About Methadone Clinic Procedues

[KhaosPerformer]

So, I have a bit of a question concerning exactly how a meth clinic works. You see, I'm currently in a drug court program that requires total abstinence. However, methadone is one of the things that ISN'T tested for in the 7 panel test. This is unlike the program in the next county over which allows one to be on methadone or subs. So, heres my thought. Could I go to a clinic anyways and just not tell them? I dunno if this would work or not so I'm not gunna try it without good evidence. The other thing SWIM is wondering about is going to the clinic under a fake name with a good fake ID (yes SWIM does know how to make em'). Do clinics take SS numbers in addition to other info? What other info do they require? What would happen if I got busted for it? Any ideas on this topic for those out there in a methadone program?

Jonesing for the done
-K

Question.
Is there something in your drug court contract that says you can't take narcotics legally prescribed to you by a Dr.? I think the courts can get a hold of your medical records without you signing a release of information.

[OXYCANTSTOP]

WELL AS FOR THE TYPES OF INFO THEY REQUIRE PHOTO ID THEY MAKE COPYS SS# WITH COPYS , I WAS THERE TODAY AND GOT BACK ON METHADONE, MY ADVICE TO U WOULD BE TO JUST GIVE THEM ALL YOUR INFORMATION THEY CANT RELEASE ANYTHING ON YOU UNLESS YOU SIGN A CONSENT FORM, I KNOW FOR A FACT YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU JUST GAVE THEM YOU INFORMATION THE SECOND YOU USE A FAKE ID AND FAKE SS NUMBER THEY WILL BLACKLIST YOU. SO DONT FUCK UP A GOOD THING AND JUST SIGN UP DONE IS GOOD WELL ATLEAST I THINK SO BUT THAT JUST COULD BE BECAUSE I JUST DOSED 100 MGS .....BOTTOM LINE IF YOU NEED TO HIDE IT YOU CAN IT DOESENT SHOW UP IN ANY DRUG TESTS UNLESS ITS SPECIFICALY TESTED FOR..YOU SITUATION SOUNDS EXACTUALLY LIKE MINE

[KhaosPerformer]

Hey OXYCANTSTOP,
if you don't mind, what area are u in? Im in washington, are u different? does it matter what area u are in? I talked to a friend today that did the fake thing at multiple clinic in cali but that was years ago. They just took an ID, not the SS#.

[Woowoo]

I don't think they can legally demand your SS# since the law requires that this is only requested from organizations that actually pay you money that would effect your social security fund. But that doesn't stop organizations from asking for it.

I also wouldn't be frightened to give them your real info. They should treat it confidentially.

[OXYCANTSTOP]

hey there im in california and thry do require a ss number if u plan on setting up payment terms ie low inconme, my situation is different then most i dont have a 11550 on my record so i had to do 2 21 day detox treatments wich cost $520 the i had to se the doctor and tell him i still have an uncontrolable urge to use and i think methadone will be benificial in my situation , he then put me on maintnence wich costs $220 a month i pay on cash $ 110 on the first then another $110 on the 15th .

[prettypoppy]

They require all that so they can make sure you are not registered at two programs. They will not release the info, even to police or PO's, w/o a warrant.

If you are sure that the 7 panel test does not check for it, I would go ahead and do it. You have to weight the chances that you will relapse, piss dirty and go to jail with the chance that they will somehow find out you are on methadone. If you feel sure you cannot make it thru probation w/o relapsing then your chances of staying out are better if you get on methadone. However, I would toe the line at the clinic, don't break any rules, go by the book, etc so that if they ever DO find out you will have the clinic's backing that you are a good patient who is really working on recovery, etc. I would ask for a copy of all your US's so that you can produce them for your PO at a moment's notice.

However, you must also weigh this with the risk that if you get on MMT and either they find out and for some stupid reason revoke you over it, or you test dirty for something else or can't pay your probation fees and they lock you up, you will likely be in for a nasty, looooooong withdrawal of epic proportions in the county jail, where you are almost guaranteed NOT to be medicated. People (young, healthy people) have died in such circumstances, and the $5 mil the family won suing the jail did not bring them back. (This has happened 3 times recently--young people dying from untreated methadone withdrawals in county jail). If you are on oxys or bupe, the w/d's will hurt just as bad but be way shorter and you may just live through them.

So, that's the scoop--a bit worrying any way you look at it.

[KhaosPerformer]

They require all that so they can make sure you are not registered at two programs. They will not release the info, even to police or PO's, w/o a warrant.

If you are sure that the 7 panel test does not check for it, I would go ahead and do it. You have to weight the chances that you will relapse, piss dirty and go to jail with the chance that they will somehow find out you are on methadone. If you feel sure you cannot make it thru probation w/o relapsing then your chances of staying out are better if you get on methadone. However, I would toe the line at the clinic, don't break any rules, go by the book, etc so that if they ever DO find out you will have the clinic's backing that you are a good patient who is really working on recovery, etc. I would ask for a copy of all your US's so that you can produce them for your PO at a moment's notice.

However, you must also weigh this with the risk that if you get on MMT and either they find out and for some stupid reason revoke you over it, or you test dirty for something else or can't pay your probation fees and they lock you up, you will likely be in for a nasty, looooooong withdrawal of epic proportions in the county jail, where you are almost guaranteed NOT to be medicated. People (young, healthy people) have died in such circumstances, and the $5 mil the family won suing the jail did not bring them back. (This has happened 3 times recently--young people dying from untreated methadone withdrawals in county jail). If you are on oxys or bupe, the w/d's will hurt just as bad but be way shorter and you may just live through them.

So, that's the scoop--a bit worrying any way you look at it.

Good advice, thanks man

BTW, It's not probation, but drug court; the point of which is total sobreity. I WOULD get terminated if they found out I was on MMT. I have expirence with methadone withdrawls, though nothing over 60-80 mils a day and I know how fucking horrible they can be. I am sure that they don't test for done on the 7 panel cause I've done it and come back clean. At least recently I have come across a buddy who gets take homes from his clinic and is willing to sell to me.

The good news is that I got the OK form court to go back on xanax for a little while to help with my insane insomnia.

I'm gunna request a copy of the local clinics privacy policy next time I'm in the area

Thanks Much
-K

[HeidiW]

Yeah, I'm on corrections right now and they don't test for 'done. I've heard it costs too much $$ to test for it.

[Narkotikon]

When I started at the clinic in Lexington in Dec. 2005 they took my license and social security card to verify my identity, photo copied them, and kept them in my file. They also checked with other local clinics (the public one in Lexington, the one in Morhead, the one in Indiana that a lot of people went to because that particular clinic didn't test for weed, so a lot of people went there so they could continue to smoke, and probably the clinics in Cincinnati) to see if I was there, because I guess they've had people be in two at one time before. Just a safety precaution I guess. Other than that, I don't remember much about the documentation. The other stuff was typical (TB test, blood work, withdrawal check, drug test, meeting with the doctor, etc.).

With all the literature and studies done to show how beneficial MMT or SMT can be, I find it odd that the probation / court system says you can't do it. It seems illogical to me. Personally I didn't like methadone because I was on too high of a dose and couldn't function, which was why I went there in the first place, and couldn't afford it in the end and god the w/d was horrible. So of course I just started using again. But, I think at a lower dose it would have been more beneficial, say 75-85mg a day, rather than the 140 I was on. I also think they should work out a way to make Subs less expensive. That stuff is magical. Total loss of cravings, little to no sedation, able to completely function, but who can afford the outrageous prices and then the cost of meds? If I won the lottery I'd go on Suboxone. Well, first I'd probably buy a field of pods and go on a month or two binge, then go on Sub.

[nick]

When I started at the clinic in Lexington in Dec. 2005 they took my license and social security card to verify my identity, photo copied them, and kept them in my file. They also checked with other local clinics (the public one in Lexington, the one in Morhead, the one in Indiana that a lot of people went to because that particular clinic didn't test for weed, so a lot of people went there so they could continue to smoke, and probably the clinics in Cincinnati) to see if I was there, because I guess they've had people be in two at one time before. Just a safety precaution I guess. Other than that, I don't remember much about the documentation. The other stuff was typical (TB test, blood work, withdrawal check, drug test, meeting with the doctor, etc.).

With all the literature and studies done to show how beneficial MMT or SMT can be, I find it odd that the probation / court system says you can't do it. It seems illogical to me. Personally I didn't like methadone because I was on too high of a dose and couldn't function, which was why I went there in the first place, and couldn't afford it in the end and god the w/d was horrible. So of course I just started using again. But, I think at a lower dose it would have been more beneficial, say 75-85mg a day, rather than the 140 I was on. I also think they should work out a way to make Subs less expensive. That stuff is magical. Total loss of cravings, little to no sedation, able to completely function, but who can afford the outrageous prices and then the cost of meds? If I won the lottery I'd go on Suboxone. Well, first I'd probably buy a field of pods and go on a month or two binge, then go on Sub.

This is SO sad,if my doc tried to tell me not to smoke weed........I'd punch them and tell them to wake up!!


Sorry guys-I feel for you...........Goddam drug war huh?

[prettypoppy]

Actually, some drug courts DO allow and even endorse MMT and bupe--however, many do not and it is just ridiculous when you compare success rates of medication assisted treatment to the abysmal success rates of 12 step/traditional rehabs alone, ESPECIALLY with opiate addiction. Our own town's drug court judge is a recovering alkie who insists upon AA and only AA, and who invites all graduates of the program to join him at his home group meeting--talk about biased! Our clinic director has talked with him regarding MMT and all he says is "It may be effective, but NO ONE in MY drug court will ever be on methadone!!"

I remember back in 1996 when I was in "his" drug court and he peered down at me from his bench after my relapse (the first of millions) and said "YOU have a TURR-i-bull problem with prescription DRUGS!" Well, DUH! But you know how AA always has that little motto about "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results"? I guess that is true for everything BUT AA, because they sure do like to send people back THERE over and over expecting different results, don't they?

[flipside]

<snip?

I remember back in 1996 when I was in "his" drug court and he peered down at me from his bench after my relapse (the first of millions) and said "YOU have a TURR-i-bull problem with prescription DRUGS!" Well, DUH! But you know how AA always has that little motto about "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results"? I guess that is true for everything BUT AA, because they sure do like to send people back THERE over and over expecting different results, don't they?


Poppy that's priceless.

[zlaxman]

yeah, the first itme i was in rehab everybody knew all the words and commands at na. i thought htat was funny. when they tried to say how well it worked i was just like how come you are all in rehab and you know the words already. it must work real well if ur back in here. god, grant me the serenity, to put up with na meetings...and make it to my next dose for maintenence. haha

[KhaosPerformer]

Question.
Is there something in your drug court contract that says you can't take narcotics legally prescribed to you by a Dr.? I think the courts can get a hold of your medical records without you signing a release of information.

The deal with legit scripts is that you have to get a special form signed by the prescribing doc the basicly says "Khaos is a total junkie and as a doc you better be willing to put you ass on the line to prescribed this fuck off anything that we might consider addictive" If I don't do this the court will just send me to jail, if not terminate me from the program. I think they probably could get at my medical records if they really wanted to, like if someone on the treatment team suspected that I was using done. Otherwise they are WAY too fucking lazy to do it.

Peace
-K

[matfield]

Yeah, I'm on corrections right now and they don't test for 'done. I've heard it costs too much $$ to test for it.
doesn't methadone come up as an opiate? i find that very interesting that they don't see/test 'done..

[KhaosPerformer]

doesn't methadone come up as an opiate? i find that very interesting that they don't see/test 'done..

Nope, they don't see done unless they specificly test for it. It's fully synthetic so it doesn't metabolize into the standard morphine/codine that other opiates do. I'm sure of this cause I'm tested for both oxy and normal opiates and I've done methadone and come up clean. Thats kinda the whole reason behind this post; I wanna get on MMT and not have my court know about it. The thing is, they reserve the right to test for methadone if they want to, they just don't do it normaly.

groovin
-K

[laudaphun]

Once I was told by an old junkie as we sat their in our orange outfits, he on his bunk, I on mine. He explained to me with glee about how synthetic opiates don't show up in your average county probation drug test... propoxyphene(ack!), fent, methadone, etc. He did mention though that once he did manage to fail a drug test, after taking a huge amount of methadone right before a drug test, but other than that instance methadone had never caused a postitive.

Of course it's hard to say whether he had some dope in his system from a day or so before, or if he had been taking only methadone for a period of time prior to this. At the time, I was learning all I could from all of the older veterans clad in orange so I just made a mental note at the time not to take a huge dose of methadone before a drug test.