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. However, these drugs may not be that angelic all the time. These drugs may, for example, help an addict in the detoxification and withdrawal process but these may also in turn become another substance of abuse in the long run. These substances should be prescribed with close and careful guidance by the physician.
Methadone is a synthetic opioid used as an analgesic to treat patients suffering in severe pain and a maintenance anti-addictive. It is a rigorously well-tested medication that is protected and efficacious for the treatment of narcotic withdrawal and dependence. Heroin gives off an excess of dopamine in the body and causes users to call for 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 discontinue heroin use. Methadone holds back narcotic withdrawal for about 24 to 36 hours. However, this is only successful in cases of dependency to heroin, morphine, and other opioid drugs. Methadone stops the high from heroin but it does not give the euphoric rush.
Methadone has been a vital factor in terms of reducing crime, death, disease, and drug use. For one, methadone is known to be the most efficient cure for heroin dependency. It also prevents HIV/AIDS. It may be trivial, but methadone maintenance treatment lessens the occurrence of injecting and needle sharing. Moreover, methadone treatment reduces criminal behavior and almost eliminates heroin use.
Then like any other opioid drugs, extensive exploiting of methadone and without proper guidance could possibly lead to tolerance and eventually cause drug dependency. When taken under medical prescription and under a physician’s care, research suggest that long-term methadone maintenance treatment use is medically safe.
The onset of methadone treatment programs is known to be fatal because they are commonly a cause of abusive doses (i.e. erroneously estimated tolerance) and they are affected by concomitant diseases (hepatitis, pneumonia). Methadone generally entails the whole spectrum of opioid side effectswhich includes the development of tolerance and physical and psychological dependence. Respiratory depressions are dangerous. The released histamines can cause hypotension.
Methadone dependency occurs when the body tolerates the substance thus, asking for higher dosage in the long run. And, once the usag is discontinued, withdrawal can happen. The physical changes brought by the drug are the same to other opiates; suppressed cough reflex, contracted pupils, drowsiness and constipation. Some methadone users experience sickness 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 remain 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 maintenance is another’s poison. Actually, it depends chiefly on the tolerance of the person. A tolerant person could take in methadone without feeling any ill effects, but not a non-tolerant person. For precaution it is sensible to begin with low dosage and gradually increasing it, if the necessity to use methadone really arise. Also, experts have found out that methadone has been used unlawfully in the streets as a substitute for heroinwhich causes more fatal cases than heroin.
Methadone is a drug used to counterpart substance addiction yet tolerance may occur leading to addiction. There is irony in this substance. You thought it’s safe but unknowingly, you have become dependent to it and you couldn’t seem to get away with the drug.
