Hello, My name is Mary and I just wanted to bring something out in the open about this very dangerous drug called methadone. I buried my only child, James on 09-04-06 from methadone/xanax combination. I knew alot of people was dying as several of my son's friends had died in the last 2 years but i never really knew to what extent this drug was capable of until i buried my child. He was 23. The lady(that is rumored) through a crimainal investigation had sold my son 25 methadone pills the night before he died gets them from a dr and another death has been linked to this same person after my son's death. She is already on intense probation for selling schedule II and III narcotics. Something needs to be done about the easy access of this drug and the diversion of methadone from methadone clinics and from drs. People are dropping like flies and this stuff needs to be taken off the market or at the very least become better regulated. I have included a petition that was started by a lady named Melissa and i ask each of you to stop for a min and take a look at this site. She really done her homework on this and please sign and get everyone else you know to sign. Look at all the deaths from methadone and this is only in the last six months that this petition was started. How many more have to die before something is done. Much love, Mary HI posted here too

Mary Haynes <mjhaynes@ctc.net> wrote:

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http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/472711451
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/526170708
http://www.phpbbplanet.com/methadone...methadonedeath
www.renato-capozzo.memory-of.com

On June 24th 2006 I lost my fiancé (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 fiancé’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 am writing to you 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 want to know if it would be possible to start a class action lawsuit against the makers of methadone. The dosage instructions on the package state a lethal dose and there are no warnings against the deadly interactions of methadone with other medications. Please read some of the stories and research. Almost every day I have another family contact me because their loved on has died. The numbers of deaths of growing daily; please read about it and you will see how bad this is getting. This medication is killing more people then the Iraqi War.

Current statistics show that nearly 4000 people a year die from methadone. These deaths are mostly happening to pain management patients and new patients starting MMT 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 heroine 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

Methadone does kill many many people in the US like your fiance. While some people get it off the streets, some people die from methadone because their doctors give them too much. There is a lawyer in Greensboro NC who has handled many of these cases. It is probably a class action. It has been in the news. Her name is Lile-King. I have a friend who died of too much methadone and she handled the case. ANyone who wants some more information should try to contact her. I am also hearing from people all over the US about this dangerous drug and I want to join together to make change.

Used in conjunction with many other pain medications while she was under her primary care physician working in conjunction with a pain management clinic. She died May 31st. I found her in the morning and tried to bring her back but she had been gone too long.

I have contacted the counsel listed above and am working with her. I have been devestated since we have been toegther for 31 years and I loved her so much it hurts. I feel as her husband that I didn't do my job and should have known better, but in the past when I have raised objections about powerful medications that her doctors were giving her they would terminate her as a patient so I took it in faith that they knew what they were doing.

I have been her sole caregiver (at home) as well as working 40+ hours a week and because she was disabled and on meds she really couldn't leave the house excpt to go to the doctors and sometimes not even then. So I am used to just being at home (I haven't changed a thing since that morning) and had an urge to find out why she died since the M.E.s office still has not come back with a toxicology report and found that the combination of drugs she was taking was deadly.

If I had it all to over again I would do my homework as far as the interactions of the drugs in her "cocktail" that she took some 3 and some 4 times a day.
She used to be on Oxycontin and then Fentenyl but she had bad reactions to those so the doctors told her that methadone was "safe" and prescribed that.

If you would like to see my soulmate here is her obit, she died too young and suddenly.

http://www.legacy.com/sanantonio/Obi...sonID=88587544

I will continue to work with Phyllis Lile-King to try and make things right. Nothing is going to bring my baby back but maybe they can train those doctors not to prescribe hazardous cobinations of drugs.

Fred Dunn

Please see these videos and what actually goes on at clinics http://www.nbc10.com/news/13843471/detail.html and http://video.nbc10.com/player/?id=142152


Methadone is now the #2 Killer Drug in the U.S. This is a legal drug that has been thought to be safe for the past 40 years. Only recently when its use became approved for pain management patients has the cardio toxic risks emerged. Previously methadone has been used exclusively for replacement therapy for heroin patients and death was thought to be an effect of the accumulation of many years of drug abuse. With the surge in pain medication misuse and abuse more patients are being referred to methadone clinics and physicians treating pain who believe the myth that methadone is safer or non addictive because of it’s use with weaning addicts from heroin. Methadone is more addictive then any other pain medication including heroin and because of it’s extremely long half life, cardio toxic risks, numerous fatal drug interactions, dosages based on tolerance, and small margin of error. Up until Nov 2006 the government and pharmaceutical companies have been suppressing the numerous health and fatality risks related to methadone.

there are between 800,000 & 900,000 (some stats give diff numbers) heroin addicts in the U.S and 1,881 people died from heroin in the U.S. in 2004.

there are 200,000 people on methadone for drug treatment and I don't have the number of people on it for pain but even if we double the 200,000 and assume it's 400,000 total people on methadone there were 3,849 deaths in 2004

It looks like the "gold standard" is killing more then the drug its supposed to save people from!!!!

Every day 10.9 people die from Methadone (according to 2004 stats, not
including car accident deaths caused by drivers under the influence of Methadone)


We (the families of methadone victims) are requesting new laws surrounding who can prescribe Methadone, clinic rules and regulations as well as stiffer penalties for those caught selling their take home doses. The whole methadone maintenance system needs an overhauling. We cannot continue to allow a legal medication to be killing more people then the illegal drugs. Our government cannot be allowed to use tax dollars to fund their legal drug dealing operations.

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 weekly for legal and illegal drugs that are taken with methadone to get “ hi gh” or experience “euphoria” such as benzodiazepines, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana etc… and face severe consequences or mandatory detoxification from the methadone program after 3 dirty urines. Selling of take home doses must result in termination from methadone program permanently throughout the U.S. When presenting inebriated at clinic, clinic should also document 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’ wit hi n 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 the methadone. Diversion of methadone is a serious problem because it lands t hi s most deadly drug on streets. Statistics also state that methadone is contributing to more deaths nationwide then heroin and only second to cocaine deaths.

The potential of abuse, diversion, and overdose to new patients being prescribed methadone is overwhelming. The unique properties of methadone, it's long half life, and it's negative interaction with numerous drugs make it an optimal choice as a last result treatment for chronic pain and addiction.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Sincerely

Melissa Zuppardi
www.HARMD.org

Hi, I just lost a friend to methadone and have spent a while learning about this dangerous drug. He took it for two days and was found dead in his bed. i am amazed how much information there is about methadone deaths on the internet. i found harmd which is a good website with helpful infoirmation, as well as medical articles about how methadone kills people. i also out of the blue called mrs. lile-king who called me right back and spent a long time answering my questions. there is probably nothing to do in my case since my friend probably took too many. but he had no idea that methadone would kill him if he took too many. this was not suicide but an accident. i knew nothing about methadone until this, and i think with all the information we know about methadone, it should be communicated to the patients. i do not have toxicology back yet, but we are pretty sure it was methadone. if anyone knows how to hold the doctors responsible criminally, pls reply. frank

I can understand that this is a frustrating situation. It really is up to the prosecuting attorney in your area to make the decision if they should be held criminally responsible.

Hello again. I need to know if anyone can help with info on how I can obtain my son's death investigation records. Cabarrus County Sherriffs Dept is telling me that I cannot get them due to them not being public record. This was my only child and the case has been closed for about 6 months. Ruled accidental Drug overdose so I cannot understand why I cannot get them. I have gotton medical records from detox, even with those laws. Seems to me they are trying to hide something. Especially now that I am filing a complaint against the detective in the case. I do believe he investigated me and what I was doing instead of investigating where my son got the methadone. Anyone, please help. Mary Haynes
www.harmd.org
helping america reduce methadone deaths

This is cabarrus county, nc.

Are you looking to file a lawsuit against someone for this?

No, but there is a class action and mass tort going and i would like to see what i can find out about where/how my son got the methadone (diversion) Just complaint against detective about how he did his job. Thanks, Mary H