• Select Your Topic Then Scroll Down
    Alcohol Bupe Benzos
    Cocaine Heroin Opioids
    RCs Stimulants Misc
    Harm Reduction All Topics Gabapentinoids
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums

Heroin Methadone - Getting started and some other general questions

NFloyd

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
63
For any that want to, or see if neccessary to help answer my questions, I will write a briefing of my story - for those that wish to skip it, it will be marked, in BOLD, w/ "Beginning," and "End."

Beginning

I started off when i was 19 by going to get treatment for depression and anxiety. To make an extremely long story a little shorter, i was put on an insanely (though probably appropriate) low dose of Klonopin. Now, i should have realized my addictive qualities when i started smoking marijuana. by the time i was RX'd klonopin, my sophomore year at college, i was selling pounds of it and smoking a sizeable amount - all with a habit that didn't start until my senior year of highschool. I, again, should have realized my potential for addiction when, within my first prescription of klonopin, i was looking up ways to buy it online. Lo and behold, within 2 weeks, i had somewhere around 200 klonopin, 200 xaxax and 200 valiums being shipped to my house - somehow i never got caught.

This addiction started and continued for about 5 months - when school started back up, i met a new friend who transferred from SC to my school, and that weeks he introduced me to oxycontin. It was occassional and expiermental, but the love affair had started. it only remained at a maintanable level because i realized how addictive it was and didn't want to be an "addict." Again, setting myself up for major addiction problems, i had decided to move into a house w/ this friend (and 2 others) for the next school year. As it can be guessed, my problem (and my friends) got progressively worse while we lived together. By christmas that year (right around my 21st birthday [turned 23 2 weeks ago) i remember blowing a grand in about 2 weeks, which at the time shocked me - though now seems almost desirable. We continued our OC problem, supported by a joint effort in selling weed, which was insanely easy, living in a college neighborhood. we were basically the dispensary. it worked out great - since financial problems weren't THAT bad, we were, for the most part, able to support our habit without terrible consequences. Then we tried heroin. It happened when our good friend died. we booked a hotel to travel to NY for the funeral, and couldn't find anything to get us through the trip. We found ourselves, 2 hours before leaving, at our buddies house who could only find us some morphine, and 1 measly dilaudid to split. we took it, saving nothing, and realizing the bind we were in. it was then that the dealer/friend offered, reluctantly (b/c he knew we held a 'stigma,' towards heroin), to get us heroin. we accepted, and made it those 2 days through the horrible funeral.

now we were a trashcan of all opiates, getting w/e. within a month, my roommate was iv'ing, but i refused and continued to sniff until the summer. we made tons of trips to south boston to cop, and my roommate would always give me ~ 1/2 a gram just for driving, which made it well worth it.come summer, my good friend told me he could get me something when i called. turned out to be tar, which is rare on the east coast. also turns out its hard to sniff, so i tried smoking it like i would an OC, didn't like it, so had my friend shoot me up. I've now been shooting for almost 2 years, using about a gram a day.

Last month, a couple days before the new year, i went into a detox. I stayed there for about 20 days, and got out mid-january. Didn't take long before i was getting high. fortunately, i didn't need to get high every day, but that didn't stop me. i've only taken a handful of days off. today is day 2 w/ nothing, and i guess i'm addicted again - i had a small piece, maybe 1/4 of a suboxone, so i don't feel entirely shitty, but i know tomorrow won't be good. Now that we are up to speed...
end

(last paragraph is kind of neccessary/brings one up to speed as to where i am now) (this next paragraph, i guess, can also be skipped- the questions are in the one following it)
So, since getting out of detox, ive been shotting ~.5/g daily, taking a day off here and there. At this point, i want to get on methadone - something i've never wanted to do before, for the main reasons people advise against it. i realize its trading addictions, that i'm still using, etc etc. but here's how i look at it: addiction is a disease - taking a pill every day is no different to me than taking something daily for blood pressure, or even despression (which i am treated for). so, while that used to make it seem bad, it really doesn't anymore - its going to help me live a normal life. its the only way i can see myself getting away from WANTING to get high every day. its the only way i see myself not feeling like complete shit (emotionally and physically). the only way i see myself going back to school, holding a job, and overall just living a normal life. even when i was, briefly, clean... i could still see how much an addict i was. i'd lie in bed depressed ALL DAY and do NOTHING except mope and think about how it'd all go away and i'd feel normal w/ just 1 shot. but its never just one shot, and i'm ready to finally end this. if that means, what some consider to be 'throwing in the towel,' admitting defeat and getting on methadone, than so be it. i do admit defeat. as heard in NA, i am POWERLESS over this addiction... but unfortunately no higher power, counseling, help, support... ANYTHING can keep me from going back to it. essentially, methadone WILL at least keep me from seeing all the major negatives that shootingg dope brought, which was - @ risk of being arrested (illegal drugs, and anything that came along w/ it - like stealing), being around the wrong peoiple/places - stealing, being strung out, no money for ANYTHING, worrying about being sick, getting fired from jobs, and in general, living the general life of a junky. it sucks having 1 thing on your mind ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. if this can end that, i'm down.

the questions:

This is a big one right now - being a junky... I want, what i want, and i want it yesterday. That being said, how long until i'm on methadone if i call a clinic tomorrow??? It seems like it takes a few days, and unfortunately, when your a dope fiend, that just doesnt do. Theres a huge chance i'll do something stupid if i have to wait, and a 100% chance i'll use -especially since tomorrow will be day 3 clean, im already going crazy tonight.

The next big one... my dad has officially cut me off, which sucks because i got his support back fully and completely lost it last week, when, like an idiot, stole something from my stepmother. my parent are divorced, my mother makes nothing and i live w/ her - i'm currently unemployed. I'm still on my dads health insurance, but the clinic didnt list mine as one that they take. Will they give financial help to me/? will they not give me support b/c i have insurance even though they dont take it? should i not tell them i have insurance? man i hope they help me out b/c they say on their site that its $90 a week. technically i can't afford even $10 a week right now, but hopefully somebody in my family will help me temporarily until i can find a job (which i dont see happening until i'm on methadone).

i guess the biggest one right now is getting on it asap, whichi dont know how long itll take. it sucks cuz my family thinks ive been clean since detox, and if they know i've used, i'm outta the house, so they can't find out. my mothers the only one left that helps me in any way now anyways, and shes so bad off that i need to find a job ASAP to help her out, so shes really in no position to help me financially for methadone.

Other than that, i'm just looking for general feedback from people - i've read over the General Methadone discussion forum or w/e it was called, but hope to get some more answers here and a little discussion. also, think it varies by state, but im curious as to how long i need to go daily to the clinic? i'm probably not going to have my license until the summer unless something drastic happens w/ my court case. again, any help is so greatly appreciated... anything to end this hell i'm living in. and it sucks because it seems the only thing stopping me is finances... somehow when im getting high, i could come up w/ $90/day no problem, never mind each week...

hope for some good replies, i sure am in need of some help and advice right now... i hit what seemed like rock bottom last month, but if i started up again it seems i can go lower... and if last month coulndt stop me, i dont think anything can
 
Wow. Quite a story man. All I can say being an addict is right when you think you cant sink any lower, you do. It's crazy how that shit works. I hit many bottoms, all horrible in their own way. I tried 12 step stuff for 5 years. I finally got to a point and it was enough. Truly, I do believe it can happen like that. You have to put in a lot of work (mostly spiritual for me.) I sympathize with you for sure. I've been thru most all of it. I never had a H habit but I've lost some friends to that shit. I was scared of it. I was tempted after I was diagnosed for blood clots and they shot 4mg of Dilaudid in my IV very quickly. I became addicted to that feeling so I kept goin back to the ER. This, mind you, was years after my 12 step rehab stint and lots and lots of meetings. I loved the opiate rushed and was tempted to do H to get back to that place. Well, I never did and I'm glad. I'm now on methadone for chronic pain due to my clots. I need pain meds to be able to walk and drive. Its saving me right now. My pain Dr stasrted me at 10mg a day and has raised it slowly over the weeks to 49mg. 10mgx4 a day. Sure, Ive tryied to potentiate the methadone for better pain relief. I just really dont wanna get high anymore. Its kinda magic!! Matienence programs usually give addicts a lot more than 40mg a day but Ive never been to a clinic so I shouldnt speak on it. Really man, just open your mind to the fact you cant get high anymore and believe it will be taken from you and it will. Don't want you to die like this and trust me, you can and will if you dont stop or ease back. Youre in the right place on BL. I'm new but I really like this site. Good...and bad people on here. Like anything else. Hang in their dude and PM me anytime. Later!
 
Wow. Quite a story man. All I can say being an addict is right when you think you cant sink any lower, you do. It's crazy how that shit works. I hit many bottoms, all horrible in their own way. I tried 12 step stuff for 5 years. I finally got to a point and it was enough. Truly, I do believe it can happen like that. You have to put in a lot of work (mostly spiritual for me.) I sympathize with you for sure. I've been thru most all of it. I never had a H habit but I've lost some friends to that shit. I was scared of it. I was tempted after I was diagnosed for blood clots and they shot 4mg of Dilaudid in my IV very quickly. I became addicted to that feeling so I kept goin back to the ER. This, mind you, was years after my 12 step rehab stint and lots and lots of meetings. I loved the opiate rushed and was tempted to do H to get back to that place. Well, I never did and I'm glad. I'm now on methadone for chronic pain due to my clots. I need pain meds to be able to walk and drive. Its saving me right now. My pain Dr stasrted me at 10mg a day and has raised it slowly over the weeks to 49mg. 10mgx4 a day. Sure, Ive tryied to potentiate the methadone for better pain relief. I just really dont wanna get high anymore. Its kinda magic!! Matienence programs usually give addicts a lot more than 40mg a day but Ive never been to a clinic so I shouldnt speak on it. Really man, just open your mind to the fact you cant get high anymore and believe it will be taken from you and it will. Don't want you to die like this and trust me, you can and will if you dont stop or ease back. Youre in the right place on BL. I'm new but I really like this site. Good...and bad people on here. Like anything else. Hang in their dude and PM me anytime. Later!

hey thanks man, always good to here people that understand where you're coming from. sad part is, thats such an inkling of my story, man it doesnt even scratch the surface. i actually srarted writing a "book," that i was posting on another drug forum i frequent for a while, but it stopped when my opiate problem got heavy- if i had a lot to write about then, holy hell do i have a lot now

From what i understand, i can only get methadone from a clinic - to get it from a doctor is only possible for pain, like how you get it. My big thing now is whether or not insurance covers it. i just called them, it even asked which dep't to be linked to - i chose "substance abuse," and i was taken back when the woman had no idea what i was talking about when i said methadone. The only info she could really give me is that visits and outpatient care is $25 a visit, and i have coverage for prescription meds... but i don't think the $90/week for the methadone is technically for the pill. from what i've heard, the methadone itself is free and you are paying for all the other fee's associated w/ running the clinic... these places are all about making money so they run the ''business,' in the best way to make cash - so it seems they make the pill free on purpose so that insurance can't cover it... it seems in these situations, somebody like me (w/ insurance) actually gets f*cked the hardest, especially since my dad is the only one financially comfortable, and he isn't even willing to look at me, never mind financially support me/methadone maintenance.

even if everything goes smoothly the next few days are really gonna suck... if everything doesnt go smoothly, man am i screwed, not sure what ill do - hopefully i can find a way to pay for at least a week or 2 of it and find a job within that time span. My mother, god-bless her, is willing to drive me to the clinic every day that she's able, but that still leaves @ least 2 mornings a week where i'm out for a ride since they only do it until 11am (9am on the weekends which is where i'll never have a ride). my grandmother is probably my only option, which means telling her about all this which kind of sucks but its worth it at this point.
 
That is quite a story man, I can definitely empathize with your situation. I see your from Mass, I'm from Nashua, NH, so we're sort of in the same neighborhood there. People certainly love to talk shit on both sides regarding MMT. It is definitely trading one addiction for another, but I find your pill/disease analogy quite accurate and poignant. Unfortunately, opiates have such an intense hold on peoples' bodies and souls, that Methadone or Suboxone is truly the only way for them to live a normal life. Don't feel bad, and ignore the stigma. People will always talk and you just have to do what works for you.

I'm sure you've already done some research online regarding MMT and insurance. Fact is, most don't accept insurance. I've heard stories about "public" clinics operating in NYC and Jersey with interminable wait-lists. As for Boston and the inner/outer suburbs, I don't know of such things. If you want to go on Methadone, you're probably gonna have to come up with the dough. Suboxone tends to be cheaper, depending of course upon your insurance plan. Looking into that might not be a bad idea. Good luck with everything.
 
Just to let you know if you should decide to get on methadone...methadone saved my life. I have my life and my sanity back. Ya, it cost $70 a week here in the southern US, but that is cheap compared to what heroin was costing me a day.

I can only speak for myself, but as far as I am concerned, methadone maintenance is extremely effective treatment for heroin/opioid addiction. You ARE trading one drug for another...you are trading an illegal filthy ruthlessly expensive street drug for a manageable legal pharmaceutical quality drug that has a LONG half-life and will reduce/eliminate opioid cravings when you are stable and maintained on the right dose.
 
Hey NFloyd. I sure hope you get the help you need bro. I can kinda relate. I was diagnosed with my blood clots 7 months after I left the stability of my company. I wanted to start my own denture lab (that's what I do.) No freakin insurance. I havent been able to find employment due to my condition. I have to sit every 10 minutes cause the pain is so strong. I do some work with my buddy in his lab to keep money in my pocket. I applied and received financial hardship at my hospital. Thats saving my ass. Not only do they wipe out all previous bills, I'm covered 100% for future treatment for 1 year. If it wasnt for that dude, I'd be screwed. I cant imagine having to get into a methadone clinic and cant get there or afford it. That's tough dude and I sympathize. I dont own a car myself. It sucks, huh? My buddy lets me drive his old Honda so thats cool. Man, I hope you get some help with your problem. Methadone is a lifesaver in my eyes. Lots of bad press about it but who trusts the press anyway, haha. Take care bro and good luck!!
 
Im from PA and get Medicaid,which is state funded health coverage which covrs pretty much everything. There is private run clinics which only accept cash,and there are county clinics which accept insurance like Medicaid and other state health care shit. Most private health incurances dont cover methadone,tho. Altho if you dont have a job and come from a poor family, it is easy to just apply for Medicaid yourself. I get it for sustance abuse/mental health...

qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
 
Top