Methadone

Also known as: Meth (in New York), Dolophine

Basics: This drug is used to treat severe chronic pain from cancerous and non-cancerous causes. Since the 1960s it has been used to treat opiate addicts as a substitute for heroin. This drug leads to tissue dependency in the methadone user; however, it cuts down on needle use, criminality and gives a structure to those people on it where they would have no structure at all. There are pros and cons to the treatment of opiate dependency with Methadone. Rehab Treatment Centers

Major routes of administration: Oral

Effect: Euphoria, drowsiness, constricted pupils, nausea. Shortly after beginning methadone maintenance, the drug ceases to cause euphoria. It simply stops the patient from going into withdrawal. It also blocks, at least partially, the effect of heroin or other less "sticky" opiates. Drug Rehab Centers Locations

Possible effects of overdose: Shallow respiration, cold and clammy skin, weak and rapid pulse, coma and possible death. Death is particularly common among people who get methadone on the street and are not dependent on opiates.

Risks: Although the benefits of methadone may out way the risks, please take into consideration the following information. The risk of taking methadone is that when you want to come off this drug, you will find it very difficult to do so. In addition, many methadone programs will discourage you from stopping methadone. Methadone does have its place in effective substance abuse treatment; however, patients need to know what their options are with respect to being drug free. Drug Treatment Centers

Methadone: To cater for those seeking to starve the dealers, a newer product is becoming more widely available. Methadone was originally developed by the Nazis during World War II. When the supply of opium was cut off, Nazi addicts like Goering avoided the possibility of withdrawal by instructing German drug companies to produce a wholly synthetic opiate that didn't rely on the poppy. With typical Teutonic efficiency, the chemists came up with a drug that not only worked, but also lasted a long time. As a result, Methadone has become the drug of choice for doctors trying to help users manage their opiate dependency. Heroin wears off after a couple of hours, thus requiring several hits each day. Methadone, on the other hand, lasts anywhere between 24 and 72 hours, depending on the dose taken and individual metabolism.

Methadone comes in several forms - 10mg ampules, 5 mg tablets, Methadone Linctus - 1 mg in 2.5 ml or Methadone Mixture DTF - 1 mg in 1 ml. Occasionally, chemists will be broken into and pharmaceutical methadone powder will come onto the market. This stuff is very strong, so if you ever happen to come across it, be extremely careful with how much you use, especially if you are only used to street smack.

Many users claim that the problem with methadone is that it lacks heroin's intensity. It doesn't give you the same rush when injected and many users believe that the high is inferior compared to heroin. How much of this resistance to methadone is psychological is unclear. Many users become obsessed with the rituals of drug use - cooking up a hit, or rolling a bead around the foil.

In blind trials, users who were given both drugs orally were unable to distinguish between the effects of the two drugs. Where heroin does have a real advantage over methadone is in withdrawal. Withdrawal from heroin should be over after seven to ten days. Withdrawal from methadone though can take up to a month or even longer.

Any discussion on Methadone must also include a warning on the dangers of Cyclazine. In an attempt to replicate the effects of a now almost defunct drug called Diconal, desperados of the drug scene have been known to mix certain travel sickness pills with methadone ampules before injecting them in an attempt to produce a Diconal-like rush. In fact, the use of this combination just produces self- destructive Martians whom all right-thinking junkies shun because of their tendency towards compulsive and chaotic behavior. Many time-served junkies who have managed to keep it together for many years have fallen to pieces after discovering Cyclazine. Hopefully, as the Diconal experience retreats further and further back into the annals of folk memory, fewer people will experiment with this combination.

see Drug Abuse
see Addiction