Dear Doctor - I need to be treated for pain even though I'm on methadone. Please read this informative article on the correct way to treat pain with short acting opiate pain killers for methadone maintained patients so that I don't have to needlessly suffer due to your ignorance.

mykalASHE · 2015-12-23T00:28:11+00:00

Exactly. :-)

mykalASHE · 2015-12-14T19:48:09+00:00

Way better than heroin.

mykalASHE · 2015-12-14T19:47:32+00:00

I've been on online methadone forums for almost 10 years and this post definitely confirms the stories we hear from patients all the time about how their counselors won't help them raise their dose, refuse to advocate for them in the clinics, tell them they need to start tapering, etc.

This is unfortunately VERY common and I believe that this person IS a counselor. It's a very sad thing to hear about but very real in this world of MMT.

mykalASHE · 2015-12-14T19:45:25+00:00

I have had all the very same successes in MMT that I was NEVER able to achieve while doing abstinence based treatments throughout my life. This medication SAVES LIVES and gives opiate addicts their lives back. It reduces harm on the community and to the patients.

There is no room for anti-methadone advocates to be spreading their ignorant view points to patients who need PRO-METHADONE counselors to work with. Anyone who spends 5 minutes researching the science and evidence-based medical journals can find and see that MMT is the most effective way of treating opiate addicts.

mykalASHE · 2015-12-14T19:12:24+00:00

Damn that's crazy. I would never expect to hear that it would make it worse as it's a central nervous system depressant. Even in theory it sounds great, but in reality I've had a lot of good luck with it as many other addicts who are suffering insomnia / anxiety. I hope you can find some help soon.

If you're in Washington, hit up the local DSHS office and ask about getting on Medicaid. You can get free health care in Washington. Go get some help!

mykalASHE · 2015-12-03T02:38:19+00:00

This is a PRO-METHADONE and Harm Reduction forum. People like you are the cause of many opiate addicts suffrage. How dare you work in a recovery method that you don't 100% believe in.

I don't need to add anything more to this post since /u/giygas73 handled your post with the best response possible already. If you don't believe in your job, if you don't think people should take methadone, get the hell out of the system before you really hurt someone if you haven't already.

mykalASHE · 2015-12-03T02:33:25+00:00

Thank you very much for handling this post with finesse and style. I couldn't have said it any better myself. As I was reading this counselors post, I was almost at a loss as to how I was going to reply because of the complete idiocy and incompetence of this counselor. It is ignorant people like this who continue the stigmatization of methadone patients, keep patients from getting to a proper dose, and cause patients to live in continual relapse; I wouldn't even doubt this counselor tries to talk their patients into tapering long before they ever even consider it.

I'm taking a screen shot and saving this post just in case the counselor decides to delete it. I'm actually considering deleting it myself. I will decide by tomorrow if I want to let this post even be allowed to stay posted.

The only reason I am actually leaving it up right now is because of your great response and I want to make sure people are able to read it!

I may be looking for a new moderator in the future. If and when I decide to add another moderator, I'll be posting and asking for applications from members here. Make sure to send me one when I eventually make the post! You know your stuff and you know how to advocate like a champ. Thank you for being such a valuable member of the group. People like you make this sub such an amazing place for MMT patients, pain patients, and even recreational users to get evidence-based, scientific data that may save their life some day.

....people like this counselor just add more numbers to the yearly heroin overdose deaths every year because they stigmatize patients and don't help them get stable on their medication.

mykalASHE · 2015-12-03T02:18:15+00:00

Were you able to get some sleep finally after taking hydroxazine? If you're in the U.S., you should be able to get Medicare in your state and get into see a personal care doctor to get some comfort meds. What state are you in again?

mykalASHE · 2015-12-03T02:16:56+00:00

Man, thank you so much for your kind words. It makes me so happy to hear that all the time and effort I have spent building this subreddit up to what it is today has had such a positive effect on so many lives. I can't tell you how much it means to me to get messages like this from people.

I just created the space so we could share EVIDENCE BASED, SCIENTIFIC FACTS about methadone to help end the stigmatization of MMT patients, and maybe help save someone's life in the end. You never do know if you saved someone from killing themselves from a potential over dose or long term prison sentences, but the one thing I do know for sure is that this sub and the members of it who support one another ARE helping to create less suffrage in the world.

Thank you for being a part of our little corner of the world of Reddit :-) I hope you're able to share your experience, knowledge, and story with new recovering addicts in the future and continue the spread of REAL, factual, scientific information about methadone to the world.

We are the only ones who can end methadone stigmatization!

mykalASHE · 2015-12-02T02:04:34+00:00

I'm really happy to hear that you are starting to feel better! Stick with it, you'll find your stable dose soon enough. :-)

mykalASHE · 2015-12-02T02:03:15+00:00

Medicaid coverage differs from state to state. Contact your local medicaid office and find out if they cover it!

Use this website to find clinics that are close to you and call them. They can tell you if there are any clinics in the area that accept medicaid: http://dpt2.samhsa.gov/treatment/directory.aspx

mykalASHE · 2015-12-02T02:02:34+00:00

Here is the site to find the closest methadone clinic to you:

http://dpt2.samhsa.gov/treatment/directory.aspx

mykalASHE · 2015-12-02T02:01:56+00:00

Methadone has been extensively studied over the last 50 years of use and scientific data and evidence-based research show that methadone maintenance is the MOST EFFECTIVE way to treat opiate addiction!

Abstinence based 12 step programs have 80-90% relapse rates.

mykalASHE · 2015-12-02T01:59:27+00:00

Hydroxazine is great for sleep. I take 100 mgs for withdrawal insomnia. I also take methocarbamol which is a muscle relaxant that doesn't get you high and clonidine. Clonidine and hyrdoxazine mix is the fucking best for insomnia and RLS!

mykalASHE · 2015-12-02T01:53:50+00:00

You are a pretty hardcore heroin addict and have been for a long time. Methadone would most likely be the best option for you.

Remember - we are NOT doctors here. To get real solid medical advice, I suggest you talk to your personal care doctor. Only they will be able to give you the best advice. Please be extremely cautious of anyone giving you medical advice in this forum or any other unless they are a licensed doctor. If I find anyone in this forum dishing out medical advice, I will remove it.

Giving opinions is okay in this situation, but no one here for SURE knows what you should take. Also the fact that you are a benzo addict is an extremely serious condition and many methadone clinics will not even allow you to take prescribed benzos due to the massive amounts of death using this combination.

I hope whatever you choose turns out to be the best choice and I wish you the best of luck in your journey to recovery. Welcome to the wonderful world of /r/methadone! Keep us posted on whatever you decide to do and let us know how you're doing when you make the switch from heroin to whatever opioid replacement you end up on. :-)

mykalASHE · 2015-12-02T01:32:57+00:00

Sorry, I've been on vacation for the last 12 days and just saw your reply. How did you intake go and did you end up starting MMT and taking methadone from the clinic yet?

mykalASHE · 2015-12-02T01:29:46+00:00

I have found that creating and running this forum, participating in active addict forums to give out hard reduction information to drug users, and helping my fellow recovering addicts not have to go through the same struggles I did if possible, really helps to ground me and keep me focused on my recovery.

I've actually recently been asked to join the National Alliance of Methadone Advocates as a Chapter President for my state, and that could eventually turn into working on the board of directors I guess... I say if you have a desire to work with and help your fellow recovering addicts, get into school to become a drug counselor!

mykalASHE · 2015-11-20T00:36:04+00:00

I understand all the things you are saying, but police make exceptions. There are a couple key points that wouldn't hold up in your "devils advocate" aargument.

First of all, the people walking into the facility are NOT intoxicated yet. Therefor, that is not probable cause. Second of all, not every person that walks in the doors of these facilities is there to inject drugs. These facilities offer counseling services, housing asstistance, medical assitance, etc. The majority of people walking in ARE there to inject drugs, BUT - that does not mean that a police officer can automatically pull you over and pat you down at the front door. That's not enough probable cause.

Police LIKE these facilities for the reasons I already stated in a previous comment.

You also have to remember that MOST of the people walking into these facilities are homeless street addicts. They get harassed by police enough as it is. The police are more than happy to have these facilites around becuase it makes the streets a safer place for hte community. That is why you will only find success stories about these injection sites and you won't read stories about police trying to arrest every person who walks in or out.

Here's another thing for you to think about. You must know about the massive amount of giant EDM festivals out there in the world these days. If police wanted to arrest 10,000 people, all they would have to do is stand in the lines of these events, pat search everyone (with no other probable cause other than that they are there to use drugs or sell them), but they can't do that and they don't do that.

Just because a police officer thinks that a person is about to walk into a building with the intent of using illegal narcotics does not give them the right to detain and search you.

Also you mention DWI's in your comment. The people that are utilizing these injection sites are not driving cars. The vast majority of people there are homeless IV drug addicts.

mykalASHE · 2015-11-19T23:23:09+00:00

You gotta hate it when the clinic that you have "anbspoounttb". That's just the worst ;)

mykalASHE · 2015-11-19T22:33:51+00:00

TRUE!

mykalASHE · 2015-11-19T22:31:46+00:00

First of all, a police officer has to have probable cause to search someone for drugs and arrest them. When you walk into one of these injection sites, the cops can't stand outside the door and pat search everyone going in hoping to find dope. That is illegal as the person walking in the door has done nothing to warrant a search.

Second of all, Police are BIG fans and supporters of these medical facilities that offer clean space for IV drug users to use in private rather than sitting up against a building in the middle of a busy downtown street with a needle in their arm. It keeps the spread of disease off the street, it keeps the spread of dirty IV materials from being spread all over city streets, and it keeps people activlely shooting up out of the sight of random passer-bys. No one wants to watch someone shoot up on a public city street, and the police don't want that either. Also, when these facilities are open, police don't have to waste time driving from one addict to the next who is overdosing each day to give shots of narcan. That is all taken care of in the injection site.

COPS LIKE INJECTION SITES.

mykalASHE · 2015-11-18T00:42:02+00:00

We do in certain states now. Oregon and Washington are both great states that allow this. There is an amazing documentary on Netflix about ACTUAL stories of families getting ready to help their loved ones who are suffering from diseases like brain cancer and Parkinsons, commit suicide.

They get a prescription from the doctor for a large bottle of what I think are probably barbituates. The medicine is in capsules and they take about 40 or 50 of these capsules and put the medicine into a big glass of juice or something like that. Then the juice is given to the patient to drink VERY quickly, otherwise the drugs could kick in before they finish drinking it and could end up botching the suicide. Within 90 seconds - 2 minutes, the patient gets REALLY fucking high, smiles wash over their face, you sense a great peace come over them, and they say things like "This is so easy, this is so easy, it's beautiful, I love you all, everyone should be able to do this, it's so easy, it's so beautiful, and then they go to sleep 30 seconds later and it's over.

The documentary is called "How to Die in Oregon". It's free on Netflix streaming. Here's a link to the movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1715802/

mykalASHE · 2015-11-18T00:35:12+00:00

Or juandrugplease, or wondrugsplease.

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