On Aug 25th, 2007 divya wrote:

I was not knowing that Methadone is only effective to those addicted to heroin, morphine or drugs that are opiates but will not work on other types of drugs.
The downside of using methadone is that an individual can remain physically dependent to it, which means they are still addicted to a substance although not as dangerous as the substance they are previously addicted to.

On Sep 7th, 2007 Melissa wrote:

Please see these videos and what actually goes on at clinics http://www.nbc10.com/news/13843471/detail.html and http://video.nbc10.com/player/?id=142152


Methadone is now the #2 Killer Drug in the U.S. This is a legal drug that has been thought to be safe for the past 40 years. Only recently when its use became approved for pain management patients has the cardio toxic risks emerged. Previously methadone has been used exclusively for replacement therapy for heroin patients and death was thought to be an effect of the accumulation of many years of drug abuse. With the surge in pain medication misuse and abuse more patients are being referred to methadone clinics and physicians treating pain who believe the myth that methadone is safer or non addictive because of it’s use with weaning addicts from heroin. Methadone is more addictive then any other pain medication including heroin and because of it’s extremely long half life, cardio toxic risks, numerous fatal drug interactions, dosages based on tolerance, and small margin of error. Up until Nov 2006 the government and pharmaceutical companies have been suppressing the numerous health and fatality risks related to methadone.

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" is killing more then the drug its supposed to save people from!!!!

Every day 10.9 people die from Methadone (according to 2004 stats, not
including car accident deaths caused by drivers under the influence of Methadone)


We (the families of methadone victims) are requesting new laws surrounding who can prescribe Methadone, clinic rules and regulations as well as stiffer penalties for those caught selling their take home doses. The whole methadone maintenance system needs an overhauling. We cannot continue to allow a legal medication to be killing more people then the illegal drugs. Our government cannot be allowed to use tax dollars to fund their legal drug dealing operations.

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 weekly for legal and illegal drugs that are taken with methadone to get “ hi gh” or experience “euphoria” such as benzodiazepines, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana etc… and face severe consequences or mandatory detoxification from the methadone program after 3 dirty urines. Selling of take home doses must result in termination from methadone program permanently throughout the U.S. 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’ wit hi n 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 the methadone. Diversion of methadone is a serious problem because it lands t hi s most deadly drug on streets. Statistics also state that methadone is contributing to more deaths nationwide then heroin and only second to cocaine deaths.

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 this letter.

Sincerely

Melissa Zuppardi
www.HARMD.org

On Sep 19th, 2007 kate wrote:

my brother has been trying to get off heroin on his own by using methadone obtained on the street. He is back to heroin. I need help, he needs help. I live in philly, he is in central jersey, just lost another job and i feel like all of his chances at success are dwindling. I want to help him. he now has no heath insurance. where can he go? where can i tell him to go for help? how do i convince him. i feel powerless.

On Sep 23rd, 2007 Zenith wrote:

There need not \"come a point wherein someone has to go through withdrawal from methadone.\" Many MMT patients have sustained permanent changed to their brain chemistry from years of heroin and other opioid abuse, leaving them with a severe deficiency of endorphins--the chemicals in our brains that enable us to feel pleasure and happiness. Without opiates, these persons are severely depressed, anhedonic, lethargic/exhausted and beset with constant cravings. Methadone replaces the missing chemicals in the brain (and remember, opiates occur naturally in our brains--that\'s why we have opiate receptors) but does not cuase the \"high\" or euphoria the other opioids cause, thereby allowing the patient to live a normal, happy life. People on MMT can work, drive, raise a family, etc without impairment, as long as they do not mix it with other drugs or take more than prescribed. Many MMT patients, however, will require long term, even life long treatment with methadone due to the permanent nature of the chemical changes in the brains of some addicts.

It is commonly said, as in this article, that you are just \"switching addictions\" but this is not true. There is a big difference between addiction and dependence. The hallmarks of addiction are out of control behavior, manipulating people to get more, taking more than prescribed, obsession with the substance, declining physical appearance, isolation, and many more. Dependence simply means that if a person were to suddenly stop taking the medication, they would become physically ill. If you define addiction and dependence as the same thing, that would then mean that diabetics are \"addicted\" to insulin, cardiac patients are \"addicted\" to their heart pills, etc. It is NOT the same thing, and properly treated MMT patients do not display signs of \"addiction\" to methadone.

On Sep 23rd, 2007 Carol Sholiton wrote:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/360731625

Methadone Patients Against Hysteria and Further Restrictions


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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.

__________________________________________

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

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

Carol Sholiton
Methadone Support Org. (MSO)
http://www.MethadoneSupport.org
http://www.MethadoneSupport.org/forum.html

On Sep 25th, 2007 SHEILA wrote:

WHO EVER SAID METHADONE IS EASY TO COME OFF OF, IS CRAZY!!!! IT WILL TAKE WEEKS TO COME OFF OF. IT STORES IN YOUR BODY MASS, AND BONES. IT'S THE WORST THING I HAVE EVER HAD TO DO.

On Oct 1st, 2007 Shelli wrote:

Methadone is Not easy to come off of, But if you do it under supervision of a doctor and have the tools to use for a successful recovery plan..you CAN DO IT....noone said it was gonna be easy, But, fro what I would have had to look forward to...Not going on methadone to what I am going through being on methadone...seriously, I wouldn\\\'t have had it any other way....i work, i love, i play, i exist...most of all I LIVE....I LIVE and I am going to keep on living JUST FOR TODAY.....

On Oct 4th, 2007 Priscilla wrote:

What Melissa Zuppardi failed to mention is that many methodone related deaths are caused by the use of methadone and benzodiazepines together. When these two medications are combined, they can cause respiratory failure. Most clinics monitor patients\' use of benzos and methadone and some do not even allow patients to take prescribed benzos. I would also like to think that all clinics would discharge a patient if that patient was caught diverting their medication. Methadone patients should not be made to jump through a million hoops in their attempt to recover from addiction. It is true that some people will mismanage their medication, but those individuals should be to blame, not methadone patients as a whole.

On Oct 4th, 2007 traci wrote:

Methadone treatment has been the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I was put on it due to a severe opiate addiction. when i tried to get off the opiates, the withdrawls were so severe that i could not live a normal life. I laid it bed and cried and could not work or take care of my family. I literally wanted to die at times so I always went right back to taking the opiates just to live a normal life with the fear of having to face life without them. I wanted to quit taking the opiates so badly but also could not see my children and family see me go through what i had to go through to get off the opiates. Then my doctor told me about Methadone treatment and I was willing to try anything at this point in my life. I will say that once i started the methadone I actually felt normal. I did not feel the high i felt when on the opiates and for some reason I did not have the desire to take another opiate. I actually felt the same way i had felt 5 years ago before i ever abused opiates. It was a miracle for me. I was sble to work a great job, be a great wife and mom again, and live a full functioning life with out my drug of choice. I feel great now. I will ssy i have been on the methadone for a few years now and i am almost completely off the drug now. I started taking 90 milligrams a day and now i am on 20 milligrams a day. I will say i am teffified about the day that i completely quit taking it. I have definately become dependant upon methadone to function in my every day life. My doc is slowly weening me off the drug and tells me that when i get down to 5 milligrams a day that it will be easy to quit taking it. I know i will have some withdrawls but nothing will ever compare to the withdrawls i had to go through coming off the opiates. I just tell myself that having a little withdrawls just lets me know what i did to myself in my past and lets myself know i will never go back to that lifestyle again. I will say that methadone completely took away my opiate addiction and made things so much easier for me. I recommend anyone who has a opiate addiction and wants to get off the drugs to give it a try because i think if it were not for the methadone treatment i started i would probably be dead today. actually i know i would not be here today. My addiction had become so bad that there was no way my body could have taken another year of what i was putting it through. so i believe methadone saved my life along with my willingness to do what i had to do to save it. It will work for anyone if they really want to get off the opiates and take the drug like it is prescribed. Everyone who knows me will say that it was a miracle drug for me becuase i had tried everything to try to recover. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. good luck to anyone who has started taking the drug or who is looking for info. about the drug.

On Oct 5th, 2007 Frank wrote:

Methadone is a safe and effective medication. I have taken it for over 3years daily for pain and it works well. If there is a problem it’s due to abuse of methadone not taken under a physician’s care. Methadone saves lives and one of them is mine.

On Oct 23rd, 2007 Rick wrote:

Methadone is not a miracle drug. It is also not the demon drug some people make it out to be. That being said people who use it legally or not tend to be the problem (not everyone but some). My concern is that people are using it as an easier softer way out from their addiction. Methadone can be dangerous and should be used as a last resort for long term users. MMT should be used in conjunction with some form of therapy or counselling for those who want to get clean (the therapy is to help people make the life changes necessary to stay clean)but in most cases the therapy is left out and all the addict gets is the medication and then they are stuck on it because they have not developed the skills and tools they need to live life on its own terms.
as for the earlier post stating that addicts do not sell their carries or doses, some may not but again there are those that do (so they can get some other type of illicit drug that they can get high on. Methadone can help but it needs to be used properly and in conjunction with counselling and treatment.

On Oct 30th, 2007 Frank wrote:

I have taken methadon for 4 years everyday for back pain. It is a life saving medication. All this hype about methadone is hogwash. Methadone is the gold standard for the treatment of opium addiction.

On Nov 15th, 2007 Jessica wrote:

methadone is evil. my sister has been on it for about 2 or 3 years now. all it does is subsitute one drug addiction for the next.it has made her a completely diffrent person. its basically taken over her whole life. my family is totally ruined. its like i dont even have a sister anymore. take home doses SHOULD NOT BE ALOUD. whatever genious thought of that needs to be put in a mental institute for insanity. clinics should be shut down, doctors perscribing methadone should get their practicing liscence taken away, and people who use methadone should be forced to go to a rehab center and get clean the right way. go through the withdrawls, go to counciling, be there for eachother, let your family and friends help you and be a part of your struggle. dont you think if people were forced to go through the withdrawls they would feel just how much damage they have done to their body and never want to go back to that feeling or lifestyle EVER again. to me, people who take methadone dont REALLY want to get better. its an easy way to be able to say \" see, im getting off drugs.\" while still being able to get high. im so sick of hearing people say \" i NEED xanex, or i NEED methadone.\" thats just a cop out! im not trying to be mean, degrading, or think im better than the next person, but if i have to live my life, take care of my responsibilitys, and deal with everyday tryles and tribulations than why dont you? how come the rest of the world can get up everyday,face reality, stay off drugs and bust butt to do what they need they need to do, but drug addicts cant. MOST PEOPLE are not born drug addicts.all you need is the love and compassion of ONE person. methadone causes death, families to fall apart,and adds to drugs that get sold on the streets. clinics dont care about people. they care about their money making system they call methadone. thats really all the clinics are doing is taking money from people THEY think have lost their purpose in life. people who they think dont matter antmore. always remeber that you do matter, and your purpose is never lost unless YOU give up on it. things do get better, only if you are willing to take that long hard road it takes to get there and take the right path. my heart goes out to everyone. i wish i could help save just one person from turning to methadone. maybe after that we could show the world how strong all of you really are inside and influence people to follow.

On Nov 27th, 2007 Biff's sister wrote:

I've read your stories. Here's my brother's story. "Biff" started off abusing prescription drugs. He stole from my parents, me, his wife and anyone else who was unsuspecting. When his second wife kicked him out for the second time, he returned to live with my mother. He robbed her blind to support his methadone habit. He had a prescription then went and bought more "hits". From the amount of money missing, I'm guessing he had a $600 a day habit. My mother had cancer, COPD and heart issues. Biff stole her medicines, sold them to the next door neighbor and then went on to buy his drug of choice. Yes, he went to the clinic on Line Avenue to get his "dose". When I tried to tell my mother of my suspiscions. It fell on deaf ears until the end. She apologized for calling me the liar. She told me he was drugging her so that she would sleep and not be a problem. She told me he had stolen everything she'd ever worked for. She even told me "thank you" for rescueing her. Until her last breath she called him the "Devil". I am now paying for all of the missing money. The credit card bills (I guess cash advances) and the mortgage (on a paid for home that I co-owned and knew nothing about), my mother's funeral and so on. He depleted her annuity to $10,000. Not even enough to pay for a proper funeral. Bitter? You bet I am. This is a person who had it all. Good looks, no, great looks. Super intelligent. That's evident because he is one step ahead of me at all times. When i took him to detox, he thanked me for the tough love and said no one had ever given him this chance. Bull. Now, he won't answer my calls. At the funeral, he was high again. I've tried. I've got nothing left. You won drugs. Take my brother. He's all yours.

On Jan 5th, 2008 johnvan burns wrote:

i read yours storys on here and i cryed because i think methodome destoryed my life i lost my wife to it now the doctor i was getting it from stoped writing and now i dont know what to do stop taking it but i dont want to get sick i heard of suboxone thats what i want to talk to someone about

On Jan 13th, 2008 Cyn wrote:

I started on methadone back in 1998, when I tired of shooting morphine & dilauded. It did allow me to work and live a crime-free life. I was not committing any crimes anymore, and worked a legit job. There were a few side effects with methadone, such as weight gain, constipation. I started on methadone at 70 mgs. & asked for a voluntary detox, and came weaned down to 10 mgs. Then I switched to a doctor, which was much cheaper. I am now down to 5 mgs. a day, and continue to slowly wean down. I cannot wait for the day that I do not have to take Methadone. I commend Methadone for taking people that want to come off of opiates off the street, BUT...I do not think that after years of use that it is good for the body. It builds up in every fiber, and bone in your body. I've noticed changes in my own body in the last 3 yrs., such as lumps coming up in my body. Like the lymph nodes. No doctor understands what this is that I've seen so far, but I truly believe that Methadone STOPS up the lymph nodes, thyroid gland is not normal, blood out of sync, and creates havoc on the digestive tract. It eventually takes it toll in the long run BELIEVE ME! So I'm getting off ASAP. Like I said, good for short term use, but not for long term (years) The withdrawl is very prolonged because of the half-life, but weaning down slowly is about the best way. And some Clonidine is helpful also for the elevated blood pressure.

On Jan 14th, 2008 Mike wrote:

I am reading some of the comments here and hearing a methadone clinic referred to as "a treatment program." I have been going to a methadone clinic for over 2 years now. When I asked to decrease my dose, I was told at the clinic that they were not a "treatment program," but a "maintenance program." I am seeing more and more "gold standard" references online and can personally tell you I was told at the onset of my MMT that clinics have better results than any other treatment options when getting people off of illicit drugs. And I believe that. Trouble is, you are then on Methadone. Now my clinic is telling me they will not reduce my daily dose, which by the way puts me right to sleep. I have not failed any drug screens since starting at the clinic. It is the methadone that puts me "out." The owners of my clinic own 19 clinics in 8 states and I bet all 19 of the others are operated just like mine. I was told by my clinic nurse to increase to my current dose and I feel like I have been taken advantage of for being an addict. And now I am infuriated every time I hear someone say the word "treatment" in the same sentence as "methadone clinic" and I now realize that a methadone clinic is a place of business and the business they're in is drug-dealer replacement. Thanks for reading this.

On Jan 18th, 2008 sandi wrote:

methadone should be against the law and docs who prescribe it should have their licence revoked. it has ruined my daughters life. she has now lost her son who is 11 years old and now lives with me. i mourned the loss of my daughter as i knew her many years ago when she began taking methadone. it is a poison who noone should have to be subjected to taking. she has begged her doc to take her off of it but he would not. he finally did last week COLD TURKEY. she wants to die rather than go through the horrible withdrawals. i cannot express how much i hate this drug and all docs who prescribe it.

On Feb 2nd, 2008 gig wrote:

For all the people who said Methodone is the devil, has ruined their lives and lives of love ones, robbed them of their love ones, ruined innocent children's lives by taking their mom or dad away, ruined children of worried sick parents by taken their child's future away, killed people, kept people "hooked" and away from getting proper treatment, made lazy fat irresponsible people out of people who use to be happy, energetic and responsible, who said clinics are a complete rip off who have done nothing to help people get sober after begging for help to lower doses........YOU ARE ALL 100% RIGHT.
It IS the DEVIL in synthetic form! The word Methodone makes me sick! The word drugs makes me sick. I have watched someone I love turn into someone I don't even know and suffer from the shame he lives with. I am SICK of this and SICK of excuses! I believe it was Carol who wrote that it helped her get off of Opiates.....what do you think this drug is dear??? My heart breaks for Sandi and Jessica and Biff's sister. I wish I knew you girls- we are victims too and need support just as much! Our worlds have been torn apart as we stand helpless and in emotional agony. Pray people, just simply pray! God is the only thing strong enough to break this cycle- no matter if it is called addiction or dependency, maintenance or treatment- people on drugs are BOTH!

On Feb 4th, 2008 Nikki wrote:

I was in a serious accident in 1999 that left me partially paralized...If I had been completely paralized an in a wheelchair I wouldn't be dependant on Pain Management. Be ME FOR ONE DAY and look me in the eye and tell me I'm an addict. I dare you. I got off of opiate because they are The Devil...but the Methadone has saved me from being in terrible pain every second of my life. I won't get parole, this is a life sentence and without my daily meds, (Which my Dr lets me take home my monthly allotment because he knows I need it) I would have put a bullet in my head a long time ago. I don't like the term "Gold Standard." All I KNOW is that I have a handicap that hurts and started on vicodin and it increased to oxycontin...YUCK. Cannot see how anybody can function on that stuff. Methadone is the only thing that ALLOWS me to be a productive citizen and take care of business. Methadone doesn't KILL....ABUSERS AND DEALERS KILL.

On Feb 7th, 2008 feohmoon wrote:

Since I have been researching methadone clinics, the information I have come across is startling. Last April, my fiance and I entered a clinic to help us kick our opiate dependancy...which it did, thankfully. Now, we are detoxing because it is very important for us to be off methadone in under a year, we will continue to live our life free of drugs!!! Upon mentioning our plans to our counselor, we were discouraged...methadone isn\\\\\\\'t designed to come off of...\\\\\\\"it doesn\\\\\\\'t work that way\\\\\\\"...Through our research of the drug, withdrawals, and our hobby of gardening and herbalism...along with strong spirituality...we will get through this. I often read forums much like this although I have always chosen to simply observe. For whatever reason I felt compelled to join in...right now we are @ 49 mg. down from 110 mg. in August \\\\\\\'07 (neither of us should have been taking such a high amount). Our last day we will go to the clinic is March 6...I am so excited and feel so many emotions. We are certain that we will be enlightened spiritually as well...I feel confident that the method we are using will help ease some of the pain...i will chart our progress once it is time. I would love to develop a method of detox that could help people who cannot afford $10,ooo. for staying at a detox facility.

On Feb 12th, 2008 tracy wrote:

I have been on methadone for 8 months trying to get off of oxy.....wish I would of just once took a second to research and be informed of my decision. My action before thought has landed me a bigger Monkey on my back than ever. I'm sicker than before and now know this will take longer to kick than the 10 short days of hell it takes to quit the shorter lasting opiates. Methadone is a longer lasting opiate.........I'm feeling pretty stupid for my hastey decision and trust in other people without finding out first for myself. Well I really am finding out for myself, the hard way. I hope this will find someone like me before they too make the same decision, it still is not over and I don't want opiates in my life anymore, this is harder than anything, you can't just walk away from this and not look back. I now know why good people will steal for their opiate addiction because you feel you will die without it. And you can

On Feb 17th, 2008 marie wrote:

Methadone is a wonderful drug if it is used by a person who wants to change there life for the better. What should our people do? Take methadone aways then we have the addicts running the street. No matter how many drug dealers get busted the drugs are always going to be there. I think the clinics should start getting a full perspective on the person who is using there clinic.They should get involved with the families to get a down low on what this person is doing everyday, how the Methadone is effecting them and there families. I do not know what it is like to be dependent on methadone but I definatly know it's effects on someone you love. I once was addicted to the most addictive drug known scientifically by men "meth" and I had to over come my addiction on my own and actually wanted to stop using the drug "intraveniously" If someone wants to turn there life around they will and thoes people at the clinics that are only taking advantage of the drug and it's ablity to help addicts get off the street and to stop lying and getting in trouble with the police, to be able to have a funtioning relationship with there loved ones and thoes who are able to be parents again without the problems they once had before the program should be refused to seek treatment unless they are serious about the program. Drug screens should be done more than once a month and with more conciqeunces then just a slap on the hand. The program should be based on the persons history of drug addiction and what drug is found in there drug test the first time they come into the clinic for treatment. If there addicted to heroin then yes the persons problem is going to be a little more difficult resulting in a longer period on the methadone and more counciling. There are more people at these clinics that have been going for years opposed to people that used the program to get off the drugs they were on. Whats the big deal why is everyone ranting about these clinics what harm is it doing to our loved ones???!!!! What do they see that we don't or what do they know that we don't what kind of studies could they have possibly done to really show how the program works? NO one and I mean NO one can get off any drug unless they want to unless they are motivated to! These methadone clinics ...YES they help but they don't solve the problem they just make it cheaper and easier for the addict to get there high! They are not strict enough ..one failed drug test that person should not be allowed any take homes even one sunday thoes clinics allow sundays dose to be abused because they aren't open on sundays thus prevailing the dose to be taken with there saterdays dose after they leave the clinic. If the person is showing they aren't serious about the program and showing methadone isen't enough then that person should be weaned off of what they are one and dissmissed for a period of time then let the person come back in that trial time after they had time to think about wanting to really get off of drugs and being able to see there self doing good at the clinic and in there life opposed to how they went back to living that unforgiven hell filled life they were. Trust me the program would work if these doctors would actually get people off of drugs by using methadone then weaning them off of the methadone when the time is right. My fiance he goes to the clinic he has been there for 3 years we have a 2 year old daughter the methadone isen't fufilling his addiction anymore he has to go up now having to pay and extra 100 dollars to do that he is currently at 99 he'll be going up any day now considering the blood test done.. why should someone be allowed to go up after 3 years at the same does...what does that tell you... this person wants that high fealing again! right? he says he can't stand the withdraw symptoms and he feals like crap at the end of the day thats why he can't go down and he wants to wait untill he has the money to get another doctor to perscrive muscle ralxents and other medicines to make the withdraw more tolerable. He just quit drinkin his pint of whiskey every night because that was his deal to quit drinking and go up on methadone...the reason for his drinking was because he felt crappy later on in the day. He takes his sundays dose on fridays then he sleeps all day sunday and when he wakes up it's like hes not there he is distant and doesen't want to talk or move doesen't want to hold his little girl when she wants him to hold her! on regular days he goes to work then he comes home he might stay up and hour if i'm lucky then he goes to bed. I'm sleeping in the morning so I don' see him before he leaves for work I see him just for about 30 minutes everyday same goes for his daughter. He is very short tempered and controls everything I do always gets in my face and yells when he gets angry with me spits on me throws things threatens to kick me out and keep our daughter tells me evrything is my fault because im such a B**CH thats all I do all the time in all reality i have stoped getting mad at him about the clinic i've stopped throwing it up in his face and when he was drinking occationally asked him to stop I did put him down about going to the clinic and just being a drug addict and alchoholic when we argued sometimes but I always apoligize when I say or do things that hurt him i find myself always giving in and telling im sorry just to make everything ok but what i have to ask myself is would he be like this if he was sober minded if he wasent dependent on a mind affecting drug ? Isen't there other alternitives that can block the receptors so someone doesen't have to go through withdraws or something that someone can take that makes the drugs they take inafective or something methadone if not ending lives is ruining lifes and not just thoes of the addict thoes of the familys along with it. Drug addicts are selfish with there selfish ways wanting what they want not caring about the effect it has on other people. What I don't understand is how can someone who has children not want to help themselves for their childrens sake how do we show them what they are really doing wrong open ones eyes to reality to life there is so much more out there why can't they just realize it?? Just because I can over come addiction I guess I feal like anyone can. You do have to hit rock bottom but rock bottom is diffrent for everyone. It doesen't help to get off drugs if your parent does them too and takes up for every little thing you do wrong and attacks the person that only loves you and wants the best for you I guess the parent is sick too and by realizing her son has a problem means she has a problem too and just doesen't want to deal with the problems !

On Feb 20th, 2008 Pascal wrote:

I first took methadone for oxycontin addiction
3 years ago..big mistake, after 3 years of being on methadone I decided I wanted to get off of it, I took my 120 mg dose and droped it to 40 in 2 months. I then decided to just stop cold turkey. The withdrawls have been hell and never seem to end.Its been 4 months and I still have a very hard time sleeping, lack of energy and depression. If I could go back in time I would defenatly just detox from the oxycontin. Methadone is for people who do not plan on being drug free some day.

On Feb 29th, 2008 skully wrote:

i`ve heard time in and time out that meyhadone withdrawal is not as bad as opiates itself, au contraire, i kicked both, and it was 150mg methadone cold turkey because and it was just that kind of thinking that caused it to be cold turkey and i was in a rehab you all have heard of. the medical person in charge said he`ll be okay, it was without a doubt the worst experience of my life, and i was in vietnam earlier in my life, and i thought some of the things i did there would scar me, it did but that detox was just as scaring mentally and physically put me thru the horror of meth detox, well ican really say that vietnam was a bitch for me, but if i had the time i would spell it out but it would take too much time, any way that kind of talk makes it hard when you trying to explain to a non user medical person, i was given the meth for pain. i kicked dope 33 years ago when it good, but meth detox whew! i`d love to come up there and talk about with the multitudes,

On Mar 3rd, 2008 Amy Price-Marcotte wrote:

The first and most critical thing, that methadone provides to people addicted to opiates is CHOICE. The choice to use or not. opiate addiction is extremely compelling, which explains why statistically, there is such a high relapse rate.Like any other program, it works if you work it. Methadone, when an optimum dose is achieved for that individual, 1e: the significant reduction of cravings, and the anxiety associated with it, is only the first step, in achieving sobriety. Most addicts, by the time they get to a clinic, are stripped of all dignity, self respect, and self esteem. We ALL need things in our lives, that empower us, doubly so for people just beginning on a methadone protocol. Involvement with 12 step groups, rational recovery etc. is helpful to some people, getting involve with favorite hobbies, or anything that we love is essential to recovery. working with, and caring for animals, is extremely theraputic, and reteaches the person things like responsibility, commitment, and unconditional love. Idle time is the enemy, and new behaviors must be incorporated that provide that all important sense of empowerment, otherwise, it is like a diabetic taking insulin, but eating all the wrong foods, it does not work! My husband and I have been on methadone for 14 years, and consider ourselves sober. We have not found a need for even a sip of alcohol, in that time. We were heroin addicts, homeless, and completely bankrupt, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. We lived like that for many years, going in and out of detoxes, until we found methadone. We took care of a flock of ducks, for six years, feeding them daily, and observing them, which provided us with some wholesome activity, while we healed. after two years of methadone, we got jobs, where we worked for 8 years, until we moved out of state, and now have our own business. I have never known a clinic to refuse to lower someones dose. some people do it, so they can use other drugs more effectively. I have never, I repeat never gotten high on methadone, or had any craving for it. I attempted to wean off of it a few times in the early years, with disastrous results. I believe I still had it on a moral level in my mind, and have since made peace with it. I wish they would allow physicians to prescribe methadone to people who have long term documented histories of successful methadone maintenance with clean urines, so we would not be tied to a clinic. The majority of clinics are \\\"for profit\\\" and the prices are prohibitive. If I could purchase it from a pharmacy, it would cost about 40 dollars a month instead of over 400 dollars. I forces people to be on assistance, as it is the only way, that they can get their medicine. the way I look at it is, It works if you look at your recovery as a multi faceted process, with many different areas that need to be addressed. Methadone can free you, and allow you to accomplish this.

On Mar 4th, 2008 Angel wrote:

Methadone should be titrated very slowly, never jump off on a high dose,or you will withdrawal for many months,if you come off it slow & take it down to the very last mg, you should have a much easier time, methadone is no drug to rush, the benifets of a slow taper is much easier on your body & mental status as this is a drug with a half life which can creep up on you days even weeks later if you rush your taper.

On Mar 18th, 2008 Judy in Canada wrote:

Wow, i am one of those in the desperate stage of addiction looking for the answer. The "Miracle" that will help me get off Oxycontin and survive the withdrawal. I am on a prescribed dose of 7 x 80mg a day. I get it weekly and i abuse it in the way of biting it and breaking the time release. I no longer get high i do getpain releif. I was given this drug 3 years ago after a car accident for a broken hip and damaged back. I now have fibro myalgia, bursitis and cyatic nerve problems. The use of this drug has ruined my life, I have gained 100lbs i never leave my house and i cry all the time, i think of suicide ever day and the only reason i dont kill myself is because i cant put my kids through that. I have been hoping beyond my wildest dreams that methadone will be the answer for me, i have read all of the comments here and i am now afraid to do it, all i know is things can't get any worse than this can they? One thing i want to make clear to all of you out there is "if" i had been given the proper knowledge at the time i was prescribed this drug, i would have certainly made a different choice. WHY didnt my doctor tell me that this pill would be forever, and i would get more tolerant of it as time passed..i remember when taking one 40mg pill a day made me feel sick like it was too strong, within 2 months i was at 4 a day, and so on. I couldnt get the pain to stop entirely and was so frustrated because the feeling of well being you get at the beginning of this addiction is like heaven, after living in pain to finally find a drug that took it away PLUS made me feel like i could do anything in the world, well it seemed like a God send..ha ha..someone (it was probably SATAN in the flesh) casually said to me one day, all you have to do is bite it in half and you will get hat great feeling again. I am not sure which was the worst thing that happened to me, 1. the car crash itself, 2. the oxycontin prescription or 3. "just bite it in half" but number 3 is on the top of the list of the worst decisions ive ever made in my life. Ok so now to the present and taking over 500mg a day. I have no doubt i will be dead n a year or on 1500mg a day by then so what would it hurt someone like me to try Methadone?? really think about it, im 100lb overweight, i am aggorophobic, my liver is damaged, and i am suicidal. I am a useless waste of space and air on this earth isnt it worth trying the Methadone? I want to be off it all, clean and sober nd happy again. I want to do things normal people do, NO actuallly i want to even DESIRE to do the things that normal people do!! Will Meth ruin my life? dont you think my life is already ruined? can someone please comment on this and tell me what you think?? PLEASE??? I have to do something soon, or i am gonna die. AND to thise of you who say we want this kind of life..i didnt ask for this, i didnt even know what the hell i was talking til it was WAAY too late. The doctors (ive asked more than 3) say that with my presnt health condition i would NOT survive the withdrawal process of cold turkey. I asked for a medical detox and they examined me and refused to detox me, fear of heart failure due to the pain of withdrawal on top of the actual injury pain coming all back at once "they say" will kill me. So what do i do? we have a meth clinic in this city and a meth doctor who follows you through the process and makes you do 12 step meetings etc. BUT hes supposedly a totally abusive jerk, calls his patients names and makes them do him favors for the meth. (dont even say it) you know why nobody reports him! Please email me if you can, or ask for my email address in your replies to this..i am so desperate and i am dying before my family's eyes. HELP ME!!! love Judy

On Mar 24th, 2008 Donna wrote:

please explain what methadone does to people on it does it make themsay and do crazy things forgett things imagine things be angry all the time look doped up wanting to fight the world

On Mar 26th, 2008 Brook Lynn wrote:

So many comments and sadly so much misinformation. I empathize though, since I too was misinformed about Methadone. I too believed that Methadone was just a substitute for Heroin or other opiates and that its only benefit was that it was legal so one would not get caught "copping a bag of dope" and risk going to jail. I also believed that it rotted your teeth, broke your bones and that it was even harder to come off of than heroin could be. After reading up on it and talking to a Doctor I learned the truth. If you are a heroin addict you have a disease. You are sick and have to take medication. The medication is not a substitute and if taking the correct dosage it should not make you high. It's intent is to maintain you, that is keep you from not feeling ill and to help you slowly stop craving heroin and ultimately to wean you off of all opiates. This, for me was one of the most important facts about Methadone, that is that slowly but surely your cravings for heroin would disappear and if taking this medication with a Doctors consent and supervision as well as Psychotherapy, your chances for ridding yourself of this addiction is greater than if you were to attempt it on your own or "cold turkey".
The bottom line is that if you are an addict you have a disease. Just like anybody else that may have any other type of disease like Diabetes for example, one is given medication to treat that ailment. If taken as prescribed, it is likely that the patient should get better. There may not be a cure for our disease but there are effective treatments that one can take to make life liveable. If people would learn to think of Addiction as a disease then there would not be all the stigma against this drug.
Lastly, if you are an addict or want to help someone that you know that is an addict I would suggest that you do a lot of reading and asking. Educate yourself, this is the key.

On Apr 9th, 2008 eva wrote:

My husband has been on Methadone for over eight years. Before that, other drugs, many from doctors and legal. It has had a terrible effect on our marriage. I don't care if you say "you cannot get high" - how about just being THERE?? There is so much my husband is no longer really present for. There is so much he has missed. This was all about his pain and guess what? He still has it. None of that ever disappeared. In fact I now have it oo, in the form of his dark - yes, very dark - addiction. An open gaping mouth with eyes rolled back into his head. I no longer think of just his pain anymore, believe me. Love that bit above about "educating yourself" ! Wow, I have been truly educated about addiction. He doesn't even remember when we last had sex. But then gain, that was years ago.

On Apr 13th, 2008 Elissa in Ohio wrote:

This message is for Judy in Canada. The universe works in mysterious ways. In 1998 I was in a auto accident. 4 years later I found out that my spine ahd been broken in that accident. I had this cronic pain that wouldn't go away. Now i have several conditions like my spine is falling apart from L-7 down, fibromyaliga, endometrosis, and i havent felt my left leg in four year, and seveal more that would take to much to list here. The doctors told me either I was crazy or that i was just a weak women or that i was a drug seeker. I was fortunate to a medical background and the sence to listen to my body. I assulted 2 of the doctors out of fustration and misery. Finally I was put into pain managment which at the time I thought was a god send. Before pain managment no doctor believed me. I was done. My sucide plan was finished. Then I got a call the day before i was to kill myself saying i was accepted to the program and my appointment was in 2 weeks. I fugured that i had lived this long a couple more weeks wouldnt hurt. so i went and liked what the doctor said but still ahd little faith. I told him "you have 3 weeks until i put myself out of my misery" He looked at me for a long time and gave me a hug and thanked me for giving him the chance to help me even though i didn't have faith in him or his profession. with in 2 weeks i felt better. But it wasnt all good. In his effort to make my life livable he gave me more and more drugs which almost killed me twice. the last time my children were with me. that was when i had enough. I told him to take all his drugs and shove them. you name the drug and id been on it. at one point i was on 14 pills 2-3 times a day. the last was methadone. I took one pill and slept for 3 days.I stayed on the vicoden which has been 5 years now. i am trying to get off of it currently. but i relize that i will be cursed for the rest of my life with chronic pain and will have to take something. I just dont want a liver transplant at the age of 45. I know that it seems impossible to be of what your taking but there are other ways of medicating your pain. Unfortunally it is a trial and error process and sometimes a lot of pain but from my experience it is worth it and can be done. there is much more to my story but i dont have the time to share it all here with you. but i know that you are here for a reason. there is a reason that you didnt die in that accident even though you wish you had. we dont get to know why things happen just that they do and we have to live with it and make the best of what we are given weather it is cronic pain , addiction or what ever your affliction is try to to do the best you can and make the best impact on the workd and the people around you. Jsuy of you ever need to talk to someone who knows what it is like i am willing to listen and help in whatever way i can.

On Apr 20th, 2008 dr. kevorkian wrote:

Listen, whichever moronic fool who composed this disinforming article, I realize your intentions are good, however, when you write thise drivel that is not founded in the facts, you often harm more than you hurt. Witness the instance where you write, "There will come a point wherein someone has to go through withdrawal from methadone. Although this is difficult, it is not as difficult as the withdrawal from the opiate...", you mistake two crucial facts in one sentence, namely, you fail to grasp that methadone is indeed an opiate, or opioid rather, as it is synthesized rather than derived naturally from the sp. papaver sominferum (actually even naturally occurring true opiates like morphine are produced synthetically these days as it is more economical than derivation processes), and additionally, the withdrawal syndrom with methadone is much worse in the sense that it lasts much longer than withdrawal from shorter-acting opiates like heroin, hydrocodone, etc. Often, when an opiate addict switches to methadone, he does so with the knowledge that he may be on it for life. it is possible to kick the methadone too, but it takes a soul not bent on cowardly self-indulgence and weakness founded on a million excuses to oneself pertaining to why they just CAN'T go on without their little cruch. Hope this insignificant little fact clears up any confusion possibly resulting from the prior obfuscation. Good luck to the brave ones. There is hope for those who deserve it... Those who believe they have a "disease" will most likely be a lost cause. If it is to be analogous to a disease (I emphasize "analogy" since the definiton is so equivocatingly and deliberately vague, and it could never be truly categorized as such), perhaps it should be compared to an infection of the mind and soul which needs purging in the feverish fires of self-discovery and attention to bigger problems in the world than a coward's fears.

On Apr 23rd, 2008 JOSH CLEMENT wrote:

GET OFF METHADONE MAINTENANCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF YOUR ON IT FOR LIFE THATS YOUR CHOICE, BUT ITS THE MOST EVIL DRUC EVER CREATED (HENCE HITLERS SCIENTISTS WHO CREATED IT)I WAS ON METHADONE FOR 6 YEARS EVERYDAY, THE WORST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. THESE PUSSY'S THAT SAY HEROIN IS HARDER TO KICK ARE FULL OF SHIT, IVE DONE IT MANY TIMES AND I LAUGH AT THAT SHIT! WAIT TILL YOU KICK THIS POISON JUICE AKA METHADONE. STRAP YOUR SEATBELT ON FOR A RIDE OF BODY ACHES,MUSCLE SPASMS,TREMORS,LEG KICKS,DIAREAH,SNEEZING,YAWNING,CRAWLING OUT OF YOUR SKIN,AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITES SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND LOSS OF DRIVE. THIS ROLLER COASTER CAN LAST FROM 2-6 MONTHS DEPENDNG ON HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN ON MAINTENANCE. GOOD LUCK, ONLY THE SERIOUS SOLDIERS WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THIS FUCKED UP SYNTHETIC MAN MADE NARCOTIC REPLACEMENT HELL! IT'S A LIE!!!!!

On May 10th, 2008 Paul Beebe wrote:

Josh, I would have to agree. I had stage 4 liver cancer and a bone marrow transplant. First it was the morphine pump every 5 minutes in the fetal postion for a week. Next dilaudid, then came the 100mg of oxycotin a day, to the 100mg percocet a day, and finally the suggestion of methadone. oopps. I am now 100% cancer free, but this methadone withdrawl redefines what a nightmare it is to get off something. And I have news for those 5mg people and what a peice of cake after that. All I can say is fasten your seatbelt. Find a bunch of Klonipin, and Zanax, and Libroderm patches, cause it feels like there is some caustic acid eating its way out through your bone marrow and tailbone. Make sure you have some Catapress patches also. My trouble is I had so many side effects from such massive does of chemo for so long, I've never been completely drug free, and as a result, just might be so screwed up from it all, that my choices might be limited. I know that even a life time of methadone, at least in my case will be a dream killer. Despite what they say about returning to a productive life. I think it makes you a sloth and a slave. Sorry for the buzz kill. No pun intended. People that have been mangaled in car wrecks and cancer people, its ok if its that or mind boogleing pain forever, but please make a well informed choice cause this methadone is a life sentence.

On May 14th, 2008 Barbara Norton wrote:

I have read most of the above, and everyone makes a valid point somewhere. What I would like to have seen are qualifications other than; "user" "addict" "in recovery" or a friend/family member of the same. I have 7 years of college and 3 of those are in substance abuse studies. I also have been addicted to alcohol, abusive relationships and have been at the methadone clinic to get off methadone. My story is not a success yet, but I can confirm that clinics do increase your dose, need it or not. People who are serious can still go there get and remain clean. Addiction is a disease, dozens of studies have demonstrated this. Some of the best are the genetic ones. Where children born to addicts at birth, are taken away at birth and raised by families with no addiction history, yet these kids still become addicted. These were "blind" studies, which means the adoptive parents did not know the genetics, so as to not treat them differently. Do allot of research, and pray for them (addicted loved ones), I know they are hell. My little sister was like that and so was I. Methadone is one hell of a hard drug to get off of. I spoke with people who quit herion, alcohol, cigerattes and explosive anger (2 of these had all those addictions). All said methadone was harder to quit, so be aware of the demons people are dealing with. It is too easy to say fuck it, they had their chance. Don't let them in your house to steal from you, get kids away from them, but love them if they want help,. take them to meetings and/or treatment. Go work with a family doctor and a therapist. If they don't want your help leave it alone and ask God. He can change anyones' mind, loaded or not. I am going to a subutex treatment program in Seattle for a year. It will help me come off the methadone slowly and then off of the subutex. It is a good program that can be paid for by the State for up to a year (including medicine), and you absolutely cannot mess around with any other drug (like you can with Methadone), if you do it will put you into a immediate withdrawal, you will wish you hadn't. If you are serious about quitting it will help you keep your job, without laying around sick all day. You can get on with your life. By the way my use is from chronic pain from a genetic birth defect, the bones in every joint in my body have a connective tissue disorder, this causes them to ware away slowly. It also causes retinal detachment (you can go blind and deaf) I have lost all my teeth (no I've never used meth). But chronic pain is a very real reason to use this drug, and it does work, but it does cause addiction and I don't like either option. I just want to think clearly and have a love for life again. Be a mentor to my children and grandchildren. That is more important right now. I will write later and let you all know how the treatment is coming along, if anyone wants to know LOL. If you are a person who is of faith please pray for me, and I will do the same for you and your loved ones. GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU,AND THOSE YET TO COME. BJN 5/14/08

On May 20th, 2008 vickie jones wrote:

i am watching my son try to get off methadone. it is breaking my heart. he's on day five and tells me he wishes he was dead. he got down to a very low dose so hopefully it will not be as bad as some of the stories i've been reading. my older son did the same thing but had to do it cold turkey from a very high dose. he said it was the worse feeling he ever had. i wish i could do something to help him but my hands are tied. please say a prayer for my son to have the strength to make it thru just one day at a time. i have and he's made it this far. thanks

On May 23rd, 2008 Jan wrote:

how much methadone is considered to be an 'addictive' amount? i know someone who has been using for 6 months, about 10-20 milligrams (she says) and when she talked to a clinic they told her that most of the people who come in there use 180+ mgs. Is that true??? Does anyone know? If she's only been using for a short time and (what seems to be) a small dose is there more hope??? She truly wants to get free and with the help of God believes that is possible. I just feel so in the dark - never done any drugs in my life and it's so mysterious. thanks.

On May 27th, 2008 brian wrote:

i enjoyed reading all the responces. its inresting that 1 in 10 talk good about methadome well im not part of the one wheres the democurcy in that its clear that every where i go the negative hevily out ways the good whats wrong with that. i will tell you, is called domocurcy the fornt word for goverment terreny "ellected for the people by the people" ha get those basterds out of the buisness of helping people the resrict and regulate eveything (one size fits all)docters that do care will tell you whats wrong, there powerles to big buisenes including goverment (the biggest group of corparations around the globe) and what do corparations do best at the expence of every one else? you got it its all about money I say get the go9verment out and let the docters that care do things there way for the people not for the corparation.not all docters are good but the bad ones wouldn't take long to be noticed and have a bad rep and acutualy be accountable instead of hiding behind the sovernty of goverment. bassicly goverment out accountability in. realy its only common scence

On Jun 1st, 2008 susy wrote:

People are not told that Methodone can become so life long when they first get on it. Perhaps if they were told the cold hard truth from the get go they would never go down this nightmare of a road for life.
There is always a different road to go down, probably the road less traveled but still there is that road that will lead to a better life. So, for all those people thank you for the cold hard truth that it is hard and scarey to withdraw from this chain binding drug. But, lets remember the endless runs and wether it is methodone or heroin it can still be conquered, plain and simple YOU JUST HAVE TO WANT IT BAD ENOUGH

On Jun 14th, 2008 Janise Jordan wrote:

I live in Detroit, MI I have been in a methadone clinic since August, 2007. My clinic has a 90 day recovery house where they administer suboxone while you are there and at the end of the 90 days when you leave the program you will be (hopefully) drug free. I was being dosed at 50 mg of methadone when I entered the recovery house. My detox was as follows 45mg one day, the next day 40mg, next day 35mg, next day 30mg, one day of abstinence (approximately 24 hours) and then suboxone administered after the 1 day of abstinence. I went into sever withdrawals and requested to be taken to the emergency room. I was not allowed to complete the program unless I admitted to using some type of opiate prior to taking the suboxone. Unfortunately I elected to leave the program. I did this because I know that I had not taken anything prior to being dosed the suboxone and that the only thing in my system was methadone. I was truly hurt that the clinic would not give me the benefit of the doubt and would only let me stay if I admitted to doing something that I did not do. My question is, "How long does it take for methadone to leave your system?" After explaining how my detox went, should I had more days of abstinence. Also, at first the clinic would give the clients approximately 3 days of subutex prior to starting them on suboxone, they did not follow this protocol with me stating subutex was too expensive and the clinic would not pay for it.

On Jun 15th, 2008 lily wrote:

I am a nurse, mother of 3, and an opiate addict. I am a vey functioning member of society and no one knows of my dark secret. I spend over $100 a day on pills and I can NOT stop. I feel like the biggest loser and such a failure as a mother. I have a good job and income but barely survive fiancially. I have just been able to acquire some methadone from my friend's sister and I drank about 60 mg and did NOT have any craving for opiates ALL DAY LONG! To me it was a miracle. I read all these posts plus I have many family members on methadone and I am a nurse as I stated so I understand the risks. I guess my qestion is the same as Jan's. Is there a dose low enough to avoid addiction or Is there a way I can possibly do the methadone every other day until I can get the pills out of my system?? I understand that methadone is also an opiate but wondering if any one has kicked like this. I have to get control of my life again before I am dead.

On Jul 10th, 2008 Barbara wrote:

Myhusband was a heroin addict for years. When I met him he was on methadone maintenace and attending school. It took years to stop taking methadone- he would revert back to heroin and have to start all over again. We had very little time without it, when he became sick with HepC, had a transplant and then needed pain meds. That was five years ago and he is still on it. It is stealing what quality time my daughter and I could have with him because he abuses it and just isn't there for us. My husband won't be around long and I am angry that we have to remember him like this! Just today I found out he got into his monthly supply and has to go down for it to last. I can't take much more and it's sad but I hate our life.

On Jul 13th, 2008 john doe wrote:

GET OFF METHADONE MAINTENANCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF YOUR ON IT FOR LIFE THATS YOUR CHOICE, BUT ITS THE MOST EVIL DRUC EVER CREATED (HENCE HITLERS SCIENTISTS WHO CREATED IT)I WAS ON METHADONE FOR 6 YEARS EVERYDAY, THE WORST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. THESE PUSSY'S THAT SAY HEROIN IS HARDER TO KICK ARE FULL OF SHIT, IVE DONE IT MANY TIMES AND I LAUGH AT THAT SHIT! WAIT TILL YOU KICK THIS POISON JUICE AKA METHADONE. STRAP YOUR SEATBELT ON FOR A RIDE OF BODY ACHES,MUSCLE SPASMS,TREMORS,LEG KICKS,DIAREAH,SNEEZING,YAWNING,CRAWLING OUT OF YOUR SKIN,AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITES SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND LOSS OF DRIVE. THIS ROLLER COASTER CAN LAST FROM 2-6 MONTHS DEPENDNG ON HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN ON MAINTENANCE. GOOD LUCK, ONLY THE SERIOUS SOLDIERS WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THIS FUCKED UP SYNTHETIC MAN MADE NARCOTIC REPLACEMENT HELL! IT'S A LIE!!!!!
--------------------------------
That is SOOOOOO Correct!!!!!!!!!!!!
Currently down to 14ml

On Sep 6th, 2008 Deanna wrote:

I am commenting to the November 7th comment of Jessica's. She apparently does not know what she is talking about at all.... You have a very bad attitude my friend and it is not as easy as you apparently think it is. I had a perfect life and never ever did or thought about doing drugs of any type EVER!!! I worked and paid my bills and went through my TRIALS ( by the way you spelled that word wrong, thought I would let you know that since you appeared so perfect)and tribulations ect. I was well in my 30's. I had to have a very life threatening surgery and I was put on strong pain killers which took me a few days of suffering before I would even take them at home. I then went through 3 years of surgery following that one, 2 every month due to complications from the first one and was kept on pain killers for 3 years. Finally they got everything right and sent me home with nothing. I thought nothing of it until I went through withdrawl and I thought it was just infection setting in. I returned to the doctor not knowing it was withdrawl and that she should have weaned me. She informed me I was going through alittle withdrawl, but I would be fine and sent me home. I was not fine the withdrawls got more then I could stand and there and then I was a drug addict not through my own choosing. I ended up at a treatment center for methadone and led to believe they would get me free of the opiates and I would be drug free and not telling me I would just be addicted to methadone, well here I am 4 years later and have tryed to detox out of the clinic many times to only go through congestive heart failure and breathing difficulty and all kinds of health problems. The withdrawls are horrific and not my fault, so before you start mouthing about how we should all be forced to go through withdrawl, get a life and learn what your talking about.

On Sep 10th, 2008 Nick wrote:

I am responding to most of the letters I have just read. Now I have been in treatment for 5 years, and I have many friends quit methadone with hard work and effort and would not have a bad thing to say about the drug. Now not to use you as a target deanna but I to got addicted to pain killers under my docters care without my knowledge or understanding. I admit it's not fair and upsetting, but I also know that at any time in the end it is my fault I am here just like every other addict. When you start playing the victim it just proves you are at fault more and is where every addict goes first, it's not my fault. The only way I could except it not being your fault is if you can honestly say you are a idiot, I don't believe you can and I don't believe you are. Also most congestive heart problems are from your genes not from drug treatment. It is obvious that the people who have written these letters are addicts themselves or have been affected by one. I say this because almost every letter is seeking pity, placing blame or spreading fear, which everyone knows are the 3 favorite past times of addicts!! There is great need for self responsibility in the addicted community that most likely wont happen. Methadone is not evil,also it was not made by hitler get your facts straight, although that is a great boogie man story. Most people who complain about methadone as an excuse to not get clean. I mean look at john doe he is bascally saying it's better to do herion and sounds like he is still at it! The thing is is that recovery will never be a walk in the park, it will be hard and painful, long and upsetting,frustrating and overwhelming. It will always be easier to blame something or someone else for our addictions.but when it comes down to it we all make our own choices good and bad and I'm just as much a F@#$up as any addict and am no where near were I wanna be! But I do know if I every want to get completly clean I have to accept what I did how I got here and instead of complaining,blaming and crying just focus on getting to the end of it!Methadone does work for some of us and for those of you spewing B.S. because you don't like methadone or because you think helping addicts get clean doesn't belong in your neck of the woods, just remember that everything negative you say about methadone just helps a junkie stay a junkie longer!

On Sep 17th, 2008 nikki wrote:

I have been taking Methadone for four years, and I have this to say: Methadone is a great drug to relieve pain, though it wasn't actually invented for that purpose-it was initially made to treat Heroin addiction. And while I don't pretend to know all there is to know about it, I DO know, from firsthand experience, that it is one of the hardest (if not THE hardest) drug to come off of. As long as one has a steady supply-fine. But if they have to go more than a few days with out it, it's almost a fate worse than death. The only other drug I would say is harder to go with out is Oxycontin-which I will NEVER take again as long as I live. I literally felt like I was DYING coming off of it, but the Methadone withdrawal is not much better. I suppose it all depends on the person, but I just have to give a warning here. USE CAUTION!

On Sep 21st, 2008 Terri wrote:

Everyone has an opinion on how methadone had/has affected a person they know. Like all medications it effects different people in different ways. You cannot honestly voice your opinion with one subject. There are both pros and cons to methadone, methadone clinics etc. If an addict is honest with his dr. or clinic, methadone can help. But so many addicts are on meth because of the courts,so they are not trying to stay clean they look at the court ordered clinic as "a free get high man" That person is probably still using, or not telling his pc dr. he takes meth so the dr still provides xanax, ativan, or whatever. I was on both sides of the fence. I looked at it as a free get high. Until I tired of the drug lifestyle. Before you decide whether it is good or bad, do some research and talk to several people.
And to Jessica you mention "...so they don't feel a little withdrawal" Sometimes this little withdrawal you talk of, has killed people. It is very hard on the body, it can kill you. I guess that's why they have detox facilities at hospitols. Detox effects families, imagine the one year old who's had the same dirty diaper on for hours, because mom can't get out of bed. What about the 6 year old who can't go to school because she has no clean clothes and won't leave her baby brother at home with no milk for his bottle. Or the mother or wife who is so upset with her self for becoming a junkie and being a lousy wife, she is so angry at herself for screwing up her family, she goes and steals from the neighbor so she can get something to sell so she can get her drugs so she can function as a mom or wife. Or the dad who hates what he's doing to his family, so he shoots himself in the head. That is some of the minor discomfort of withdrawl

On Sep 27th, 2008 Married1 wrote:

I was wondering if one could answer something for me? My husband has been taking Methadone for the last 4 months to treat Opiate addiction..
He is in a Rehab program along with it, they supervise by giving urine tests.
My question is this...
Does this mean they would know if he was taking anything else while taking the methadone? I suspect sometimes he is not acting right and i could swear he is on something but can\'t be sure.

On Sep 29th, 2008 KristyF@StonehillCollege wrote:

You must weight the advantages and disadvantages of using methadone!

With any use of a drug, illicit or not, you must weigh the positives and the negatives. Methadone is a provided by doctors treating addicts because it is a much safer way to overcome addiction than quitting “cold turkey.” It lessens some of the harsh withdrawal symptoms; however it has some symptoms of its own. Some patients may have minor symptoms such as constipation, water retention, drowsiness, skin rash, excessive sweating, and changes in libido. The good part is once it is adjusted for the individuals the symptoms usually subside. Methadone is only safe when used under a physician’s care.
Taking Methadone improperly can increase your risk of serious side effects and death. For this reason it is important that the drug be administered by a medical professional. There is also a risk for becoming dependent on Methadone while trying to get clean from another drug. However, it is much better to be dependent on Methadone than on an opiate. When a person goes through withdrawal of Methadone, it is much easier than withdrawal of opiates. It is rarer to become addicted to Methadone because it is administered under a physician. However, if a patient does not follow the medicine’s directions properly addiction can occur. To conclude, there is a much better outcome for Methadone addiction than opiate addiction.

On Sep 29th, 2008 steve wrote:

kate i read what u wrote ur worried about ur brother i just so happens i live in central jersey too and i can help email me and i will help u the best i can to make you and our brothers lives better email me asap sm-1979@live.com looking foward to hearing from u

On Sep 30th, 2008 Tracy C. wrote:

I\'m just as much a F@#$up as any addict and am no where near were I wanna be! But I do know if I every want to get completly clean I have to accept what I did how I got here and instead of complaining,blaming and crying just focus on getting to the end of it!Methadone does work for some of us and for those of you spewing B.S. because you don\'t like methadone or because you think helping addicts get clean doesn\'t belong in your neck of the woods, just remember that everything negative you say about methadone just helps a junkie stay a junkie longer!

Sorry Nick...your the one that sounds like the junkie to me. Just one on methadone. I\'m in my 39th day off methadone. I was on it 10 years. I had an overdose and almost died. 39 days later I\'m still in pretty bad withdrawals. Nothing like a state sponsored cold turkey withdrawal. The muscle spasms, bone pain, depression and aggitation are still bad. No drive, exhaustion, runny nose still evident as hell. When you\'ve done a methadone detox, people, then and only then should you give out your opinion. It\'s pure evil, no doubt. I\'m wondering if this is ever going yo end. But, no I would rather die than go thru the last 39 days again. I won\'t be using heroin or any other opiate again. So no excuses here. Just serious warnings to anyone who is considering taking this drug. Other opiates are way easier to get off of than this @#%&.

On Oct 4th, 2008 Debra Melton wrote:

I took a 40mg.methadone about 6 days ago,And I still can not feel the affects from my lorbabs.WHY!!!!

On Oct 4th, 2008 Trudy wrote:

He was a 25 year old, young man full of life with hopes and dreams of his future. He loved to play basketball ,and guitar. He was a larger than life guy with a great personality. He was funny and very athletic. L.J was my first born son. died from an overdose of methadone ,xanaax ,and somas all prescribed by his doctor. My world stopped revolving at that point . I wondered how could this happen. I have no idea, His death could have been prevented. I am still waiting for justice . I find that what I say about losing my son changes with the stage of grief I am in. It\'s been four months now and still yet it seems like yesterday. However I am going through so much pain and greif, My feelings go out to all you mothers who have lost your child to this drug ? We as parents have tried to protect our children all their lives and now a dollar bill has become more important than saving lives. My heart is broken and all I am left with is a hole where my heart used to be.The last words from my son were \"I love you mom\" My son was a very beautiful loving child. He was as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. he believed in helping people and giving them another chance. he trusted freely. he wanted to always see the good in everyone. he had big beautiful bronw eyes and a smile that never ended. He knew that the most important thing was family and letting them know how much they meant to him. I miss you terribly. Son you have touched all of us with your compassion, sense of humor, music and love. And your beautiful white smile. Son you will foever remain in my thoughts, my prayers and in my heart. My life, as well as others\', has forever changed .

I continued to read the stories on the website and see the pictures it all became very clear. When will this stop? How many children do we have to lose before something is done? My only wish is for this drug to be taken off of the market where no one will ever have to endure the pain that my family and I are going through, this is sad I lost my son to methadone. I can only pray that God will intervine and this drug be taken off the Market. I am sure that until the company who is puting this killer out there loses their child or loved ones then they will intervine, However I do believe That God will bring justice And the BLOOD will be on their hands. Everyone\'s life now has been changed some how. Some have come to know God and his love and changed there way of life knowing how young and fast we can die. God be with us all as we come together and believe that there is hope in trying to get this drug off the market, around the world It\'s not just our country but other country\'s are suffering too. One by one I read their pages for each of their loss, I sadly feel their pain, Though our stories are different, they are still quite the same, As I read their stories and look at their pictures, tears flood my eyes until I am blind. My sad heart leaves me feeling so helpless, I pray for those that are left behind.Together we must stand strong and put an end to this drug, not allow one more person to die. It would be a blessing to have this drug banned, prevent one more death, give me one less reason to cry.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD. HELP SAVE A LIFE.

On Oct 13th, 2008 Donna wrote:

My son(19 yrs old) has been on methadone for 5 weeks now. I'm not sure of the dosage but he acts hyper and whacked out..Talks all the time and says stupid stuff that a 9 yr. would say. I had him at the store this weekend and he got on one of the motorized buggies and took off down the eisle. He looked at a box of frozen food and wasn't sure what it was so he opened the box. He talks for other people and says how it's funny when his friend kills a squirrel and the animal tumbles backwards. My son(under normal circumstances) would not ven kill a bug . What is going on here?

On Oct 25th, 2008 Anthony Riordan wrote:

My first comment was blocked, i hope this one makes it to the public. I had written a long write up about my problems with methadone and its drain on my energy, drain on my once fabulous ability to think, invent and run a 30 mil., dollar company and how that was destroyed by a battle with cancer and because of a divorce, false information from my ex., to gain control of 875,000, children a 300,000 home. My switch to Methadone destroyed my energy level, destroyed my over ability to work 70 hours per week invent etc.. I was not only destroyed mentally by a Liberal womens group that gladly support women in courts without cause to move their own agendas but I was destroyed by a medication that leaves me Lethargic even at the lowest levels. Destroyed by a system that prefers the sale of this drug over the reality of what I report. I now search to find something to offset my loss of energy and focus which the doctors see as a better fit to changing the medications. I see its benefit for many but even with proof of my ex wifes financial and divorce goals including messages caught on tape for the police, our Drug lords must get a much greater benefit from this drug than others.

I have tried to reach my original level of 105,000.00 per year and 3 offices in CA., 2 in NJ all ended because of my cancer but never re-started because I am a lethargic mess with no one to help me. With out pain meds I can\'t sit up, walk long distances, stand or bend. My life is relagated to sitting in a reclined position unless medicated.Prior to being put on Methadone I was still running my 30 million dollar per year company from home, working 60 hours per week and although I still could not travel, I had the energy and thought process to run a company and communicate. This has been blocked and no one will look at how the blocking of my senses is a negative and for others it saves their life. Help please I would love to be a lab rat if it will help me.

On Oct 29th, 2008 Shela wrote:

My dad has been on methadone for about 6 years now! He would tell you he isn\'t addicted to it. But they all lie. I once lied about being addicted to drugs. I don\'t know what to do for my dad anymore, I just pray and go on with my everyday life! He is a great man!

On Nov 11th, 2008 Rocky wrote:

Well im on methadone just a year now and only for it i'd be lost..I'm only on 50 mil daily and that does me..i dont do n e other drug well smoked hash here and there but sure thats nothing to heroin.. i'm clean off heroin for 7 months now but at the start i had the odd slip..Some ppl say its the most dangerous drug around..but thats only if u abuse it wit opiats etc. but i wouldn't go on a long meth prog... n e 1 need n e help wit n e thing just give me a bell.

On Dec 28th, 2008 jinx wrote:

im a 25 yr old man...who now for 11 years solid.. give or take 10 months, has been addicted to opiates... now currently on 60mg, i started at 180mg of methadone, it is THE WORST DRUG OUT THERE ! IT RUINED MY LIFE, IT RUINED MY RELATIONSHIP !!!!!!!... IT RUINED MY WHOLE OUTLOOK ON LIFE... now that i see what damage has been done, i am going to clean myself up.. it is probably going to be the hardest thing i have ever had to do. but im with the challenge, to get my life back to normal, and finally stop hurting those who really love me and only want the best for me.

On Dec 29th, 2008 Sarah wrote:

I am a 24 year old woman and i have been in methadone treatment since august of 2004. I hear these debates all the time, at the clinic, with my husband, and my family. And to be honest I am all for stricter regulations on methadone and take homes. I bring home 2 weeks of methadone, I have NEVER lost my take homes since I have got them, and I actually have the option of going up to where I can bring a month home, I could have done that over a year ago, but I see no reason why anyone needs that many bottles of methadone in their home. Methadone has really helped me. I was 18 when I got hooked on pain meds, and they were prescribed for a dr that i had seen since i was a kid. I got hooked on them about 5 months after my 2nd child was born. I really believe that methadone can help people if they really want to use it to help themselves. But if someone isn't really ready to help themselves there is nothing that anyone can do until they have came to that realization for themselves. Me and my husband both started mmt in aug and sept of 2004 and in that time have managed to rebuild our lives, we have a new home, new cars, 4- wheelers, and it is because my husband works his butt off everyday underground in the coal mines at the age of 24 to take care of his family. Since we started the clinic neither of us have ever lost our takehomes, or failed even 1 drug screen. But as with any other drug there are pro's and con's to it. At least with going to the clinic (which is over an hour away from our home) twice a month we are able to live a normal productive life. When you have to go everyday, it is extremely hard to keep a job because you can NEVER get to work on time. But I whole heartedly believe that when people enter methadone maintence treatment they should NOT be given chance after chance, when people keep failing drug tests, kick them out!!! When you find out people are selling or shooting up their take homes, Kick them out!!!! There are a lot of people that methadone has helped and people like that make me sick and make those of us who want to get better look bad! Methadone is not the best choice, but when faced with driving around all day everyday looking for drugs and blowing all of you money when you find them and possibly going to jail It does al least allow you to live a normal productive life.And I don't know why it is never mentioned that most methadone that kills people is 1 either mixed with benzo's, or 2 comes from a pain management clinic or a dr's office. I understand stricter regulations, ,but there is no reason to punish the people that have been model patients for the other people that don't care about their recovery.

On Jan 13th, 2009 veronda wrote:

my daughter and myself was in a very bad head on collision back in 1998 that almost killed me it crushed both my feet along with breaking almost everyother bone in my body and i have been on every pain pill u can think of.with little to no relife..the back 3 years ago i was sent to a pain managemet doctor that started out like all the rest,and just as i was about to give up hope of ever being able to live any kinda of normal life he said he had a mec.that he wanted to try me on and at that time i thought what the hell i felt like a test dummy anyway ..sitting around feeling sorry formyself waiting for them to remove my right foot ..he put me on Methadone..and i was able to sleep night better then before i was up on my feet more not always in a wheel chair...it gave me back my life.my time and joy with my kids and grandkids i will tell u tho i have to lock them away and not tell anyone you are on em becuase i had everything i had takin once because they was lookin for the pills and found them..but now i lock them away safely....so if they are takin with your doctors help and really watch what you do they really help....alot!

On Jan 25th, 2009 KT1981 wrote:

I am 27. I have been addicted to opiates for 8 years. In high school I was a honor student. I even said I'd never smoke pot. Then I met my boyfriend of 6 years. I can't put the blame on him as much as I want to I put the drugs in my nose. I was what you call a functioning drug addict. I held a steady job no one outside of my boyfriend and people that I bought off from knew of my habit. But I was depressed I wasn't the person that I used to be. I ended up doing somethings that I never thought I would do in my life. 5 months ago I decided to try the methadone clinic I think that was the best decision I have ever made in my life. I had a couple slip ups because its hard that was my way of life that how I dealt with stress so the first time I experienced stress on methadone I went back to the pills just once though. In my clinic you have to do counseling along with methadone. Also I got up to a dose that I was getting sick on and falling asleep during the day. I talked to my clinician and the next day I was back down to a tolerable level. You have to want to be clean. I see people that are knodding out standing in line thats not what I want I'm there to stay off opiates and get my life back on track. Thats what I've done since being in the clinic. I honestly think its the best thing thats happended to me in 8 years.

On Jan 28th, 2009 Mitzi Castille wrote:

I have been addicted to methadone for 6 yrs. First getting it off the streets. I started what is so called methadone treatment 2 yrs ago and had my doubts about them really helping me. Which I was so right. Ive experenced withdrawls once before and told myself id never go any higher than what I always took. And that was 60mgs they wanted me to go higher until I was "stabilized" which is such bullshit. I had to make them wean me to 5mgs. I have been off of it now for 2 wks. though its not easy its much better to wean off. And my advice is dont let these clinics higher your dose its not worth it...and you do have to want it bad enough cause these clinics are making money and trying to keep you there..which most patients of these clinics are there to simply get their drugs legally and usually sell their takehome doses. METHADONE IS THE DEVIL!

On Feb 6th, 2009 Duane Eason wrote:

I have just left my job at a methadone treatment center in detroit. the treatment that those at that facility receive is horrible and should be addressed. the clients are made to wait outside in the cold and are often talked to in a rude and demeaning manner. I'm ashamed that my govt would allow something like this to continue to happen in america. those that do audits at the agency are wined and dined and ignore what is really happening at these type of programs.

On Feb 14th, 2009 brian wrote:

I'm on 70mg and i live in a shelter. I'm 27 years old and regret getting on methadone. There are no detoxes from it, its impossible to find any programs that take u on it. I'm thinking about going to the hospital (Bellvue) and telling them i want to kill myself, just to see if that gets me any help. I'm all alone everyday, i hate my life... I hate beening on methadone...

On Feb 25th, 2009 Dave wrote:

I have been on methadone for over 5 years. I honestly don\\\'t like how I have felt since day one. But, it is the one and only thing that got me off of oxycontins. I have been coming down for 6 moths and am at 18 mg. How low should I go before letting go? I am just so tired of everything that goes with the treatment. The travel,all of the bull**** paperwork,etc. What state do you live in to get two-weeks or a month supply of takehome? No way its PA. Thay absolutely fight me on a weeks worth. Well, just thought I would vent a little.

On Feb 26th, 2009 tracy wrote:

HI, MY NAME IS TRACY. I HAVE BEEN READING THE DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE AND THEIR OPPIONIONS ABOUT METHADONE. I HAVE BEEN ON THE PROGRAM FOR A YEAR AND FOUR MONTHS. IM NOT SURE REALLY IF IT WAS A GOOD THING OR A BAD THING BECAUSE NOW INSTEAD OF BEING HOOKED ON ONE DRUG, ITS NOW THIS DRUG, METHADONE. IN SOME ASSPECTS ITS HELPED BECAUSE AT ONE POINT AND TIME I WAS SPENDING ONE TO TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS A DAY ON OTHER STREET DRUGS. THATS AFTER MY PRESCRIPTIONS FROM MY DOCTORS WERE GONE. AND NOW ITS JUST A FEW DOLLARS A DAY TO KEEP OFF THE OTHER STUFF, PILLS. I WANT TO BE DONE WITH THIS NOW. I HAVE BEEN THINKING OF JUST GOING COLD TURKEY. IAM NOT SORRY TO SAY \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"IAM AFRAID\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". I DONT KNOW WHAT TO EXSEPT. BUT I DO KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING IS GOING TO CRAP, I LOST MY JOB IN OCTOBER 2008. AFTER BEING AT MY JOB A YEAR AND HALF, THEY LAYED SEVERAL PEOPLE OFF. IM GETTING UNEMPLOYMENT BUT ITS REALLY HARD TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND ON TOP OF MY REGULAR BILLS I HAVE THIS METHEDONE AT $320.00 A MONTH, A BILL I RATHER NOT HAVE. ANYWAY SENSE I STARTED THE METHEDONE PROGRAM I HAVE STUCK TO IT. I HAVENT TAKEN ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE DAY I STEPPED INTO THE CLINIC. BUT WHEN I GO BACK TOMORROW IM GOING TO SEE ABOUT GOING DOWN ON MY MILGRAMS, I NEED TO START COMING OFF OF THIS NOW BEFORE ANOTHER YEAR GOES BY, ANOTHER FIVE YEARS ETC.....I REALLY NEED TO BE DONE WITH IT. I EVEN MIGHT HAVE TO GO COLD TURKEY AFTER NEXT WEEK, ITS EITHER PAY FOR RENT OR GO TO THE CLINIC, WELL I RATHER PAY FOR RENT. IAM ASKING EVERYONE TO PRAY FOR ME AND EACH OTHER AND WISH ME LUCK. AND TO EVERYONE OUT THERE, YA ITS WISE TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT AREAS AND WAYS OF GETTING THE MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK BEFORE YOU GET ON METHDONE. IF I WOULD OF RESEARCHED IT AND THE SIDE AFFECTS ETC...BACK THEN, I WOULD OF DONE THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND NEVER GOT ON THE METHDONE. PEACE AND LOVE TO EVERYONE...

On Mar 6th, 2009 carly wrote:

wow overwhealming is what i have to say at some of these letters i have been an opiate head for five years and on methadone for 14 months and it is a life saver. My life is so much more productive now than ever. Yes it is a pain in the ass to go to the clinic every day but once you are in the car you go on automatic pilot and its over befor you no it. Not only that the harder you work at your addiction the benefits are greater by earning your take homes its like a blessing when you dont have to go to the clinic a few times a week methadone is what you make of it either you do or you dont want it when i say want it i mean the good life the productive life the life where you can wake up and say that im happy to be alive. some of these people are very bitter because of some real tuff losses and yes it is ashame but everyone is entitled to there own opinion. My opinion is that it works if you work it and if it is something that takes a lifetime than so be it at least we dont have a life time of heartache but have a lifetime of happiness. Please if you are reading these stories for the first time realize that some of these people are just venting and r hurt for there loss some are hurting because they did not work hard at it. For those of you who methadone did not work for im very sorry for those of you who i does right on and keep up the good work

On Mar 17th, 2009 matt wrote:

ive been on pain pills for over 8 yrs and im finally getting off of them. due to 3 back surgerys. i need help what do i need to do to come off of them. i was going to try methadone but now im scared to. after reading all of the comments please respond.*

On Apr 2nd, 2009 L!LBigBr0 wrote:

Methadone..Hmm.were to start,well i got hurt about 7 yrs ago,fall off a ryder truck that was moving,i got Little vics from my doctor he was a insurence doctor,my laywer sent me to.So he was not a pain pill pusher in an means,but i was in pain(alot of pain)My freind sold Vics i mean alot(1000+) a week,so i was out of work,waiting for my work comp.i was hurt,broke and just pissed,no excuse for what i did.I started selling them as well,we got big selling them for $5 while we were getting them for $1.50,we were making so much money and getting HIGH for free.so high,but the pain was going away while i was high,so we started getting more clientell (adicts) (none addicts),we were selling no joke 3000 vics a week 7.5 mgs,But at the same time we were getting SO addicted,we didnt relize it.Didnt know any better 20yrs old,making thousand of dollars,getting high,waiting for a hugh settlement(I had big plans for that money),Me and my freind got soo deep into opites it was bad,we still were selling the v's but needed something stronger and my doctor wouldnt give me nothing but lil vics or 800 ib,we were taking 20-30 ES a day easy still making plenty of money.as my story goes,i went to perks oc's,the dealer we got them from disspapered so now we got so many people on the v's most of the people were allready on them we just made it easy for them to get them,we had an endless supplie. But we became addicts ourselfs,iv been to 3 detoxs,couple of Meth clincs,rehab.Nothing worked except Methadone did,i still took a couple pills at night due to the methadone wearing off it seemed,but i knew i was going from one drug to another,its just safer,easier and i could lead a life without chasing,before i got to the clincs i had blown my whole $15,000 settlment to oxys,taking 4 80's a day,then i started to do bags when i coundt get oc's,but i finally smarted up well i thought,i got pretty clean,went to the clinc everyday.worked a 50+ hr job as a manager,wee i got payed good money,i always had problems sleeping so i took zanex from time to time another addiction to pile on,i got detoxed off the program due to dirty urine,benzos..so i went to see a doctor the whole reson i am on these damn pills or liquid is becasue i got hurt at work and still have so much back pain and knee pain it will never go away,at the end i did get a doctor to prescibe me methadone,which i take 90mg a da 3 am 3noon 3 pm,he started me at 30mg and i got up to 70mg were i was doing great,my life HAS NEVER been better EVER!! then i got 2 yes 2 hugh kidney stones,needed operations,stents,so much pain,got back to taken pills got back on the clinc this is b4 doctor,back on methadone,lost license middle of winter,no rides to the 15 mile away clinc,detoxed off 80 mg,in my now fiances bed in a small house it was the WORST experince i will never do it again,but got stones got back on clinc,benzos kicked off like i said,then got the doctor i have today,i am stable,i have the best job i have Ever had in my 11 yrs of working,there is sooo much more to this storey and i know i told it all fu4ked up by jumping around,but my point is i detoxed with Nothing at all of 80mg,it was worst the death by anything anywere any way,but i did it,then got them stones,so it was like god was telling me u need to be on something,even if it wasnt it was deff.a quwinkie dink then,anyways 2 yrs on the dona,also get 5mg perks for break through pain,and it really works,i kn ow to myself i will probley be on the methadone for the next 40 yrs,hopefully my doctoe stays in good health also,or im screwed! but if you are really bad in pills and dont know wre to turn.life is so bad you wanna die,go get methadone,it works if you do it the way its meant,dont let anyone put your dose up,u put ur own dose up! aqny questions please fell free to contact me at anytime thru this site or my yahoo mail,managepies@yahoo.coim..will go back to using it just for this puropose!
thanks,
L!l Br0

On Apr 7th, 2009 junkie 2 wrote:

k you guys...i was a heroin addict for 4 years...i destroyed my family...but what i want to say is both good and bad. my doctor at the clinic was the best. although i was on a really high dose of methadone...80 mg liquid. i was really trying...i even went to rehab onn my doctors suggestion. 28 days...bullshit..you can't kick a habit in 28 days (yes i was allowed my methadone in treatment). however..i started shooting it and that went on for a while until one day i visited my younger sister and realized what an awesome life she had. i went to my doctor that week and told him i wanted to come off the done. he was reluctant. i got accepted to college and insisted that i was NOT going to college hooked on ANY drug. i came off of it in 4 months. the withdrawals wern't that bad. I survived. you have to WANT TO. now im worried about the effects the methadone has had on my body...my teeth are all breaking...i have costochondritis...i think i also have candiasis albican and im scared..can anyone give me advice? im scared to talk to my doctor.

On Apr 8th, 2009 Little sister wrote:

Please help me! I don't know for sure, but I suspect m sister is using methadone. She nods off all the time and grabs on to my arm when she's walking because she gets dizzy. She seems to always have a hard time finishing her sentences. I'm so worried about her and love her so much. She had a pain pill addiction for several years and swears she doesn't do that anymore. She's a thirty-seven year old beautiful woman, but for a while now she has a hard time just putting on her make-up. She's ALWAYS tired! Sometimes she'll be doing something and you'll look at her and her eyes will be rolling back and she'll be faling asleep. Is this the cause of methadone? Please someone help me! About a month ago she had to go to the hospital for what they thought was a sinus infection. Her whole face was very swollen, especially her eyes, they were swollen almost completely shut. We still don't really know why, but it happened a few more times after that. I wondered if this was the cause of "snorting" pills. I'm so afraid for her. Something tells me she's using. Any advise would be soooo greatly appreciated! I don't know what to do to help her, except to pray hard!

On Apr 15th, 2009 Piper wrote:

First this nonsense that methadone is a wonder drug is simply that..nonsense. It is a strong narcotic opiate you are only substituting one for the other, don't kid yourself. Methadone withdrawal is one of the hardest for 95% of patients. Mentally and physically most can't complete the tampering. It is simply awful to go thru. DO NOT tell yourself that because a DR is giving you methadone for pain or addiction that it is ok..it's not. You may feel as if you're wearing silk PJ's right now, but wait until you have to taper off of it. You will wish for death. I was on Methadone and Subutex and I couldn't wean off of either of them. I'm a bodybuilder and I have chronic pain, I'm very strong mentally and extremely strong physically and I am very hralthy..I couldn't get thru the withdrawals. I'm down to 2 mg'd a day of methadone and I am in hell,I am taking other things to help me get thru this..but that's not the answer. They do NOT care about you in a methadone clinic, only the money. I have excellent health insurance but my Dr sent me to a clinic instead of tapering me off the subutex himself, he is a lazy no good loser! I'm worse off now. Subutex was a dream for me, it made everything wonderful..you just felt normal and good, but coming off of that was HELL also. If you're on methadone or subutex be prepared for when you're tapered..I'm telling you right now, it's so bad you won't want to shower, brush your teeth, you don't want to talk to people, no appetite, anxiety and insomnia. depression is overwhelming and I have asked to not wake up some mornings, just let me die...I know it will end but it's shit right now..Oh I am NOT venting by the way, I am telling it like it is, the only way to be safe is to not take anything at all. Trust me I've been taking pain meds for chronic pain for almost 20 yrs, I've been thru every programme and have had every detox med there is..Nothing makes it better..NOTHING. I'm not a drug user, I've never had alcohol and I don't abuse my pain meds, I take them on schedule the amount I am told to take..Doctors suck, they give you the meds no problem but if you ask for help coming off, you are treated like dog crap and are labeled something negative. I do not get a high from my medication nor do I enjoy that feeling at all. I just want to be out of pain.

On Apr 26th, 2009 Blue wrote:

I think everyone needs to sit back and think about some things. I have read that methadone is good, bad, evil and so on. Methadone and methadone treatment is different for everyone. No one case is the same at all. Methadone has been both good and bad in my life. Before I start let me say I\'m not here to put anyone down for anything. Rather you are the one hooked or rather you are the family member. Everyone handles everything different. Some people have gone through methadone treatment and it has worked for them, it has failed for some and others do use it as a crutch. No matter if your the taker or the family/friend everyone suffers and no body is looking at it like that. The taker says that we don\'t understand how hard it is. We are not the ones that have to suffer. We are not the ones that hurt and don\'t get any sleep and want to die. The family/friend says I know what you are going through, that is bull unless you have been where they are. I\'m the family member and I will tell you. I have never been there with the methadone and every drug is different for everyone. I was at the point of no return with drinking, smoking pot and crystal meth. Right before I took the last step I turned away because I didn\'t want to live my life that way. Now talk about cigarettes, I have watched 2 of my family members die of cancer and still have not been able to put them down. Why? Because I\'m scared. I listen to people say they got fat when they quit, I\'m scared of my mental health and my family. I get very mean every time I try to quit. So what does that mean. It means I find every excuse I can not to quit. And I blame everyone around me. But me telling someone on methadone that I know what they are going through is just plan bull. It is two different things. No matter what it is, if you have not been there you don\'t know so don\'t try to pretend and don\'t judge. Now for the taker, you say we don\'t understand and we are not the one suffering well let me tell you something. You don\'t understand if you think for a minute that we don\'t suffer. We suffer in different ways for the same reason. Well think about it for a minute. Sleepless nights- you can\'t sleep because of the drug, we can\'t sleep because you toss and turn and are up and down all night. The pain you suffer from- your pain is physicall, ours is emotional, we hurt inside because there is nothing we can do to make you stop hurting. There is nothing we can do to make your pain go away. Your sex drive- doesn\'t really bother you to much because you have no desire for sex, we know that it is the methadone but we still feel that there should be something that we can do and then when we fail we feel like it is us. In some cases that is where cheating comes in and then there are even more problems in the family. You see we do suffer with you we just suffer in different ways for the same reason.
Now as far as the clinic- It has helped in so many ways and it has hurt in so many ways and again the clinic controlls us just as much as it controlls you the taker. My husband started going to the clinic and they raised him to a higher dose to get him stable. I don\'t understand this for the simple fact, why would they take you up just to turn around and bring you back down. But my husband got off the street drugs and is now only on methadone, so that is the good thing. However, he is on a higher dose now and it has changed him. He stays ill most of the time and he sleeps alot more than he did when he was on the lower dose. He has no energy at all and has to take energy pills which also make him ill. But when I talk to him about his problem he gets mad at me. This goes back to what I said about them not understanding what we as family/friends go through. I know that we are not the ones hooked on methadone but it does affect us and we do suffer also.
The taker suffers because they can\'t hold down a job. The family/friend suffers because they don\'t make enough money to pay all the bills. Every one suffers different ways for the same reasons. Yes I know I keep saying that over and over but everyone needs to think about that. Just because your the taker doesn\'t mean that you suffer any more than the friend or family member. And for the friend/family, just because you think you know how they feel and what they are going through remember if you have not been where they are you have no idea and even if you have been there it is different for everyone it doesn\'t matter which end your on or if you have been there before think about the one you love. If they want help no matter how hard it is, stand by them. If they don\'t want help well then you have to decide what to do. You can\'t help those who do not help themselves. If you walk out on someone that truly wants and needs your help then you have turned your back on them. If you stay in a relationship with someone that does not want your help then you have turned your back on yourself. And to the taker. If you are on methadone and have decided that detox is more than you can handle and decide pick the drug over life don\'t get mad if the one you are with decides methadone is more than they can handle and decides that they want a life without methadone as you have decided that you want a life with methadone. It is not going to be an easy road no matter what. To the taker and the family/friend don\'t be so quick to judge each other. It is hard on both sides and don\'t think for a minute that one suffers more than the other. Don\'t blame each other if they can or can\'t handle things. Everyone is different.

On May 4th, 2009 John wrote:

To suggest that methadone is evil without condemning every other opiate on the market is just asinine. However, to insinuate that it is a safe alternative to other opiates is ignorant as well. I have seen the two faces of this drug and have contended that it is no different than any other addictive substance that has medical value. If you are addicted to an opiate that you have aquired illegally, how is taking a legal and socially acceptable version any different?
For instance: Say you have kicked your habit(heroin,oxycontin, etc.)by entering a methadone program. A few years later methadone is taken off the market. What will you do? Anyone who has been on a 50mg+ dose for more than a year knows how horrible cold turkey withdrawls are. If you couldn\\\'t deal with the 21 days of of withdrawl from your original addiction, how are you going to deal with 60-90+ days of methadone withdrawl? Will you just shrug it off like its nothing or will you angrily get on the most readily available opiate and blame it on the system? My money\\\'s on the latter. You see, you\\\'re still addicted to opiates regardless of where you acquire them. Think about it. Would you really get off junk if there was a heroin clinic as well as a methadone clinic?
With all of the advancements in opiate addiction therapy, I believe opiate replacement should be retired. Instead of spending tax dollars on state sponsored addiction, the government should be funding new, more effective treatments such as the Waismann Method(you all should research this). Don\\\'t get me wrong. i do believe that methadone has its uses. I just don\\\'t believe it should include the the treatment of addiction. Hmm. An opioid pain killer to get you off of opioid pain killers. It just sounds wierd doesn\\\'t it?