[Nurse-k-99]

I do not know if I am in the right place. This is my first time posting here.I am an advocate for MMT & also a nurse. I have a person who has contacted me for help and I have searched high & low. I came across your board and thought there might be someone here that can help put me in thr right direction. This person is a young R.N who live's in S.C. She can no longer practice because she is in treatment. Her addiction as nothing to do with her work it is a Doctor RX addiction of opiates. Because she is in recovery and taking methadone her BON will not let her work. She has had 2 years clean. To get MMT you must submit to U/A's on a PRN basis and she has never come up dirty. I am looking for letters or newspaper artcals on this subject or a web site I might be able to get more info on. I am armed with a lot of information on methadone and MMt. I do not know what avenue to go down. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.

[elkpark]

I apologize if this is something everyone else knows, but what is "MMT"? I've worked in psych and substance abuse for almost 20 years, but that is not an acronym I recognize.

[hoopschick]

ok, first of all, MMT is Metahdone Maintenance Therapy, right?

now, for the hard question~ as a nurse who is also an addict, recovering, and one who was addicted to opiates, i have done a lot of research in to this particular subject. unfortunately, it is a lot like medicinal marijuana in that studies show it to be relatively safe and effective, but changing policies is a long way off. i have yet to hear of any state monitoring program that will allow you to work while on MMT. please check out these sites, and pass them on to your friend just so she can have a place to vent, and realize that there are MANY, MANY of us out there. info is very scattered, and sometimes hard to find about nurse addicts.
this one is a place to vent about anything in general, the second one is traditionally recovery oriented, i.e. 12 step focus, etc. the 3rd one is very, very informative with a lot of good links,
please feel free to pm me with any questions....good luck, and peace,
sheri

http://www.voy.com/140037/

http://www.voy.com/24203/

http://brucienne.com/nir/

[-jt]

In NY, the New York State Nurses Assoc (NYSNA) established the Statewide Peer Assistance for Nurses program (SPAN) for its members - as a resource for RNs coping with chemical dependency (alcoholism and/or drug addiction) problems. Assistance is provided in the areas of prevention, education, identification, and return to work. The program has been a model for similar programs developed by other state nurses associations, has been adopted by our own state legislature and is now state-funded, available not just to NYSNA members but to all RNs and LPNs in NY state. You might be able to use some of the info & recommendations that are on its website, especially in the Practice Re-entry and Return To Work Agreement sections:


SPAN:
What's New?
Issues to Consider
Legal Considerations
Nurses Resources
Practice Re-entry
Regulatory Agencies
Return to Work Agreements
Contact SPAN

http://www.nysna.org/programs/span/span_home.htm

Your friend could also contact her own state nurses assoc to see if it has a similar peer assistance program to help recovering nurses return to work.

[Nurse-k-99]

Thank all of you that have taken the time. One ? was what is MMT methadone maintance treatment. A lot of people stay on this program for life some until they think they are recovered. I myself was Dr RX addicted. The Doctor that gave me Rx of oxycontin is now in rehab himself he had to retire his practice at 45 years old. Thanks again Kel P.S I LOVE the Nurse here to save your ass not to kiss it!! The best I have ever heard

[Tweety]

Here in FL one can not work while taking narcotics. Even if someone has a toothache and takes a narc, they can't work. So perhaps it's the same where you are as well. It has nothing to do with the MMP, but the fact the person has to take narcotics. I would check the board of nursing policies.

I confess to being fairly ignorant of the program. I took care of a patient that we were giving 160 mg a day to while he was inpatient. This was his maintenance does after ten years. I couldn't help wonder why he hadn't been weened to a lower dose. Why do people have to have lifetime doses. Even if they wean 1 mg a month, seems like they could be weaned. I know that's another topic, so pardon me for asking. Thanks.

[Nurse-k-99]

HI THIRD SHIFT GUY, I HAVE ASKED THAT SAME ? I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MOST LONG TERM mmt THAT THEY HAVE GOTTEN OFF AND GONE RIGHT BACK IN TO USING SO THEY WOULD RATHER STAY MEDICATED. I MYSELF TAKE 190MG A DAY. I WAS ADDICTED TO QXYCONTIN MY DOCTOR THOUGHT IT WAS A WONDERFUL MEDICATION FOR PAIN(HE IS IN REHAB AND HAD TO CLOSE HIS PRACTICE AT 45 YEARS OLD) I WOULD RECOMEND THAT ONLY TERMINAL PPL TAKE IT BUT THAT IS BECAUSE I NEVER THOUGH I WOULD BE WHERE I AM TODAY. I HAVE BEEN IN TREATMENT FOR 19 MONTHS AND JUST GOT STABLE TWO MONTH AGO.

[KMSRN]

Nurse-k-99 - I'm sorry about your difficulties and wish you well in your recovery. May I ask how much Oxycontin you were taking and why it was prescribed? I work in oncology and palliative care where many patients are on opioids and some are concerned about addiction. Sadly, most don't have to worry about that. I am curious about other conditions for which sustained release opioids are prescribed.

[Nurse-k-99]

I was given them for a shoulder injury. The sales person told my doctor they were safe and could be used short term LOL! As I said my doc is in rehab. It took one year for them to do surgery then I was on them until three months after that. At first I was on20mg TID. Then it went up to 40mgBID then I put it up myself to 80mg BID. I stayed at that but needed to chew them to get any effect. The more I took the more pain I was in. I felt that it worked while I was on them but once it wore off my pain was a 10+. I told my Doc this and he said it was alright I was just noticing it more. It got to the point I had to take 160mg to 320mg so that I would not get sick. I did not get high off them but I got real sick without them. I was Dr shopping and buying them off the streets. I decided to check in to MMT and here I am. I currently take 190mg of methadone. At the clinic I am at, 90% are oxycontin abuse not heroin but you will find that a lot of people that started on oxy's went to heroin because it was cheaper and easy to get. It stoped the withdrawels. It also takes more methadone to stablize an oxycontin user the a heroin user. Sorry for the book here.