the 27 years I`ve been on opiate pain meds. This whole thing really *****!! I can`t get the pain meds I NEED for pain and can`t find anybody to help me get off them without making me go on another addictive pain drug. I`ve read that getting off subuxone isn`t much easier than getting off methadone. Doing the right thing sure doesn`t seem to be paying off. Now I`m really confused. Does anybody have any advice on where to go from here?
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Avatar universal
Todays update.. Well I went to the detox center. They took all my info then told me that because I`m NOT a drug abuser that they can`t help me. The refered me to a pain management center next door. They said that I would either have to come up with $8,000.00 to start their treatment but because I need pain meds for pain that I need to look for a pain doctor and refered me to another place. The pain doctors office said they would be glad to take me if I pay $250.00 up front and $125.00 every month after that. And that is the self pay price. They all told me that detoxing off methadone has a lot of risks and most doctors won`t take the risk on themselves. So far all the methadone clinics and the detox centers have told me that if I was a drug "abuser", they would help me, but because I`ve been honest and never abused my pain meds they can`t do anything for me. What the heck is going on with the system?  Even the local ER said if I come in there with a drug problem they won`t help me either. I don`t have a job because no employeer wants to hire me while I`m going through this. It`s like the system has people set up to fail. Why can`t I get any help BEFORE I fail and become a street buyer abusing drugs? They want people to actually hit rock bottom before they will lend a helping hand. Al the rest demand money before they will do anything. And it isn`t just a few dollars either. I have family support but none of them have $250 to give me just to get started and then another $150 a month just to spend 5 minutes with a doctor so he`ll write a script. That is robbery!!!  It is such a scam. One doctor charges out the rear and gets you hooked on drugs, then cuts you off, so another doctor can charge you out the rear to get you off the drugs.  How is that legal?  Why isn`t there anybody monitoring this stuff??  It is no wonder the insurance companies are raising their rates because these places and doctors are charging them 10 times what they charge for self pay. Every single doctor I`ve been to in the past 27 years has ripped off the insurance companies until they couldn`t get any more money out of them, then they kicked me loose. Like I said, the system is set up to force people to fail!!  I`ve seen it too many time and know it to be a fact. I`m learning that being honest and doing the right thing does not pay off in the end. People have always said that lawyers are the scum of the earth, but I`m here to tell you that doctors are even lower than that.
  As you can tell, I`m pretty upset and maybe even over venting. I`ve spent every day for the past 2 1/2 months calling and trying to get help just to get turned down because either I`m not a drug abuser or I don`t have a lot of money for them to make off me. How did it get this bad??  Why did those we are supposed to trust let it get this bad??  My dogs vet has more compassion for my dogs than any doctor I`ve seen has for humans.  I have been everywhere up and down the Alabama/ Georgia state line and nobody cares unless they can make money off you.  The Bible Belt stuff you hear is a lie. It is cut throat hear as anywhere.  
Helpful - 0
1855076 tn?1337115303
I'm a bit bitter myself with the medical field and Big Pharma.  I've had my own experience with it.  I do believe there are things that do need heavy duty, life-long meds, but the longer you can put it off the better.  I feel I was a cash cow with my meds ... they didn't want me to come off.  I'm almost there.  Pain is still bad but I'd rather that, at least for now.

I have a relative to lost a leg when a drunk driver hit a car he was in at 14 (cop driving drunk.)  The kid was given an abundance of narcotics from then on.  He's 40 now ... no doctor cares any longer. His family has given up hope because in addition to dependence, he is addicted.  But where was everyone when he was 14???  I know he doesn't want to be the way he is.  He just wants to not hurt and not be sick.

I did hear of a detox center in San Diego (I think) that specializes in pain management, addiction, dependence, sleep disorders and more.  I don't know how good they are but it's the first place I've heard of that deals with both legitimate pain issues and the meds.

Whatever you decide, God Bless and hope it goes well.
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Avatar universal
Thanks gnarly. I`m just scared and looking for info.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the replies. As stated before,I was in a wheelchair before getting on methadone for the severe pain. I have enjoyed being able to walk again and the pain has been bearable at best. I haven`t actually been pain free, or even close, in 27 years.  So I know the very bad pain I will be in when I`m off the methadone. The only reason I`m being forced to go off it is because I can`t find a doctor who will keep me on it. I just want the transition to be as easy as I can be and I really don`t want to get hooked on a different drug and have to go through the same thing with it. I have an appt. in a couple hours with a detox clinic to see if they will condider treating me. I just want to be informed when I go there because I don`t trust anybody in the medical field anymore. Doctors make a ton of money getting people addicted to pain drugs then other doctors make a ton of money getting those people off the pain drugs. Something doesn`t seem right there. They are all making a lot of money off peoples misfortunes, until there is no money to be made. Then they aren`t interested either way. As you can tell, I`m pretty bitter towards the medical field and those in it. I just have a problem trusting any of them to do what is best and not what makes them the most money.
I`ll let ya know what happens today at my appt.
Helpful - 0
1855076 tn?1337115303
There is a treatment center in (I believe) San Diego that deals with both chronic pain and pain medications.  It may have some answers for you.  I have bad chronic pain but have found coming down (and very nearly off at the moment) of Fentanyl, morphine, oxycodone, oycontin, Neurontin ... nearly everything but methadone (thanks to Gnarly and others here) that my pain is actually less now.

There's also a medication called Nucynta.  It's been used in Europe for a while, not as long here.  I tried it back in January and it did eliminate some of my nerve pain from the first dose and it hasn't come back.  I did have a terribly bad extreme reaction and terrible side effects.  It's also an opioid and in my personal opinion, I'm not sure enough is known about how it works to know whether it's going to be a problem coming off later, if you want or need to.

Methadone settles in fat and bone, which is one of the reasons it's so hard to come off.  Fentanyl is also harder to come off than other opioids (though let's face it ... none of it is pleasant.)  There have been doctors who are using suboxone for pain management, and if you do have pain, you need to figure out how you'll deal with it.  Very often pain increases initially when detoxing off opioids.

I personally believe that many, many doctors will start becoming more and more reluctant to write pain meds for chronic patients.  It's become too much of a liability and the DEA is all over everyone.

Also, check out the pain management forum here and you may get some help there as well.  I also never misused my medications but physical dependence can be equally hard as addiction.  I've taken a year to taper off everything they had me on and it hasn't been easy.
Helpful - 0
1855076 tn?1337115303
There is a treatment center in (I believe) San Diego that deals with both chronic pain and pain medications.  It may have some answers for you.  I have bad chronic pain but have found coming down (and very nearly off at the moment) of Fentanyl, morphine, oxycodone, oycontin, Neurontin ... nearly everything but methadone (thanks to Gnarly and others here) that my pain is actually less now.

There's also a medication called Nucynta.  It's been used in Europe for a while, not as long here.  I tried it back in January and it did eliminate some of my nerve pain from the first dose and it hasn't come back.  I did have a terribly bad extreme reaction and terrible side effects.  It's also an opioid and in my personal opinion, I'm not sure enough is known about how it works to know whether it's going to be a problem coming off later, if you want or need to.

Methadone settles in fat and bone, which is one of the reasons it's so hard to come off.  Fentanyl is also harder to come off than other opioids (though let's face it ... none of it is pleasant.)  There have been doctors who are using suboxone for pain management, and if you do have pain, you need to figure out how you'll deal with it.  Very often pain increases initially when detoxing off opioids.

I personally believe that many, many doctors will start becoming more and more reluctant to write pain meds for chronic patients.  It's become too much of a liability and the DEA is all over everyone.

Also, check out the pain management forum here and you may get some help there as well.  I also never misused my medications but physical dependence can be equally hard as addiction.  I've taken a year to taper off everything they had me on and it hasn't been easy.
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Avatar universal
HI YOU needv to call a sub doctor ......googlr it and you eill find one you will have to be off the methadone for 72hr b/4 they can give byou sub and sub is no good for pain......I am all for getting off narcotics was on them for 16 1/2 yr 6 1/2 on methadone you may find like many of our members that you do a lot beter without them I know I do andI was taking 150mg of methadone for pain today ibuprofine asprine and Tylenol  takes the edge off and im more pain free now then I ever been good luck to you and God bless......Gnarly
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Avatar universal
which area do u live in?  U could always go online to suboxone.com and find someone to go th there locally where you can get switched over.  then u can taper from the subs  or for cronic pain they now have a suboxone patch  u wear it for  to 7 days and it is suppost to be available for cronic pain  may be worth looking into   tom   good luck   message me if u need more
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Avatar universal

             We cant tell you to switch drugs maybe see a counselor for drug problems and this could help you can also go to addiction forum upper right on page there is a counselor on this forum.  hang on.
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