Can Any Place Other Than a Methadone Clinic Have You on Methadone Maintainence?

Question by Art: Can any place other than a Methadone Clinic have you on Methadone Maintainence?
I have been on Methadone Maintainence for 30 years. When I first started in the State of Georgia it was $ 3.00 daily. Now it is upwards of $ 400 per month without insurance covering you. I did not get addicted by my own hand. I was in an auto accident and for 3 straight month’s the Dr. had a Morphine drip in my vein. I came out of the hospital a Narcotics addict. Now I am in a catch 22. If I pay for the meds, I will have to be homeless because I dont get paid enough….and I HAVE TO HAVE THE MEDICINE FOR MY LIVILIHOOD. Trust me, you CAN’T “JUST SAY NO”…many have tried end anded up saying “bang, bang”. Can anyone help me out of this crisis [I am using this word in the most literal sense] ? Please, if you know of a cheaper Dr. or clinic, wherever it may be in the US, please help me. I am 59 and I absolutely dont think my body can withstand a withdrawal.
Thank you from deep within, Art Cohen [email protected]

Best answer:

Answer by Nurse Jacki
Private physicians and pain clinics can prescribe methadone for pain relief purposes, but I’m not sure that it would be any cheaper.
You can do a medically supervised methadone detox in Georgia at a state funded program. The programs take state financed or private insurance, or they will take you on a sliding fee scale based on your income. Call 800-715-4225 for a methadone detox in your area.

Answer by aj
Any doctor can prescribe methadone-for pain. If they know you’ve had issues w/opiates though, they’re highly unlikely to. Plus, if you don’t have insurance, I don’t know that it’d help anyway. Is there any way you can get on welfare? Welfare clinics are usually pretty crappy, at least where I’m from, but it’s better than being sick. Plus, generally with clinics like that there will be a mile long waiting list. And going to detoxes or taking other routes is easier said than done-seems like many places think that bupernorphine is so great & wonderful & are going that route, but trust me, for someone like you that’s been on methadone for 30 yrs, any kind of bupernorphine is going to be a painful waste of your time.I’m just throwing that in there incase anyone suggests it-trust me, you don’t want to go there. It has a ceiling effect, which is why doctors love it so much, but the problem is that for those that have used opiates for long periods of time or certain amounts, it won’t work in any amount.Put it this way-I don’t know what your dose is, but if it takes more than about 40mg of methadone to keep you ok, bupernorphine will be a waste of time. So I think if you can’t get some kind of assistance, or if you can but there’s a waiting list,I’d call every clinic in your surrounding area & compare prices. In my area, no clinics take cash.They basically want welfare insurance. So many go out of state for their methadone (which where I live, going out of state means like, a 20 minute drive,no biggie).Place I go to isn’t much less than yours-$ 87.50 per wk.(Delaware).My friend’s clinic is $ 70 per week (Camden,NJ).Not much less than yours, & far away, but my point being that prices vary,so call every clinic you can realistically get to & compare prices. I wish you luck!

OEDEL: Laws of addiction
The four biggest killer drugs in Georgia, at least outside Atlanta are, in order, alprazolam (Xanax), oxycodone (OxyContin), methadone and hydrocodone (Lortab). Even if we combined the deaths associated with cocaine and methamphetamine, … Dr. Ralph …
Read more on Macon Telegraph (blog)

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