switching from Methadone to Suboxone

[WantMyLifeBack2010]

I have been attending a Methadone Clinic for exactly 99 day as of today. I started out 4/20/2011 at 25 mg and I have only gone up in my dose and stayed there to this day of 40mg. I am very thankful I started going and stopped my addiction to pain meds, doctors, buying them from other addicts just a sick life I WAS living. Well I found out that Methadone IS a Narcotic as well...All i know is when I was READY to stop with the Roxy's and what ever else I could take I googled addiction to Opiates and It took me to web sites for Meth clinics....So that is why i chose the one i am currently attending. But now that I know I am NOW addicted to Meth I called around and found my old doctor that NEVER prescribed Pain Meds, just the simple things...and upon speaking with one of his staff and explained to her what I have above she said "Dr. "D" Does prescribe Suboxone and proceeds to explain how the process works in order to be prescribed  ...she stated  "You will have to go thru some withdrawals from the methadone because He will not prescribe you the Suboxone tomorrow  ( I made an appt for 7/28 @ 2:30 p.m.) so What is the point? or did I misunderstand her and how it works? I have already given the clinic over $1,500.00 not including GAS for 30 mile round trip EVERYDAY.....I dont want to get to his office give him $110.00 to be Sick??? Should I just call her back in the morning when they open and see if It was a misunderstanding...maybe she meant I cant go to the clinic for my Daily Meth dose and take Suboxone?? If Methadone IS an Opiate then why would I have to suffer if I AM addicted to it just to take Suboxone?? Gosh I do hope I made this clear for the doctor to be able to reply....I basically want to stop taking and going to the Meth clinic and begin a Suboxone treatment?

thanks in advance

[Lenevan]

Basically, if you don't wait a day and start withdrawals between your last dose of methadone and your first suboxone dose, you will go into immediate withdrawal from the suboxone, so your doc knows what he is doing.there is no other way to switch.good luck!

[WantMyLifeBack2010]

Thank you for clarifying that....Makes MUCH better since then what my counselor at the Methadone Clinic explained....SHE thinks Its much too soon for me to start reducing my mg's of Methadone...I'm at 40mg as I stated in my first post I refused to go any higher from the beginning 102 days ago of 25mg's..
I ran into a girl my age same exact addiction from my initial intake day of 4/20/2011 and she was already at 120 mg when I told her where I was she said "Why, How did I only stay at that dose and she's at 120"? I said because I listened to a friend of 30 years who has been in every treatment center worked them all and knows more about drugs and how to use them than some of these clinics...He told me when he found out I was attending a Meth clinic and at that time I was on 35 mg's he said "Promise me you wont go past 40mg-if you do then  the higher I go the more dependant you will become on Methadone"...He has NEVER been wrong even in 2007 when he told me to NEVER take this pain med called Roxy or Oxycontin...Did I LISTEN to him then?? Nope, hence the need for recovery. So When he speaks It is Gospel to me now...
So, when I went to my counselor and she said its too soon you need to be here at least 6 months to a year I almost fell off the chair. I gave her these numbers .$14.00 for a daily dose X 7= $98 X 4=$392 X 3 months + Gas =$1500.00  her reply .... "Well don't you think You would've spent that on your drugs if you had not come here for help"?  
So, now that you have a glimpse into what I'm dealing with...THANK YOU for your reply...It is MUCH appreciated!!!!!!

Best Wishes,
Kim


  

[Julia M Aharonov, DO]

I answered you in your next question.  Good luck to you what ever you do.