[babydawn]

This thread is to post about all of the pro's and con's of methadone. Quite obviously, there are conflicting views. If we get the info out there, from all sides, people can then make form their own opinion on wether or not this drug should be out there. The following posts have been moved from another thread as they are more relevant here. So, what are your views? If you are looking for methadone support, please visit this thread. http://forums.families.com/methadone,t1852

Originally Posted by mjhaynes

I was a mom until methadone became involved in my son's life. He died on 09-04-06 at the age of 23. Unfortunatly, there are many families going thru this same ordeal. Please see Harmd (Helping America Reduce Methadone Deaths) Here is my son's memorail site.
www.HARMD.org
http://james-pethel.memory-of.com/
We are the families of victims and those yet to be victims of methadone. We have come together with other families throughout the United States who have lost loved ones to methadone. We would like to prevent any other family from the devastation we have experienced when our loved ones went to a doctor they trusted to relieve pain, went to a methadone clinic for help with an addiction, was given a "pain pill" from a trusted friend or just experimented with drugs.
We are asking government agencies to enact stricter guidelines in prescribing methadone for any reason. It must be mandatory that all doctors be certified and trained in the pharmacology of methadone; inpatient stays must be required during induction to methadone; all staff be extensively trained in monitoring methadone patients for symptoms of toxicity. Clinic patients should be tested for legal and illegal drugs that are taken with methadone to get “ high” or experience “euphoria” such as benzodiazepines, alcohol, cocaine, heroin etc… and face severe consequences / mandatory detoxification from methadone program when presenting inebriated at clinic, clinic should also document such activity as well as prevent client from driving. Take home doses for all patients receiving methadone should be eliminated thus preventing the risk of diversion or precautions such as pill safe should be implemented. http://www.thepillsafe.com/

Current statistics show that nearly 4000 people a year die from methadone. These deaths are mostly happening to pain management and detoxification patients within the first 10 days of taking initial dose. Most of these deaths are related to methadone prescribed with other medications that react as additives with methadone. Diversion of methadone is a serious problem because it lands this most deadly drug on streets. Statistics also state that methadone is contributing to more deaths nationwide then heroine and cocaine. For more info, please see harmd. Thank you, Mary Haynes

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Originally Posted by Melis11577

I am very sorry at the loss of your son. As you may know from reading, I don't know much about methadone (I am the addiction and recovery moderator so I participate and am trying to learn). I would like to know what you feel went wrong with your son. I know that many feel that methadone saved them, literally got them away from the grasps of addiction. However, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be closely monitored and that others may form an addiciton to methadone as well. I would be interested in hearing your perspective on this.

Our government calls Methadone the "gold standard" in treatment.

there are between 800,000 & 900,000 (some stats give diff numbers) heroin addicts in the U.S and 1,881 people died from heroin in the U.S. in 2004.

there are 200,000 people on methadone for drug treatment and I don't have the number of people on it for pain but even if we double the 200,000 and assume it's 400,000 total people on methadone there were 3,849 deaths in 2004

It looks like the "gold standard" if killing more then the drug its supposed to save people from!!!!

Every day 10.9 people die from Methadone (according to 2004 stats)

We are the families of victims and those yet to be victims of methadone. www.HARMD.org I have come together with many other families throughout the United States who have lost loved ones to methadone.

On June 24th 2006 I lost my fiancé (Ron) to methadone prescribed by a physician with a combination of other medications that acted as additives to the Methadone. He had knee surgery and became addicted to the percocet he was prescribed. He checked hi mself into Greenleaf in Valdosta , GA (part of South Georgia Medical Center ) for detoxification. Upon entering the facility he was drug tested and did not come up positive for opiates or any other drugs (he had stopped taking the percocet 4 days before entering the facility). He was prescribed by a Dr. excessive amounts of methadone (for a person without a known tolerence) with valium and Klonopin. On the fourth day in detox he died sometime between 2am and 1pm in the afternoon (he was never checked on in all of those hours). When hi s body was found at 1pm he was already in rigor mortis. He was extremely neglected bordering abusive considering he was supposed to be monitored every 1/2 hour according to hi s medical charts. The night before he died he was complaining of migraines and vomiting, apparently the staff thought he was still experiencing withdrawals (but again he had NO drugs in hi s system upon entering the facility) and was not concerned about these symptoms. The symptoms of methadone toxicity mimic withdrawal symptoms; physicians and staff must be very cognizant of the complex properties and metabolization of methadone. There were many errors made in my fiancé's death including the fact that he was given numerous amounts of additive medications such as benzodiazepines (valium and klonapin). He had only been taking percocet for about 4 months and according to the DSM IV he wouldn't be an appropriate candidate methadone maintenance treatment.


This methadone epidemic and deaths associated with it are not going away. It's only getting worse; I get contacted by families on a daily basis who have lost someone to this drug. At what point do we value human life over the convenience of others? Methadone patients, whether they are pain or clinic pose a risk to themselves and society as a whole if they are not monitored, dosed, and assessed correctly. Clinic patients getting into cars after being dosed who are using benzodiazepines, alcohol, marijuana or other opiates are killing innocent people on the road. T hi s type of harm reduction is not saving lives it’s taking them. The government cannot continue to be a legal drug dealer in order for its citizens to “behave”.

I know the rules are in place for the clinics but they are NOT being followed. Patients sell take homes outside the clinics. In one news article a man died in the parking lot of a clinic after taking hi s brothers take home. T hi s drug is too dangerous to be allowed in medicine cabinets! There is A LOT of money to be made from methadone but what expense is that money being made at? When do the risks outweigh the benefits of t hi s drug? How many more people must die before changes are made that actually save lives?
I have called several methadone clinics and have found out that many do not test for marijuana and are not open 7 days a week. These two t hi ngs are of special concern to my organization because all methadone patients will receive a take home bottle of methadone on Saturday for Sunday (the day they are closed) whether they are new to the program or have been abusing other drugs. Marijuana and methadone have an effect on the user very similar to heroin. Many clinics do not test for marijuana because it is not believed to be a drug of choice or a "hard drug", I beg to differ because of the effect when combining the two have the potential to be more dangerous then the user/staff is aware. T hi s poses a serious public health risk to those on the road innocently driving to work or school.

The potential of abuse, diversion, and overdose to new patients being prescribed methadone is overwhelming. The unique properties of methadone, it's long half life, and it's negative interaction with numerous drugs make it an optimal choice as a last result treatment for chronic pain and addiction.

Thank you for taking the time to read t hi s letter.

Sincerely

Melissa Zuppardi
www.HARMD.org

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Originally Posted by methadonesupport

Sigh....sorry that this has to go on at a forum that is supposed to be for support. Methadone SAVES lives....and as you can imagine, I have a much different perspective on this. I want to post to Angela about her sister.....and will in a separate thread.
Meanwhile...here's the other side of the coin...........

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/360731625
Methadone Patients Against Hysteria and Further Restrictions

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We are Methadone Patients, Providers, Families and Friends AGAINST the Hysteria which is calling for Further Restrictions on the Prescribing of Methadone.

There has been much written of late about the rise in deaths due to the abuse of Methadone. We lament these deaths, but feel that there has arisen an hysteria that proposes to restrict futher the prescription of this life-saving medication to the detriment of the 250,000 patients who receive this drug daily in addiction treatment programs across the United States. An overdose due to a person's recreational use of illicitly obtained methadone is NOT the fault of the drug, but of the person abusing the drug. Accidental overdoses by persons legitimately prescribed the drug for pain management purposes is again, not the fault of the drug, but of medical personnel who may not be educating patients enough to the dangers of such a long-acting analgesic. Deaths due to the recreational abuse of the drug lies with the abuser, not the substance.

Methadone when used correctly is an effective and inexpensive pain medication. In addiction treatment programs, methadone acts as endorphin replacement for the damaged brain chemistries brought about by long term exposure to opiates. It has been utilized safely and scrutinized closely for five decades, and has been declared the "gold standard" for opiate addiction treatment by our government's National Institutes of Health. It is also the most closely regulated drug in existance when used for this purpose. Investigations over the last three years by the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration has shown that illicit methadone on the streets of America originates in pain management programs and NOT addiction treatment facilities.

Methadone SAVES lives! There are a quarter of a million patients receiving it daily in addiction treatment facilities across America who will attest to that fact. It is safe when used properly, and effective in the endorphin replacement therapy needed by these patients. We the undersigned wish to implore the Federal Centers for Substance Abuse Treatment(CSAT) to not fall victim to the hysteria presently surrounding this drug.

An overdose death is always lamentable, but let's not "throw the baby out with the bathwater" and keep any changes to the offending areas of distribution. That is NOT the opiate addiction treatment programs of America.

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PLEASE....be sure to read the comments by each of the signatures. They tell the TRUE stories of how lives have been effected.

thanks so much!.......Carol



Wow...HATE to hear what you are going thru with your sister...so heartbreaking!!

The thing about the cocaine confuzzles me, Angela. With her passing out.....sounds more like heroin??!! When you turned the drugs over to the sheriff.....did they do any sort of test on it to make certain what it was? I can tell you this.....if your sister is now going to a methadone clinic....she might get away with using cocaine for a little while, being a "newbie". HOWEVER....if the behavior continues she will more than likely end up being detoxed.....sigh.

Angela.....I have so many questions, and would also like you to get more feedback from other people about what's going on with your sister. PLEASE come over and join us at our community of support forums....and feel free to contact me anytime by email!

Your sister is very luck to have you. It sounds like she is on a destructive spiral going downwards.....I can imagine you being TERRIFIED! I wish you all the best!.....Carol (Carol@MethadoneSupport.org )

*Here's the direct link to the forums....just click below!......

http://www.MethadoneSupport.org/forum.html

[Melis11577]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC18FcPX6_4
Anyone interested in learning the facts about methadone please see this You Tube video

[MeMyselfandI]

Hello everyone. This is my first time coming to this site. I just wanted to tell about myself and continue reading about everyone else. I am female, 24 years old and I have been going to the methadone clinic for a year and 8 months. I am now at level 6, so I can get 6 take home bottles at a time. YEAH!!!! Well, that's how happy I was at first. I have a huge issue with taking my bottles too soon. So for 3 days before I go to the clinic again, I suffer so bad!! I try really hard to just take one dose a day like I'm suppose to but when it's right there in fron of me, I just cant help it. So, the logical thing to do would be to talk to my councelor and explain everything to him and just go to the clinic on a daily basis to get my dose, BUT there is a part of me that don't want to do that either. I don't want to suffer but at the same time I don't want to go without having two doses when I want it. Most of the time when I take one dose a day like I'm suppose to, I still feel like crap afterward. My councelor said maybe I need to go up Im already at 95 and to me that sounds like a lot. Plus, I know this sounds bad but if I do have to get it from someone else when I'm out, which is not very often, 9 or 10 pills can be a bit expensive. I don't know what to do about it, I'm just not real strong. I did start the clinic for the right reasons but now I feel like I just want it all the time. Anyways, I have written a lot but I will write more again. If anyone reads this , I would like to know your opinion with everything I have written and also if there are other people having a hard time at the clinic like me. Thanks for reading this!!!

[QueenAngie]

Welcome to the board, MemyselfandI!

Good to hear that you are on the road to recovery
with the Methadone Treatment.

Sounds like, it is getting very tough for you at this stage.
Maybe you need to address this with your counselor.
Don't want you back sliding the wrong direction.

Keep us posted on your progress.

[gerrard]

It must be terrible to face such a great loss, this is every parents worst nightmare... I don't have words to make you forget the pain, I know this pain never goes away. There is one thing you could do: tell Jamies story to all the people, you might save other kids life this way. Methadone takes many lives... there are many kids that need drug treatment and yet they refuse it because they don't think they stand a chance fighting their addiction.

[Samual]

Yes methadone does take many lives, but it also brings to relief to far more lives, whether that be to fight addiction or to reduce pain. Every single drug out there has caused someones death, even a simple paracetomal.

[punkytina]

In the UK (where i am) there are more reported deaths due to methadone than heroin itself. Also in the UK, the 'clinics' are meant to use 'harm reduction' so that means when an addict of whatever substance goes to them, they prescribe a synthetic version of that substance to reduce harm... Now that aint strictly true... My husband was addicted to Heroin and Ampetamines, he started off on Diamorphine and MethylAmphetamine and is now on Physeptone Hydrochloride and Nothing for his Amphetamine use... So what do they think , the 'speed' use will just go away on its own.. I think not, hence My husband spending lots of money on his 'speed' every day. Also my gripe is if they want to reduce harm, then my husband has blown most of his veins by injecting and has ulcers etc why are they not asking him to go on oral meth, they have never mentioned it,surely that would be harm reduction, instead they just send him home with leaflets on safer injecting (which is a good thing i suppose) and guides on how to find deeper veins!