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  • EADD Moderators: Pissed_and_messed | Shinji Ikari

EADD Benzo Discussion v. Finally remembered to start a new thread.

I don't really have "issues".

I've been under the care of a chronic pain clinic for nearly 20 years for a serious back problem. I'm on methadone pills as part of that not through illicit opiate use. They know about my back certainly. Any medication I'm prescribed is personal and nothing to do with them.

I assume when you say issues" you mean illicit drug use?....There aren't any...cos I don't take any

Opiate addiction due to illegal drug use such as heroin and opiate dependence due to pain management are very different.

Some would argue it's pure semantics and in a way it is. I certainly don't look down on anyone who uses anything for any reason but certainly legally and from a duty to inform one's employers it's very different.
 
It wasn't intended to be a judgemental question or anything, I was just wondering if your boss will wonder why you're maybe hiding under a desk or otherwise acting odd.

I don't really have "issues".

Please. We all do. ;)
 
Oh I do have issues type of issues...what I thought you were saying way does your employer (the Ambulance Service) know you are using illegal drugs and suffering withdrawls from which,

That was the point I was making. As I don't have those "issues"

As for other "issues" I have (some would say far more) than my fair share.

And anyway my boss would notice far quicker if I STOPPED hiding under my desk or in the back of the ambulance under the stretcher and acting odd.....he'd definitely know something was up then :)
 
Englandgz74 said:
I'm on methadone pills as part of that not through illicit opiate use.

When collecting your methadone script from the chemist do you get the feeling that they believe you are prescribed methadone for the same reason as most of us rather than as a pain management aid?
 
To clarify further: I was just wondering if your employer knows about you being on methadone for so long (for pain issues, I know) and whether the cessation of such will cause you a problem at work.

None of my business. Just a bit of concern, that's all. :)
 
When collecting your methadone script from the chemist do you get the feeling that they believe you are prescribed methadone for the same reason as most of us rather than as a pain management aid?

That's a very good point. Yes I know they believe me for a couple of reasons. I can pick up monthly if I want, I get the tablets which are almost never prescribed for opioid maintenance and also I know the chemist personally.

Sometimes however if for whatever reason I have to tell someone what I take, I always feel obliged to explain what it's for otherwise they jump to all sorts of conclusions (one of the reasons why I'm stopping taking it).

I'm starting to feel pretty rough now actually :(
 
To clarify further: I was just wondering if your employer knows about you being on methadone for so long (for pain issues, I know) and whether the cessation of such will cause you a problem at work.

None of my business. Just a bit of concern, that's all. :)

Well kind of.

Occupational health know but they aren't allowed to tell anyone else. Plus I have to tell the DVLA.

As for cessation..they don't know yet as I started reducing 8 weeks ago and jumped off on Monday. There's no point in making an appointment and telling people when there isn't anything to tell yet....we'll see how it goes first :)
 
Mr England I was wondering if your work could help by referring you to occupational heath etc Just in case you have to take some time off, its maybe worth asking discretely for the additional support during this time.

My work offer all sorts of OH from drug and alcohol addiction, occupational therapy, counselling etc It's a good service all about employee welfare and wanting to provide services to support the employee to stay in work. If this is going to be a grim spell for you, it may be worth researching what's available.

Please try to log in and tell us how it is going - or we'll worry if you just disappear!

<3(((HUGS)))<3
 
Englandgz74 said:
Sometimes however if for whatever reason I have to tell someone what I take, I always feel obliged to explain what it's for otherwise they jump to all sorts of conclusions (one of the reasons why I'm stopping taking it).

I can fully understand that you would want to explain your reasons for taking methadone as the majority of people probably aren't aware of its use in pain management and their only knowledge of it is lines of addicts queueing up each morning for their methadone 'fix'.
 
Mr England I was wondering if your work could help by referring you to occupational heath etc Just in case you have to take some time off, its maybe worth asking discretely for the additional support during this time.

My work offer all sorts of OH from drug and alcohol addiction, occupational therapy, counselling etc It's a good service all about employee welfare and wanting to provide services to support the employee to stay in work. If this is going to be a grim spell for you, it may be worth researching what's available.

Please try to log in and tell us how it is going - or we'll worry if you just disappear!

<3(((HUGS)))<3

Thank you that' very, very kind <3 :)

The only problem is that it's a bit more delicate for me.

Paramedics are issue with and handle controlled drugs all the time and as we were alluding too above as soon as you mention the words "methadone" and "withdrawls" people add 2 and 2 and get 5.

Of course they know it's for pain but I can already anticipate their response...oh go and see you GP, see the pain doctor, see a drug and alcohol service etc. etc. etc. but I've seen all these people before and while some are helpful a lot are shit.

My only medical option is a taper (at my own speed) but I've still got 100mg left to go and was starting to feel it even ten...can you imagine and other year or more of that?

While people may think it's crazy my back is a lot better after my last operation and I know I have the strength to do it.

The only thing I wish is that I was still on MST or Oxy as those are so much easier to stop. Yes you will feel ill but a week later you're better..... with this fucking poison a week later and it hasn't even peaked yet.

I've been on literally every opiate painkiller in the BNF and while methadone is probably the best for pain IMO I wish I was on something else. It's just that when you've been on everything else it's usually fentanyl patches then if they fail methadone pills...and that 's where I'm at.

A forward thinking GP would move me onto something quicker acting with a shorter half life but mine is a fucking clown unfortunately :(
 
Have I read this right Englandz, you've binned all your methadone tablets? Wasn't you only down to ~100mg? That's going to be some kick and with the best will in the world, work is not going to be possible... Especially such a demanding job like yours.

Whenever I've had methadone offered to me I've always turned it down due to seeing just how truly awful and drawn out the wds are. Whilst it definitely has its uses its a brutal med to come off. I'd really advise looking to switch to another to cushion the fall bud. You know your meds and body and it's ultimately up to you.

Take care big guy, I admire your determination <3
 
Yeah mate that's right (although there's a prescription at the chemist for picking up Saturday if I want it ....kind of a safety net).

I'm in an office for the next month or so and I thought it was as good a time as any to give it a go. I came down from 180 to 100 with little problem and my back pain was pretty manageable with non-narcotic meds but then at 100 I suddenly started to really feel it and the thought of a hugely protracted reduction from 100 to zero at 2-3 mg a week feeling sick the whole time seemed too much. I just thought fuck it lets see how hard it really will be. I'm now on about day 3 and feel pretty awful (and I've got work tomorrow - "only" 8 hours in an office though).

My back is fucking killing me but I'm fairly sure by the way it feels that it's caused by the WDs. I'm not under any illusion about haw hard this will be but others have done it so can I. Yes it's hard but it's about mental strength to realise how difficult something is but keep going regardless. Having said all that bulshit :) I just don't know if it will get to the point where I can't bear it anymore and everyone has their breaking point no matter how strong they think they are.

The reason I threw the tablets I had left was that I knew I couldn't get more and I have no access to any illegal drugs or desire to take them so once they were out of the way I had no choice but to stop and see how hard it is. By Saturday though the WDs will have almost reached the very, very, very hard stage and knowing there is a prescription waiting may well be too much and I might go and get it. Whether I take it I don't know yet but I think all things considered it may be a good idea to have incase I'm called out of the office and onto the road. I couldn't be doing that if I was doubled over in agony (well I could but it wouldn't be easy).

Methadone has it's uses and for people wityh a hugely destructive IV heroin habit that is ruining their lives it can be great. Also in pain management there are few drugs as effective as methadone for combating pain but coming off it is a beast. I'd rather be coming off heroin than this. That would be more intense but a week off work and it's over. This is going to be a hell of a ride and I've got no support. Not a single soul. But I'm going to try.

Sorry for rambling, I'm feeling very odd today :) Happy new year everyone <3
 
Why are you putting yourself through this needless pain Englandgz? Why do you feel the need to stop taking a drug that is prescribed for your pain and not because you are addicted to heroin? Why stop taking something that is purely there to help your pain be more managable, i just don't understand the sudden need to get off methadone in a rush rather than over a longer time period with small reductions along the way.
 
Almost forgot, i have a benzo question to ask you good folks. Do you find that when you take benzos you get the munchies like if you had been smoking weed? Always seems to happen to me that i take some etiz or diazepam and within an hour i'm looking through the cupboards for something to eat.
 
Almost forgot, i have a benzo question to ask you good folks. Do you find that when you take benzos you get the munchies like if you had been smoking weed? Always seems to happen to me that i take some etiz or diazepam and within an hour i'm looking through the cupboards for something to eat.

Ye, I think most folk get that. I have a pretty sloppy diet so I get bad munchies when I'm on gaba drugs.
 
Yeah I get the munchies from them. When it was just a maintenance dose they didn't have the same effect though, if anything they decreased appetite.
 
Yeah I dont think the legislators will be able to keep ignoring etiz now. That guy must have had some kind of very rare freak allergic reaction though to have been killed by just 1 etizolam pill. 8o People allergic to bee stings can be killed if they dont get immediate treatment. I dont think etiz is a dangerous substance, IF you stick to the guidelines.

The whole banning susbatnces one at at time thing is so obviously completely futile and stupid though, the vendors are already several steps ahead of what looks almost certain to be a ban coming up soon, they've already cleared their stocks and got a brand new benzo already on sale. I dont know why the govenrnemnt doesnt make the obvious move, but im glad they dont. Perhaps they are glad of all the VAT these things must provide.:sus:

Englandz i dont mean to discourage your brave wish and effort to get off Methadone. But have you been on it for a long time? One guy i met at the drug services centre had been on it for 18 years and when he finally quit out of anger, frustration, and sheer desperation and huge strength of character, he said he could barely pick himself up off the floor for a month!! Sounds absolutely awful mate, but hopefully if your treatement hasnt been that long then the w/ds wont be so severe. But im afraid i dont know anything about methadone except from the stories people who are on it tell me and what i read on here. I would imagine that the length of the treatment might affect the severity of the w/ds but im definately not sure about that. There's no shame in taking an easier option, especially if you want to carry on working throughout the w/ds.
 
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