Methadone Drug Rehab Help-Line

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Who Uses Methadone?

Methadone is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act. It is a long-lasting synthetic opioid that is commonly used to treat opiate addiction to drugs such as heroin because it reduced the cravings for these opiates. Methadone suppresses opiate cravings for 24 to 36 hours and can be taken once a day. Methadone is also commonly prescribed as a narcotic analgesic to treat chronic pain. When abused however, especially in combination with other drugs, methadone effects are similar to those caused by heroin and other opiate abuse. This is why legitimate and illicit methadone users may develop tolerance for and dependence on methadone.

Methadone is available in several forms and can be commonly found in tablets, dispersible tablets (dissolvable in water or juice), liquid, liquid concentrate, and an injectable solution. Only practitioners certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are permitted to prescribe and administer methadone for treatment of opiate addiction. However, any doctor may prescribe methadone as part of treatment for chronic pain. When prescribed as a pain reliever in this way, methadone may be dispensed by any licensed pharmacy.

The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that the amount of methadone distributed by retail-level hospitals, retail pharmacies, practitioners, midlevel practitioners, and teaching institutions has increased from 692,675 grams in 1998 to 1,892,691 grams in 2001, the latest year for which data is available. In most cases methadone is used legitimately to treat opiate addiction and to relieve chronic pain. However, the individual then becomes dependent to the methadone and needs it every day just to get by and avoid withdrawal syndrome. This can become a problem in itself, as methadone withdrawal is often far worse than withdrawal from heroin or other opiates.

Aside from what is considered legitimate use of Methadone for treatment of opiate addiction and as a pain reliever, the drug is also commonly diverted and sold for illicit use because of its opiate like effects when taken in high doses. Those abusing methadone are also likely to include those chronic heroin users and a growing number of oxycodone abusers--particularly abusers of OxyContin, Percodan, and Percocet--seeking to ameliorate the effects of opiate withdrawal.

Methadone diversion can occur in several ways due to the way it is dispensed by opioid treatment programs and pharmacies. When administered as part of an opioid treatment program, methadone can be dispensed as a single take-home dose to patients for any day that the clinic is closed, including Sundays and state and federal holidays. Additionally, for individuals who have been enrolled in treatment for an extended period of time, treatment programs may dispense up to a 1-month supply of take-home doses to these individuals. This opens the door for diversion and illicit use, with take-home doses of methadone sometimes being sold or traded for other drugs including heroin. Methadone also is diverted through misrepresentation, with some methadone patients misleading treatment providers into prescribing more methadone than is actually needed. The individual will consume the amount they need from their take-home dose and then sell the remaining methadone for approximately $1 per milligram.

Methadone diversion and abuse will likely continue to increase as methadone is increasingly prescribed as an alternative to oxycodone for chronic pain maintenance, and as more oxycodone abusers, particularly OxyContin, Percodan, and Percocet abusers, seek relief from opioid withdrawal through illegal means. This may require greater supervision of those patients in methadone maintenance programs and, more importantly, increased scrutiny of methadone prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain.