Source
r/opiates•
ResistingNut

Pill Count Question

Alright guys! I need some help, I kind of messed up.

So recently I had spinal surgery, after surgery, I was on Percocet and I stopped taking it after the first week. Went back on to my Subutex and had no relapses on dope.

I got back onto my Subutex but was still in a bit of pain so I ended up taking a few extra Subutex here and there- causing me to run out before my next appointment.

I recently moved about 2 hours away about a week ago and drive back into town tomorrow for my appointment. I ended up calling my doctors office asking them to send in a bridge for me until my appointment because “I left my medication at home in my lock box and didn’t have the money to drive back and forth to retrieve it.” They eventually called in more medicine for me but with the stipulation that I bring in my remaining medication to the appointment to show them. Obviously there is no remaining medication to show them.

I kind of fucked myself by telling a lie to get the medication, when I should have just been honest. Now I don’t know what’s going to happen at my appointment. Are they going to cut me off cold turkey? Are they going to give me another chance? Should I just come clean and tell them the truth? I know my conscious is saying to come clean, have the integrity I should have had at the beginning and tell the truth, then there is the addict side of me that says to continue with the lie and say I didn’t have time To go home before my appointment to grab my medicine and potentially prolong this whole thing...

I have been pretty good on MAT and only relapsed once. Been clean ever since. I don’t want to come off nor do I want to risk it. So if anyone can offer me some insight or just some words of wisdom or whatever- I’d really appreciate it. I feel like they won’t cut me off but instead refill my medication and then have me come back for counts or whatever.

Tl;dr- had major spinal surgery put on narcotics, stopped taking them got back on subutex, ran out early because I was taking extra for residual pain, lied to doctor about leaving medicine at home in different city during moving process to have more sent in until my appointment, won’t have pills for the count they are requesting tomorrow.

Posted Jul 16, 2019, 10:00 PM UTC

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O-Hieght-o710•

I'm assuming in the states.. if so your lucky as F they called in a bridge prescription on anything controlled.. best way is to be honest .. literally how you said it here from the surgery and why..

Try not to best yourself up over if they drop you, because it most likely could happen because drs. Are being watched hard.

When I was attending mine in PA a different doc and program got hit hard for subutex and wrongful prescriptions etc..

But atlas you can sure enough find another dub clinic and enter as such.

1
[deleted]•

Yea I’m in the states.

I think you’re right. I’ll just be honest. If they drop Me they drop me. Doctors are definitely being watched harder now. I used to get suboxone from this same doctor and he never would drug test me and would give me paper prescriptions for 3 months of medication at a time because I was in college 6 hours away. It’s not like that any more.

I think I’ll just go with telling the truth, I’ll just have to hold my tail between my legs and tell them I was majorly in the wrong. It could definitely get me terminated. I don’t think he would drop me as a patient without any medication though. I feel like that would Be horrible for me and would definitely put me in a horrible position and at risk for using.

1
TATP1982•

Do they actually know what the pills look like? Can you find something similar?

1
[deleted]•

They probably know and if they don’t know- it’s just a simple computer search

1
TATP1982•

This is true...you do not know anyone who would be willing to "loan" you the pills for the count? How many do you need?

1
[deleted]•

No unfortunately I don’t man. Not many people get Subutex these days and I don’t associate with any old Using friends. I needed about 16 pills for the count.

1
these_days_bot•

Especially these days

1
TATP1982•

I am on subutex and totally understand that. I do not have friends who use or who are on subs either. Perhaps you could try to convince them that during the move, they got misplaced. You assumed they were in the lock box but weren't and you have no idea where they are at. People put shit in weird places when they move. Stuff gets lost.. perhaps a friend or someone was helping you move and found them? Took them?

1
mysetofstars•

I would just be honest about it. The doctors are not stupid, they will assume that the "I didn't have time" is most likely a lie. Might as well address it and show that you DO in fact have integrity, you feel bad about lying and are committed to getting better. Lying typically goes hand in hand with being an addict and even being newer in recovery. I'm sure you aren't the first nor will you be the last to do this.

Basically what I am trying to say is that I think if you come clean about it, the doctors will be more willing to help you and keep you on track than to dump you. As opposed to continuing the lie, which will eventually be uncovered anyway, I would think they would be more apt to drop you.

1
[deleted]•

Thanks mate. I agree. I will do that. It’s the right thing to do. Subutex has given me life back and I don’t want to go back what so ever. I think they will definitely be more apt to work with me if I come clean and honest with them. I don’t want to have to keep lying too, it’s too much work and im ashamed I did it in the first place

2
mysetofstars•

I can completely relate to this! Been in a similar situation (basically doing a MAT through a family member who is prescribed methadone) and the lie caused me to relapse because I was so ashamed and guilty feeling.

Best of luck to you friend! Just the fact you recognized what you did was wrong and you want to fix it shows recovery in my opinion.

1
[deleted]•

Thanks mate! I appreciate it!

1
PharmaBen•

Go in with 2 pills, if they even want to see them well theres some. so you needed them whats the problem

1
[deleted]•

Just in case anyone wanted to know:

Told the truth and came clean to the doctor. Didn’t get dropped as a patient. In fact she applauded me on the honesty and willingness to come clean. In fact, she had no idea that she was supposed to do a pill count (Saw my regular nurse practitioner- not the doc who wanted to count my pills). She would have found out and I would have been in more trouble than I started.

I explained how I was still in some pain from my surgery so she increased my dosage and I was all set.

Moral of this experience- Communicate... Tell the truth from the beginning because it eventually will come Back to bite you in the ass. Hindsight is always 20/20

1