Methadone Facts

Methadone is a synthetic opiate that is used as maintenance treatment for heroin and other opiate addiction. There are an estimated 120,000 methadone maintenance patients in the United States, 40,000 of which are in New York State and about half that many are in California. Methadone maintenance acts by suppressing heroin and other opiate withdrawal symptoms for 24 to 36 hours, therefore the individual only needs to take the drug once daily.

Because it is an opiate drug, methadone can cause dependence, side effects and severe withdrawal. The following is some methadone facts which highlight some of these issues:

• Methadone is a long lasting narcotic drug, often taking over twenty hours to leave the body once it's been taken.
• Because each individual's metabolizes methadone at different rates, it can be difficult to tell what kind of use can lead to addiction or even overdose.
• The noticeable effects of methadone can wear off long before the drug is out of a person's system, making overdose a common occurrence.
• The same amount of methadone could be ineffective for one individual and dangerously high for another.
• Methadone's long period of effectiveness can be very challenging when someone is addicted to it and going through withdrawal symptoms.
• Individuals going through methadone withdrawal should prepare for an opiate detox process lasting weeks or even months.
• Methadone helps reduce cravings for heroin and other opiates, but the person is still dependent on an opiate drug.
• Methadone overdoses have escalated in the last several years. As of 2005, almost 4000 people have died from methadone overdose.
• There are an estimated 250,000 people using methadone worldwide as part of a maintenance program, but this does not take into account those who might be addicted to the drug through illicit use.
• There are those who abuse their outpatient methadone maintenance program, and take a small dose that will still produce a "high" if they combine their methadone with other opiate drugs.
• Black market sales of methadone have skyrocketed over the past few years, as individuals are finding that it is a suitable heroin alternative and potent drug.
• Methadone is readily available from street dealers who acquire the drug through various illegal and unsafe means.
• Many individuals who are addicted to opiates prefer the high they get from combining methadone and heroin because they claim it drastically increases the euphoric effects of heroin. This has caused many fatal overdoses.
• Methadone is a sedative drug that depresses the central nervous system. It therefore slows body functioning and reduces physical and psychological pain, but can sometimes reduce it to a point that may be life threatening.
• An estimated 20% of methadone patients continue their methadone treatment for more than 10 years.
• Methadone is difficult to detox from, since its effects are long-lasting and is readily stored in the body's tissues.
• Street bought methadone may be an unusually concentrate variant and more powerful than expected. Therefore, individuals may be taking a higher dose than intended which could be catastrophic.
• Large doses of methadone cause sedation and sleepiness. With significantly higher doses than can be tolerated, individuals can fall into a coma or stop breathing completely.