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Questions about Suboxone / Methadone Maintenance

chicken hoagie

chicken hoagie

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
Messages
363
Location
Illinois
Hey everyone,


So I have been seeing a physician in a town close by for my suboxone, and he is the only doctor in the town that is licensed to prescribe it. I believe I have failed a drug test for THC, even though it had been over a couple weeks since I had smoked (before I started seeing him), so I am going to have to find a doctor from another town close by. Unfortunately, when I call the other doctor's office (almost every day), they have not yet picked up so that I can schedule an appointment. I called a different(third doctor), but he doesn't accept any kind of insurance and it is 250 dollars for the first month, then 125 dollars for every month after. I don't really think this is a bad deal, since he gives you a month's supply right off the bat, and my current doctor has only been giving me a week's worth at a time(the hospital he is associated with has very strict rules on medications that are addicting, therefore I will be kicked out of his program if my lab results come back today as being truthful that I did fail for THC). Anyhow, I am not going to bother to go see him tomorrow if I did indeed fail, as there wouldn't really be any point. I only have half of an 8mg tablet however, and I am very concerned about dealing with withdrawals and extremely bad mood swings, and also pure laziness. I am living at home, and my parents are supporting me at the current moment, so my mother and father are definitely against the idea of paying 250 dollars and going to a doctor that doesn't accept insurance. The doctor that doesn't accept insurance actually answers the phone though, and it would be quick to get in. That doctor may be out of the question unfortunately, so I have been wondering about temporarily hitting up the methadone clinic that is close by, and getting on it until I can get an appointment with a suboxone doctor and wait until the appointment comes close. I do know that doctors will say that you have to wait 3-5 days for the methadone to clear out of your system before you can be put on suboxone, but is there a waiting period for switching from suboxone to methadone? is there any other bit of advice or info anyone could share with me?

I am very serious about getting on a suboxone maintenance program and staying on it for the sake of my sobriety. Life has been an absolute train wreck and I have had no consistency with my life thus far in the entire past year or two. I have many legal problems at the current moment, facing 2 battery felony charges, and my parents have already dished out thousands of dollars to save my ass and get me the best lawyer there is around the area, so I need to show them that I can get consistent with my life again, get a job again and maintain a steady lifestyle. I am sick of dealing with the constant withdrawals and setbacks.
 
If it were me I would go to the appointment tomorrow. The worst thing that will happen is they deny you the script and you can nicely and respectful let them know that their policy is not logical and that denying you your medication, due to thc in your system is unjustifiable, inhumane, and dangerous.

I do not think switching to the methadone temp is the way you want to go.

Weather or not switching from methadone to subs causes precipitated withdrawl is a controversial topic. My take is that for most people it does not. I have not read any first hand ocounts of this happening. I have talked with one person who claimed to have this happen, but they also had other opiates on board

Hope you are able to piece your life back together!
 
If you want to get on suboxone than the methadone clinic would be a step in the wrong direction due to its half life and the problem of precipitated withdrawal. Although its a superior medication but that's just my experience speaking. Anyway the 250 dollar doctor will likely be very lenient about things like drug testing so if you want to keep smoking that will likely be your best bet. I have a feeling the hospital doctor will write you more tomorrow though if you promise to be drug free in the future though. He likely wouldn't have any patients if he was that strict. So yeam my advice is go to tommorows appointment then see where you are at. Worst case is you can probably get into the methadone clinic pretty fast if all else fails. I got inducted into methadone the day after I called no appointment required.
 
So I called the doctor's office, and they notified me that I am disqualified from the program and I can no longer see him because I failed my drug screen for THC. As unjustifiable, inhumane and dangerous as I also believe this is, there is definitely no point in me trying to even politely contest, so I am going to move on and find a new solution. My mom luckily did happen to find a suboxone clinic that is fairly close by, and their website mentions that they get patients in early and don't make people wait "weeks" to get into an appointment, which sounds like good news. So I am going to call this place tomorrow and see how quickly I may be able to get in.

Anyway the 250 dollar doctor will likely be very lenient about things like drug testing so if you want to keep smoking that will likely be your best bet.
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This is a good point. My friend who referenced me to this doctor was able to continue smoking while he was on his suboxone. Unfortunately I may have to save up my own money to get into that clinic.
 
I've been on both before two years each

Subs are good to try first and if they don't work for you then methadone...ask about generic /subs/subutex/zubsolv usually cheaper
 
chicken hoagie said:
So I called the doctor's office, and they notified me that I am disqualified from the program and I can no longer see him because I failed my drug screen for THC. As unjustifiable, inhumane and dangerous as I also believe this is, there is definitely no point in me trying to even politely contest, so I am going to move on and find a new solution. My mom luckily did happen to find a suboxone clinic that is fairly close by, and their website mentions that they get patients in early and don't make people wait "weeks" to get into an appointment, which sounds like good news. So I am going to call this place tomorrow and see how quickly I may be able to get in.



This is a good point. My friend who referenced me to this doctor was able to continue smoking while he was on his suboxone. Unfortunately I may have to save up my own money to get into that clinic.
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That's fucking criminal. I don't see how its ethical to basically tell a patient to fuck off and die over failing a drug test for pot.
 
in the process of convincing my mother to pay the 250 for this doctor...I told her that no other doctor is going to give me an entire month's worth of medication the first time going, and every other place around my area seems to either have a waiting list, isn't accepting any more patients or no longer offers a suboxone maintenance program. Damn...Central Illinois is fucking pathetic.


UPDATE: Got the appointment scheduled with the doc for next wednesday, and my mom texted me saying she hates her life(WOOHOO)

So crossing my fingers that things work out. I have court just 2 hours before for a stupid ass restraining order, and the town is about an hour away, which leaves me with one hour to get through court...hah...really crossing my fingers..fml.
 
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