Best way to get off liquid methadone

[jason9922]

I have been on methadone of some kind for almost 10 years. My original doctor prescribed me 3 40mg wafers a day along with 4 loratab 10mg hydrocodone and 4mg of xanax a day. I was on that for 8 years. My doctor then passed away. I had to find a new doctor. He put me on 40mg of methadone, 30mg hydrocodone, 3mg of xanax. Quite the difference. It took 8 months to get used to the new meds order. Then my new doctor weined me off the methadone and loratabs and the xanax completely and now I have to go to a methadone clinic with herroin addicts just to get a methadone fix of 120mg of liquid methadone. The liquid methadone has no analgesic effects, it only makes the withdrawls go away. I want off the methadone completely and I don't know what to do. I feel so sick when I don't have the methadone. It's so embarrasing going to a methadone clinic for pain management. Please help

[shawnalee143]

amen to you patrickveern369! amen to you post!

[patrickveern369]

I understand all to well what you are going through, however, you putting down "heroin addicts" seems WRONG, because you are NO BETTER than them. You need a reality check, you are among your peers when you go to that oh so awful place every day. There's a good reason that doctor detoxed you off that ridiculous amount of medication, especially all that xanax, nobody needs four mg. of xanax... you are at that clinic because you are and always will be an addict and the sooner you admit that the better off you will be. How dare you act as if you are better than any of those people you so easily put down... You don't know there history, they could be there for the same reason you are, not all of them are heroin addicts. You really rubbed me the wrong way.

[jjjonesin]

hello there jason , i am a patient who also has had a runn of bad luck!. i had several back problems and neck problems and bad disc's galoure!! 8 total. i had amotor cycle accident in 93, was a passenger in a truck accident in 94 ,and a head on t-bone accident in 97.. i still worked up untill i could not bare weight on my right leg. in 2009 i applyed for dis ability. i got it after fighting for 2 and 1 half year's . i take oxycotin,hydrocodone,zan-x,cyclobenzoprine,mirtazapine, and about 4-5 other drug's that i wish i did not have to take . i feel like an animal! post-truamatic-stress-disorder is what they say . i say bullsh-t!. i smoked weed for years never went to the doctor's or none of this crap no drug's notheing but weed .weed helped me threw it all !. i recently pissed dirty for my doctor , been with her for about ten year's never been tested ,.! my sister-in-law thout i did not need pain killer's to live !. now i'm up sh-t creek with out a paddle . my doctor say's she is going to cancell my pain management contract and all med's.if i was able to move i would move to arizona,california,new mexico ,or some where i could get marijuana for my symptom's and still keep a few pain killer's around. but most day's it is hard to get to the bath room to peee.!i am sick ,and addicted to drug's that i can not have unless i am clean of cannabiss, weed, pot. the real medication that god put here for us all.what do i do ?it help's me ingest the (legal med's). but i guess now my doctor has the tiger by the tail.i love life ,i love my kid's .i love my wife,. but the pain and memorie's of what has happen'd to me is going to put me in the ground . so i will have to get back to you on what the dissicion is from my doctor . oxycotin is a evil drug .just like methadone!!.good luck buddy hope you feel better and hop[e that this give's you some light!.doctor's all suck!.and med's do to!!.

[Tuckamore]

I think you are asking your DO to refer you to a Pain Clinic is a great option.

You're right. You don't call around and ask who prescribes methadone. However a PMP may find a better solution for you then methadone. I know we all have meds that seem to work best for us...but be open to what ever they are willing to prescribe you to control the pain.

Depression goes hand in hand with chronic pain. It's called situational depression.

Again I think your best option is through your DO. explain how you feel to him/her and ask for their help. That's how a PCP is suppose to function.

Hang in there!
~Tuck

[jason9922]

Oh I am sorry for not including my original reason for pain. I have a herniated disc, then a ruptured disc, then another herniated disc all stacked on each other right in the crease in my upper back (where your back bends first when you lean forward) and it's very painful. Right now, going to the clinic all I do is lay on the couch all day long which is very unhealthy. I have to sleep on the couch also because it is firm. I cannot smoke marijuana which eases the pain tremendesouly because at the methadone clinic they drug test you randomly 2 times a month and if your dirty for anything besides prescriptions they with hold your dose or cut it in half for 3 days. Finding another doctor is impossible at this point because how do you call around and ask who writes methadone prescriptions. I was thinking about asking my current DO to send me to a pain clinic. The problem is that as soon as any doctor or specialist finds out about the clinic they instantly assume I'm a herroin addict when I'm actually a methadone addict, which became one from a doctors prescription pad. I'm very lonely and becoming very depressed. I want to be able to work out and not go to this terrible methadone clinic. I do not belong there. Nothing against the people there, but they are all massive drug addicts, street people, and I have to wear gloves just to touch the doors because I'm afraid of catching something. If anyone has a solution to getting off the methadone fast or how to go about finding a new doctor it would be very helpful. I would even travel to other cities if needed.

[Tuckamore]

Hello Jason,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum. I am saddened to hear that you are forced to go to a methadone clinic for pain management.

You don't share with us the reason you have chronic pain. That information may help us offer you better suggestions. Methadone tablets do have analgesic effects. I don't know why the liquid would not offer the same. But I am not an expert.

If I were in your situation I would search for another physician. I am not sure how your state delivers care to pain management patients....but if it is through a PMP please search for a new one. Chronic Pain patients should never be treated as addicts.  

We are here to offer you support. Please consider being active in our community, respond to posts and post your questions and concerns.

My Best to You,
~Tuck