Methadone information

Methadone was originally developed by the Nazis during World War II. When the supply of opium was cut off, Nazi addicts like Hermann Goering (Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe and Hitler's designated successor) wanted to avoid the possibility of withdrawal. He instructed the German drug companies to produce a wholly synthetic opiate that didn't need to rely on the poppy. The chemists came up with a drug that not only worked, but also lasted a long time. As a result, Methadone has become the drug of choice for doctors who are trying to help users manage their opiate dependency. Heroin wears off after a couple of hours, thus requiring several hits each day. Methadone, on the other hand, lasts anywhere between 24 and 72 hours, depending on the dose that you take and on your individual metabolism.

Methadone use

Methadone is a (synthetic opiate) narcotic that when administered once a day, orally, in adequate doses, can usually suppress a heroin addict's craving and withdrawal for 24 hours. Patients are as physically dependent on methadone as they were to heroin or other opiates, such as Oxycontin or Vicodin. Each time an addict uses heroin, there is a cycle of consisting of intoxication, initially, followed by a period of normal mental functioning which then yields to the discomfort of withdrawal and craving (flu-like symptoms with pain, anxiety and depression).

The cycle that repeats every 4 to 8 hours with heroin is eliminated by expert methadone maintenance treatment. This is possible because methadone is released more slowly into the system and lasts much longer than heroin and most other opiates. Short acting opiates, like heroin, hydrocodone and morphine perpetuate and/or create abnormal processes in the brain, which interfere with feeling normal and functioning normally. Taking methadone, instead, stops most aspects of this destructive process while normalizing important neurobiological functions. After stabilization on the proper dose, methadone does not produce the rush or “high” associated with heroin abuse.

Methadone addiction

In blind trials, users who were given both drugs orally were unable to distinguish between the effects heroin and methadone. An added problem for those using methadone to recover from heroin addiction is withdrawal. Withdrawal from heroin should be over after seven to ten days. Withdrawal from methadone though, can take up to a month or even longer.

Ironically, methadone used to control narcotic addiction is frequently encountered on the illicit market and has been associated with a number of overdose deaths. Tolerance and addiction to methadone is a dangerous threat, as withdrawal results from the cessation of use. Many former heroin users have claimed that the horrors of heroin withdrawal were far less painful and difficult than withdrawal from methadone.

Many people go from being addicted to heroin to being addicted to methadone, and continue with this "treatment" for years, fearing the withdrawal that will occur when they stop. Methadone does not have to be the way of life for former heroin addicts. Gradual cessation followed by a drug-free program of rehabilitation may be the answer for many sufferers.

signs of Methadone use