False Negative Test For Methadone (Page 2)
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I am taking 80mg of Methadone daily for pain control. For the past two months it is not showing up in my urine or blood when it always had in the past. I am frightened because now I question what the pharmacy has been giving me. I have felt less relief of my pain over the past two months, but I would have gone into withdrawal if the medicine was not Methadone. help, I need answers. If it isn't showing up it looks as if I am not taking it, which I am. I truly cannot without pain control. Thanks, hoping for some insight.

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Joanne, the Lyrica is not a traditional analgesic, so it doesn't relieve pain immediately the way analgesics do and I've actually never heard of it being given for breakthrough pain before.

Lyrica contains the active ingredient Pregabalin, which is an anticonvulsant that can also help with certain types of nerve pain, however, it does have to be taken for about 4 to 6 weeks, before it will reach its full effect in your body.

What types of side effects are you experiencing from it?


https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Lyrica/­

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Hi Dawn,
I saw the doctor and did start Lyrica for break-through pain two week ago. The problem is, I don't like the side effects. I may have to stop taking it because along with side effects I am not seeing any relief from the pain. I am scared because nothing will take this pain away completely. I just pray that with research they will find something to make it bearable. I was told by the doctor I have a high threshold for pain, but I do not see it with this disease. Thanks Dawn for your suggestion!

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Hi Doc,
You are so right about all that you have written. I was a nurse for 25 years prior to becoming disabled from RSD. I had compatment to my left foot after an injury. I had three facsiotimies as well as six ambulatory surgical procedures. This left me in a wheelchair and with crutches until my pain was managed. I was reluctant to turn to medication and consequently lived with unrelenting excruciting pain. The pain management allows me to walk and I am so grateful for that. I am unable to do many things I used to enjoy, but still I am grateful that the doctors saved my foot. The surgeries required the skills of a vascular, neuro and othopedic surgeons. That being said, I totally agree with you about the people who have made it difficult for those of us who really have pain. All you have to do is read the paper or watch the news. I believe that we do have to be political to protect the rights of the physicians as well as the patients.The government has no business telling doctors what to do. They cannot even run the government let alone play doctor! I have a doctor who know me very well. I am able to share everything with him in an effort to get the best care possible. I have ONE doctor and if I even see a dentist I make him aware of it and if I am prescribed any medication I tell him. I have a neighbor who goes to the same doctor and receives two controlled medications each month. Then she sees a neurologist each month and gets other controlled meds. She uses two different pharmacies. Not only does she take these medications which I do not believe she needs, she also sells them. If you were in this situation would you tell the physician? I have a great deal of respect for him and it angers me that she lies to him. But I am fearful to tell him because I am afraid of her. On that note I will close and thank you for addressing this. It is something we all need to address.

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Thank you for your input. The problem was resolved. It turned out that it was the test. They had to do the correct teast and it shows up. I am not on methadone due to a drug problem. This is used for the unrelenting pain I experience from RSD. Thank you again and enjoy your Sunday!

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No Deb, you don't hire a lawyer. To future doctors, it will make you look like trouble, and they don't need patients like that. It is hard enough trying to do the right thing for your patients when you have the DEA and licensing board forever monitoring you when they don't know your patients or what they need like you do. "Cover your own ass" sure! How else do you continue to treat patients and write the scripts that you all need!! I have spent the morning reading this board, and it comes down mainly to the fact that government as its grip around the throats of the doctors, and the very best way to get things right is for pain patients to get political. The state legislature controls the licensing boards and make them back off the doctors. If this would happen, then you would go to your doctor for pain control as easily as you would for a sore throat. The management is not complicated, and I am sure the doctor would be happy to help you in every way possible. He is required to do all these drug screens and to act accordingly. All this could be changed with a state law that only allows the licensing boards to license doctors after checking their qualifications to practice and beyond that leaving the practice of medicine to the doctor. One more thing that pain patients don't see. For every one of you, there are 5 other people who come to the office who are fakes, liars, and dealers, and NO, doctors do not have superhuman powers to discover who the fakers are. You just have to use the tools that you have, as crude as they are, and do your best. Many of them do have demonstrable problems! Cancer patients who find it profitable to get more pain medicine than they really need. Amputees who claim excruciating phantom limb pain who are doctor hopping and are discovered to be using the doctors sympathy to trick him into giving them more medicine. Many pain patients and drug addicts who are trying to do right confront the suspicious and apparently unsympathetic doctor, but I tell you that after you have been tricked and lied to so many times, visited by state investigators, etc, you get really suspicious of everyone who wants pain meds. and would prefer not to give them at all. If you want to blame someone for your bad situation, blame your fellow human beings that they to crook the system, and the government monitors who are just as suspicious of the doctors as the doctors are the patients.

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Joanne, you are in danger of being thrown out of a methadone program if it is not showing up in your urine, and it should be. I suggest that you buy a home test kit (I have seen them at drug stores) and test it yourself. If could be a problem with the lab, and nothing to do with you. If you show positive as you should on the home kit, buy another to take with you to the clinic and tell them you think it must be the lab, show them the test kit, and offer to give them a sample right there to prove that you are not diverting it (which is what they will believe, and rightly so.)

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The doctor has tried many non-narcotic meds because I am reluctant to take another opiate. Non of them thus far have worked. Quite frankly, I am scared to take another drug because I don't want to be a zombie. Opiates are physically addictive and that concerns me. I feel blessed that I don't have a behavioral addiction and that is a plus. I derive no pleasure in taking medications. I just wish there were another way to treat RSD. It has changed my life on every level and I am no longer the same person. Today is a very bad day because I am unable to bear any weight on my affected foot, so I have to crawl to even get to the bathroom. I had discared my cruthes long ago, never believing that I would have this forever. I thought after three surgies to my foot, I was fixed. I was, in that they were able to save my foot and I am so very grateful for that. I suppose I need to get a new set of cruthes for the "bad days." I suppose I will speak with the doctor in January and see what I should do. Thanks for your imput and have a wonderful New Year!

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He has wanted me to take something for the break-through pain, but I have only agreed to try anything non-narcotic. I have tried so many things like neurontin, cymbalta, the list is endless. Nothing works so I would rather not take anything if there is no relief. I am so tired of medicine and would do anything to be able to not have to take anything. I hope that someday they will find a way to treat RSD without medicine, but my doctor feels that I will not see that in my lifetime. Some days the pain is unbearable, today is one of those days. I try to keep my mind busy to take the focus off of the pain, but today I cannot do that. I cannot bear any weight on my affected foot and actually have to crawl to even get to the bathroom. I could go to the ER, but for what, an injection that will help some but then the pain is back. I live alone which is good because I feel embarrased and prefer that others do not see me this way. Actually I need to get a pair of crutches for days like this. I threw mine out because I was in total denial that this was never going to go away. I remember thinking I had three surgeries, so of course it will take a little time to heal. I just never believed this would happen. I was a LPN and in my 25 years of nursing had never heard of RSD. I do think that you are right in your advice, that I do need something for break-through pain, but quite honestly I am scared. I do not want to be a zombie and all of the meds are physically addictive. I am blessed so far, that I do not seem to have the behavioral addiction, which I am grateful for. I get no pleasure in taking medications. I have to come to terms with the fact that RSD has changed my life on every level. I am not the same person I used to be. There are so many things that I cannot do that I used to enjoy doing. Thanks so much for your imput and have a healthy and happy New Year!

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Joanne, have you ask your doctor about something for the breakthrough pain?? You might not want to take a second narcotic pain reliever, but it may be the only way to ease your pain. I had to use a second pain medication for breakthrough, and I still suffer terribly. It does ease it, but no meds will ever take all of the pain away. they are only meant to make it bearable...

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I have to agree with you totally on that!! So many abuse the drugs and I am one who would do anything to be able to be treated with something that is not controlled. My doctor gives me hope that they are testing other medications for RSD and they hopefully will be available in the next three years. A cure he said I will never see in my lifetime, but I still have hope He has wanted me to take something for break through pain, but I have refused. I do not want to be so medicated that I am a walking zombie! It is frightening to me that I will suffer with this forever, and if one takes too much medication, nothing will work. Thanks for clarifying, I am new to this as you can see. Have a wonderful holiday and a happy New Year. I just keep the faith and it really works for me!

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I was responding to the poster that suggested her doctor was a "coward" for drug testing her and not alerting her to it beforehand. I thought that was obvious.

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I do not take Xanax! I never have. Could you be confusing my post with someone else's? I was a nurse for 25 years and I am so careful about what medications I take. It took me three years to agree to taking methadone and I only did that because I was in a wheelchair. With it, I can at least walk. But I do think everyone should be careful about what combinations of medications they take.

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I was told that methadone and Xanex is lethal together. You should check with your doctor ASAP Let us know what he says. You can also look for the answer on the computer. Just type in is methadone and xanex lethal when taken together. My sister was on Methadone and she was told not to take xanex with methadone.

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I have no problem with that, why would I??

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When you sign paperwork to allow your doctor to prescribe narcotics to you, you agree to random drug testing.

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The industry is rife with lousy labs that produce inaccurate results.

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Wow, you have had your share of troubles and tragedy. My heart goes out to you. You have to find another doctor!! They should have done more tests, they did with me and sometimes the methadone shows up and sometimes it doesn't. It is quite strange actually. I take it exactly as prescribed and yet it varies. I actually said I would take it in front of the doctor and then take the test, but he said it was not neccesary. I agree that methadone has no high or low and therefore I do not fear that I will develop a tolerance. That is why I will not take anything else at this point in time. Maybe they will find a drug that is not controlled to treat RSD and that is my deepest wish. In your case the percocet should reduce any physical withdrawal. Did all of the other meds show up on the drug screen? My doctor does them on anyone who is taking a controlled substance because it is now mandated. Like you, I had no problem with that until it didn't show up. Now I believe the doctor realizes that it had to be in the testing, not me. Also as you mentioned, other things may affect the results. Please try and hang in there and find another pain control specialist if you are able to. I live on Long Island in NY. I will keep you in my prayers and hope that you will get the proper treatment.

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Hi Joanne, thanks for answering. This is a nice place to vent and get answers, just to know there are other people out there going through the same thing, and yes I have had blood test in the past but they never were for that, in fact the doctor did not tell me he was doing a drug test, all he said is he needed to get a sample to check and make sure I wasn't dehydrated, 2 weeks later I get a certified letter from him stating that they did a drug test on me and my medicine didn't show up and that it was against there policy and I would have to find another doctor wasn't that nice?? What a coward! after all those years he sneaked in a drug test and then didn't even have the guts to tell me! I believe that's against some law (hippa) I think, I mean why not tell me? I would of had to comply anyway so why the big secret?


While a therapist is fine for you I think places like this is good enough for me, why pay someone? most of the time they don't know what there talking about and how could they possibly know? unless they've been there?

Trust me people do not believe you until it happens to them! I have it on X ray and they still think that I should not have to take these drugs! and I tell what if it had not have happened to someone in congress we wouldn't be getting what were getting now.
I'm not suicidal I'm angry!! all though it may have sounded like I could be I could never hurt myself, I was having a bad bad day when I posted that and that's the way it came out , no I won't have to do anything to myself he the (doctor) is doing it for me by making me suffer needlessly, my blood pressure is back up and I am stressed out and it is all because of a lack of pain meds, that's what pain does to someone.
They get sicker and think in pure thoughts! I don't know yet what the doctor has in store for me, but because he is leaving any way I am going to tell it like it is!

He probably just wanted to get a little extra money in his pocket before he left his practice, what he should have done is referred me to someone else right off, all this has caused me is to worry every day on where to go next, so i have typed him a letter telling him from day one when all this started to happen to me all the pain full injections I've been through before the meds, in the hopes that he may know me a little better and understand where I'm coming from, rather that helps or not I don't know. So beware if your doctor asks you for a urine test make sure you ask him to do an extended test he should know this but some don't it's a synthetic drug and a standard test won't show Methadone and some others. Remember that they may test it with out telling you, I don't care what kind of relation ship you think you have with your doctor, push come to shove he'll turn on you and leave you out in the cold just like mine did.

You know some things that you drink or eat can alter your test they need to ask you these things but most of all they need to educate there self on the meds that they prescribe! I bet that a lot of the overdose cases are not even the drugs fault in a sense, it is the doctor that doesn't take the time to check and see if the other medicines that he/ she is prescribing will interact, most of these deaths are because of a combination of medications not because of just one drug,
I know this for a fact because my son died and that is what the coroner said when he came to my house with his results, my son was only 26 and died needlessly because his doctor didn't take the time to see what he had prescribed him, and get this 2 of the drugs were non narcotic!
He had told the doctor he had trouble sleeping and that he would wake up choking sometimes, but instead of sending him to a sleep clinic he prescribes him doxepin along with ativan, percodan,and lipitor, the first and last drug should not be taken together, you probably wonder why the pain med. well it just so happens that he had 2 ruptured disc's, and he was in a lot of pain, 2 week after my son died that doctor relocated, I did nothing.

I couldn't I was in shock and grieving and that didn't even cross my mind until around a year later and by that time I only wanted to get on with my life and not go after the good doctor, I trust my doctors only to a certain degree, because they are human and make mistakes too, so I make it a point of checking out every medication that is prescribed to me, if I think it is wrong I just don't take it and tell him I didn't work.
If you read my last post, I offered to take a blood test and give a hair sample test, I got NO response from him at all, after 16 years of being his patient he did this to me!
I would just like to know why?? and why he wouldn't let me re test!
You think after that long you know someone, well I thought I did, something had to of happened for him to do this other than that test, it just does not make sense!

I only want answers! this failed test goes on my record and if given out, other doctors will be leery to prescribe, and if there scared to prescribe that means I suffer needlessly, they need to send you to a pain clinic at least there they should know what to prescribe at least there suppose to.

I don't know about you but I don't like taking this stuff you get treated differently or maybe I'm just being paranoid but I have noticed that people that know you are on opiads look at you differently.

I'm not a drug addict! yes I am dependent on them but I do not and never have abused them. When my old doctor kicked me to the curb so to speak, I was desperate! and scared!
I did not want to go thru those horrible withdrawals and I am not in a place where I can go in to treatment! They won't treat you any way because you are pain management! They won't even take you at a methadone clinic because your pain management so where the hell are you suppose to go when this happens!

That doctor had me on 90 mgs. of Methadone for gods sake! not to mention hydrocodone & Xanax? I did have 2 refills on the Xanax & Hydrocodone but not the methadone, but that won't stop the withdrawals of methadone.

I can say this for the drug out of most all that I have tried this one doesn't make me loopy It just takes the pain away so I could function better. Another scary thing for me is I live alone and get little to no help from my family, my son lives in another State. I own my house and I need help now maintaining it as I can only do a little at a time. so you see I have all these fears and worries, I also find that the friends that you once had don't come around as much as they use to it must be kinda depressing to see someone that was once active turn into a cripple I guess, little do they know I need them more now then ever did and that's it there afraid they might have to do something for you heaven forbid!
Well thanks for listening I do need to vent once in a while and who would understand more than someone that's in a similar position. take care, PS, What State do you live in? I live in SC.

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Hi Deb,
It sounds as though you are going through a very difficult time. I was very fortunate that my physician knew me well enough to realize that I was taking the medication. It turned out to be a faulty test or a test that will not show methadone.I feel that you will need to find a reputable doctor to handle your pain control. I had to search for a doctor who would not just write a script and send me on my way. I did not want to be over medicated and many of the doctors were too quick to do that. My doctor trys new drugs like anti-depressants that help people with chronic pain to help with the break through pain. Thus far nothing has really worked so I just take the methadone and that is all. Of course I am on an anti-dpressant for depression because as you know chronic pain will lead us to depression. I am very concerned about your emotional state right now. There are days we all feel like giving up, but we can't. Where there is life, there is hope. I pray that they will find something to manage the pain. Are you seeing a therapist to talk about all of the issues associated with your illness?? If not, I pray that you will. I do and it helps me tremendously. It gets me through the difficult times, the times that you are experiencing now. Please talk with someone. If you find the right medical doctor you will at least have one less worry. Did the doctor draw blood to see if the methadone was in your system? How long has he been treating you that he has doubts? Please let me know how you are doing because I am truly concerned. This site is a way of reaching out to others who suffer from chronic pain. It is a place to vent, to share and to support one another. In my lifetime I never thought that I would need this, but it makes a difference as to how I deal with things. I am not a quitter and neither are you. Please hang in and get a new doctor and a therapist. Keep in touch.
Best wishes,
Jo

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Dear Joanne, since I last posted things have changed with the new doctor, when I went for my appointment he slashed my Methadone from 90mg. to 40 mg. other meds remained the same, I don't know why he did this only that he said it was to much, he showed me slowly how to get down to that dose, unfortunately he did not give me enough pills and he was wrong in the amount, Methadone takes a long time to get out of your system un like other opiates.
Need less to say I have been suffering this whole month! I have never been lower than 60mg in 6 yrs. I find out now that he is planning to leave the practice so this might have something to do with it, now what?? Oh god lord I haven't been this depressed in a long time, do these doctors have any idea what they are doing to me or do they only care about the money they get and how to cover there butt!
I still am up set about the other doctor of 16 years he was there when my health went down, he knows everything about me.
I am 56 yrs. old too where do I go now?? some people say I should hire a lawyer because this one doctor has messed up my pain management, he would not even talk to me I offered to take another test blood, hair, urine what ever they wanted, I even had my bottles with me to show I wasn't selling the stuff because that is no doubt what they must have been thinking.
why? why? why? that's all I can think about and because of that test any other doctor will feel leery of prescribing me the necessary meds I need. I did not tell the new doctor of the failed urine test because I was scared that he would not prescribe me my medicine and it is embarrassing!
Well that little white lie has jumped up and bit me, because I think the other doctor told him at least that is what I think, I mean why would he give me all of it the first month and then cut it in less than half??
I just hope to god he refers me to another doctor so I won't have to go through withdrawal, I have been in some withdrawal this month but it is bearable because of the break-thru med norco and the Xanax but I have not been comfortable at all,
I could not even get that office to call me in a medose pac (steroid) luckily my knee doctor did.
I am scared I have been thinking that I don't want to live anymore and that is just not me, I hope to god this doesn't happen to you.
I have done nothing wrong and I don't know what to do to prove my self, I'm stuck! It is not my fault that my body has failed but some how they make you feel guilty about that too!
I have DDD, Spinal Stenosis, Osteo Arthritis & cervical dystonia, I am in pain every day,
both of my knees are down to the bone and need to be replaced, I have a bad foot and can barely walk, without the meds I might as well be dead! Good luck and God Bless. PS, do you think I should hire a lawyer?

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