switching from methadone for pain to butrans patch?

[kidscharityguru23]

I am recovering from horrific motorcycle accident where i crushed my spin on many places amd broke neck leg and shattered arm.Only had 10% chance of surviving first 5 hrs of surgeries which turned into over 40 hrs of surgeries. Was paralized on left side just hrs after accident but surgeries got feeling back other than numbness in legs.The only drug strong enough to get me off the ventilator was methadone and after three months at 45mgs a day plus oxy 5s i told doc methadone was making me unbearable to be around due to it making me hostile and angry.Told doc and she decided to put me on 7 day patch called butrans which is a 7 day patch of buprinorphine,Even though she knew that bupe is only half agonist and i was still on 10-20 mgs a day of methadone I was told by her and pharmacist that i wouldnt have trouble w precipitated withdrawals but after researching dozens of sites I found out it is not ok to switch to half aganonist after being on full while still having methadone in my system as the bupe will knock any remaining methadone off my receptors.She did however give me the strongest butrans patch but still have seen that even that may not be adequate to not withdrawal.I called pharmacies and they said(along w my doc) it shouldnt cause w drawals?They still kept me on the oxy 5s but I also know bupe beats and knocks all other opiods off making their effectiveness little to none....I have been taking short acting meds(oxy 5s and morph 15s) and havent had a methadone for 24 hrs.Is it ok to put on this patch or will it send me the precipitated w drawals that I am terrified of? HELP!!!!

[sara12345]

Since you want to stop the methadone, you could instead try to very slowly taper off of it with the doctor's recommendations.  Or you could try the Butrans patch and take if off if you have withdrawals.  I understand that the medication will last at a lower dose about 48 hours after you take it off.

[marycarmel]

I don't blame you for your fear of precipitated withdrawals.  Even though you're not an addict, you may get some good information by posting in the substance abuse forum as there are people there who have more experience transitioning from narcotics, especially methadone, to bupe.