Who is in need of Methadone treatment?

Any person who has an addiction or a dependency on Heroin, Morphine or any other Opioid or Opiate such as: Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, OxyContin, Dilaudid, Tramadol, DF118, would all be a candidate for methadone treatment. These drugs are highly addictive and the withdrawals are often at times severe. Pregnant women with these addictions may also be treated with methadone, but the safeties of these cases are a very high risk.

Where did methadone come from?

Methadone Hydrochloride is an Opioid (a synthetic opiate) that was originally synthesized by pharmaceutical companies during the Second World War.

Methadone is now principally used today for the treatment of heroin and opiate addiction. The effects of methadone are longer-lasting than those of morphine-based drugs. Methadone's effects can last up to 24 hours, thereby permitting management only once a day in heroin detoxification and maintenance programmes or clinics.

It was first marketed as 'Dolophine' and was used as an analgesic (a painkiller) for the treatment of severe pain. It is still sporadically used for pain relief. Methadone is a synthetic narcotic that is being widely used in the detoxification of Heroin and other opiate addicted persons. It has been used for this purpose for more than thirty years. The original use for methadone was for pain management. It is a very effective medication for pain and should be taken only under a doctor’s care. This drug isn't like drinking a beer or taking a Xanax, it’s like playing Russian roulette with your life, and the people selling it to children or even adults not knowing what it is should be considered murderers! There should be stricter laws about methadone. Why give it to addicts when they are just going to get hooked on something else or even risk taking a life. You are beginning to hear about more and more people dying from this drug.

How is methadone taken?

Methadone is usually available as a liquid - linctuses or methadone mixture - which should be swallowed. Tablets and injectable ampoules (amps) are occasionally prescribed, and like many other medicines some of these prescribed drugs are abstracted and become available illegally.

What are methadone's adverse reactions?

Deaths occur more habitually at the beginning of treatment in methadone programmes; they are usually a cause of excessive doses and they are affected by concomitant diseases (hepatitis, pneumonia). Methadone normally entails the complete spectrum of opioid side effects, including the development of tolerance and physical and psychological dependence. Respiratory depressions are treacherous. The released histamines can cause hypotension or bronchus-spasms. Other symptoms are: constipation, nausea or vomiting, sedation, vertigo.

What is methadone dependency?

As an opiate, regular use of methadone causes physical dependency - if you've been using it regularly once you stop you will experience a withdrawal. The physical changes due to the drug are similar to other opiates (like heroin); suppressed cough reflex, constricted 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. In many cases a withdrawal from methadone is more destructive and painful than from heroin. Methadone is a drug used to treat heroin addicts. It’s a very powerful drug and you are seeing it more on the streets every day. People don't realize the effect it can have on their body. If they are taking any other medication and take methadone with it, it can be fatal. Injecting methadone, taking more than the prescribed dosage, or selling it is illegal!

How safe is Methadone?

Short-term side effects of this drug are restlessness, vomiting, nausea, slowed breathing, itchy skin, pupil contraction, severe sweating, constipation, sexual dysfunction and most important is death!!! Methadone has been very well tested and is deemed a safe treatment for people with Opiate addiction and for someone who is going through Opiate withdrawals. There are no adverse effects on the mental ability, intelligence or capability to remain employed in a person on methadone. You do not get a euphoric high from methadone so it has no effect on the patient’s cognitive skill. A person’s balanced thinking and decision making abilities can be affected by Methadone. Methadone does have minimal side effects which usually dissipate as the patient builds a tolerance to the medication and stabilizes on their dosage. These side effects include: constipation, tiredness, water retention, skin rash and a lowered sex drive. These side effects are normal. Some of these side effects are: distorted cognitive ability, severe respiratory distress and in some cases death!

What is the true cost of methadone treatment in the UK?

In Iain Duncan Smith's report on addiction published in July 2007 it is stated that "Spending on prescribed methadone has reached £111 million per annum".

His report also states "Methadone, the favored drug for prescribing, is the unquestioned mainstay of the public health response to drugs treatment in general. The evidence base for its efficacy relates to ‘stabilization’ measures, to remaining opiate- free for defined periods, and to ‘retention in treatment’ and ending illicit drug use. Our analysis is that methadone does not and cannot have a useful and positive role in the treatment of addiction. But the rapid expansion of its prescription appears to be as much an outcome of political pressure and target driven policy as of a dispassionate clinical response to the treatment needs of a particularly vulnerable population. We have found the current mass prescription of methadone to be the cause of deep disquiet amongst drugs workers and addicts alike."