More residents seeking methadone treatment

FORT FRANCES—The number of area residents taking methadone to curb their addiction to opioids has taken a dramatic leap over the past year.
In 2007, the area had six patients taking methadone. The total this year is at least 50—and perhaps as many as 60.

“There have definitely been more people accessing the programs,” said Jeff Tilbury of Riverside Community Counselling Services here.
“I think the message is getting out there that methadone is a viable treatment option for people [with opioid addictions],” he added.
Tilbury said when someone finally realizes that enough is enough, they just don’t have the means to quit. They try to quit on their own using different methods but in the end, sometimes it comes down to methadone being the last option.
Pharmasave pharmacist Craig Armstong described methadone as “a replacement to the narcotic that they are currently taking.”
“It is a legal long-term substitute for the opioid that they are currently addicted to for the purpose of reducing substance abuse and reducing the high-risk activities that come with it,” he explained.
“My understanding is that methadone prevents a craving. It takes the place of the other opioid,” echoed Tilbury. “Methadone is an opioid, as well, but when people use it, it doesn’t create the euphoria or the high.
“It allows the person to not feel sick or not feel the craving for the drug.
“Also, it’s a longer-lasting drug in the body, lasting anywhere from 24-36 hours depending on the dose people are on,” he added. “That’s why they only need to take it once a day.
“It’s called maintenance therapy.”
Tilbury said those who are taking methadone as a means to end their addiction can remain on this “maintenance therapy” for a short period of time or for a lifetime—it all depends on the person.
Methadone is a drug these fragile people tend to depend on. In fact, critics contend that methadone is just a legalized form of drug addiction.
Even Tilbury conceded he’s heard people say, “I’m just replacing one addiction with another.” But he argues this is just a misunderstanding of what methadone really is and what it does.
“I wouldn’t call it an addictive quality,” he remarked. “It’s maintenance. It’s a therapeutic drug in that it maintains people in a different way than their drug of choice did.
“They do become dependent on it but they are not addicted,” he stressed.
Tilbury described addiction as being a behavioural problem. When someone is addicted, it’s not so much the use of the drug that’s the problem as is the behaviour that goes along with it.
From the stealing to needle sharing, and the obsession that comes while moving from one high to the next, these are the real problems in addiction.
Methadone, Tilbury insisted, is effective in that it removes those high-risk and dangerous behaviours from the dependency.
“Methadone reduces their addictive behaviour in the sense that they are not drug-seeking, they’re not having to steal, and they are able to maintain themselves for a longer period of time between doses, so that they can actually get their life back on track and in order.”
He admitted dependency on the maintenance drug is possible—and often probable. Often, when it comes time for someone to be weaned off of methadone, they can experience some of the typical symptoms of withdrawal.
But Tilbury assured that, generally, it is not nearly as hard coming off of it than it is coming off of drugs like oxycontin or morphine.
Still, it is this withdrawal period that often acts as a deterrent. Between the possible withdrawal symptoms and the costs that come with going through the program, addicts seem to not want to deal with methadone.
The cost of the drug, including dispensing fees, typically is $7 or $8 a day, though Armstrong noted these fees often are covered by those on social assistance or who hold other health care or benefits packages.
However, even if the person doesn’t need to pay for their daily dose, they still have to travel to Kenora or Dryden one-four times a month for check-ups and it is this cost of travelling that often keeps addicts from reaching for the methadone in their time of need.
Locally, there are no doctors who are able to prescribe methadone, leaving Kenora or Dryden as the only available options for addicts here.
For a patient to be prescribed methadone initially requires them to be monitored by a physician once a week. Eventually, that monitoring frequency drops to once a month—but even that still can be a burden for some, especially considering the high cost of gas these days.
On top of that, Tilbury noted some people are unable to find transportation to Kenora or Dryden that often, regardless if they have money or not.
He predicted many more patients would be involved in the methadone program if it were more readily accessible locally.
With the rising number of people seeking the program, there may be a need one day to get a doctor here who can prescribe the treatment. However, there’s no indication of a move in that direction at this time.
(Fort Frances Times)