need help with pain

[forgottensick]

I have been disabled since 1985. A doctor put me on 40mg methadone for pain in 2006. I moved from Ohio to Alabama. I found out the doctor I got here runs a pill mill and when I asked questions, he dropped me. Social Security won`t help, welfare won`t help, free clinic won`t help and the doctor that put me on methadone just called and said he won`t take me back. I have never abused my medication and have done everything I`ve been told to do. I can`t even find a doctor to take me because of the methadone. Pain clinics want $450.00 just to walk in the door. I have 15 days of medication left and am at the end on my rope. I am ready to end it all because I can`t find or get any help. I read that methadone has 6 months of withdrawls and with the injuries my body has had, I don`t believe I can go through that. Because of my medical situation, I can`t find or get a job so I have no income. Nobody will help me or even give me ideas where to get help.  So now I`m trying to decide if it would be best to take my own life and just get it over with or to keep BEGGING for help until my medication is completely gone. I was also on antidepressants for 25 years and have been off them for 1 1/2 months now. Please!!!  I don`t know where else to turn.

[femmy29]

I think you need to find a good SSDI attorney to work on getting you the benefits that you need.  Most SSDI attorneys work on a contingency basis meaning they don't get paid until you receive your benefits.  Most people get turned down the 1st and even 2nd and 3rd time so don't give up if you have been turned down before.  Just pick yourself back up and keep fighting until your benefits are awarded.

Methadone withdrawal will not kill you directly.  In a very small percentage of cases, there have been deaths associated with complications of methadone withdrawal such as a stroke or heart attack due to increased heart rate and blood pressure.  I would encourage you to start a taper on your remaining medicine right away in case you don't find a doctor once your 15 days of methadone supply is gone.  Starting a taper now will reduce the severity of the withdrawaI symptoms.  I also encourage you to search MedHelp for the "Thomas Recipe" it will help you with the withdrawal symptoms.  Also, the Addiction/Substance Abuse community on MedHelp can help you with your methadone taper and the associated withdrawal symptoms.  I am in no way implying that you are an addict, but the members of the Addiction/Substance Abuse community on MedHelp can give better advice on how to deal with the withdrawal symptoms of methadone.

The other option is find an addiction treatment center in your state to receive methadone there.  The ER will do very little for your withdrawal.  Valium withdrawal can cause life threatening seizures and members have posted that the ER did nothing to help them taper off Valium and other benzodiazepines so I don't think they are going to do much for you.  They may give you a pain shot and/or a small supply of meds to help you get over a pain flare but that is about it.  With repeated visits, they may provide a referral to a pain management physician...all at an extremely high cost that they will bill you for later.

I wouldn't give up or even contemplate ending your life.  You have a maximum of 15 days until your methadone supply runs out (more than 15 days if you start tapering now).  During this time, I would continue to search for a doctor that is willing to help you.  Consider asking your previous doctor for a referral to another doctor for treatment.  

Please keep us updated on how things are going.

Wishing for the best.

femmy

[msnova74]

The best advice I can give you on that is go to the ER and let them know you are going through withdrawals.  Methodone withdrawals can be fatal, but the ER has a responsibility to get you detoxed safely.