METHADONE

Methadone is prescribed to relieve moderate to severe pain that has not been relieved by non-narcotic pain relievers.

Methadone is also prescribed to prevent withdrawal symptoms in patients who were addicted to opiates.

Methadone can be just as habit forming as heroin.

Most addicts take methadone for treatment for life.

Very few addicts come off of methadone treatment, but some do.

It’s very important for those undergoing methadone treatment to maintain the schedule made by a doctor.

Some people can end up overdosing because they missed a dose and double up to make up for the lost dose.

Different medications are used to treat someone with addiction.

Generally the patient gets medication to help stop abusing drugs, a different medication to stop withdrawals, and a different medication to adapt over time and help the patient focus on treatment.

Due to low funding and a lot of unnecessary laws, in 1997, only 20% of the 600,000 heroin addicts were taking the methadone treatment.

Treatment let those people live productive lives.

Methadone, paired with counseling, psychosocial, and medical support can help heroin addicts more than just therapy alone.

Side Effects Drowsiness Weakness Headache Nausea Vomiting Constipation Loss of appetite Weight gain Stomach pain

Dray mouth Sweating Flushing Difficulty urinating Swelling of limbs Mood changes Vision problems Sleep difficulties Decreased sexual

desire/ability

One long term effect of methadone is tooth decay and bone weakness.

Side effects Methadone has

some severe side effects that may lead to death, if a doctor is not contacted immediately

These symptoms include:

Seizures Itching Hives Rash

In 2006, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research found evidence that methadone may be an effective treatment for cocaine abuse.

In the study, rats were repetitively exposed to cocaine.

Researchers then implanted mini-pumps, some with saline and some with methadone.

During the two week regimens, the researchers trained the rats to associate one designated chamber with cocaine injections and another with saline injections.

During the final test, researchers placed each rat between the two chambers without giving either injections and monitored where to rat went.

The rats given no methadone showed a strong preference for the cocaine-associated chamber.

Rats that received a low dose of methadone showed less preference to the cocaine-associated chamber

Rats that maintained a high dose of methadone showed no preference for either chamber.

Although the study found high-dose methadone to be effective, the highest doses of methadone tested in rats produced blood concentrations of the drug more than twice as high as those achieved in people undergoing standard methadone therapy.

To determine whether higher levels of methadone can be effective, without terrible side effects, they would need a clinical study on higher doses, which are not recommended, than customarily used on drug addicts.

“Methadone is the drug primarily used to treat opiate dependence worldwide, yet there is still so much to find out about it,” says Dr. Francesco Leri of the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

Addiction

Addiction is a disease. But it is a treatable disease. Sometimes treatment isn’t a cure but a way to manage the disease so that addicts can live productive lives.

Ways medication can be used to effectively treat addiction

Treating withdrawal: medication reduces adverse symptoms to make it easier to stop

Staying in treatment: medication to help patients focus on counseling and therapy

Preventing relapse: medications are being developed to interfere with triggers to help patients sustain recovery

Other helpful drugs

Tobacco Treatment Drugs

Nicotine replacement therapies

Bupropion Verenicline

Opioid Treatment Drugs

Methadone Buprenorphin

e Naltrexone

Alcohol and Drug Treatments

• Naltrexone

•Disulfiram

•Acamprosate