Methadone has Analgesic and sedative effects, ie, it slows down the functions and processes of the body, as well as when taking heroin, but methadone’s effect is much stronger and the drug euphoria itself is much weaker. There is also a myth that methadone was developed on the orders of Adolf Hitler (the original name of the drug was Dolphin), although to date, accurate evidence that Hitler was involved with Methadone’s creation is not verified. Later, in the 60′s, methadone began to be used as a method of “drug addiction treatment”. The idea was developed by American scientists and lay in the fact that a person dependent on heroin could use methadone as a safer replacement. Because Methadone is legal when prescribed by a doctor, the idea is that it would reduce the level of harm and crimes motivated by drug addiction and the illegal drug trade.

The effects of  methadone in a person’s body lasts around a day or 2 and regular dosing is required to prevent withdrawal. Withdrawal and abstinence from Methadone can take as long as 10-15 days and is an addiction in itself that should be taken very seriously. Full recovery from heroin addiction does not take as long as Methadone, lasting up to a week. But when a person is ready to stop taking Methadone, a person can safely stop this drug if the dose is tapered down very slowly and with the help of a health care provider. Withdrawal effects can be minimal this way. Some people continue to use a very small dose of Methadone for many years as “maintenance therapy”.

Methadone is still a very controversial drug and it can be very dangerous. Some users continue to use both Methadone and Heroin at the same time. Methadone also has “street value”, which means sometimes people sell their dose on the street. This creates the danger of Methadone getting into the hands of the wrong people. Overdose is very possible with Methadone. Some people view Methadone as just another addiction, replacing the addiction of Heroin. Thus, many countries started to abandon the use of methadone. Currently in the United States, methadone is a Schedule II narcotic drugs, ie methadone is strictly for medical purposes as prescribed. Storage and use is prohibited without a doctor’s prescription. Many people on the Methadone treatment program are expected to go to the pharmacy every day and get their dose witnessed. In Russia, methadone is banned – Schedule I drugs. Also on the territory of Russia prohibited the holding of any kind was “metodonovyh program” – it is not legal.

What is methadone, well there are some facts about it, but there are also divergent opinions on whether it is a useful drug for addiction therapy, on whether it is a form of “harm reduction”, or whether it is simply another dangerous drug replacing another dangerous drug. What do you think? This site will continue to explore this controversy.

What is methadone?

Methadone is a pain reliever drug also used an aid for heroin addiction recovery and maintenance therapy program.  Methadone primarily works like other derivatives of opium by stimulating the endorphin receptors of the human brain. Pain in the human body is inhibited by endorphins. For example if a person falls and hurts his hand, the pain that arises is counterbalanced by producing more endorphins. Methadone is a drug which artificialy stimulates these endorphin receptors and therefore, it acts as a pain reliever.

What is methadone tolerance?

Tolerance is defined as a state where more amounts of a drug is needed to get the same effect as the original dose. As a part of an effective anti-heroin drug addiction program, patients have to take increasingly larger doses of methadone to avoid the painful withdrawal symptoms. Usually patients will increase their dose of Methadone, with a doctor’s help, until  they no longer feel withdrawal symptoms from Heroin. When the doctor increases the dosage of methadone it may cause irregular heartbeat, dizziness, confusion, difficulty breathing, etc… Hence your doctor may give you a low dose at first, and after monitoring your health and response, she may increase the dose of methadone gradually to the point of relief of withdrawal symptoms and cravings for Heroin. Finding the right dose to maintain is very important, as again, this can battle both withdrawal symptoms and cravings. If the Methadone dose is not high enough, addicted people may still seek to take Heroin, therefore, making Methadone treatment ineffective.

What is methadone detox?

Like Heroin, Methadone is also an addictive drug that requires careful and safe planning in order to stop using it. Methadone detox can be very painful and its duration is the longest when compared to other opioid detox. This methadone detox pain will be more if the patient is too dehydrated or if the patient has deficiencies in either vitamins or minerals. A person needs to pay attention to their overall healthcare during this time, such as by getting good rest and nutrition.
Since the amount and the duration of pain is more, methadone detox should be strictly followed under medical supervision. It is this severe withdrawal pain, when stopped too abruptly or without the help of a health care provider, that can cause people to seek out Heroin again in order to cope with this pain. A Methadone addiction treatment strategy that is planned for and that follows a gradual reduction in dosing, can effectively cause the person to feel very few of the effects of withdrawal.  Even though methadone detox is painful, methadone is a popular and effective method for drug addiction recovery. Many people have used Methadone successfully and it has helped them to eliminate Heroin in their lives, leading to a much more safe and peaceful life. This site will continue to look at these issues in more detail.

Methadone has a cross-tolerance with other opioids, including heroin and morphine. Oral doses of methadone can stabilize patients with opioid dependence and reduce the withdrawal symptoms. Higher doses of methadone can block the effects of euphoria in the use of heroin, morphine and similar drugs. As a result, the correct dosage helps to reduce or eliminate the use of these substances.

Methadone is not intended for treatment of cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol or nicotine dependence. Methadone would have no treatment effect on these drugs, as they are not opiates.

The results of early large-scale studies have shown that methadone could effectively interrupt illicit opioid use and reduce the associated costs to society. These findings were confirmed in later studies and supported by current knowledge of psychological, social and pharmacological mechanisms of illicit opium addiction. As a result, many countries in the world use Methadone as a harm reduction treatment.

What are the dangers of methadone tolerance and dependence?

As with the use of other opioids, tolerance and dependence usually develops with repeated doses. There is some clinical evidence that the tolerance that develops to methadone is much weaker than other opioids. However, a person who takes Methadone has to be very careful to take their dose as prescribed. Missing a few doses will result in a decrease in tolerance and therefore, taking the same high-tolerance dose could result in dangerous effects. If a person with little or no tolerance, or even reduced tolerance, takes Methadone, overdose is likely and death can even occur.  A person experiencing the painful effects of withdrawal has to be very careful to consider their level of tolerance before taking a dose that may be more than their body can handle.

Symptoms of Methadone Withdrawal

The physical symptoms of methadone withdrawal can include dizziness, runny nose, sneezing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe itching, fever, sweating, chills, tremor, akathisia, tachycardia, pain in the joints and bones, increased pain sensitivity, high blood pressure, the slowing down of breathing, etc…

Psychological and cognitive symptoms of methadone withdrawal can include: suicidal thoughts, depression, insomnia and long, delusions, auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, increased sense of smell, a significant decrease in sex drive, anxiety, panic, paranoia, etc… Everyone’s reaction can vary.

This is why it is extremely important to consult with a medical expert and addiction’s treatment adviser before addressing any tolerance, dependency and withdrawal issues arising from Methadone use.

So, now you have more answers to the question “what is methadone”, including withdrawal symptoms and issues such as dependency and tolerance. This site will continue to explore these matters in more details soon.