Answers
Would these type of painkillers get rid of the pain when one is on a methadone maintance program. Say I needed a surgery; methadone is not good for pain at all, so would a painkillers such as oxycodone work for pain? I know the methadone will prevent one from obtaining a high due to cross tolerance. But for pain...??
There are a couple of misconceptions in your questions -- which could be dangerous. Methadone is a synthetic opiate. It has many of the same side effects as "natural" opiates such as heroin and codeine, and it is risky to combine it with any other opiates because of the combined cumulative dosage. Death by overdosing on methadone, by itself and mixed with other drugs, has become quite common with street drug users, part of which may be due to the misperception that methadone acts "against" opiate drugs.
Actually, it doesn't. Methadone supposedly makes it easier to get off heroin and other opiate additions, because it has a longer half-life in the body, does not give as intense a "high", and does not have such severe withdrawal symptoms. BUT it is also very possible to get physically addicted to methadone itself, which will have its own withdrawal problems.
As for pain, all opiate drugs including methadone DO relieve pain. Why do you think it's not a pain reliever? Methadone actually is fairly frequently prescribed by doctors (although maybe it shouldn't be) for non-heroin users who have severe, chronic pain. (Remember Anna Nicole Smith's son Danny? The cause of death was accidental multi-drug interactions, and one of those drugs was methadone which had been prescribed to him for back pain.)
Please don't self-dose with ANY other opiates while on a methadone program. You need to consult with your medical doctor prior to any surgery, not just because of the danger of multi-opiate interactions, but because other drugs that are administered for surgery could also interact badly. For example, high doses of opiates will slow heart rate and breathing. Many anaesthetics also have this effect. If the two are combined together, you could have respiratory or heart failure on the operating table. Be safe rather than sorry!
As an ex heroin addict of about 25 years and clean for 15 I come from a standpoint of an experienced addict and counselor to addicts with my group ...
Hi,
Sure it's possible to stop using the meth. reduce your dose very slowly. Also, ask your prescriber about Bupe( buephdorphin) SP? It's an alternative, less strict guidelines and can be prescribed by your family doctor. Usually prescribed when your at 30 mgs of methadone. If you want to get off it, you can. Go slow and have plenty of support. Good luck.
I am a 33 year-old male, I have an 8 year son, I live in Canada. I love my son with all my heart, but I have made some pretty bad mistakes in the past. I am on the methadone maintanance program. I have had monthly urinalysis, sometimes twice a month, and they are random. And I have never had a dirty one, so I have been clean now for over a year! Which I am quite proud of, and so is my family and friends. Now, I also have had a run in with the law, and I have done time for fraud, I am not proud of my past, but I am trying my best to change that. My x has my son, she is a good Mom, as far as feeding and clothing him. But she uses him as a tool to get back at people she is mad at, when ever she gets mad , or upset about something, no one can see my boy! Me and my son have a very very good relationship, and I have been seeing him(we live about 60 km.s apart, and I have been seeing him every second weekend), when she is not mad about something! Is there any chance of getting partialcustody
I don't see a problem with it because you have pulled your life together. I am just now starting the fight for cutody with my son because he has an unborn baby that he has already been told by the mother will not have his name, or anything to do with him. The more I lresearch the more I find that fathers (at least here in America) have very little rights to their children. Here are some links I found that are for Canada that might help...
http://www.fathersandfamilies.org/site/i ndex.php
or
http://www.fathers-rights-forums.com/for ums/
or
http://fathersforlife.org/Sodhi/unchldsr vy.html
Good Luck!
Would these type of painkillers get rid of the pain when one is on a methadone maintance program. Say I needed a surgery; methadone is not good for pain at all, so would a painkillers such as oxycodone work for pain? I know the methadone will prevent one from obtaining a high due to cross tolerance. But for pain...??
Yes, Methadone and hydrocodone or oxycodone can be used together, provided the oxycodone is in the short-release formulation. In chronic pain management a long acting narcotic is often used in conjunction with a short-acting narcotic for breakthrough pain.
Methadone is no good for pain? It was invented as a pain pill and is frequently used by pain management specialist to treat... yes, pain. Granted, the most commonly known use is for treating drug addicts. Contrary to common belief it doesn't prevent highs. It simply replaces the illegal, more dangerous drug in the bodies receptors, thus cutting the cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Subutex to Methadone.. need input
Ok so im new here. Over the past 3-4days ive been researching my but off, thinking of the pros and cons of each subutex and methadone. Ive been on subutex for over a year now. Before I was on subutex, I was abusing oxycontin and fentanyl(smoking it,snorting, some iv use). Right now my sub dose is at 16mg. It was at 24mg, then I managed to ween down to 12mg. I was deadset on weaning off bupe, but now I dont know why I feel differently. My older brother passed away a couple weeks ago. He was 28, im 21. It has really screwed me up. Now I dont have any drive to quit my sub maintenance. I actually have been craving opiates everyday all day. I feel like I need something different for maintenance. I also am expecting a baby in another month. I think with my baby boy on the way its making me more anxious. A big reason why I dont want to continue with subutex is because subutex has to be taken sublingual, so I have to let the nasty pill dissolve under my tongue for 20-30 minutes(doc says 15 but...