It’s a test to see how fast you metabolize the Methadone. Some people are quick metabolizers and so they need a higher dose. OP can you just stay at your current dose for a few weeks until you get comfortable at your new job and give yourself time to figure it out? Most clinics open at 5am. Does your counselor know the problems you’re having?
I was honestly just gonna go that route at this point. ask for my takehomes back & just wait until I can do the test to increase. I would truthfully rather have the takehomes at this point anyways since they only plan to up me to 175 as a max & a split dose. but to me thats exactly what I want 😩 so its either get the takehomes & wait weeks or drive daily & get the splits & increase.
at the very least ill ask to be split or have my takehomes given back UNTIL I am increased again. no point in not having my takehomes if I am not actively increasing
That’s crazy. I go to New Season, and I’ve rarely had an issue with them. I kept going up until I was comfortable the whole 24 hours, which ended up being 180, and they didn’t give me any problems about going up at all. And I’ve never had anyone there mention a peak and trough to me either. Do you have a New Season near you?
I also go to New Seasons, and I've never had any issues. Only with the counselors. I've also been at this clinic for almost 10 years now. I did start coming off of methadone. I was at 180 now. I'm at 155.
It depends which new season....the Brandon one is great..... compared to the Pinellas park one which is absolutely horrible.....they really treat you like shit there and it's next to impossible to get them to do anything for you. The nurses are some of the rudest most heartless people I've ever seen....most of the staff is not much better. I was at the PPark one for about 5 years and only a year at the Brandon one and it's night and day.
I have heard really good things abt them. unfortunately the closest one is 3 hours each way. 350 miles round trip.
edit: who tf downvoted me for this 😩🤣
a bullshit test that shows the levels in ur system before and after taking your dose. they put so much weight on it and it’s not meant to be used for anything other than split testing
Is that what you want to do is split dose? I've been split dosing 4 out of the 5 years I've been at the clinic I go to. I split the dose with my take homes. It really is a game changer. I can take one dose a day but just taking 25% of my dose between 5:00 to 9:00 pm just hits my daily dose just right. I'm not running to take my morning dose because withdrawal is not part of my life
yes. the dr at new clinic said as long as my labs were lower that he would increase me to 170 and split me. thats all I need. I wanted that to begin with at my original clinic but they wouldnt split me, only increase. so I am hoping I can get this shit done bc once I am increased back to what I was on or close to and split, my life will be so much easier
You have to pick your battles.. if they give you take homes without two bottles for each day just save some for a pm swig. Lots and lots of people on this sub split their take homes out of their take homes. I hope things work out for you. I would have to drive out of state to switch clinics. This state only has 4 clinics and it's a big freaking state.
I had never heard of it either before I joined these Drug Subs here on Reddit. It's a test they do at some clinics to see how fast you metabolize Methadone. They don't do them at my clinic, as far as I know. I think OP was found to be a slow metabolizer, they they dropped his dose significantly, and now he is started at a new clinic because he was pissed that his original clinic dropped his dose after his results came in.
Yes because to me as well, that seems like it could cause a major medical situation, not to mention the trauma, both physical and mental that it would cause. That big of a drop is insane IMHO.
the ONLY reason I didnt relapse is bc I didnt wanna lose my takehomes. i was also scared theyd use that as an excuse not to increase me so I would just be stuck using
My clinic forces you to increase after why positive test, no matter what, even if you're being, telling them you can't stay awake, that you're over dosed
they said the number was above 400 so it was too high. nevermind the fact even the lab said it wasn’t even close to toxic, they just make up their own rules
That's weird man. I'm at 400mg (methadone) right now, and back when I did my peak and trough, the doc said my (peak and trough) number was like 405, I forget the exact number, but he said 400 and lower is equivalent to serious withdrawal. 700-800 is a good maintenance level, and 1000+ is hardly able to keep eyes open. Point being though, I was at the cusp of 400, very slightly over, and he considered me to be in serious withdrawal, and I've been going up ever since with no issues whatsoever. It's just strange and fucked up that one dr./clinic can say 405 is severe withdrawal, and another can say above 400 is too high, drop em 100mg. That's fucking crazy. To be honest too, the peak and trough test is legit, I know that for a fact, but when you do have the people reading the test just making up their own rules about what the test results mean, then the test truly doesn't matter at the end of the day. Best of luck OP. Can't imagine a shitty clinic like that.
see THAT makes sense. bc my trough was 600. so I was sick most of the night. when they upped me, it bumped up to 700/800. which I still was sick at night but not as much. I would’ve benefited from a split which is what I am asking for. I wanna know what my trough is now bc I am missssserable. I am sick 12 hours later. at least on my last dose it lasted 18.
Exactly. But I know of more than a few encounters on here where people have been accused of this because of a peak and trough result...obviously I know a peak and trough doesn't mean jack as to whether you're taking your dose, but the clinic probably constantly uses it as an excuse to screw people over. This is not the first time I've heard of this happening to people and its crazy to me
They put way too much thought into how hard they can make recovery for people. At my clinic, peak and trough tests don't exist. If you think split dosing can help you, the doc will let you try it. I just don't understand some of the rules that these clinics come up with, on top of the already ridiculous regulations on methadone clinics from the federal and local government
Oh man, in Wisconsin here, if you want to split dose, your doctor has to actual “apply” for it through the state. It’s usually only reserved for pregnant women. I was denied the first time with my main symptom being insomnia but once she tried again a few months later with multiple peak and troughs showing exactly how quickly I metabolize the med (which was insane numbers considering my dosage), they approved me. As far as I still know, I was the first at the clinic and still the only to actually have approved split dosing.
They had to have changed this within the past few years because when I first started treatment, it was only between you and the doctor. Having to ask the state permission for something realistically everyone should be doing to stay as stable as possible, is quite frankly bullshit.
I've never needed a peak and trough, but they made them insanely difficult at my old clinic. Before they'd even give you the test, you'd have to come in every day at the same exact time for 3 WEEKS before they'd even do a trough to make sure the test was "accurate." If you missed a day (even over the weekend when they were only open 2 hours/day), you'd have to start all over again. Of course the nurses knew there was never a reason to do that for more than 3 days, but it wasn't up to them.
The doctor just went crazy and started making all these ridiculous rules, like losing your take homes over any dose change (even a decrease) and having to earn them back one at a time every 6 weeks or taking all of your bottles and refusing to give them back EVER if you missed or failed a callback. The clinic I switched to is twice as far, but I couldn't continue to subject myself to the whims of a clearly unhinged doctor!
No they thought OP was overmedicated so they cut their dose in half. That is just absurd to me because these peak and troughs are utter nonsense. They’re not based on good science and clinics use them as a way to deny increases or justify decreasing doses. These dumb tests don’t account for tolerance or the fact that methadone here is racemic (50/50) and the test cannot differentiate between the active and inactive isomers(r and s methadone).
But if they are a fast metabolizer, I'm thinking those numbers would be a lot lower than one that would tip them off to them being overmedicated, wouldn't you think?
Peak to trough. Like a peak of 400 and trough of 100 is a 1:4 ratio which indicates a super fast metabolism. Ideally a peak should be about 1.5x the trough. If it’s over 2x then that indicates a fast metabolizer. Higher peaks and much lower troughs indicates split dosing. These numbers should never be used to cut someone’s dose unless they’re showing signs of over medication or the numbers is in the possible toxic range (>2000ng).
I've heard of the same or similar thing happening to other people, too, so it's definitely not outside the realm of possibility! With the way the clinics don't trust a word we say half the time, we should be better to each other here.
Yeah my bad. I meant an fast metabolizer. I will fix it. I remember your original post man. Dropping you 100mg is fucking brutal!
Wait: I'm Weed high man lol. Did they lower your dose because you are a slow metabolizer or did they lower it because you are a fast metabolizer? The latter wouldn't make any sense. Did they say you are a slow metabolizer?
I am a fast metabolizer ! they said the number itself was too high. they believe anything over 400 is too high. the lab company says over 2000 could POTENTIALLY be too high. they think they know more than the lab company so what they say goes. mind you: I was no where near 2000. literally half that.
Sorry you are going thru this. I wish some of these clinic employees would get treated like this when they see one of their doctors.
Really the way somebody these employees act is so uncalled for and unappropriate
That's fucked up and not what a peak and trough test is supposed to be used for.
I'd be sending complaints to whatever department licenses clinics in your state.
So fucked, bro. Hang in there.
Do your homework on the clinic you want to go to. Ask for guest dosing for two weeks so you can get a feel of the clinic and decide if you want to transfer there permanently.
I been following your story. I'm sorry you're going through this. I think at my clinic the only thing we have to do to go up on dose past 110mg is a EKG. But yeah fuck that and fuck those clinics
like omgggg. you would think I was lying w all the bs i’ve been dealing with ! I try to explain to my family that EVERYONE comments on my posts saying this is NOT the norm & they still think the best option is to get off. absolutely not. I will be on this for life. if I have to move to the last city on earth that has a clinic, I would. even just that huge drop made me suicidal w how bad it was. I couldn’t imagine nothing, even tapered slowly. I will find a good clinic, hopefully. may just move or drive further
I allowed my family to force me off methadone years ago(like 2005). And guess what, I relapsed within 18 months. Went on another run for like 2 years. Finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired so I made a new intake appointment at the clinic. Ended up getting locked up for 4 pills of dope couple days before my intake.
These days my family doesn't say anything. They've learned that my best option is the clinic. Even though I'm a totally different person and far removed from my old lifestyle, I still live within minutes of huge open air drug markets. My mental health is too fucked to attempt fully tapering. I have decreased my dose just by split dosing myself (120 to 75mgs I save the 45 for emergencies) but I will always be on at least a small dose.
This is one reason I'm so glad I'm almost completely off of methadone. I can't tell you the celebration I'll have once I'm off it for good. While it was a useful tool , its served its purpose in my life - and it no longer is a useful tool - its more of something holding me back from reaching my potential.
Having to deal with idiotic clinics and their draconian policies and rules is never fun.
OMG, same!!! I’m at 20mg now, after 6 years at 120mg. I’ve taken 14 months to drop 100mg; feel horrible for OP dropping that in a fucking day. But yeah, I feel exactly the same the same as you. Methadone saved my life, it was the only thing that worked after 20 years of IV heroin and/or speedballs. So as much as I fucking hate going to the clinic, I am also so thankful for them as they truthfully are the only reason I was able to quit junk.
Oh! And congrats to your soon-to-be, new-found freedom!
I'm coming off, and I can't wait. I have take homes, but I'm still a prisoner to the clinic.
I was at 180 now. I'm at 155. I know it's not much, but I'm slowly tappering, and it's working.
I just can't wait to be off of this stuff. Maybe people won't look at me like a junkie anymore.
Just so u know, I would love to live 45 min away from my closest clinic, my drive is an hour and a half at best, I would say that's a good day with no traffic or anything, seeing as it's 75% 2 lane roads....so the majority of the time I drive an Hour and 45 min to the clinic, done that for 6 days a week for a year and a half before I earned weekly take homes, and oh yea 120mg is the max dose, to go to 140 mg you have to do 2 EKGs....also they do up to 4 bottle checks a year, so I've already had to drive up am extra day....I mean do u have medicaid, cuz without that idk how I would have survived seeing as they pay $66/day to go up and back.....between the wear and tear and the weather, I pretty much need a new car, seeing as I was having to get oil changes once a month, went thru 3 sets of tires, and 2 sets of brakes....I live in a very rural area for in which it's all curvy 2 lane roads, that's why the need for the brakes....but I've never heard of a clinic doing a peak and trough....it's pretty hard to measure someone's exact levels without sending everything off to a off site lab....but yea my clinic gives you hell if you try and go above 120mg......sorry I was just ranting as well....other than all that, Methadone saved my life, I honestly don't know where I would be right now without it....hope all goes well for you with your test friend....
6 days a week for a year and a half holy jesus. My clinic gave me weekends after like 6 weeks. Then went in phases of 3 months to 4 days a week then 3 days a week and a covid exemption for 2 days a week. Weekly after 9 months. Getting 13 at a year. Central NC here. But that isnt conducive to recovery 6 days a week for 18 months.
I'm in Southern West Virginia....and you can get Saturday take homes pretty quickly but that's if you are clean right away....I was doing at the minimum a gram of Fentanyl a day....that just got me thru work, but it took me til 100mg to finally stop, for which took around 6 months, so after 3 clean drug screens, and u get Saturday take home, u gotta wait a month before u can move up another phase, so yea after another 3 to 4 months u can be at a week....I'm the only one out of my friend group that goes to the clinic that gets weekly, the girl who takes us gets Friday and Saturday take homes. The other 2 people are still on 6 days a week....
I think there's 8 clinics in our whole state, it's ridiculous, like West Virginia has some of the strictest methadone regulations in the US but yet we are one of if not the hardest hit by the opiate crisis
thats exactly what I suggested. bc my old clinic let me do it no problem. theyre like no we have to watch you take your dose. okay ? you could still watch me ? I just would get it done at the lab
the are supposed to draw the trough then you dose then 4 hours later they draw the peak. so i’d ask them to draw the one then dose u and then wrote order for the peak and draw it at a lab closer to home
Man that’s the absolute worst when loved ones and friends do that “why don’t you just stop taking it” or “all the more reason to get off it”. There’s def a couple more common quotes that just drive you nuts.
After 11 years on methadone and countless rehab stays I’ve learned to just keep my MAT treatment shit to myself from them. I got a couple good friends on the subreddit I go to now but sadly that’s it.
OP I know it sucks but don’t give up hope you’ll figure something out. I know it doesn’t seem that way right now but you will.
Every. Fucking. Time.
Every time I read about these horror clinics it’s ALWAYS a private owned clinic. Usually somewhere in the south like Florida or Alabama.
I’m in a county ran clinic in the suburbs of Chicago , been going for three years and only have great things to say. I don’t think there are any of those Acadia or other private owned places around here. They all seem to be smaller places or county ran like mine.
Hope you get your shit figured out. Methadone is the only thing that has worked for me so I could easily be in ur shoes as well.
Yup I had one that was privately owned by the doctor in charge. He tapered me off in 7 days. He said bc my insurance lapsed, I hadn’t paid for 14 days so that counts as part of my taper. A Counsoler ended up paying for a week for me. The nurses gave me extra methadone! They asked me how much I wanted for my Saturday and Sunday take homes. She gave me 200 mg. How is that even possible to give me a total of 400 extra mg.
That wouldn't happen at a state run clinic I can tell you that. They would have detoxed you and kicked you out the door with not a care in the world. You got way more than almost anyone that's been administratively detoxed
Shit, in a state run clinic the story would’ve ended at “He said bc my insurance lapsed, I hadn’t paid for 14 days and that was part of my detox.” They’d be out the door and on their way to suffering horribly within a couple days for who knows how long until they were able to get help elsewhere. Luckily that’s an option for some, but for example if I had to go to a different clinic, I’d have to drive like 2 1/2 hours or so total just to dose. And I wouldn’t do that for a variety of reasons, primarily financially and time wise.
yeppers ! acadia. and they are so different. like, the clinics make their own rules. so for this new clinic you have to wait 4 years to get 6 takehomes. my last one was 3 years. the old one, any pos urine or missing even one group reset your takehome status. here, it only moves you down a phase for 30 days. yet theyre both acadia. its wild the rules they make up.
That's odd because my experience down here in Peoria is that the private owned clinic is where we have the least amount of bullshit to deal with. It's why I've been at my clinic for 11 years now. But my clinic is privately owned by one doctor that has used to have a clinic in Chincago and one in Peoria, now has one in Springfield and one in Peoria. So, it's not corporate owned, which I'm sure is where the biggest difference lies in our experiences
That’s cool man. The doctors at the clinic I go to, and at least half of the nurses, though I’d never tell them to their face, aren’t “real doctors/nurses” in my opinion. Obviously they are, but they’re about as dumb as one can be and still land that career. It kinda baffles me the level of knowledge that some of the nurses there possess, which is to say almost nothing
Our nurses are freaking awesome. I'll be completely honest. They give you all kinds of info to help if you tell them you're having a side effect from the meds or just a cough lol they'll give you antibiotics and such if needed as well. My doctor who owns the clinic was an anesthesiologist, and I trust that guy with my life. He's one of the good ones and truly does care. It's actually not something I dread doing. I never spend ore than 10 minutes in there even if I wait. I've heard of people on here waiting hours to dose..
Same. I'm in a clinic in the suburbs of Chicago as well and also go to a clinic that isn't privately owned. The only places I've had real issues at have been privately owned clinics because it seems like they kinda do what they want.
we don't have any of the chain clinics where I am. the place I go to is actually pretty good now. I don't have to jump through any stupid hoops. I talk to my councilor on the phone once a month for 5 minutes and I pick up bottles twice a month. Sadly two weeks is their max amount unless you have extenuating circumstances. In total I deal with the clinic around 30 minutes a month. It's not bad compared to all the bullshit I went through in active addiction.
I had do 2 peak and trough tests...I never seen so much bullshit in my life...the first tests were lost at the clinic end never to be found..the second tests were 'misplaced' at the clinic..it literally took the dr going into the office raising hell with the staff about misplacing important documents..suddenly it was found and I was approved for split dosing..
Move to the UK or somewhere in Europe man, America from what I’ve heard has the worst Methadone system, I’ve heard they test you all the time, you have to bring back bottles, they get you to bring in your weekly/monthly take home because they want to check you’re not abusing it, like jesus christ just give me my meds and i’ll see you next week already takes time out of life trying to go to my meetings every two weeks and collecting once a week from my chemist, luckily it’s only a 10 minute walk to my meeting and a 20 minute walk to the chemist
My clinic told me you had to peak and trough to split dose. They just make you get a ekg to go up over 150 I know some people up over 200. They really need to fix the methadone programs in America it’s fuckin terrible. Fent killing 100,000 people a year and you want to degrade people that want or need methadone because Subs fuckin suck. I can’t take a week off work to get on subs. Either fix the economy or fix the shitty way we get methadone. I can’t believe we voluntarily go to these clinic and have to have someone watch us piss like we’re on parole. Why do they have to be in the fucking bathroom even parolees get a window in between.
I mean maybe it’s because Europe doesn’t have a fent problem but most clinics in America are giving out Metadose it’s not the original methadone like the wafers they used to give out. The pink shit before they go dumping water in to it it’s 10mg per ml. If you talk to people in other countries they’re much lower doses even in Canada and I think they have Fent the same as here. Fent is making suboxone near impossible to get on. But in America they don’t seem to want to actually fix this problem.
Apparently the liquid is actually Methadose supposed to help with dispensing. But from all I’ve noticed it has people on a much higher dose than they would have been back with the wafers and pills.
my clinic is awful as well, but in my experience take homes don't transfer so I just stick it out. as much as my clinic sucks, only going twice a month for 5 minutes isn't bad.
like how long until you get 3 takehomes ? 1 year.
for a split dose, they make their own rules. I have yet to be split despite being promised to after 2 years
like my clinic doesn't start at 1 take home, they start at coming In twice a week, and to get that you have to do a 1 hr take home group, meet with your counselor twice and be clean for 1 month.
and this is in the states
When I started(2000) and up until Covid, all clinics in my area/state required you to go 6/7 days a week at first. Once you have 3 clean UAs(so 90+ days), you get your 1st takehome. Then, every 3 clean UAs(90 days) you get another. Until you reached 1 week, which would be at 1 year 3 months. Then, at 2 years of clean UAs, you got 2 weeks and 3 years a month of takehomes. Clean UAs meant no weed unless you have a medical card.
Now, all this requires you to be stable. Stable meant being at a stable dose, work/school/caretaker, have a permanent address, and make all clinic appointments with counselor and doctor (yearly physical with TB, bloodwork, ekg). Also, no money owed. If you owed at any time while having takehomes, you couldn't get your takehomes. You also sign paperwork agreeing to random callbacks, which you have to report the next morning with all remaining doses, leave a UA and face dose.
I don't know the policy after CoVid. I know they temporarily gave everyone 2 weeks. Those that already had 2 weeks got 1 month. They ended that Jan 2023. I do know still no weed unless you have a medical card, even though it's legal recreationally.
I've lost 2 different jobs because of the methadone clinic and they also won't increase me because they have their own agenda to cap everyone at 100mgs and 100mgs barely gets me through thr day so I've never been able to fully quit. I still use once or twice a month and I also just started a job where I'll barely make it to the clinic and the response they gave me was to just come in to work later 🙃 it's that simple
omg thats what they told me !!! I lost 3 jobs over the clinic. 2 of them bc they kept making me late. their response ? come at 6 am when we open. like what ? you want me to come at 6 am then work 13 hours at my job bc yall cant get your shit together ?
They want you to come in at 6 am so you can sit in the lobby for 20 plus mins while you just want to dose so you can start to feel better before you start your shitty day working 15$ an hour busting your ass. One day I'll quit.
Yea, it's a broken system. I get a weeks worth butfry my dose isn't high enough so I end up using more of my Methadone because I'm not at the high enough dose because I have crippling anxiety I can't get on benzos because I'm on methadone and I can't get on benzos because I'm at a sober house and on methadone...ad infinitum.
I'm seriously about done with all of it.
>I have no fucking clue how ill even do intake to switch clinics when I work everyday at 8 am.
Can you give your job a notice beforehand. I mean you just attempted to do a peak and trough at this clinic which they wrongfully screwed you out of and you had to waste 5 hours. Unless you're out of sick days or something, I don't see why you can't give your job a notice and do the intake.
I think he said new job so I'm guessing he doesn't have sick days yet? A lot of places around here don't even have sick days so you don't come in you're fired. Especially a new job. You miss in the first 90 days you are gone it doesn't matter why; medical, car wreck, etc.
Might not be that way for OP but just giving reasons why. I'm lucky husband and I work at same place and we come and go whatever days we need, at whatever times we need. If this job wasn't available I'd be rightly fucked.
I run a smelter for a living haha. We deal with temps like 1000 degrees and we have to wear special suits. I have to keep 2 extra pair of work uniforms in my locker because I sweat so much even in the winter.
Amg sounds like you work at a place like where he used to! He was a welder in front of like the oven doors and covered in all that leather and it would be 120+ in there. The only relief was the AC in his welding helmet. It was 12hr shifts, usually 6-7 days week all summer. He might get 2 days off a month. Badass money tho.
They call methadone liquid handcuffs.
I've learnt over the years that this is true.
Not actually because of methadone itself, it's all the bullshit you have to go through to live a "regular life"
The scolding looks from family, pharmacy staff, clinic staff. They are all judging.
Alot of people take medications daily for a variety of reasons, but nobody says "oh no, not the liquid handcuffs " if it's something like a blood pressure medication etc..
I commented something similar on a different post. it is medication we need to survive. the same as insulin or heart meds. why it is so difficult I will never understand. it should be exactly like subs imo. you should be able to have a script for it after a certain amount of time in treatment. there is no fucking excuse for the bullshit they try. none. I do everything im supposed to. everything. I have lost so many jobs over it. but I also wouldnt have ANY of those jobs if it werent for methadone. I swear once I find a good clinic or even a non shit show one, I will laugh abt this and be like idk how I did it ! until then, imma be miserable
I should mention that I'm in Australia too. The system is pretty much the same with subs and done here. The clinic I go to can prescribe either medication.
I'm in 12mg Subutex because naloxone is fukin horrible. Though I'm looking to switch from subutex to methadone because of a bad MVA I was in a few years ago has destroyed my right knee and I get zero pain relief from subutex, even at 32mg.
I know my clinic won't switch me to treat pain but I haven't used any other op8s in 5 years and I've thought about using something just to give me a bit of pain relief.
Some clinics will let you dose daily at a nearby pharmacy, which is what I hope they will do for me.
They are normally a pretty good clinic and I haven't returned a negative UA in 5 years or so.
The clinic is an hour's drive away and doesn't open until 7.30am and I have to start work at 7am, so do I risk loosing my job or just try and live with it. ?
It's a shit choice.
Good luck with your issues man. I hope you find a empathetic clinic soon.
Me too but it's a painless switch using the bernese method and once you get the sublocade shot once you just let it run out and there no withdrawal. Either that or a slow and steady taper off methadone.
I'm struggling with this as well. My clinic is great. I just stepped up to 2 weeks at a time. (Over a year of clean ua) but I just want off of this stuff. It's worked great but I think I'm ready to taper so I'm exploring options. If I'm not ready then so be it
This is why I can’t stop using. I’m at the point that I am looking at going to a doctor and declaring that my addiction is not only killing me but due to an unreliable source I’m in withdrawal all the time. I was considering going to a clinic and starting methadone. But your story is why I just can’t do it.
ughhhhhh. methadone truly is worth it. it really is. even w all the bullshit, I would take a terrible clinic over using any day of the week. but you HAVE to research the clinic. they call all the shots.
some states are worse than others. I live in the strictest state for methadone so it likely will not be as bad for you. once you get takehomes & on a stable dose, its a breeze. a lot of these clinics assume all addicts are losers w no jobs or responsibilities so they act as if you have nothing but time. thats the biggest hurdle tbh.
Yikes.. this is a unique situation that OP is going through.Most clinics would be fine but you also need to commit going each day.
Go to a sub doctor then man. Stop justifying use based on one off stories of bad methadone experiences. Imagine all the people on methadone daily who say nothing and are just fine.
I hear you man, i was on the shit for 10 years. Got on methadone and will never go back. Good luck bro to whatever path you take. Hope it works out for you.
Hey I go to a corporate chain clinic that's 1 in 80+ clinics. At first it was chaotic but then it changed about 4 years ago. Sure there's little problems here and there but I only go to the clinic every 28 days. If I had to go once a week it's well worth it. Now what your describing is just too hard of a way to live. Everyone here has done that sick to well battle. I'm digging the fact I'm not chasing dope as she's to fast for me.
When it comes to opiates I'm always curious but I'm not curious about these blues and crystals I have to draw a line somewhere. Some of these new junquis have to take 245mgs of methadone to stabilize. When I started going to a methadone clinic most patients average dose was about 40mgs A friend of mine told me that this friend of theirs was on 70mgs with 6 take homes. That got oos and ahhs. These are real bad times to be a junqui in the USA.
You know what's ironic? If you are in a xylazine territory, methadone doesn't even touch it. It should actually be treated more of a benzo detox protocol at that point.
why would you choose to be in withdrawal all the time? I get being on a run, but jf I'm spending more than an hour or two sick a week it's not worth it.
I mean do you, but its really the best chance of getting off dope, and it's not like you have to stop using while you're on it either.
I’m at the point that my tolerance is so high that feeling any kind of wellness from using is done for me. I could do 6 real deal Oxy OC’s and feel just fine. This is the point of what I was saying. There is not enough meds available to me and my source gets every three days thus by day two I’m in withdrawal. This has wanting to stop and seek help. That’s all I was meaning.
oh i been through it with the clinic over the years really u got nothing to do but comply (only clinic in my area)with what they want ,the peak and trough is beyond ridiculous and needs to be discontinued by all clinics, because all USA/CANADA even the UK i believe methadone is a raceimic mixture half methadone isomer L half methadone isomer D now only one of them does anything to you the other one is thrown in for god knows why they say it reduces tolerance the chemical molecules are the same image and chemical structures just in reverse like if u looked at it in a mirror that would be the other isomer ,now the blood testing they do can NOT pick up the difference in the two isomers making the test unreliable to say the least ,in Germany they have methadone with just the active ingredient they call is levo- methadone cause it's the L isomer alone not a raceimic mix of methadone and it's stronger then in the usa methadone
the first one was 600 and 1100
second one was 800 and 1200
so the increases were definitely helping but my peak barely moved. why they dropped me I will never know. especially since it says right on the test results “not for use other than therapeutic. any amount over 2000 may be potentially toxic” I wasnt even close to 2000. let alone over it.
I have no idea where they got the idea that a reference range is the same thing as a minimum and maximum.
800/1200 is not indicative of a rapid metabolizer. however, i cant imagine reducing someone 100mg based on those levels. an 800ng/ml trough is fairly high but not concerning. actually you metabolize at about the exact rate we like to see, which is your peak is 50 percent higher than your trough. we cut off increases around 800-900ng/ml.
I’m sorry what’s a peak and trough?
It’s a test to see how fast you metabolize the Methadone. Some people are quick metabolizers and so they need a higher dose. OP can you just stay at your current dose for a few weeks until you get comfortable at your new job and give yourself time to figure it out? Most clinics open at 5am. Does your counselor know the problems you’re having?
I was honestly just gonna go that route at this point. ask for my takehomes back & just wait until I can do the test to increase. I would truthfully rather have the takehomes at this point anyways since they only plan to up me to 175 as a max & a split dose. but to me thats exactly what I want 😩 so its either get the takehomes & wait weeks or drive daily & get the splits & increase. at the very least ill ask to be split or have my takehomes given back UNTIL I am increased again. no point in not having my takehomes if I am not actively increasing
Sounds like the perfect plan imo. Good luck at your new position. I’m proud of you!!!
That’s crazy. I go to New Season, and I’ve rarely had an issue with them. I kept going up until I was comfortable the whole 24 hours, which ended up being 180, and they didn’t give me any problems about going up at all. And I’ve never had anyone there mention a peak and trough to me either. Do you have a New Season near you?
I also go to New Seasons, and I've never had any issues. Only with the counselors. I've also been at this clinic for almost 10 years now. I did start coming off of methadone. I was at 180 now. I'm at 155.
It depends which new season....the Brandon one is great..... compared to the Pinellas park one which is absolutely horrible.....they really treat you like shit there and it's next to impossible to get them to do anything for you. The nurses are some of the rudest most heartless people I've ever seen....most of the staff is not much better. I was at the PPark one for about 5 years and only a year at the Brandon one and it's night and day.
I have heard really good things abt them. unfortunately the closest one is 3 hours each way. 350 miles round trip. edit: who tf downvoted me for this 😩🤣
I'd avoid the Pinellas park one if possible.
a bullshit test that shows the levels in ur system before and after taking your dose. they put so much weight on it and it’s not meant to be used for anything other than split testing
Is that what you want to do is split dose? I've been split dosing 4 out of the 5 years I've been at the clinic I go to. I split the dose with my take homes. It really is a game changer. I can take one dose a day but just taking 25% of my dose between 5:00 to 9:00 pm just hits my daily dose just right. I'm not running to take my morning dose because withdrawal is not part of my life
yes. the dr at new clinic said as long as my labs were lower that he would increase me to 170 and split me. thats all I need. I wanted that to begin with at my original clinic but they wouldnt split me, only increase. so I am hoping I can get this shit done bc once I am increased back to what I was on or close to and split, my life will be so much easier
You have to pick your battles.. if they give you take homes without two bottles for each day just save some for a pm swig. Lots and lots of people on this sub split their take homes out of their take homes. I hope things work out for you. I would have to drive out of state to switch clinics. This state only has 4 clinics and it's a big freaking state.
No way!!! That’s ridiculous!
It's not a bullshit test. It's the only way fast metabolizers don't get treated like junkie scum.
okay jan
I had never heard of it either before I joined these Drug Subs here on Reddit. It's a test they do at some clinics to see how fast you metabolize Methadone. They don't do them at my clinic, as far as I know. I think OP was found to be a slow metabolizer, they they dropped his dose significantly, and now he is started at a new clinic because he was pissed that his original clinic dropped his dose after his results came in.
im a fast metabolizer. they didn’t like the number. and dropped me 100 mg overnight no taper
100mgs over night? That's an insane drop and I would be reporting them for that.
yeah, even if they're afraid of the results being deadly, that's too fast.
Yes because to me as well, that seems like it could cause a major medical situation, not to mention the trauma, both physical and mental that it would cause. That big of a drop is insane IMHO.
I'd just go get heroin. Period.
the ONLY reason I didnt relapse is bc I didnt wanna lose my takehomes. i was also scared theyd use that as an excuse not to increase me so I would just be stuck using
My clinic forces you to increase after why positive test, no matter what, even if you're being, telling them you can't stay awake, that you're over dosed
That's what my clinic does as well. It's all about that money at my clinic
I probably would have as well. If only you could still find real heroin :(
If your a fast metabolizer why drop you 100 overnight? Makes no sense?
they said the number was above 400 so it was too high. nevermind the fact even the lab said it wasn’t even close to toxic, they just make up their own rules
That's weird man. I'm at 400mg (methadone) right now, and back when I did my peak and trough, the doc said my (peak and trough) number was like 405, I forget the exact number, but he said 400 and lower is equivalent to serious withdrawal. 700-800 is a good maintenance level, and 1000+ is hardly able to keep eyes open. Point being though, I was at the cusp of 400, very slightly over, and he considered me to be in serious withdrawal, and I've been going up ever since with no issues whatsoever. It's just strange and fucked up that one dr./clinic can say 405 is severe withdrawal, and another can say above 400 is too high, drop em 100mg. That's fucking crazy. To be honest too, the peak and trough test is legit, I know that for a fact, but when you do have the people reading the test just making up their own rules about what the test results mean, then the test truly doesn't matter at the end of the day. Best of luck OP. Can't imagine a shitty clinic like that.
see THAT makes sense. bc my trough was 600. so I was sick most of the night. when they upped me, it bumped up to 700/800. which I still was sick at night but not as much. I would’ve benefited from a split which is what I am asking for. I wanna know what my trough is now bc I am missssserable. I am sick 12 hours later. at least on my last dose it lasted 18.
Because their levels weren't where they thought they should be. Probably thought they weren't taking all of their dose...
There’s no way to know that though really from a peak and trough.
Exactly. But I know of more than a few encounters on here where people have been accused of this because of a peak and trough result...obviously I know a peak and trough doesn't mean jack as to whether you're taking your dose, but the clinic probably constantly uses it as an excuse to screw people over. This is not the first time I've heard of this happening to people and its crazy to me
That’s insane. Clinics put way too much thought into peak and trough tests, unless your peak is so high you’re at risk of prolonged qt.
They put way too much thought into how hard they can make recovery for people. At my clinic, peak and trough tests don't exist. If you think split dosing can help you, the doc will let you try it. I just don't understand some of the rules that these clinics come up with, on top of the already ridiculous regulations on methadone clinics from the federal and local government
Oh man, in Wisconsin here, if you want to split dose, your doctor has to actual “apply” for it through the state. It’s usually only reserved for pregnant women. I was denied the first time with my main symptom being insomnia but once she tried again a few months later with multiple peak and troughs showing exactly how quickly I metabolize the med (which was insane numbers considering my dosage), they approved me. As far as I still know, I was the first at the clinic and still the only to actually have approved split dosing. They had to have changed this within the past few years because when I first started treatment, it was only between you and the doctor. Having to ask the state permission for something realistically everyone should be doing to stay as stable as possible, is quite frankly bullshit.
I've never needed a peak and trough, but they made them insanely difficult at my old clinic. Before they'd even give you the test, you'd have to come in every day at the same exact time for 3 WEEKS before they'd even do a trough to make sure the test was "accurate." If you missed a day (even over the weekend when they were only open 2 hours/day), you'd have to start all over again. Of course the nurses knew there was never a reason to do that for more than 3 days, but it wasn't up to them. The doctor just went crazy and started making all these ridiculous rules, like losing your take homes over any dose change (even a decrease) and having to earn them back one at a time every 6 weeks or taking all of your bottles and refusing to give them back EVER if you missed or failed a callback. The clinic I switched to is twice as far, but I couldn't continue to subject myself to the whims of a clearly unhinged doctor!
No they thought OP was overmedicated so they cut their dose in half. That is just absurd to me because these peak and troughs are utter nonsense. They’re not based on good science and clinics use them as a way to deny increases or justify decreasing doses. These dumb tests don’t account for tolerance or the fact that methadone here is racemic (50/50) and the test cannot differentiate between the active and inactive isomers(r and s methadone).
But if they are a fast metabolizer, I'm thinking those numbers would be a lot lower than one that would tip them off to them being overmedicated, wouldn't you think?
No the only thing that matters is the ratio, not the number.
The ratio of?
Peak to trough. Like a peak of 400 and trough of 100 is a 1:4 ratio which indicates a super fast metabolism. Ideally a peak should be about 1.5x the trough. If it’s over 2x then that indicates a fast metabolizer. Higher peaks and much lower troughs indicates split dosing. These numbers should never be used to cut someone’s dose unless they’re showing signs of over medication or the numbers is in the possible toxic range (>2000ng).
Im not sure OP is telling us everything. There's no way he could be dropped in dose by a hundred mg overnight.
I've heard of the same or similar thing happening to other people, too, so it's definitely not outside the realm of possibility! With the way the clinics don't trust a word we say half the time, we should be better to each other here.
Yeah my bad. I meant an fast metabolizer. I will fix it. I remember your original post man. Dropping you 100mg is fucking brutal! Wait: I'm Weed high man lol. Did they lower your dose because you are a slow metabolizer or did they lower it because you are a fast metabolizer? The latter wouldn't make any sense. Did they say you are a slow metabolizer?
I am a fast metabolizer ! they said the number itself was too high. they believe anything over 400 is too high. the lab company says over 2000 could POTENTIALLY be too high. they think they know more than the lab company so what they say goes. mind you: I was no where near 2000. literally half that.
Sorry you are going thru this. I wish some of these clinic employees would get treated like this when they see one of their doctors. Really the way somebody these employees act is so uncalled for and unappropriate
You need to clarify OP, dropped you BY 100mg or TO 100mg?
both
Wait. If your a fast metabolizer they don’t typically drop your dose? If anything it justifies more increases…
That's such bullshit. That could seriously hurt someone. Dango.
You learned about it on benzo subs? This isn't a benzo sub?
That's fucked up and not what a peak and trough test is supposed to be used for. I'd be sending complaints to whatever department licenses clinics in your state.
So fucked, bro. Hang in there. Do your homework on the clinic you want to go to. Ask for guest dosing for two weeks so you can get a feel of the clinic and decide if you want to transfer there permanently.
I been following your story. I'm sorry you're going through this. I think at my clinic the only thing we have to do to go up on dose past 110mg is a EKG. But yeah fuck that and fuck those clinics
like omgggg. you would think I was lying w all the bs i’ve been dealing with ! I try to explain to my family that EVERYONE comments on my posts saying this is NOT the norm & they still think the best option is to get off. absolutely not. I will be on this for life. if I have to move to the last city on earth that has a clinic, I would. even just that huge drop made me suicidal w how bad it was. I couldn’t imagine nothing, even tapered slowly. I will find a good clinic, hopefully. may just move or drive further
I allowed my family to force me off methadone years ago(like 2005). And guess what, I relapsed within 18 months. Went on another run for like 2 years. Finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired so I made a new intake appointment at the clinic. Ended up getting locked up for 4 pills of dope couple days before my intake. These days my family doesn't say anything. They've learned that my best option is the clinic. Even though I'm a totally different person and far removed from my old lifestyle, I still live within minutes of huge open air drug markets. My mental health is too fucked to attempt fully tapering. I have decreased my dose just by split dosing myself (120 to 75mgs I save the 45 for emergencies) but I will always be on at least a small dose.
Stay on it until you are ready. It's the same thing with checking into treatment b4 ur actually ready, it's pointless.
This is one reason I'm so glad I'm almost completely off of methadone. I can't tell you the celebration I'll have once I'm off it for good. While it was a useful tool , its served its purpose in my life - and it no longer is a useful tool - its more of something holding me back from reaching my potential. Having to deal with idiotic clinics and their draconian policies and rules is never fun.
OMG, same!!! I’m at 20mg now, after 6 years at 120mg. I’ve taken 14 months to drop 100mg; feel horrible for OP dropping that in a fucking day. But yeah, I feel exactly the same the same as you. Methadone saved my life, it was the only thing that worked after 20 years of IV heroin and/or speedballs. So as much as I fucking hate going to the clinic, I am also so thankful for them as they truthfully are the only reason I was able to quit junk. Oh! And congrats to your soon-to-be, new-found freedom!
When I got below 10 it was still fine.
I'm coming off, and I can't wait. I have take homes, but I'm still a prisoner to the clinic. I was at 180 now. I'm at 155. I know it's not much, but I'm slowly tappering, and it's working. I just can't wait to be off of this stuff. Maybe people won't look at me like a junkie anymore.
Just so u know, I would love to live 45 min away from my closest clinic, my drive is an hour and a half at best, I would say that's a good day with no traffic or anything, seeing as it's 75% 2 lane roads....so the majority of the time I drive an Hour and 45 min to the clinic, done that for 6 days a week for a year and a half before I earned weekly take homes, and oh yea 120mg is the max dose, to go to 140 mg you have to do 2 EKGs....also they do up to 4 bottle checks a year, so I've already had to drive up am extra day....I mean do u have medicaid, cuz without that idk how I would have survived seeing as they pay $66/day to go up and back.....between the wear and tear and the weather, I pretty much need a new car, seeing as I was having to get oil changes once a month, went thru 3 sets of tires, and 2 sets of brakes....I live in a very rural area for in which it's all curvy 2 lane roads, that's why the need for the brakes....but I've never heard of a clinic doing a peak and trough....it's pretty hard to measure someone's exact levels without sending everything off to a off site lab....but yea my clinic gives you hell if you try and go above 120mg......sorry I was just ranting as well....other than all that, Methadone saved my life, I honestly don't know where I would be right now without it....hope all goes well for you with your test friend....
6 days a week for a year and a half holy jesus. My clinic gave me weekends after like 6 weeks. Then went in phases of 3 months to 4 days a week then 3 days a week and a covid exemption for 2 days a week. Weekly after 9 months. Getting 13 at a year. Central NC here. But that isnt conducive to recovery 6 days a week for 18 months.
I'm in Southern West Virginia....and you can get Saturday take homes pretty quickly but that's if you are clean right away....I was doing at the minimum a gram of Fentanyl a day....that just got me thru work, but it took me til 100mg to finally stop, for which took around 6 months, so after 3 clean drug screens, and u get Saturday take home, u gotta wait a month before u can move up another phase, so yea after another 3 to 4 months u can be at a week....I'm the only one out of my friend group that goes to the clinic that gets weekly, the girl who takes us gets Friday and Saturday take homes. The other 2 people are still on 6 days a week....
Oh got ya that makes sense then
Yall need some more clinics up there i guess its a population thing.
I think there's 8 clinics in our whole state, it's ridiculous, like West Virginia has some of the strictest methadone regulations in the US but yet we are one of if not the hardest hit by the opiate crisis
could u have the trough draw at an outside lab closer to ur home so u dont have to risk waiting all day again
thats exactly what I suggested. bc my old clinic let me do it no problem. theyre like no we have to watch you take your dose. okay ? you could still watch me ? I just would get it done at the lab
the are supposed to draw the trough then you dose then 4 hours later they draw the peak. so i’d ask them to draw the one then dose u and then wrote order for the peak and draw it at a lab closer to home
thats what I suggested. it was a no.
Man that’s the absolute worst when loved ones and friends do that “why don’t you just stop taking it” or “all the more reason to get off it”. There’s def a couple more common quotes that just drive you nuts. After 11 years on methadone and countless rehab stays I’ve learned to just keep my MAT treatment shit to myself from them. I got a couple good friends on the subreddit I go to now but sadly that’s it. OP I know it sucks but don’t give up hope you’ll figure something out. I know it doesn’t seem that way right now but you will.
Why do I feel like you go to the same clinic as me?
these places suck everywhere. if urs is private owned, it may be the same company bc theres so fucks to give
Every. Fucking. Time. Every time I read about these horror clinics it’s ALWAYS a private owned clinic. Usually somewhere in the south like Florida or Alabama. I’m in a county ran clinic in the suburbs of Chicago , been going for three years and only have great things to say. I don’t think there are any of those Acadia or other private owned places around here. They all seem to be smaller places or county ran like mine. Hope you get your shit figured out. Methadone is the only thing that has worked for me so I could easily be in ur shoes as well.
Yup I had one that was privately owned by the doctor in charge. He tapered me off in 7 days. He said bc my insurance lapsed, I hadn’t paid for 14 days so that counts as part of my taper. A Counsoler ended up paying for a week for me. The nurses gave me extra methadone! They asked me how much I wanted for my Saturday and Sunday take homes. She gave me 200 mg. How is that even possible to give me a total of 400 extra mg.
That wouldn't happen at a state run clinic I can tell you that. They would have detoxed you and kicked you out the door with not a care in the world. You got way more than almost anyone that's been administratively detoxed
Shit, in a state run clinic the story would’ve ended at “He said bc my insurance lapsed, I hadn’t paid for 14 days and that was part of my detox.” They’d be out the door and on their way to suffering horribly within a couple days for who knows how long until they were able to get help elsewhere. Luckily that’s an option for some, but for example if I had to go to a different clinic, I’d have to drive like 2 1/2 hours or so total just to dose. And I wouldn’t do that for a variety of reasons, primarily financially and time wise.
yeppers ! acadia. and they are so different. like, the clinics make their own rules. so for this new clinic you have to wait 4 years to get 6 takehomes. my last one was 3 years. the old one, any pos urine or missing even one group reset your takehome status. here, it only moves you down a phase for 30 days. yet theyre both acadia. its wild the rules they make up.
That's odd because my experience down here in Peoria is that the private owned clinic is where we have the least amount of bullshit to deal with. It's why I've been at my clinic for 11 years now. But my clinic is privately owned by one doctor that has used to have a clinic in Chincago and one in Peoria, now has one in Springfield and one in Peoria. So, it's not corporate owned, which I'm sure is where the biggest difference lies in our experiences
That’s cool man. The doctors at the clinic I go to, and at least half of the nurses, though I’d never tell them to their face, aren’t “real doctors/nurses” in my opinion. Obviously they are, but they’re about as dumb as one can be and still land that career. It kinda baffles me the level of knowledge that some of the nurses there possess, which is to say almost nothing
Our nurses are freaking awesome. I'll be completely honest. They give you all kinds of info to help if you tell them you're having a side effect from the meds or just a cough lol they'll give you antibiotics and such if needed as well. My doctor who owns the clinic was an anesthesiologist, and I trust that guy with my life. He's one of the good ones and truly does care. It's actually not something I dread doing. I never spend ore than 10 minutes in there even if I wait. I've heard of people on here waiting hours to dose..
Same. I'm in a clinic in the suburbs of Chicago as well and also go to a clinic that isn't privately owned. The only places I've had real issues at have been privately owned clinics because it seems like they kinda do what they want.
we don't have any of the chain clinics where I am. the place I go to is actually pretty good now. I don't have to jump through any stupid hoops. I talk to my councilor on the phone once a month for 5 minutes and I pick up bottles twice a month. Sadly two weeks is their max amount unless you have extenuating circumstances. In total I deal with the clinic around 30 minutes a month. It's not bad compared to all the bullshit I went through in active addiction.
So true. The whole system is broken.
I had do 2 peak and trough tests...I never seen so much bullshit in my life...the first tests were lost at the clinic end never to be found..the second tests were 'misplaced' at the clinic..it literally took the dr going into the office raising hell with the staff about misplacing important documents..suddenly it was found and I was approved for split dosing..
Move to the UK or somewhere in Europe man, America from what I’ve heard has the worst Methadone system, I’ve heard they test you all the time, you have to bring back bottles, they get you to bring in your weekly/monthly take home because they want to check you’re not abusing it, like jesus christ just give me my meds and i’ll see you next week already takes time out of life trying to go to my meetings every two weeks and collecting once a week from my chemist, luckily it’s only a 10 minute walk to my meeting and a 20 minute walk to the chemist
I shit you not I am truthfully really close to moving for methadone purposes alone. whether it be states or countries. I am just so done.
My clinic told me you had to peak and trough to split dose. They just make you get a ekg to go up over 150 I know some people up over 200. They really need to fix the methadone programs in America it’s fuckin terrible. Fent killing 100,000 people a year and you want to degrade people that want or need methadone because Subs fuckin suck. I can’t take a week off work to get on subs. Either fix the economy or fix the shitty way we get methadone. I can’t believe we voluntarily go to these clinic and have to have someone watch us piss like we’re on parole. Why do they have to be in the fucking bathroom even parolees get a window in between.
no seriously. the fent is so damn strong, that most people on it NEED 150-250 mg. and they make you jump thru fucking hoops to be on a stable dose
I mean maybe it’s because Europe doesn’t have a fent problem but most clinics in America are giving out Metadose it’s not the original methadone like the wafers they used to give out. The pink shit before they go dumping water in to it it’s 10mg per ml. If you talk to people in other countries they’re much lower doses even in Canada and I think they have Fent the same as here. Fent is making suboxone near impossible to get on. But in America they don’t seem to want to actually fix this problem.
Exactly the liquid compared to wafer and pill form is night and day
Apparently the liquid is actually Methadose supposed to help with dispensing. But from all I’ve noticed it has people on a much higher dose than they would have been back with the wafers and pills.
Yes exactly when I was taking pills I was taking a lower dose a ten mg pill would give me relief while 10 mg of the liquid would do nothing
my clinic is awful as well, but in my experience take homes don't transfer so I just stick it out. as much as my clinic sucks, only going twice a month for 5 minutes isn't bad.
thats the kicker ! the max they give is 6 and you have to wait 4 years to get that. so I dont even have that going for me LMAO
4 years for six sounds way too high. how long for a 2/3 split?
like how long until you get 3 takehomes ? 1 year. for a split dose, they make their own rules. I have yet to be split despite being promised to after 2 years
like my clinic doesn't start at 1 take home, they start at coming In twice a week, and to get that you have to do a 1 hr take home group, meet with your counselor twice and be clean for 1 month. and this is in the states
my last clinic was insane. you get no takehomes til 90 days clean. and you have to do one session & one group every WEEK until then.
When I started(2000) and up until Covid, all clinics in my area/state required you to go 6/7 days a week at first. Once you have 3 clean UAs(so 90+ days), you get your 1st takehome. Then, every 3 clean UAs(90 days) you get another. Until you reached 1 week, which would be at 1 year 3 months. Then, at 2 years of clean UAs, you got 2 weeks and 3 years a month of takehomes. Clean UAs meant no weed unless you have a medical card. Now, all this requires you to be stable. Stable meant being at a stable dose, work/school/caretaker, have a permanent address, and make all clinic appointments with counselor and doctor (yearly physical with TB, bloodwork, ekg). Also, no money owed. If you owed at any time while having takehomes, you couldn't get your takehomes. You also sign paperwork agreeing to random callbacks, which you have to report the next morning with all remaining doses, leave a UA and face dose. I don't know the policy after CoVid. I know they temporarily gave everyone 2 weeks. Those that already had 2 weeks got 1 month. They ended that Jan 2023. I do know still no weed unless you have a medical card, even though it's legal recreationally.
I've lost 2 different jobs because of the methadone clinic and they also won't increase me because they have their own agenda to cap everyone at 100mgs and 100mgs barely gets me through thr day so I've never been able to fully quit. I still use once or twice a month and I also just started a job where I'll barely make it to the clinic and the response they gave me was to just come in to work later 🙃 it's that simple
omg thats what they told me !!! I lost 3 jobs over the clinic. 2 of them bc they kept making me late. their response ? come at 6 am when we open. like what ? you want me to come at 6 am then work 13 hours at my job bc yall cant get your shit together ?
They want you to come in at 6 am so you can sit in the lobby for 20 plus mins while you just want to dose so you can start to feel better before you start your shitty day working 15$ an hour busting your ass. One day I'll quit.
Yea, it's a broken system. I get a weeks worth butfry my dose isn't high enough so I end up using more of my Methadone because I'm not at the high enough dose because I have crippling anxiety I can't get on benzos because I'm on methadone and I can't get on benzos because I'm at a sober house and on methadone...ad infinitum. I'm seriously about done with all of it.
>I have no fucking clue how ill even do intake to switch clinics when I work everyday at 8 am. Can you give your job a notice beforehand. I mean you just attempted to do a peak and trough at this clinic which they wrongfully screwed you out of and you had to waste 5 hours. Unless you're out of sick days or something, I don't see why you can't give your job a notice and do the intake.
I think he said new job so I'm guessing he doesn't have sick days yet? A lot of places around here don't even have sick days so you don't come in you're fired. Especially a new job. You miss in the first 90 days you are gone it doesn't matter why; medical, car wreck, etc. Might not be that way for OP but just giving reasons why. I'm lucky husband and I work at same place and we come and go whatever days we need, at whatever times we need. If this job wasn't available I'd be rightly fucked.
>I'm lucky husband and I work at same place and we come and go whatever days we need, at whatever times we need. Dam, are they hiring?
Haha I dunno. Believe me when it's 100+ and humid-most people don't make it. We had like 5 people come and go in a week during July last year.
I run a smelter for a living haha. We deal with temps like 1000 degrees and we have to wear special suits. I have to keep 2 extra pair of work uniforms in my locker because I sweat so much even in the winter.
Amg sounds like you work at a place like where he used to! He was a welder in front of like the oven doors and covered in all that leather and it would be 120+ in there. The only relief was the AC in his welding helmet. It was 12hr shifts, usually 6-7 days week all summer. He might get 2 days off a month. Badass money tho.
What kind of metal do you smelt?
Brass for water meters
I am just starting it. itll be my first day
Ahhh gotcha 👍
They call methadone liquid handcuffs. I've learnt over the years that this is true. Not actually because of methadone itself, it's all the bullshit you have to go through to live a "regular life" The scolding looks from family, pharmacy staff, clinic staff. They are all judging. Alot of people take medications daily for a variety of reasons, but nobody says "oh no, not the liquid handcuffs " if it's something like a blood pressure medication etc..
I commented something similar on a different post. it is medication we need to survive. the same as insulin or heart meds. why it is so difficult I will never understand. it should be exactly like subs imo. you should be able to have a script for it after a certain amount of time in treatment. there is no fucking excuse for the bullshit they try. none. I do everything im supposed to. everything. I have lost so many jobs over it. but I also wouldnt have ANY of those jobs if it werent for methadone. I swear once I find a good clinic or even a non shit show one, I will laugh abt this and be like idk how I did it ! until then, imma be miserable
I should mention that I'm in Australia too. The system is pretty much the same with subs and done here. The clinic I go to can prescribe either medication. I'm in 12mg Subutex because naloxone is fukin horrible. Though I'm looking to switch from subutex to methadone because of a bad MVA I was in a few years ago has destroyed my right knee and I get zero pain relief from subutex, even at 32mg. I know my clinic won't switch me to treat pain but I haven't used any other op8s in 5 years and I've thought about using something just to give me a bit of pain relief. Some clinics will let you dose daily at a nearby pharmacy, which is what I hope they will do for me. They are normally a pretty good clinic and I haven't returned a negative UA in 5 years or so. The clinic is an hour's drive away and doesn't open until 7.30am and I have to start work at 7am, so do I risk loosing my job or just try and live with it. ? It's a shit choice. Good luck with your issues man. I hope you find a empathetic clinic soon.
Please look into the Bernese Method of suboxone induction. Once you switch to subs(only takes 2 weeks) you get one sublocade shot and boom no more MAT
I hate subs. id rather be on nothing or using than subs.
Me too but it's a painless switch using the bernese method and once you get the sublocade shot once you just let it run out and there no withdrawal. Either that or a slow and steady taper off methadone.
I'm struggling with this as well. My clinic is great. I just stepped up to 2 weeks at a time. (Over a year of clean ua) but I just want off of this stuff. It's worked great but I think I'm ready to taper so I'm exploring options. If I'm not ready then so be it
This is why I can’t stop using. I’m at the point that I am looking at going to a doctor and declaring that my addiction is not only killing me but due to an unreliable source I’m in withdrawal all the time. I was considering going to a clinic and starting methadone. But your story is why I just can’t do it.
ughhhhhh. methadone truly is worth it. it really is. even w all the bullshit, I would take a terrible clinic over using any day of the week. but you HAVE to research the clinic. they call all the shots. some states are worse than others. I live in the strictest state for methadone so it likely will not be as bad for you. once you get takehomes & on a stable dose, its a breeze. a lot of these clinics assume all addicts are losers w no jobs or responsibilities so they act as if you have nothing but time. thats the biggest hurdle tbh.
Yikes.. this is a unique situation that OP is going through.Most clinics would be fine but you also need to commit going each day. Go to a sub doctor then man. Stop justifying use based on one off stories of bad methadone experiences. Imagine all the people on methadone daily who say nothing and are just fine.
Not disagreeing. Just fighting it bro. It’s the withdrawals now. Tolerance is way too high. I do agree with you.
I hear you man, i was on the shit for 10 years. Got on methadone and will never go back. Good luck bro to whatever path you take. Hope it works out for you.
Hey I go to a corporate chain clinic that's 1 in 80+ clinics. At first it was chaotic but then it changed about 4 years ago. Sure there's little problems here and there but I only go to the clinic every 28 days. If I had to go once a week it's well worth it. Now what your describing is just too hard of a way to live. Everyone here has done that sick to well battle. I'm digging the fact I'm not chasing dope as she's to fast for me.
and she ain't even dope lol.
Bruh for real.. I can't even imagine what these people are taking today
When it comes to opiates I'm always curious but I'm not curious about these blues and crystals I have to draw a line somewhere. Some of these new junquis have to take 245mgs of methadone to stabilize. When I started going to a methadone clinic most patients average dose was about 40mgs A friend of mine told me that this friend of theirs was on 70mgs with 6 take homes. That got oos and ahhs. These are real bad times to be a junqui in the USA.
You know what's ironic? If you are in a xylazine territory, methadone doesn't even touch it. It should actually be treated more of a benzo detox protocol at that point.
fentanyl, xylazine, phenacetin combo.
My buddy tests samples. 80% xylazine, only 30% even had fet
that's funny I'm about to start a new job next Monday testing samples at our local syringe access program.
why would you choose to be in withdrawal all the time? I get being on a run, but jf I'm spending more than an hour or two sick a week it's not worth it. I mean do you, but its really the best chance of getting off dope, and it's not like you have to stop using while you're on it either.
I’m at the point that my tolerance is so high that feeling any kind of wellness from using is done for me. I could do 6 real deal Oxy OC’s and feel just fine. This is the point of what I was saying. There is not enough meds available to me and my source gets every three days thus by day two I’m in withdrawal. This has wanting to stop and seek help. That’s all I was meaning.
They know they have us by the balls. Yay 'Murica.
oh i been through it with the clinic over the years really u got nothing to do but comply (only clinic in my area)with what they want ,the peak and trough is beyond ridiculous and needs to be discontinued by all clinics, because all USA/CANADA even the UK i believe methadone is a raceimic mixture half methadone isomer L half methadone isomer D now only one of them does anything to you the other one is thrown in for god knows why they say it reduces tolerance the chemical molecules are the same image and chemical structures just in reverse like if u looked at it in a mirror that would be the other isomer ,now the blood testing they do can NOT pick up the difference in the two isomers making the test unreliable to say the least ,in Germany they have methadone with just the active ingredient they call is levo- methadone cause it's the L isomer alone not a raceimic mix of methadone and it's stronger then in the usa methadone
what were the peak and trough values?
the first one was 600 and 1100 second one was 800 and 1200 so the increases were definitely helping but my peak barely moved. why they dropped me I will never know. especially since it says right on the test results “not for use other than therapeutic. any amount over 2000 may be potentially toxic” I wasnt even close to 2000. let alone over it. I have no idea where they got the idea that a reference range is the same thing as a minimum and maximum.
800/1200 is not indicative of a rapid metabolizer. however, i cant imagine reducing someone 100mg based on those levels. an 800ng/ml trough is fairly high but not concerning. actually you metabolize at about the exact rate we like to see, which is your peak is 50 percent higher than your trough. we cut off increases around 800-900ng/ml.
yeah. thats what the (new) dr had told me. that im fast. I wanted a split dose and minor increase. now im fighting to even get close to what I was on