METHADONE STABILIZES THE LIVES OF ADDICTS

Lindsay Clinic Taking Over Where Doctors Stopped

If we have a pain, we take a pill. If it still hurts, we take some
more.

But what if you couldn't stop the pain? Or popping the
pills?

For thousands of Canadians, chronic pain, and subsequent addiction to
pain medications is a reality.

And about 100 of these people are coping with their pain and addiction
at the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres' Lindsay office.

The clinic, which is mandated by the College of Physicians and
Surgeons, treats patients with methadone, a long-lasting synthetic
narcotic medication. Methadone was developed in Germany during the
Second World War for relief of pain. During treatment, methadone helps
stabilize the lives of drug-dependent narcotic users, and reduce risks
associated with illegal drug use.

Deb Weekes is a support staff worker at the Lindsay clinic. By trade
she is a pharmacy technician. Ms Weeks used to work at a pharmacy that
dispensed methadone. At one time she took patients, on her own time
and expense, to the methadone clinic in York Region.

"Methadone at its maintenance levels does not give any euphoria," says
Ms Weekes. Patients can drive and carry on with regular activities
without the "fuzzy-headedness" associated with narcotics. "That's the
beauty of methadone."

So why do people go to the clinic?

They go because they are addicts who want to come clean of narcotics,
or because they are in chronic pain and use methadone as their pain
analgesic.

For addicts, methadone gets them off illicit drugs without symptoms of
physical withdrawal, including achiness, sweating, diarrhea, vomiting,
stomach cramping and drug cravings. Withdrawal lasts from two days to
two weeks. "It's like a really bad case of the flu," says Ms Weekes.

Patients must sign contracts with OATC agreeing to the terms of
treatment. The methadone program includes a medical examination,
laboratory tests, on-going supervised urine screenings (which show
whether illicit drugs are being used and/or whether the methadone is
being taken appropriately), therapy and access to specialists.

Group sessions once had two or three participants. That number has
grown to 12 or 13, says addictions counsellor Melissa House. It's good
for patients to see they're not alone, she says. Patients also hone
communication and anger management skills.

One of the physicians working at the clinic, Dr. Alan Konyer, says he,
along with other professionals in the area, is surprised by the need
in Lindsay. If 15 per cent or less of addicted people are using the
clinic, there is a greater need for the program than many people can
appreciate.

"Success is not determined by being off methadone, but by getting off
opiates and getting some form of their life back," Ms Weekes says.

The length of the program varies from patient to patient, although
most are involved for one to two years.

Dr. Konyer has found his work in addiction medicine very fulfilling.
He has witnessed "incredible turnaround...it's great to see and it's
great to be a part of it."

A prescription and street drug user for "quite a few years", Mr. Y*
bears the burden of his drug use. He has arthritis, Hepatitis C and is
blind in one eye. He's been attending the methadone clinic for four
months.

"It's done me a lot of good, a world of good," he says.

The 49-year-old says since going on methadone, he has not sought out
street drugs. "I'm getting what you'd call normal," he says. "It's
helping me. Why ruin it? It keeps me on a positive track. If it works,
I don't want to jeopardize it."

His friends and family notice the change in him. In the past Mr. Y
says his pain caused him to remain alone and not socialize. "People
tell me I'm getting better - my attitude - and I'm in a better mood."

The Lindsay resident enjoys the group therapy and is happy to discuss
his problems. He talking now, not hiding.

Ms Weekes says, as fewer doctors prescribe narcotics for pain, the
clinic is seeing more patients for pain management.

Dr. Gordon Lindsay operates the pain clinic at Ross Memorial Hospital.
However, This Week was unable to speak to Dr. Lindsay regarding his
current ability to write prescriptions for narcotics to relieve pain.

Neither Brian Payne, Ross chief operating officer nor Jill Hefley, a
spokesperson for the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons said
Dr. Lindsay's prescription-writing privileges have been restricted,
but two Lindsay pharmacists told This Week they would not fill
prescriptions for pain relief written by Dr. Lindsay after Dec. 1,
2003.

One of the pharmacists said, "No, Dec. 1 he gave up his license for
narcotics."

Dr. Lindsay did not return phone calls to This Week.

Mr. Z*, one of Dr. Lindsay's patients, was being prescribed oxycocet
and oxycontin for pain relief. He was unable to get prescriptions
during his December appointment with Dr. Lindsay. When abused, the
drugs are known as Hillbilly Heroin. On the street, the pills are
worth $5 to $10 each.

"If I were taking these recreationally, I could probably find them,"
said Mr. Z. "I'm not a drug addict. I'm in pain."

He was advised that he could attend the OATC, but declined. "It's not
an option, in my opinion," he said.

Ms Weekes suggested the clinic has been "stigmatized" to a certain
degree. She believes the public has a preconceived notion about the
clinic being full of drug addicts.

Many drug users have drug-seeking behaviors, says Ms Weekes They
prostitute themselves, break and enter, steal or sell off family
possessions, all in the pursuit of their next hit.

Once they make the decision to get off drugs and use methadone,
because they no longer have cravings, the behaviors stop. They come
here "bored out of their minds," says Ms Weekes. Many patients are
upgrading job skills and taking classes. Nobody can be made to go to
the clinic. It's strictly voluntary. "Unless you work with the
program, it won't work for you," says Ms Weekes.

Not all patients, however, meet the public's perception of what a drug
addict is. "People you would never expect" use the clinic, she says,
people from all walks of life. "Taking copious amounts of Tylenol 1,
that's drug abuse," she says. Many don't consider it addiction because
they bought it at the pharmacy.

That's the case with Mr. W*. He is a soft-spoken, retired man of 69
years. He has attended the methadone clinic for a year because he's an
addict and he's in pain. He's been addicted to pain medication since
1975. He has been to rehab three times.

"I have a genetic code that makes me addicted he says. "It could be
alcohol, it could be gambling." Mr. W was clean for a few years, and
had a knee scope done is 1994. "I was in unbelievable pain," he said.
I went back on the Percocet again and I got hooked."

Hooked to the tune of 20 or 30 pills a day. All prescribed.

"I never bought anything off the street," he says. "I never thought I
was addicted because a doctor gave them. I never did anything illegal.
I thought it was alright."

Mr. W, who has attended many counselling sessions, recalls one session
with a doctor who was an alcoholic. The doctor told the group having
an addiction was like having cancer - an incurable disease. Except,
says Mr. W, when you have cancer, people are sympathetic.

And even those in the medical profession are benefiting from the
methadone clinic.

Ms Z* is a Registered Nurse. "I'm going for pain control for a
syndrome that I have. I've been going a week and I feel as if I have
my life back...I'm doing things I haven't done in a dozen years," she
says.

Apprehensive about going to the clinic, Ms Z says, "I was scared.
These people that kind of, you know, they're in recovery and boy, they
really need the help. But I too needed the help because I was ready to
just give it up because I was just existing, not living."

She says her family is supportive of her attending the clinic,
although they are not talking about it publicly. She doesn't want
people to know when she will have methadone at home.

"As an RN I was very ignorant of the help that this clinic could
give," says Ms Z. "The kids were kind of shocked," she says of the
change since attending the methadone clinic. "I was totally amazed."

OATC is a private clinic. OHIP is billed for the doctor's visits.
Patients pay themselves or some private insurance plans cover costs.

Taxpayers, says Ms Weekes, are not paying for the clinic.

She says she has heard a lot of very sad stories from the people she
helps every day. They are working very hard to quit, she says, "and I
respect them for that."

A very caring and compassionate women, Ms Weekes says while the
stories tug at her, she will not cross the boundaries of
professionalism. "I can't be their friend," she says, "but I can care."

* Patient's names have been changed to protect their identities.