Methadone Clinic for Chronic Pain

angelbear · Feb 24, 2004

Thanks for the article very informative as well as just one more opportunity for me to catch up on your posts.

Dave ARNP · Feb 24, 2004

Just the thought of sending a chronic pain patient to a clinic where they will be treated among addicts and abusers... MAKES ME SICK.

-Dave

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2004

Very interesting, great article.

From a nurse and untreated sufferer of chronic pain!

Renee' Y-Y · Feb 24, 2004

My office window looks out into the parking lot of our local methadone clinic. Now, that is some kind of scenery!! However, most of the people I see going in over there rush-in-rush-out. I don't see where there would be too much discussion about why anyone in particular is going there. There is everything from mercedes to jallopies (?sp) pulling in & out of that parking lot. I worked a neurosurg clinic for a little while & was quite surprised to find the pain management of some patients is still quite archaic. I think if methadone helps, let 'em go to the clinic and be comforted they are even able to get some help...and at least those "abusers & addicts" are trying to improve their life as well.

Dave ARNP · Feb 24, 2004

Putting a patient in a Methadone clinic implies that you do not beleive their report of pain.

Methadone can be safely written in any clinic setting, so long as both the clinician and patient are knowledgeable.

-Dave

Renee' Y-Y · Feb 24, 2004

Wow...really? Well, now, that's a shame...and here I thought they were actually getting help.

Dave ARNP · Feb 24, 2004

I write Methadone out the wazoo.

It's one of the BEST medications out there for chronic pain.

-Dave

caffine addict · Feb 27, 2004

We have been getting alot of patients from the hospitals nowdays on Methdone for treatment of chronic pain. Only problem is that the nurses aren't uset to seeing it and are afraid of this practice because it's so unfamiliar to them. It seems if someone comes in on methadone they are labled as a med seeker or an addict. Some people are so closed minded.

pumpkinsooner · Mar 21, 2004

One of the things my first pain MD tried on me was methadone. She started with 5mg twice a day. I tolerated that okay, but when I tried to go to tid or 10mg bid, I couldn't stop vomiting. The low dose wasn't enough to allay my pain, so we went to OxyContin instead. I was disappointed and even kept trying to make the methadone work because it was cheap and didn't make me woozy, but I just couldn't keep anything down.

kanis · Oct 8, 2004

One of the things my first pain MD tried on me was methadone. She started with 5mg twice a day. I tolerated that okay, but when I tried to go to tid or 10mg bid, I couldn't stop vomiting. The low dose wasn't enough to allay my pain, so we went to OxyContin instead. I was disappointed and even kept trying to make the methadone work because it was cheap and didn't make me woozy, but I just couldn't keep anything down.

I went thru the same thing ... it took a couple of weeks of regular doses to get past the nausea.

mattsmom81 · Oct 9, 2004

There's definitely a stigma associated with Methadone use. So many nurses don't get it that its great for chronic pain. As mentioned, they 'assume' the patient is an addict automatically.