Drugs authorized to be legally distributed are present for the purpose of providing health benefits to one’s body. In such a way, doctors prescribe these drugs and patients take these drugs to alleviate their pain and make their conditions better. These drugs do not however provide only benefits. These drugs can help an addict in the detoxification and withdrawal process but these may also in turn become another substance of abuse in the long run. Drugs like these should be prescribed with close and careful guidance by the physician.
A synthetic opioid used to cure individuals suffering from pain is known as methadone. It is a severely well-tested medication that is harmless and efficacious for the treatment of narcotic withdrawal and dependence. Heroin releases an excess of dopamine in the body and causes users to need an opiate continuously occupying the opioid receptor in the brain. Methadone occupies this receptor and is the stabilizing factor that makes addicts on methadone to modify their behavior and to stop using heroin. Methadone suppresses narcotic withdrawal for about 24 to 36 hours. However, this is only successful in cases of addiction to heroin, morphine, and other opioid drugs. Methadone stops the high from heroin but it does not provide the euphoric rush.
Through the test of time, methadone has been successful in reducing crime, death, disease, and drug use. This substance is known to be the most efficient cure for heroin addiction. It also prevents HIV/AIDS. It may be trivial, but methadone maintenance treatment reduces the occurrence of injecting and needle sharing. Moreover, methadone treatment reduces illegal behavior and almost eliminates heroin use.
But, just like any other opioid drugs, absolute exploiting of methadone and without proper guidance could possibly lead to tolerance and eventually cause drug dependency. Researches suggest that long time use of methadone for treatment is medically safe provided that it is taken under the approval of a physician.
Deaths occur more frequently at the beginning of treatment in methadone programs; they are usually a reason of abusive doses (i.e. erroneously estimated tolerance) and they are affected by related diseases (hepatitis, pneumonia). This substance commonly entails the entire spectrum of opioid side effectswhich includes the development of tolerance and physical and psychological dependence. Respiratory depressions are quite harmful. The released histamines can cause bronchospasms.
Methadone dependency occurs when the body tolerates the substance thus, asking for higher dosage in the long run. And, once the practice is discontinued, withdrawal would occur. The physical changes brought by the drug are the same to other opiates; suppressed cough reflex, contracted pupils, drowsiness and constipation. Some methadone users feel sick when they first use the drug. A woman using methadone cannot have regular periods but there is still a possibility of conceiving. Methadone is a long-acting opioid; it has an effect for up to 36 hours and can stay in your body for several days.
According to an article by two doctors addressing the question, “is methadone more likely to kill you than heroin?”, stated that methadone is not an innocent substance. One’s methadone continuation is another’s poison. Essentially, it depends mainly on the lenience of the person. A lenient individual could take in methadone without feeling any ill effects, but not a non-tolerant person. Moreover, as a precaution, it is wise to start with small dosage and bit by bit increasing it, if the necessity to use methadone really arise. Also, it was stated in the article that methadone has been used illegally in the streets as a substitute for heroin. Thus, causing more death than heroin.
The methadone substance is used to correspond to addiction but tolerance can occur which can lead to one’s dependency upon the substance. That’s the danger of this drug. You thought it’s safe but unknowingly, you have become dependent to it and you couldn’t seem to get away with the drug.
