Methadone

Methadone is the most commonly prescribed medication used to help people with heroin or other opiate addictions (like Oxycontin and Vicodin) to undergo detoxification and stay away from drugs permanently.  As part of detox and medically supported maintenance programs, methadone is taken orally in either tablet or liquid form once a day.  It helps to prevent relapse by relieving the symptoms of opiate withdrawal and blocking the effects of heroin.  Because it is such a powerful drug, patients are often required to visit a methadone-dispensing clinic daily to receive their medication although patients may sometimes be able to take up to a month’s supply home with them, depending on the laws in their state and on how long they have been successfully taking methadone and staying free from illicit drugs.   Methadone can be taken safely for long periods of time and has been shown to be effective in helping recovering opiate addicts stay clean especially when taken in combination with behavioral therapies.

Methadone Mechanism of Action

Methadone is a synthetic opiate that binds to the same chemical receptors in the brain as heroin and morphine, thus satisfying a patient’s chemical need for opiates (dependence), preventing the uncomfortable experience of opiate withdrawal, and helping to avert cravings.  Because methadone acts on the brain’s opiate receptors, it also helps to prevent relapse by blocking the effect of street heroin in the brain and negating its ability to create a euphoric high.

Methadone Treatment                                                              

Treatment generally begins with a period of detoxification in which the patient is prescribed methadone to ease withdrawal symptoms while the patient’s body is restored to a drug-free state.  Opiate withdrawal symptoms are extremely uncomfortable and include restlessness, pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and cold flashes.  After detox, patients generally enter a rehabilitative phase of treatment in which they receive intensive counseling to help them improve their lives and stay away from drugs of abuse.  During rehab, recovering addicts are frequently prescribed a maintenance dose of methadone, which they must retrieve daily from an approved methadone clinic.  As they progress through rehab and enter the maintenance phase of treatment, patients may be permitted to take home up to 30 days’ worth of methadone.  Eventually, recovering addicts may be able to gradually taper off their medication under the supervision of an addiction specialist.

Although it has been used to treat opiate addictions for over thirty years, methadone is still a controversial medication.  Opiate addictions are extremely difficult to overcome, and methadone itself can be habit-forming.  Recently, methadone has been increasingly prescribed as a long-acting pain medication, and the abuse of methadone when prescribed for pain has become a growing public health concern.  There is also a danger of overdose, especially when a person takes methadone with another prescription pain-killer.  Nevertheless, the careful use of methadone as a substitution therapy for opiate addictions can be very effective in easing detoxification, preventing relapse, and minimizing the many negative side effects of illicit drug use including criminal activities and increased risk for infectious diseases.  It offers a possible solution for many people struggling with addiction.