Pubdate: Thu, 08 Jul 2004 Source: Brownsville Herald, The (TX) Copyright: 2004 The Brownsville Herald Contact: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1402 Author: J. Noel Espinoza Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) CLINIC OFFERS DRUG ADDICTS PATH TO RECOVERY LOS FRESNOS, July 8, 2004 -- Last year, the opening of a Los Fresnos methadone clinic for opiate addicts stunned the community. Leticia Garza, a 42-year-old surgical technician and director of the clinic, said many prominent citizens expressed discontent when she announced the Santa Cecilia Community Health Services clinic would treat opiate addiction, which most people relate to heroin abuse. "It's a stigma," said Garza about drug treatment in a small town. "Before I opened the clinic, I had nothing but negative (comments) from the city mayor, the pastor next door, the citizens of Los Fresnos and from the Police Department. I said, 'Sir, it could be your son, my son, your daughter, or my daughter.'" Garza said Santa Cecilia is the nearest clinic to Brownsville that uses methadone to treat the addiction. It's a synthetic drug developed in Germany during World War II and has been used to help heroin addicts in the United States since the late 1960s. Garza said the Los Fresnos location is safer than Brownsville, where she fears illegal drug abusers would likely try to break into the clinic. "After some research, I saw too many patients with heroin addiction in the area," Garza said about her decision to open a clinic near Brownsville and Harlingen. With the assistance of Carlos Rosas, a local doctor, and two counselors, Garza said the clinic has helped about 60 patients. Garza said the only other Rio Grande Valley clinic that uses methadone for heroin addiction treatment is in Edinburg. Methadone is also used to treat patients who use other types of drugs that contain opiates such as hydrocodone, vicadin, morphine, darvon, codeine and oxycodone. "The big one right now is oxycodone," said Don Shatfield, a licensed chemical dependency counselor at Santa Cecilia. "It used to be prescribed only for severe pain in a short term. Now doctors are giving it out for many different things." According to Garza, some of the withdrawal symptoms patients experience when they don't have methadone includes severe muscle and bone pain, emotional distress, restlessness, diarrhea, vomiting, insomnia and full body shakes. Shatfield said some patients might need to be on methadone the rest of their lives. He said some clinics that treat heroin addiction oppose methadone as a treatment, but he believes it's a social responsibility to try everything. Although the clinic is a for-profit business, Garza said it makes referrals to the Edinburg clinic, which accepts patients who are unable to afford treatment at Santa Cecilia. Garza said Santa Cecilia is approved by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the Texas Department of Health. Garza said the clinic has two programs to treat heroin addiction: short-term detoxification and a long-term detoxification. "All the patients that come through our doors do so voluntarily," Garza said. "We don't go out and make these people come here." The short-term program takes 21 days for moderate opiate users. The program uses a "step-down" method designed to safely and humanely treat the addiction. The method involves a gradual reduction in opiate consumption until the patient is drug free. The long-term program takes up to 180 days and is best suited for addicts with an extensive opiate dependence history. "The advantage with the methadone clinic is that we prevent them from shooting up, sharing needles, or contracting HIV, hepatitis or any other infections," Garza said. Despite safety issues, Garza said they plan to open a clinic within the next few months in downtown Brownsville. Garza is applying for state grants so the Brownsville clinic can be available to all people, regardless of affordability. "It will benefit many families in Brownsville," Garza said. [sidebar] MORE INFORMATION The clinic is located at 220 E. Ocean Blvd. Costs: $200 methadone maintenance; $150 for 21-day detoxification program. For more information, call (956) 233-4900. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake