Methadone treatment clinic offers less pain in overcoming addiction

CEDAR RAPIDS - 'Andy” couldn't hide the pain or fear in his eyes as he leaned up in his chair, saying addiction is a 'hell, you can't imagine.”

'Fear of death is nothing. It's the fear of addiction and withdrawal,” he said as his voice goes hoarse.

Andy, 43, was addicted to pain pills. His 'preference” was Vicodin and oxycodone. He took 20 to 30 Vicodin a day and couldn't function without it. OxyContin was a last resort because it was expensive, he pointed out.

'Vicodin and Oxy are the devil - horrible to come off of,” Andy squints his eyes as if he hurts.

His addiction started with legally prescribed pain pills after a few surgeries and serious injuries. 'The pills are so deceptive - they're doctor prescribed … it's just legal heroin.”

Andy admitted he started self-medicating in 2010 because it eased stress and anxiety. He didn't go into all the issues, which he still is trying to figure out, but in a short time he started taking the pills for the numb or high.

The prescription drugs ran out but getting them other ways isn't difficult, Andy said.

'When you go looking for trouble - you find it. I got it from mostly acquaintances.”

At some point, he tried to stop but the pain of withdrawal was too much for him. He started doing some research on the Internet for treatment options, and one late night last year, Andy saw a news story on the Cedar Rapids Treatment Center that had just opened in May 2014.

He decided to give it a try because the center is a comprehensive medication assisted program and it was outpatient treatment.

'It allows you to go through withdrawal with much less pain and fear. I could also continue my life.”

Jackie Scott, clinical director of the center at 5005 Bowling St. SW, said Andy is seven months into treatment and hasn't had any relapses. The center, under highly regulated federal standards, uses Methadone and Subutex to treat opiate addiction. Opiates are include heroin and pain medicine such as codeine, hydrocodone and Vicodin.

The center opened after a market study of the area, Scott said. There was a big need for a treatment center after heroin made a comeback in Iowa and across the nation a few years ago. The heroin overdoses have increased in the last five years. Scott said according to the DEA there were 30 overdoses from January to February.

The center has treated over 240 patients in the first year and currently has 160 patients, Scott said. About one-fourth of the patients were heroin users and about three-fourths were addicted to pain meds but about one-fourth of those switched to heroin when pain meds became too expensive.

Scott said withdrawal from opiates is painful. The opiates release dopamine, a chemical that makes an individual feel good. Dopamine is released naturally in the body through exercise, sex or eating, and the body regulates it to provide balance to avoid feeling too good or too bad.

A high dose of opiate drugs produce a higher release of dopamine and creates a euphoria, much more than what is naturally produced, Scott said. Over time, a person builds up a tolerance to the drugs and need more and more to get that higher dopamine level.

The Methadone and Subutex reduces the withdrawal symptoms and the patients go through a slower detox and this treatment has about an 80 percent success rate, Scott said.

'It gives the body time to heal,” Scott said.

The patients come in daily to receive a dosage appropriate for their treatment. The clinic has safeguards surveillance throughout the building and the medication is monitored and locked in lab safe.

Scott said what's unique about this clinic is that it's the only comprehensive center in the area to provide counseling and support services, along with the detoxification and recovery process.

Eric Burton, clinical supervisor and counselor, said in counseling they try to determine what led to the drug abuse, identify 'triggers” and hereditary or environmental concerns, such as substance abuse in the family and their home life. The patients have one-on-one counseling and participate in various group sessions that include education, life management skills and anger management.

The center started out with one counselor and added another in the first year, and will hire another in the next few weeks, Scott said.

The average length of stay for patients is 14 months but it's independent on the patient, Scott said. Patients also can have aftercare and counseling once they complete their treatment plan or goals.

Scott said some of their referrals come from doctors, word-of-mouth and from emergency rooms as a result of heroin overdoses. According to the DEA the overdoses in the last few months have resulted from heroin laced with fentanyl. Scott said the fentanyl can be deadly and most of the users are unaware.

In recent heroin cases in federal court, area task force agents have testified that the heroin coming into Eastern Iowa has been a purer form, which means it is more potent and more deadly.

Anybody wanting more information on the Cedar Rapids Treatment Center can call (319) 531-3824.