What is Methadone? - Facts, Uses, Misconceptions

What is Methadone?
by Ross Bonander, Contributing Writer

Approved by the FDA in 1947 as a painkiller, methadone is one of the most thoroughly studied and researched drugs in modern medicine . Almost immediately on approval, it began to be used to treat the pain and discomfort associated with opioid withdrawals. In 1964, thanks in large part to its slow onset and long-duration properties, it was discovered that methadone could help treat opioid-dependent patients more effectively than any previously considered treatment if administered continuously in daily maintenance. Since then, the drug has featured prominently at clinic-based maintenance programs to help heroin addicts kick the habit. It also been in the news recently, in connection with the deaths of Anna Nicole Smith and her son Daniel .

Vitals
Generic name: Methadone
Brand name(s): Dolophine®, Methadose
Class: opioid (synthetic)
Action: Chemically unlike morphine but it binds to the brain’s opioid receptors and produces similar effects. However, it has a slower onset and its effects tend to last longer.
Side effects : Most common are constipation, sweating, and decreased sex drive

Methadone Usage
Common Misconceptions

Methadone Usage

Although physicians have recently begun to prescribe methadone for pain relief and in pain management programs, it has primarily been used in daily methadone maintenance programs. The benefits of these programs have been studied exhaustively for decades, and the studies have yielded consistently positive results . They include:
In general, patients don’t get “high” off the dose;

Methadone helps to limit dangerous behavior associated with heroin use, i.e. criminal activity or HIV infection from needle use;

Its properties help to reduce cravings as well as stabilize the patient and his/her tolerance to it, meaning a higher and higher dose is not necessary to induce therapeutic effects;

It helps to block the euphoric effects of other opioids, restricting habitual and dangerous drug-seeking.

In short, these maintenance programs have shown the ability for patients to return to their normal lives. In this regard it has proven to be a valuable treatment protocol.

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Common Misconceptions

For many people, the only time they have ever heard of Methadone is through its association with clinics and heroin users. Consequently it is mistakenly believed to be either non-addictive, to have a low addictive capacity, or to present no ostensible dangers.

In contrast, deaths due to methadone have increased significantly in recent years. A number of factors have contributed to this increase:

ongoing increases in abuse of heroin and opioid analgesics and, when other drugs are unavailable, some persons are turning to methadone.

methadone has become more widely available as an increasing number of physicians prescribe it for pain relief.

in at least some States, methadone has become more accessible to unauthorized users as opioid treatment programs (OTPs), following new Federal regulations, have relaxed their policies regarding patients’ take-home doses of the drug.

It should be noted that when administered properly and taken responsibly, methadone has proven to be both safe and effective for millions of patients. Many methadone-related deaths occur at the beginning of treatment, when a patient’s opioid tolerance is overestimated, or because the patient is using other drugs in addition to Methadone, such as alcohol or alprazolam (Xanax), both of which can make for a lethal cocktail when combined with methadone . As with all medications, methadone should only be used in accord with a licensed physician or certified health professional.

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