A flow conduit having at least one orifice is placed in the vicinity of a flow source, which in one non-limiting embodiment may be a hydrocarbon reservoir. The flow pathway between the orifice and the source is temporarily blocked with a degradable barrier. Once the flow pathway is physically placed, the degradable barrier is removed under the influence of an acid, a solvent, time and/or temperature. The flow source and the flow pathways are at least partially covered (and flow blocked by) a temporary coating such as a pseudo-filter cake formed by a viscoelastic surfactant-gelled aqueous drill-in fluid, and the flow conduit is extended to the flow source. The pseudo-filter cake is removed when viscosity is reduced by an internal breaker, and flow is then allowed. The method is useful in one context of recovering hydrocarbons where the flow conduit is a telescoping sleeve or tube that contacts the borehole wall.