So for a long time I really did believe that Suboxone was the only way to go. That was before even I, an addiction specialist, began to learn more about methadone treatment. I began to read, learn and experience while serving as medical director that methadone is a perfectly fine treatment. YES, you have to get past the stupid “stigma” and get down to brass tax here.
PATIENTS: please remember that most physicians have no education about addiction (not a slam against my colleagues but its true. Most don’t care, most don’t seek extra education and most done really care frankly- they are too busy doing what the feel is “more important” work). They feel that someone else will eventually do the work (like me). As such you too have to get past the stigma because the goal of your treatment (and seriously correct me if Iam way off target but I think I am solid on target) is 1)get off heroin, 2) get a good job so you can pay housing, 3) improve/repair family relationships …. right??? PLEASE call me immediately if you feel that I didn’t just totally hit your top 3 priorities!!!. NOTICE that nowhere in your top 3 priorities in life does it say “get rid of EVERYONE else’s stigma !!!… why do you. Think we operate under such totally tight confidentiality laws. EVEN the PDMP (the govt prescription monitoring site) doesn’t know that you are on methadone!!. We don’t want anyone being involved in your top 3 priorities in life OK?? It’s YOU, ME and your counselor and that’s it!. SO, back to the original question… there is no difference between Suboxone and methadone in terms of success. They have different dosing strategies and other features but overall they are similar in achieve in the top 3. Sometimes Suboxone works for one person and not another and the next person will be other way around!.
PHYSICIAN COLLEAGUES. Again, no disrespect but seriously pick up a few more articles on stuff other than your own specialty. I still hear family docs, internists and specialists utter the words “I don’t believe in that”… Seriously? Are you that Neanderthal that you cant just read and understand. We all know that ignorance comes from lack of education right?? Addiction exists and cures do NOT (even in cardiology, pulmonologist etc etc- don’t tell me you can cure heart disease or chol or HTN or COPD etc etc and guess what??? They are ALL self – induced diseases so… enough about how addicts “deserve what they got”. Check. Yourself and the patients you treat before spouting such stupidity. We have now gone to the lengths of proving that the real, physical “alcohol gene defect” exists and the neuronal wiring map for addiction exists and has been mapped out just the same as the pathology of all of your little cholesterol or insulin bits and pieces… Different disease, same process
- Its not curable
- We can control it and
- If your not going to accept that GET out of the way !!!!
Stay alive
Andreas J. Edrich MD FASAM ADM MRO “the addiction doc”