Methadone Addiction

Drugs are made to provide the human body health benefits. Medical professional prescribe drugs to make their patients feel better. However, these drugs may not be that angelic all the time. These drugs may, for example, help an addict in the detoxification and withdrawal process but these may also in turn become another substance of abuse in the long run. These substances should be prescribed with close and careful guidance by the physician.

Methadone is a synthetic opioid used as an analgesic to treat patients suffering in severe pain and a maintenance anti-addictive. It is a severely well-tested medication that is protected and efficacious for the treatment of narcotic withdrawal and dependence. Heroin gives off an excess of dopamine in the body and causes users to need an opiate continuously occupying the opioid receptor in the brain. Methadone occupies this receptor and is the stabilizing factor that makes addicts on methadone to change their behavior and to discontinue heroin use. Methadone holds back narcotic withdrawal for about 24 to 36 hours. However, it is only effective in cases of addiction to heroin, morphine, and other opioid drugs. Methadone stops the high from heroin but it does not provide the euphoric rush.

Through the test of time, methadone has been successful in reducing crime, death, disease, and drug use. For one, methadone is recognized to be the most efficient cure for heroin dependency. It also prevents HIV/AIDS. It may be trivial, but methadone maintenance treatment reduces the occurrence of injecting and needle sharing. Moreover, methadone treatment reduces unlawful behavior and almost eliminates heroin use.

Then like any other opioid drugs, extended exploiting of methadone and without proper guidance could possibly lead to tolerance and eventually cause drug dependency. When taken under medical prescription and under a physician’s care, research suggest that long-term methadone maintenance treatment use is medically safe.

The onset of methadone treatment programs is known to be fatal because they are usually a cause of excessive doses (i.e. erroneously estimated tolerance) and they are affected by concomitant diseases (hepatitis, pneumonia). Methadone generally entails the complete spectrum of opioid side effectswhich includes the development of tolerance and physical and psychological dependence. Respiratory depressions are dangerous. The released histamines can cause bronchospasms.

The addiction to the substance methadone happens when the body tolerates the substance thus, asking for higher dosage in the long run. And, once the practice is discontinued, withdrawal can happen. The physical changes brought by the drug are the same to other opiates; suppressed cough reflex, contracted pupils, drowsiness and constipation. Some methadone users feel sick when they first use the drug. If you are a woman using methadone you may not have regular periods – but you are still able to conceive. Methadone is a long-acting opioid; it has an effect for up to 36 hours and can remain in your body for several days.

According to an article by two doctors addressing the question, “is methadone more likely to kill you than heroin?”, stated that methadone is not an innocent substance. One’s methadone maintenance is another’s poison. Essentially, it depends mainly on the tolerance of the person. A tolerant person could take in methadone without feeling any ill effects, but not a non-tolerant person. For precaution it is wise to begin with low dosage and gradually increasing it, if the necessity to use methadone really arise. Also, it was stated in the article that methadone has been used illegally in the streets as a substitute for heroin. Thus, causing more death than heroin.

Methadone is a drug used to counterpart substance addiction yet tolerance may occur leading to addiction. That’s the danger of this drug. You think it’s safe but you suddenly becoming dependent to it.