Many Heroin Addicts and other opioid addicts are very familiar with a drug called Methadone. Methadone becomes an important part of their lives, in order to fight the addiction to Heroin and other opioid drugs.
WHAT IS METHADONE?
Methadone is a synthetic opioid, that is used medically as an analgesic (a group of drugs used to reduce pain). It was first brought to the market by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company. It was first synthesized in 1937, by German Scientists Max Bockmuhl and Gustav Ehrhart at IG Farben. IG Farben is a German conglomerate of companies that were formed during World War I.
Methadone is a Schedule II drug under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. This is an international treaty against the illicit manufacture and trafficking of narcotic drugs. Methadone was first introduced in the United States in 1947 by Eli Lilly and Company as an analgesic. They gave it the trade name Dolophine, which is now registered to Roxane Laboratories. Methadone was first manufactured in the United States as Dolophine by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.
Methadone has been used for the past thirty years to treat opioid addiction. Methadone is a well tested medication that is safe for the treatment of narcotic withdrawal and dependence. It is taken orally once a day and it suppresses narcotic withdrawal for twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Methadone is only affective in cases of addiction to heroin, morphine and other opioid drugs. Methadone is chemically unlike morphine or heroin, but the effects are much the same because Methadone also acts on the opioid receptors.
Methadone reduces the cravings for heroin and blocks the high from heroin. It does not provide the euphoric rush that is obtained by using heroin. Patients taking methadone remain physically dependent on the opioid, but they are freed from the uncontrolled, compulsive and disruptive behavior of a heroin addict. The withdrawal from methadone is much slower than from heroin and is much more possible to maintain an addict on methadone without any harsh side effects.
THE SIDE EFFECTS OF METHADONE
As with any medication methadone has its share of side effects. Signs of an allergic reaction include hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of face, lips, tongue or throat. Other serious side effects include difficulty breathing, hallucinations or confusion, swelling of ankles or feet, urinating less than usual, chest pain, feeling light headed and fainting. Less serious side effects include feeling anxious, nervous or restless; sleep problems including insomnia; dizziness or drowsiness; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; loss of appetite; dry mouth; constipation; weakness; decreased sex drive, impotence, and difficulty having orgasm.
Methadone lasts longer than morphine based drugs. It has a typical half-life of 24-48 hours if it is administered once a day in a heroin detoxification and maintenance program. The most common delivery at a Methadone Clinic is an oral solution.
METHADONE AND CHRONIC PAIN
Recently methadone has been used to treat chronic pain and other medical conditions Unfortunately this has caused methadone to be tied to an increasing number of drug overdose deaths in the United States, more so than any other prescription narcotic painkiller. Methadone is preferred by physicians because it lasts longer than morphine and other pain killers, therefore it can be taken less and still be effective in treating the pain.
There were 2,992 methadone related deaths in 2003, and approximately 82% were listed as accidental. Methadone should be taken with care and under the close supervision of a physician.
