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Austin woman credits program for saving her life after addiction to pain pills

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Published  February 28, 2024 4:01pm CST
Austin
FOX 7 Austin

Buprenorphine bridge program by ATCEMS

An Austin woman who said she was addicted to pain pills said an Austin-Travis County EMS program saved her life. She is one of 500 people who have enrolled in the program

AUSTIN, Texas - An Austin woman credits an Austin-Travis County EMS program for saving her life after being addicted to pain pills.

"It began to be 2, then 3, then 4, then 5," Desiree Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said she had been taking 10 to 15 hydrocodone pills a day for years.

"It just got out of control," Rodriguez said.

She said she wanted to stop, and she did, but the withdrawal symptoms hit.

"I ended up getting sick to the point where I ended up in the hospital," Rodriguez said.

Austin-Travis County EMS said the threat of experiencing those withdrawal symptoms is why some don’t want to see treatment, but they said they can help.

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"We’re going to stabilize you on medication," said Mike Sasser, with Austin-Travis County EMS.

Sesser said the medication is called buprenorphine, which prevents withdrawal symptoms. Rodriguez was given buprenorphine.

"The pain that I was feeling throughout my entire body, head to toe, was eased," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez then entered the Buprenorphine Bridge Program through Austin-Travis County EMS.

"The bridge program is designed to find a treatment program, help someone get into that treatment program, and use medication to treat them and stabilize them while they’re waiting to get into the program," Sasser said.

Eventually, Rodriguez started a Medication Assisted Treatment program.

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"Had I not, where would I be? And with the fentanyl going around, you don’t know what you’re touching nowadays," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez is one of 500 people who have enrolled in the Buprenorphine Bridge Program since November 2020.

"It helps people get their life back under control and get a handle on things," Sasser said.

"It’s been life changing," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said she wants more people to know about it.

"Let’s help save lives instead of having to call when it’s too late," Rodriguez said.

Statistics show more than 3,000 people die from overdoses each year in Texas.