Heritics of Heroin

Important Announcement

The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More

I did not mean to generalize MY opinion. I 100% agree that methadone works for some people. It worked for me, for a period of time. It allowed me time away from the needle use and to get back into a "normal"way of life again: a job, leaving the house, etc. I just think that in my opinion/experience, having been on and off methadone, that merely replacing one substance for another wasn't successful in keeping me clean. I still had the same things in my head that led me to using heroin. Methadone was just another temp. fix. After the initial desperation of wanting to stop using wore off, after a few months on methadone, all those things in my head, all those old habits and ways of thinking led me to pick up dope again. It wasn't the craving for heroin, since methadone lessens those, but it was just wanting to shift the thoughts in my head. For a while doubling or tripling up on my take-homes semi-worked but then that stopped being enough too and I was back on the needle.

Everyone is different of course. If I could have done a methadone program the way it was prescribed, abstinance from alcohol and drugs, maybe it would have worked better? Maybe I am just so fucked up in the head that I am the only one methadone didn't work for, but I doubt it. My last month there I was dirty and still trying to detox of methadone and didn't want them to raise my dose or stop my detox so I started asking people in the waiting room if they could give me pee for the monthly drug test. I asked 16 people over two hours and every one of them said they were dirty for something. A good amount of people that went there were holding the bag, or selling their take-homes etc. All I'm saying is there are pros and cons to methadone maintanance like everything else.

On last clarification: I don't know what contributed to my high Hep c levels, it could have been a lot of things. All I do know is the nurses at the methadone clinic and my hep doc said methadone was most likely a contributing factor. Regarding skin tone looking grey/green, there is no one in the world who can convince me that people on methadone don't have that look to them. I definately had it and so do most of the people I know on methadone.

I hope this doesn't come off as bitchy, I truly don't mean it that way.

I hear what you are saying and like I said in my previous post in that I give you allot of credit for staying clean over the last few years. I'm not trying to be difficult and you are surely entitled to your opinion and I respect everyone's right to one. But what I'm stating is not an opinion it is scientific fact and I can present data to back what I speak. I have spent many years in advocacy and counseling patients and my education came from research and from some of the top scientists in the field. I have been to many seminars and conferences and some of the great physicians are Dr.Dole, Dr. Newman,Dr.payte,Dr. schinderman, Dr. Joseph and the list goes on so these things I state are not my opinion but the facts from research.

I get really upset not at you but at all of the myths and stigmas that have been created by ignorant doctors and patients who pass information WHILE STANDING ON LINE and then it takes on a life of it's own.

I have went around to different groups giving talks on stigmas and what harm they cause so this is something that I take serious because when other people read remarks that does not represent the truth they leave this site and other places with the belief that if it was said here it must be true.

If a doctor told you that methadone has caused your liver enzymes to shoot up then this doctor is also ignorant when it comes to methadone and probably doesn't even know methadone is non-toxic to any organs in the body. You stated that you have hepc well that is your cause of your enzyme elevation and you can have other health issues that you may not be aware of or if you consume any alcohol or using other drugs then some of then can be harmful to the liver.

And if you see people on methadone that look grey or pale then they are suffering from some ailment or disease that has nothing to due with methadone. The problem is everyone wants to blame methadone for all of their problems and they forget that they may have abused other drugs, having health issues and methadone becomes a easy target.

From what you have written about your experience with methadone one of the problems was that you were not on it long enough and didn't seem to be ready for recovery and recovery is more than not using your doc it is a total life change. Methadone is only a small part of treatment once stable on the drug you must take changing behavior and dealing with all the issues that got one to drugs in the first place.

It's like someone who is suffering from depression or some other mental disorder the medication that is given to stabilize the patient is just a small part and with that patient stable they now will be able to hear what is needed to work their issues and do what is necessary for them to put their illness in check. Yes some people can go through therapy with any physc meds and get through it but others may need these meds for life and methadone is no different.

I would not recommend methadone for a young person who has a short time being addicted to heroin or other opiates, I would like to see them trying a drug-free approach first or buprenorphine and then if all else fails then after many attempts then only then would I refer them to methadone.

This medication is not for everyone but for many it has saved their life and it may be necessary for them to remain on it for life.

Claude

Patient Advocate

claude hopkins cma
advocate

NJADVOCATES
JSAS HC inc
1200 memorial drive
Asbury Park, nj

[email protected]

tel:
fax:
mobile:

732-678-5172
1-530-937-6801
732-740-3541

Add me to your address book...

Want a signature like this?

I hear what you are saying. When I got on methadone I hadn't heard anything about it, good or bad. I used for 17 years and was on methadone for a little over five years. I haven't been clean for years, only 121 days. There is misinformation out there on both the pro and con sides of methadone. If you are on methadone, have you ever had a period of time off of it, without any other substances? You're thoughts about methadone might be different if so, but maybe not. I was such a adamant supporter of methadone when I was on it. I attended methadone anonymous meetings at my clinic. I took the clinic doctor with me to court so he could tell them that I needed to be on methadone. No one could have swayed my opinion and I would honestly get outraged when anyone tried. I feel differently now.

To anyone reading this that might think so, I am not judging anyone who chooses to get on methadone or stay on methadone, whatever keeps you alive.

You said the magic word "whatever keeps you alive" and not just alive but clean of illicit drugs and illicit behavior as it's not enough to just be drug free your whole mental attitude has to change so that when you stop the drugs you also stop the behavior.

I know people that have quit using intoxicants but they are still running scams on people and always trying to get over and have no ambition to put their life back together or for some put their life together for the first time.

I have been on meth for over 30 yrs and 15yrs I had an accident with my back so I'm using meth for my daily chronic pain along with diabetic neuropathy and without it I could not function as well due to the pain. So I have accepted this medication for life as I have accepted my diabetic meds and other meds for life and with it gives me a quality of life. I have tried over the years to taper off long before of my health issues and everytime the cravings took control and I end up going back up but for quite a few years I stayed on a low dose not so that I can use it's just I was so naive to meth and the system I didn't even have since enough to ask for an increase not even realizing that I needed one so I just felt this is it and how you will feel. Now that I'm older and wiser (at least I hope that , lol) my goal is to educate patients,doctors,judges,clergy,etc as I go to places and talk about methadone and all I ask of them is not so much that they will now agree with me but that they promise to keep an open mind and heart and search out for the truth and use all that is available to help one rid themselves of this control that this disease puts on people. Use 12 steps, use 6 steps, the love of God, methadone,buprenorphine, detox,cold,internet support,family support,church support, etc,etc. So you get my point and I believe you had finished up with the same theory, "whatever works,whatever it takes the bottom line is as long as we all reach the same point then we have achieved our goal".

Once again I commend your hard work and wish you the very best and I am glad that today your are ok and I did appreciate you sharing yourself with the group.

----- Original Message -----

Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 10:59 PM

Subject: Re: CLARIFICATION of "methadone is satanic"

To anyone reading this that might think so, I am not judging anyone who chooses to get on methadone or stay on methadone, whatever keeps you alive.

Hey Claude Phillygirl here and I always love to read your mentally challanging posts. I also hate to give my "opinion" about things I know nothing about. The things that I post are my experiences or facts that I have researched and studied. I had many ailments that I "assumed" was from my drug use. When I was in active addiction I didn't take care of myself at all and when I got clean had the nerve to say that the very thing that saved my life (methadone) is killing me. No it did save my life. I truly believe that. It doesn't do those things to your body people say it does we just don't want to believe we were that irresponsible when we were getting high that we didn't take care of ourselves. I am so grateful for your insight and knowledge about issues that most of us know nothing about. Thank you for posting. Love and thougths Phillygirl

Thank you for your kind and inspiring words and I do appreciate you taking the time to say it.

----- Original Message -----

Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 5:04 PM

Subject: Re: CLARIFICATION of "methadone is satanic"

Important Announcement The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
Heritics of Heroin	[email protected]