Methadose: Why Risk Our Sobriety?

We would like to share with you all a guest post written by ChelsieCharmed. Her amazing blog can be found at lifeexperiencesandinspiringmoments.blogspot.com.She can also be found on Twitter, Google+ and Ebay, where she sells beautifully handcrafted "Healing Trees".We hope you enjoy her post!

Methadose Switchover: Why?

Written by: ChelsieCharmed

The BIG Pharmaceutical companies want to save money and their willing to jeopardize a lot of people’s sobriety to do it. 
I've recently found out that people on the methadone maintenance program, like myself, will be switched over to this new form of Methadone called Methadose. A medication that hasn't nearly been tested enough as to how effective it is and its side effects, especially compared to the original methadone, is now being given to methadone patients instead of the original version for the sake of having pharmaceutical companies save money. Oh and they haven't even taken the time to inform most of us of this change, or ask us our preference. Fair? I think not!

One of the problems with Methadose is that it doesn't seem to be lasting its full 24 hours and the numbers of relapses since the switch is astounding. Why change something that was working perfectly fine. Well Greed of course, why else not ask us which one we would rather. Being pregnant, I'm wondering, and really worried, about how well this new methadone has been tested as being safe for pregnant women. I think this is beyond crazy and unjust. Just because were recovering addicts doesn't mean we don't have rights. Even though this is probably not against the law, it definitely should be! 

Since getting switched over I went up on my methadone because it wasn't lasting and that's something I didn't want to do because I do want to start tapering off after my pregnancy and this is just going to make it more difficult for me. The worst part is that even though I went up this week I feel even worst then before. My back, legs, neck etc. is so sore it takes me forever to fall asleep at night. I don't even feel 100% right after taking my dose when it’s supposed to be the most effective. I know some of this pain is caused by being almost 8 months pregnant but I wasn't nearly this sore before they switched me.

I want my voice and opinion to mean something. I don't think it’s fair at all and I feel like because I'm a recovering addict which is part of stigmatized group my opinion doesn't matter.
I've heard many methadone patients aren't even being believed by their doctor when they tell them the methadone isn't working properly. I really want something to be done about this and I'm hoping by writing this article I'll bring a little bit more attention to the problem Methadose is causing. If there was some kind of petition I would definitely sign it and share it everywhere I could.

Yours truly, Charmed

If you would like to share your thoughts or opinions on this post, please feel free to leave a comment below!

World Suicide Prevention Day!

September 10th

Suicide affects many people, whether you have been affected yourself or have had a close family member or friend affected it is of great importance to speak of it to others. Awareness must be spread and people need to recognize the signs long before someone feels so hopeless and full of pain, they feel it's their only way to end it all.

Phychological trauma is generally a major contributor, as well as poverty. Trauma leads to suicidal thoughts more times than not.There are many reasons that cause people to consider suicide, not all are very obvious to the average person. Never assume that just because it seems like someone has a great life, means that they are alright inside emotionally.They may not be.
See the many causes of suicide at: http://www.suicide.org/suicide-causes.html

I have experienced suicidal thoughts myself and have had two members of my family commit suicide, I know all too well the feelings that lead up to feeling this way. Severe hopelessness, you feel as though nobody gives a shit.
I was raised in severe poverty and was sexually, emotionally and physically abused My parents were addicts/alcoholics and my step father still is to this day. My mother is a narcissist and I have recently cut all ties with both her and my step father.
Since we were raised in such conditions we were continually the targets of bullying at school, this combined with the abuse at home made it even more hopeless. I started using drugs and alcohol to ease the pain, I even began cutting myself at age 9 for some relief. Many times I would think about pushing the knife deeper and deeper just to end it all. Being a super sensitive introverted child didn't make matters any better for my mental health.
When I was 5 living in an apartment complex, we witnessed a man jump to his death from his balcony, many times at night I would lay there in bed thinking about how it would be so much easier just to end the constant pain inside that endlessly ate at my soul. I'd pray for it too end and I even started believing that God too was against me.
If there was good in this world I would never get too experience it! I saw some friends who had good lives and wondered why I didn't get that chance. I even thought if I was a better kid or tried to be perfect that the abuse would end and my parents would love me, but it never did happen. I felt like why bother living, if living a week like this felt like a lifetime, imagine what a lifetime would feel like, right!
It was constant, 24 hours a day abuse. Eventually all hope is gone, you don't know how to feel, you are convinced that for the rest of your life people will harm you, you believe in nothing because there is nothing.

My Real father is still to this day mentally unable to handle life and the stress, he witnessed my uncle commit suicide with a shotgun, this combined with my narcissistic mother made him unwell.I finally got to meet him at the age of 23 after I tracked him down. He still drinks to handle the pain he went through.

My cousin Liz grew up just as I did and had attempted suicide many times, after she had her two children she was unable to cope and took her life with pills. I still think of her and all the times we've cried on each others shoulders, we felt the same hopeless pain.
Suicide needs to be openly talked about and not hidden! The stigma that still exists concerning mental illness is the biggest reason why many people who need help do not ever seek it.This has to end!
If you or anyone that you know needs help, get help now.

To help a suicidal person:

Always take talk of suicide seriously.  Assuming that the person is only seeking attention is a very serious, and potentially disastrous, error. Get help immediately

Don't be judgmental. Do not invalidate anything that the person says or feels. The person is probably suffering from a chemical imbalance in the brain, and thus could not possibly think clearly. Be supportive and caring, not judgmental, but get help immediately.

Be careful of the statements that you make. You do not want to make the person feel any worse than he or she already does. Again, the person is probably suffering from a chemical imbalance in the brain and is thus extremely sensitive.

Listen, listen, listen. Be gentle, kind, and understanding. Again, allow the person to talk as much as he or she wants. Always listen very attentively, and encourage him or her to talk more. Be as gentle, kind, and understanding as possible.

For all the ways in which you can help a suicidal person, please visit!

Suicide Facts:

**75 percent of those who die by suicide do exhibit some suicide warning signs, so we need to be aware of what the suicide warning signs are

**Talking about suicide does not cause someone to experience thoughts of suicide or increase the risk.

**Four out of five people who die by suicide have made at least one previous attempt

**Suicide occurs across all age, economic, social and ethnic boundaries


If you have experienced suicide in your life, please feel free to share your story with us below. Remember there are never any judgements made here!



Your Friends in the maze,

Chixx & Stixx

National Recovery Month

This September is the 25th year of Recovery Month. 

So let's celebrate!

Speak Up, Reach Out!

The goal of Recovery Month is to promote the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance disorders. 

This year's theme is "Join the Voices for Recovery: Speak up, Reach out," which encourages people to openly speak up about mental and substance use disorders and the reality of recovery.

So share your recovery story with the world to educate people and celebrate your successes! You can post your story at http://recoverymonth.gov/Voices-for-Recovery/Share-Your-Story.aspx or read others stories at http://recoverymonth.gov/Voices-for-Recovery/Stories.aspx

"The Working definition of recovery from mental disorders and/or substance use disorders is

a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential"

There are many amazing blogs which focus on recovery from many different substances. Some of these blogs you should visit are:

• studiolonline.weebly.com
• lifeexperiencesandinspiringmoments.blogspot.ca
• thesecretslayer.com
• sincerightnow.com
messageinabottleblog.wordpress.com

• mylaststand.org
• opiateaddictionsupport.com
• jdusty45.wordpress.com
• breakingthecycles.com
• catherinelyonaddictedtodimes.wordpress.com
• kickthemonkey.com
• damonpinkard.com
• theaddictionshow.com

Show others that Recovery from addiction is possible! 

Your Friends in the maze,

International Overdose Awareness Day!

Show your support!

August 31st, 2014 is International overdose day This day is all about educating people on overdose and how it can be prevented. It originated in Melbourne, Australia in 2001 and is now globally recognized. In 2013, International Overdose Awareness Day events ranged from remembrance ceremonies to community training on naloxone administration. 

Overdoses happen and you must be armed with education regarding them. Stixx has saved quite a few people during his time because he was educated and he knew the signs and he knew how to react quickly to save their life. He has also been on the other side himself and has overdosed a number of times, as well as myself. Too many good people have died from overdose and many times these could of been prevented. Harm reduction does work and spreading awareness could saves many lives.

  

Signs and symptoms vary from drug to drug but most are the same, we will tell you about what to watch for if someone is overdosing on methadone.

Many people are reluctant to call an ambulance due to police involvement, this is a huge reason worlwide why many will not call and many overdoses could of been prevented if the fear of being arrested wasn't present. With education, policy changes and promotion of such life saving items such as, naloxone, Etc. we can hopefully save more lives.

For many educational and interesting articles from harm reduction advocate, K. Lanktree, we suggest reading Studiolonline.weebly.com, she has many great views and is also a methadone patient who knows her stuff.

We would like to share with you how to spot the signs of methadone overdose and how you can react to save lives.

Methadone overdose can occur if someone accidentitly or intentionly takes more methadone than prescribed by their doctor, or taken by someone who is not prescribed methadone. Methadone is slow acting and does not provide the user with a euphoric high, because of this lack of euphoria, a person may take more and more of it in an attempt to acheive the rush, which will lead to overdose. Often times than not, methadone is taken in combination with other drugs such as narcotics, benzodiazepines, alcohol, etc. Methadone should never be mixed with the previous mentioned, as it is fatal.

The Signs of methadone overdose include:

• Blue lips/fingernails (Not receiving enough oxygenated blood)
• Cold, clammy skin
• Weak pulse
• Newspaper colored face(Greyish) or very pale
• Extreme sedation
• Confusion/staggering/not stable on feet
• Slurred speech
• Shallow breathing(respiratory depression)
• He/she wants to go to go lay down/sleep (Fatigue)
• mucus coming out of nose and mouth
• muscle twitches
• weakness
• Nausea
• They will most likely feel very hot

How you can quickly respond to a person overdosing:

• Call 911
• You can call a poison control center near you, always have these important numbers on hand in your phone.
• A cold facecloth and cold water to splash in face
• Keep person talking/keep them aware and awake even if you have to yell
• If possible, keep them moving using their own strength providing they haven't hurt themselves, ie fall/broken bones/car accident,etc.
• If they aren’t breathing or their breathing is slow, roll them on their back, tilt their head back, remove anything they may have in their mouth, take a deep breath and blow into their mouth, 2 breaths at first and then 1 breath every 4 seconds until the paramedics get there.
• Naloxone can be administered (If you have it, which you should) it can be given in the muscle. (Arm, thigh or butt)( Intramuscular)
• It is best not to leave someone alone, but if you have to leave, leave them on their left side with their left arm and left leg out straight and right arm and leg bent, this will keep them on their side.(Recovery position)
• Do not let them try to vomit, unless told otherwise by poison control or 911

Since Methadone can affect an overdose patient’s breathing, there is a risk of brain damage to a person who is experiencing depressed respiration. Even a suspected case requires immediate medical attention to minimize the likelihood of this outcome.

You and your friends should always learn about overdose and make a plan, it could save each others lives. 

If you have lost friends or family members to overdose, you can visit http://www.overdoseday.com/tributes/ to post a tribute to them.

                                                                                         

Resources:
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222)- All of United States

Ontario Poison Control Center (1-800-268-9017) -Ontario Only

For all provincial contact numbers in Canada visit http://www.capcc.ca/en/contact

 Too many great lives lost to overdose in the last 2 years

                      -R.I.P -

Sharon    31 years old

Bruce      48 years old

Pat          54 years old

Kelly        49 Years old

Dwayne   37 Years old

Phillip      38 years old

Tanya      32 years old

BoBo        53 year sold

Debbie     56 years old

Jimi         49 years old

Edgy        52 years old

Josh        24 years old

Bugsy      52 years old

Angie      43 years old

Your Friends in the maze,

Van Halen - Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) HD

Your Friends in the maze,

Increased dose=Increased pant size!

Weight gain on methadone

Has weight gain been an issue for you on methadone? 

Do you find your pant sizes increasing?

Methadone & Weight Gain

When I first began methadone, I weighed a nice 130lbs, wore size 7/8 pants, I am 5'5" so I wasn't beyond skinny nor was I fat at all, even after being pregnant I went back to my normal weight. I had a flat stomach and I was in shape due to the nature of the job I held in the mining exploration industry. 

From the time I started dosing, my first dose being 35mg, until my 3rd month, which by then I was at 90mg. well in that span I had gained a grand total of 70lbs and an additional 10 thereafter. So ya it makes you gain weight! 

I remember going to the clinic and wearing my nice size 8 capri's and three months later the same ones would literally not even get up over my thighs. The frustration I had felt and the anger as I threw my capri's straight into the closet and pulled on some joggers to go get my drink (and obviously buy bigger clothes!:-()

I can understand the frustration someone with a food addiction would have or a thyroid disorder. It makes you feel horrible, your self-confidence and self-esteem plummet and you feel like you will never come out of it.

I had asked the doctor why I had gained so much in such a short amount of time, but of course he said it was because I am now healthy, eating better and no longer running around to get my high. Really? Who says I was running around and not driving?

I have to admit though that you do get ridiculous cravings for sweets, and would wrestle anyone to the ground just to satisfy it!

Tim Horton's loves me and I admittedly love their maple pecan danishes, before this it was sour cream glazed donuts! Mmm donuts (Drool:-P)

The amount of sweets I began eating was not enough to warrant a 70lb weight gain in that short span though and it was hard to take.

Methadone does slow down the metabolism, and if you aren't one of those lucky people who have a lightning fast metabolism to burn food off, then this dip in metabolism is likely to affect you greatly. 

Now some of you may be saying "Hey I didn't gain a thing" and to that I would say "Rub it in why don't ya" 

No I would ask what dose you are at and how far up you had gone?

Generally higher doses mean higher pant sizes!

If you are over 60-70mgs then you most likely will have gained weight, but if your dose is less than 60-70mgs you may not have experienced it. Currently I am on 104mg and still dropping until I have reached a range where I feel good and the pounds begin to melt away!

This occurs with a lot of other side effects one faces as well. Many are unsure as to why we gain weight or retain water, but from what I have read it seems that the hypothalamus may have something to do with it and other side effects as well. 

The hypothalamus is responsible for certain metabolic processes and other activities of the autonomic nervous system.We will be speaking of the hypothalamus in future posts also when we speak of other side effects.

Hypothalamus

So now, not only do I have to accept myself and the trauma that has occurred in my life, but now I have to learn to accept my new body, which at times, is extremely hard to accept. I love the fact I no longer have to be part of a life of active addiction, I no longer have to fear withdrawals, I can focus on work and my child while taking care of my emotional and mental health issues caused by many, many years of abuse. So I guess when it comes down to it, a little bit of weight gain is not such a big deal! Just some days it is!

So what can you do about reducing your waist line?

*You can begin by drinking more water 

*Eating water based fruits/vegetables such as watermelon, grapes, celery, etc. These will also help a little with the sugar cravings,

*Try to slowly taper your dose down, if you find that you can't due to withdrawals at lower levels, then try to increase your exercise, by walking more, biking or other activities.I enjoy kickboxing.

So have you experienced weight gain at all from a medication? What were some ways you were able to drop your pant size? Please feel free to share any experiences you have had with us?

This is a little poem about being on the 'Done and how 

my pant size has grown

my need for new skinny jeans has now been overthrown 

I can hear the cries of my ever growing thighs 

Getting off the couch requires many tries and

I hate what the plus-size  tag Implies

-Chixx-

For articles on addiction, including methadone and weight gain:

http://opiateaddictionsupport.com/how-to-stop-methadone-weight-gain/

Your Friends in the maze,

Recovery: Do it your way!

 The other day we were reading on yet another wonderful woman's blog "Life of a recovering addict" by ChelsieCharmed and her post on "Methadone: Love Hate Relationship" made me think about what we have gone through.

She wrote of the love hate relationship you sometimes feel while on methadone and we just wanted to write about this struggle.

Recovery: Love/Hate

" Its ironic how the one thing that freed me is also keeping me trapped, but honestly it could be worse at least now my minds my own and I have a chance at life" Qouted from ChelseaCharmed 's post.

The truth is that yes you do feel this. Alot. You wonder if it was the right decision and with all the stigma you are faced with, it really can play on your mind and you begin to question whether or not you did the right thing. We speak about this in our post "Is Methadone Bad "

Everyone chooses a recovery method and they may not always be right for some people, this is no reason to speak badly about that recovery option because it didn't work out for you.It may of saved other people's lives. Just as methadone has done for us and many people we know. I wish N/A wasn't so judgemental of methadone patients, we are in recovery too! I will save this debatable subject for a future post though.

Some days we question whether or not this is for us, and you know what "Yes it is for us" we have our lives back, we have relapsed less times on methadone than on any other type of treatment. Most relapses happened in the beginning when we were still trying to adjust to the dose that was right for us. You have a chance to start picking up the pieces of your life, you have a chance to work-out the inner trauma which may of caused your addictions all these years, withdrawal is put on hold and you can slowly come down at your own rate when you are ready. Keyword you, your journey, about you, your life, about what's right for you and nobody else.

Yes there are days when you want to throw it to the wayside and there are days where your side effects may feel worse than ever and make you think 'what a stupid thing I did getting on this methadone', but when you step back and realize that you were in a much darker place before and what it felt like while you were there, you quickly change your mind.

Recovery is difficult no matter what method you have chosen for yourself. you will have days of confusion, days of pain and discomfort. We are on a huge journey of discovery of who we are, where we are going and why it is we want to get there. Everybody is different and their why's and how's will be different.

If you want this journey to be successful, you must be willing to face and feel the discomfort that may come with it. As addicts we never want to deal with pain and discomfort, so we run to anything that will take it away for us, even if temporarily, but fact being, we must face it at one point or we will forever more be caught in the webs of a nowhere life and forever unhappy.

Due to the stigma that surrounds methadone, you try to quickly come down when you are not ready and this leads to being in extreme pain and the possibility of relapsing. Only when you feel you have reached a good place emotionally & mentally where you are now stronger than ever before and have worked through all the issues you have held onto for far too long, will you be ready to slowly wean yourself off methadone. Never let anyone rush your recovery efforts and never allow someone to make you feel that you should force yourself away from what is working for you.

"Good things require effort and determination" Qouted from ChelseaCharmed's post.

Have any of you felt this love/hate relationship with your recovery? Has stigma ever made you question if you were doing the right thing? If so please share your story with us! 

We love hearing from you all! No Judgements are ever made here!

Your Friends in the maze,