[notanabuser]

HI!

I am new to the site, and feeling quite desperate. I have been on methadone 100 mg. for about 2.5 years for the treatment of chronic, intractable migraines. It took me a while to find a doctor who didn't think I was an addict just trying to get pain meds. And in the past, I have tried EVERYTHING from holistic and herbal treatment to biofeedback, accupuncture, etc. to a list 2 pages long of drugs. Even Botox didn't work. I recently was told to try Lupron to try to knock out the hormonal headaches (I am female..lol). It hasn't been approved for payment yet, so I decided to try to switch to oxycontin because although it isn't a HUGE deal, I have gained about 40 lbs since I started methadone. I'd rather be pain free than skinny though....but thought I'd try OC. WEll, even though I told my doc there was as much as a 4:1 ratio (ie, 100 mg methadone = 400 mg. oxycontin), he only put me on 120 mg. oxycontin. Also, I forgot to ask for brand, and got generic. So basically, I am feeling sick AND have a nice rash from whatever they compound the oxycontin with (I get no rash from OXYCODONE, so it has to be the OXYCONTIN). I screwed up bigtime, and took the 2 sealed bottles of methadone and donated them to the nearby free clinic/drug treatment center, and apparently got totally scammed by whoever took the meds and wrote me a "receipt". I mean, I admit, I was not very smart, but I was just trying to be a philanthropist. So anyway, now I have to go to the police (I volunteer there anyway) and explain what happened, and my doctor, who I LOVED and was such a great guy...willing to try anything...said that it was a violation of my "Drug contract" especially since he specifically told me to return the drugs to him to destroy. I am really sad and totally embarrassed to have been so stupid...I was tryly just trying to be a nice person.....at any rate, he is giving me one more month of methadone today, and I have to find a new primary care or specialist to prescribe for me. I take the methadone 4 times a day, so a "clinic" won't work. And when I tried previously to find a doctor, I had no luck even if I were willing to drive 2 hours away! So I am now DESPERATE to find out if anyone has any ideas of where to start...I need to find a doctor in Massachusetts (preferably near Cape Cod) who will prescribe methadone for me...
Does anyone know of lists of doctors who aren't afraid to use opiods and/or pain meds for chronic pain? I have a month, but I am scared that I won't be able to find someone. I tried NHF with little success...and have called several universities in Boston...no luck yet.

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I am really shaken up today, and feeling ********************py from even trying to change from methadone in the first place....in my mind, there really isn't any substitute...OXYcontin sounded good, but I feel very agitated and if I was any more constipated, I would have to use my 4 year old son's excavator truck toy to help out! lol

Thanks in advance for your help....

amy

[mpvt]

Oxycodone is way to weak a replacement for methadone.If your taking methadone pills then you can take a once a day dose as methadone has a 24-36 hour half life.When your taking the pills all your doing is keeping your serum methadone level the samer by taking it every 4-6 hours.You can take the whole dose once a day and the serum level stays the same for at least 24 hours.So yes a clinic setting would do fine.
You're probably going to have to go to a clinic as not to many doctors are going to order methadone for migraines.Good luck and let me know how you make out.....Dave