Methadone and Methadone Treatment

Posted by Tony Bylsma on August 31, 2010 under Drug Education Student's Comments, Effective Drug Detox Rehab | Read the First Comment

Methadone is the generic name for an analgesic and can reduce pain for persons with injuries or following surgeries.

Methadone has pharmacological properties similar to morphine and heroin, including habituation and addiction and is sometimes substituted for heroin, morphine or other opioid drugs during drug addiction treatment.

Used in some addiction treatment centers, methadone can be substituted for heroin, morphine and other opiate drugs due to a cross-tolerance, meaning that the symptoms incident to withdrawal from opiates can be reduced by using methadone.

If increasingly smaller doses are given, the idea is that the addict will be able to endure withdrawal symptoms more easily and be successfully “detoxed” from whatever they were using. All too often, an illegal addiction to opiates is simply replaced with a legal dependency or addiction on methadone.

Methadone Buildup

One problematic aspect of methadone maintenance programs is that methadone stays in the body for up to 60 hours, even though the perceived benefits may be gone in 4 to 6 hours. Levels of the drug in the body can therefore build up over a period of days to toxic levels and the user, trying to maintain the same level of relief might continue to take higher doses, compounding the problem. Such a toxic buildup of methadone in the body can lead to dangerous changes in breathing or heart rate that may cause death.

This can be especially dangerous if certain other medications are taken along with the methadone.

Signs of Methadone Overdose

Overdose of methadone can result from a large dose of the drug, or days of the same or similar doses. Indications include:

* Shallow breathing

* Trouble breathing

* Disorientation

* Confusion or dizziness

* Difficulty walking or talking normally

* Blurred vision

Patients experiencing these symptoms should seek professional help immediately.

The ultimate goal of all drug rehabilitation is not simply a switch from one drug to another but the elimination of dependency on any drug and the regaining of personal strength and abilities sufficient to survive and live a happy and productive life.

An effective and drug-free addiction treatment center does not simply take one drug away, only to replace it with another, at least as addictive drug. Seek treatment in an environment that is totally free of drugs and in which the skills needed to live life without ANY drug are taught.

It is not possible to change the past, but it IS possible to change the future. Good luck.