Suddenly Cut Off Methadone

After 15 years I was kicked off 200 mgs of methadone daily because the pain doc wasn't "comfortable" with it all of a sudden, but he is perfectly willing to let me drop dead suffering like a dog in front of my family at age 60, two hip replacements and severe osteoporosis. Sure enough the first day I went into a massive withdrawal and wound up with a dislocated hip on top of it at the ER. I wrote a complaint to the NY health dept and got a nasty letter saying the doctor can do whatever he wants as long as he provides emergency care. That can just be one more small prescription of Vicodin. Medicine shouldn't allow for such cruelty.

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I think there is a lot of talk about overdoses. I believe there is an undiscussed tragedy and that is of pain patients being discharged fr om care because of the political climate over opiates. Now what can a discharge pain patient do besides quietly go suffer physically more than you can imagine. Imagine this patient trying to get help with another physician? A new physician isn't going to help because he sees the patient as a liability and trouble to help. Just how many pain patients have been discharged without an adequate plan in place to minimize their suffering? I suspect most. The fact is medicine can stop pain but it can't help the pain patient who has already been helped with opiates. The patient now is suffering from a sudden loss of opiate medicine and a doctor is the only one that can help. You think help is there? I don't think anyone should be started on opiates without a plan for reducing usage. If not than assurances need to be given to long term patients that they won't be abandoned or neglected due to change in staff etc. In my case the nurse practitioner I saw passed away and the physician was now uncomfortable prescribing methadone without offering a plan to change. Why should he. He already doesn't lose any sleep and the state health department doesn't care.

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I am very sorry that you are suffering so much, I hate to see anyone going through such terrible tribulations.

However, the health department was correct, no doctor is obligated to keep prescribing any medication or seeing any patient, unless they are in active life threatening danger and that is according to federal law.

Learn more Methadone details here.

Have you tried finding a new doctor? Perhaps someone that specializes in pain management?

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I know its a very old post and the op isn't going to reply, but, I was dropped from a 15 year 200 mL methadone prescription because the Doc no longer feels comfortable.

That can't be right. Got to have been a lot more to it regarding op's conduct.

No one can be dropped cold turkey from a 15 year 200 mL methadone script.

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