Methadone
Methadone is a synthetic opioid medication used for the treatment of addiction to opiate drugs (like heroin, morphine, OxyContin, etc.). It has been legal in the U.S. since 1947. In some cases, it’s also used as a painkiller for severe, chronic pain. Methadone comes in the form of either a tablet, liquid or injection. The way methadone works on the addict’s brain is that it blocks the high that opiates trigger in the brain. In this way, methadone reduces cravings and eases withdrawal symptoms.
It really depends on the level of intensity of the opiate addiction being treated on how long the patient is to stay on methadone. Sometimes the patient ends up being on methadone for several years in treatment. Sometimes it takes a few days for the methadone to start working, but it’s a long-lasting medication with a 22-hour half-life which means it stays in the body for around eight times longer than even heroin or other narcotic painkillers.
The doses of this complex medication are always cautiously controlled by an addiction specialist for the purpose of the addict’s treatment and recovery program. It’s very important that during the time someone is prescribed methadone that they follow all the directions on their prescription label. The reason for this is that methadone is habit-forming. It’s illegal to sell or “share” this drug with anybody else, and for good reason. People who have a history of drug abuse or addiction, aside from those already being enrolled in a program where they’re prescribed for methadone, have a high chance of abusing methadone itself and would be put at risk if given the medication.
Methadone, like a lot of mediations these days, is sometimes sold on the street illegally and then abused. On the street it goes by the nicknames Amidone, Fizzies or Wafer. Chocolate chip cookies is the street name for a particular combination of methadone, heroin and MDMA. It’s unfortunate that this opioid medication is being passed around and abused, especially taking into consideration the long list of side effects it has.
Side Effects of Methadone Use
While taking methadone it’s important to be aware of the potential side effects. These are dizziness, drowsiness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, bleeding gums, blood in urine, blurry vision, change in skin color, confusion, convulsion, cough, dry mouth, extreme fatigue, fainting, irregular heartbeat, headaches, itching, loss of appetite, muscle pain and cramping, pale lips, swelling or puffy around the eyes, seizures, sleeping problems, urination difficulty, weight gain and bruising.
Some side effects that can occur during the adjustment period to methadone are irregular menstrual periods, anxiety, blurry vision or loss of vision, confusion about self or environment, decreased libido, constipation, double vision, a false sense of well-being, seeing halo around lights, irritability, weakness, night blindness, lights seeming overly bright, restlessness, tunnel vision, weight change, welts and swelling or sores on tongue.
Some long-term effects from taking methadone are impaired judgement, lung infections, problems with coordination, and heart issues. These conditions can be fatal.
The negative effects you get each time your dose is increased are:
- Dulling of emotions
- Inability to get solid sleep
- Blacking out
- Cloudy thinking
- Slowed reaction time
- Dehydration
- Inability to nourish the body properly
These effects aren’t the only dangerous aspect to using methadone. Because methadone is known to be habit-forming and highly addictive, abusing it is pretty dangerous. The extent of methadone addiction can last a very long time.
The Hurdles a Methadone Addiction Has in Store
Fortunately as methadone addiction is becoming a legitimate problem, including with people who started to use it so they could treat their opiate addictions, the number of clinics made to get people off of methadone is increasing. An addiction to methadone is ironically a harsh one, taking into consideration a number of these methadone addicts were once heavy heroin or OxyContin addicts. Though methadone as a treatment for addiction, having addictive properties in itself, is kind of an oxymoron if you think about it. Part of the reason why it’s addictive is because tolerance builds pretty fast with methadone, so the person requires higher and higher doses of it over a somewhat short period of time.
Methadone addiction is complicated and known as being difficult to overcome especially because the withdrawal symptoms are sometimes insufferable. The rate of recovery is slim with people who try to get sober from methadone without professional help. This is why a lot of times people have to taper off methadone, especially if they’ve been addicted for years, as opposed to quitting cold turkey. The vile symptoms when withdrawing from methadone are:
- Lightheadedness
- Runny nose
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Tremors
- Chills
- Insomnia
- Rapid heartbeat
- Abdominal cramps
- Aches and pains all over (but mostly in the joints)
- Elevated blood pressure
- Elevated pain sensitivity
- Suicidal thoughts
- Auditory and/or visual hallucinations
- Depression
- Adrenal fatigue
- Agitation
- Anxiety and panic
- Paranoia
- Delusions
These symptoms can last up to a few months. The withdrawal process can be severe basically depending on the length of addiction and doses that the person was on, but once they’re through these symptoms they have gotten through the toughest part. Though withdrawing is pretty tough, it’s the first stage and somebody quitting methadone will feel liberated and a lot better once through this stage. Detoxing is probably the most important aspect of recovering from methadone because it’s this aspect that sometimes keeps somebody pinned to using for so long.
Methadone Statistics
The statistics reflecting methadone abuse don’t lie. One particularly alarming statistic is that 5,000 people die each year from abusing methadone. A lot of these deaths are linked to using methadone in a dangerous combination with other drugs. Benzodiazepine seems to be the most common factor in these lethal methadone cocktails. According to a study by the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of deaths from methadone over the course of five years (from 1999 to 2004) had risen at a rate higher than any other narcotic. To reveal the gravity of this situation, the specific statistic was that there was a 390% rise from 1999. Apparently methadone accounted for 13% of all the fatal drug overdoses in 2004 in the United States, where it had only been at 4% in 1999. Additionally, each year there are several deaths that link to methadone poisoning, and in most of these cases the methadone was bought illegally.
Some Signs of Abusing Methadone
It’s important to be able to recognize when someone you care about might be abusing methadone. Though this can be a sneaky addiction which might come out of nowhere, there are several signs that this person is abusing the medication which will inevitably lead to addiction unless it’s handled. Sometimes the person is so wrapped up in abusing it that they aren’t even aware they’re headed in that direction. Signs of abuse are:
- Doctor shopping (getting multiple prescriptions for methadone)
- Taking methadone with other opioids (like with OxyContin)
- Mood swings
- High tolerance
- Using the drug more rapidly than they’re supposed to
- Acting secretive
- Lethargy
In conclusion, because the risk of getting hooked on methadone is fairly high, these signs can be utilized to help somebody face and handle their addiction once and for all.
