What do you know about methadone?
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Methadone is a rigorously well-tested medication that is safe and effective for the treatment of narcotic withdrawal and dependence. For more than 30 years this synthetic narcotic has been used to treat opioid addiction. 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 permits addicts on methadone to change their behavior and to discontinue heroin use.
Taken orally once a day, methadone suppresses narcotic withdrawal for between 24 and 36 hours. Because methadone is effective in eliminating withdrawal symptoms, it is used in detoxifying opiate addicts. It is, however, only effective in cases of addiction to heroin, morphine, and other opioid drugs, and it is not an effective treatment for other drugs of abuse. Methadone reduces the cravings associated with heroin use and blocks the high from heroin, but it does not provide the euphoric rush. Consequently, methadone patients do not experience the extreme highs and lows that result from the waxing and waning of heroin in blood levels. Ultimately, the patient remains physically dependent on the opioid, but is freed from the uncontrolled, compulsive, and disruptive behavior seen in heroin addicts
Withdrawal from methadone is much slower than that from heroin. As a result, it is possible to maintain an addict on methadone without harsh side effects. Many MMT patients require continuous treatment, sometimes over a period of years.
It is a synthetic drug use to treat addiction to morphine and other opiates, but methadone itself is a narcotic.Crazy ,heh?
methadone is an opiate like heroin or morphine it is used to ween heroin or morphine addicts because it does not induce the same "high" your friend should make sure he/she has had a all the tests HIV Hep etc as these are rife among addicts who have shared needles hope that answered your question
I would fear for your friend. Methadone for addicts is just giving them another addiction. Imho.
methadone is a long time thing it can take years to get off it an it can b successful but if he's hangin around the wrong sort of people chances r he's using hoped i helped a bit an ur friend does ok
can't tell you much about methadone , but I know that recovery for any addict is a lifelong condition..once an addict always an addict,that does not mean that they all fall back into drug use thats just a fact of life and why AA has the motto "One day at a time"
methadone weans addicts off heroin.
It is a green liquid and is taken in dosages in accordance with the level of addiction. It doesn't taste very nice but gives the body the chemicals it craves in heroin.
Methadone in itself is addictive and it must be taken in the doses as prescribed. it can rot teeth and the side effects are phsysical sickness.
the problem with methadone, like any replacement chemical for addictions is that it does not give the exact feeling of heroin - the craving still exists and therefore your friend will need support in his/ her period of methadone, it is so easy to return to heroin. he/ she needs motivation and encouragement and i assume, as a good friend it is your role to provide this support.
i have never been on heroin or methadone but I have client's who have been on both and have told me their experiences.
A person on methadone shouldnt be treated like a freak as in most cases they are making the right move to get off of heroin. Ive been on methadone for 4 months and am doing a blind detox. Methadone has worse withdrawl symptoms than heroin but is easier to ween off of without much pain, but some people abuse it as a legal way to get high as you are given the option to detox or just maintain.
The state also isnt much help as they make alot of money on all the junkies that go to those clinics trying to get help, and they are taken advantage of as the counselors and doctors at these places will NOT encourage you to get off the stuff.
Your friend is fine! Being on methadone doesnt make you anything but someone trying to take control of an unfortunate situation. Yes, it was his choice to do drugs. Yes he knew it was addictive and would be hard to get off, but noone does drugs thinking "getting off this drug could kill me", they think "man im glad i found something to not have to deal with this right now", and people like you judging and thinking he's a bad person make it very hard. Methadone is a good thing. It shows the guy has motivation to better himself. Leave them alone. . . . and it isnt green its either neon pink liquid, a small white pill, or a large orange wafer. Green? wtf. . .
hey there,well there is alot of good answers in here and basically they are all rite except for a few.
Methadone is used to come down/off Herion or any Opiate like that.I myself have been on methadone twice in my life and i was not a full blown addict both times.The first time i had done herion and wanted to come off it and was helped heaps with methadone.They started me on the what they call the reduction programme.Go to a high dose to see how i go and slowly wean me off.It can take some time but it is the safe and easier way to get off hard drugs and by all means it doesnt mean that person is a bad person,they are trying to help themselves,because they are taking methadone.
I was also on methadone for a reason which was not my doing,i was in Intensive Care and was in a bad way and was given alot of Opiates for pain etc and when i came off the opiates they put me on the methadone so i had no discomfort getting thru the weaning process.Im not on methadone any more and that was in last november i was taking methadone after been in hospital for 4wks.
Dont be to worried about your friend ok,just be there for her if she needs you.
If you need any more info go to your local drug store and ask them to print out info about methadone for you so that you can have your own piece of mind and read up on it ok
All the best
i know it will kill you if you mix it with valium , beer or any other drugs please be careful my husband died like that . do not mix other substances with methadone.
methadone allows people suffering from heroin addiction or prescription opiate abuse ,to be able to maintain a job, and get ones life back ,instead of the countless number of hours a addict will consume ,thinking, planning, getting money to get its drug. presently suboxone a pill form dissolved under tongue has been used,instead of methadone and has been working rather well. with a lot less side effects, eventually suboxone will become the new methadone, but right now its more expensive, only because its been around a long time, but not in the united states. people often think only hardcore heroin addicts use methadone,this is not true, some have abused oxys,or vicodin, or any opiate pain medication, its a way that the substance abuser to get back on track and re enter the world, along with counseling or meetings if one wants . as for the length of recovery its also based on the individual, they have some programs for a month, 6 months or several years. its got to be better than waking up each morning sick, not knowing where your going to get enough money to cover your habit., and stealing or lying for your drug
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