I am writing on behalf of the victims and those yet to be victims of
methadone. I have come together with many other families throughout
the United States who have lost loved ones to methadone.
We are asking government agencies to enact stricter guidelines in
prescribing methadone for any reason. It must be mandatory that all
doctors be certified and trained in the pharmacology of methadone;
inpatient stays must be required during induction to methadone; all
staff be extensively trained in monitoring methadone patients for
symptoms of toxicity. Clinic patients should be tested for legal and
illegal drugs that are taken with methadone to get "high" of
experience "euphoria" such as benzodiazepines, alcohol, cocaine,
heroin ect... and face severe consequences / mandatory detoxification
from methadone program when presenting inebriated at clinic, clinic
should also do***ent such activity as well as prevent client from
driving. Take home doses for all patients receiving methadone should
be eliminated thus preventing the risk of diversion or precautions
such as pill safe should be implemented. http://www.thepillsafe.com/
Current statistics show that nearly 4000 people a year die from
methadone. These deaths are mostly happening to pain management and
detoxification patients within the first 10 days of taking initial
dose. Most of these deaths are related to methadone prescribed with
other medications that react as additives with methadone. Diversion of
methadone is a serious problem because it lands this most deadly drug
on streets. Statistics also state that methadone is contributing to
more deaths nationwide then heroin and cocaine.
The other families and I have created a petition that will be
forwarded to the FDA to implore them to Stop Methadone Deaths. Please
see the petition and you can read the numerous stories of lives this
drug has taken. I have also compiled a research paper with all
relevant statistics and information that you will find on the petition
site. Below I have recount "my story" about how methadone forever
changed me.
Sincerely,
Melissa Zuppardi
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/472711451
http://www.actionstudio.org/public/page_view_all.cfm?option=3Dbegin&pageid=
=3D7555&tmode=3D0
On June 24th 2006 I lost my fianc=E9 (Ron) to this deadly drug
prescribed by a physician with a combination of other medications that
acted as additives to the Methadone. He had knee surgery and became
addicted to the percocet he was prescribed. He checked himself into
Greenleaf in Valdosta, GA for detoxification. Upon entering the
facility he was drug tested and did not come up positive for opiates
(he had stopped taking the percocet 4 days before entering the
facility). On the fourth day in detox he died sometime between 2am and
1pm in the afternoon (he was never checked on in all of those hours).
The night before he died he was complaining of migraines and vomiting,
apparently the staff thought he was still experiencing withdrawals and
was not concerned about these symptoms. The symptoms of methadone
toxicity mimic withdrawal symptoms physicians and staff must be very
cognizant of the complex properties and metabolization of methadone.
There were many errors made in my fianc=E9's death including the fact
that he was given numerous amounts of additive medications such as
benzodiazepines. He had only been taking percocet for about 4 months
and according to the DSM IV he wouldn't be an appropriate candidate
methadone maintenance treatment.
It doesn't matter specific reasons for taking methadone but what does
matter is that this medication is deadly and physicians need to more
prudent in prescribing it as well as monitoring their patients while
beginning treatment of any kind using Methadone. I'm not sure if Ron
was given methadone for the sole purpose for detoxification from
opiates or if it was a combination of pain relief associated with
numerous surgeries and opiate addiction. Methadone is difficult to
properly dose no matter what reason it's being used for and primarily
relies on the patient's indications of how they feel (assumedly they
are being monitored). There are ways to make the administration of
methadone safer, it's just a matter of putting the focus on this drug
and the deadly consequences when administered incorrectly or not
monitored.
Many people are dying unnecessarily at the hands of the physicians
they turn to for help. Methadone deaths are rising throughout the
country. Ron was 32 years old and has 2 children from a previous
marriage that now do not have a father.
I'm also providing you a link to a website I created in his memory to
give a more human touch to this email.
http://renato-capozzo.memory-of.com/
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