Methadone Withdrawal

Withdrawal is a term used to describe any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and/or alcohol. The important thing to understand about withdrawal is that an individual must have first developed a chemical dependence to these substances in order to experience the unwanted withdrawal symptoms. Dependence can occur after using a substance for a certain period of time, which is both dose dependent and varies based upon the drug consumed.

One of the substances which can result in a particularly uncomfortable and unbearable set of withdrawal symptoms is the synthetic opioid drug Methadone. Methadone is used as part of heroin/opiate treatment programs and as an analgesic in clinical settings to treat chronic pain. The drug is supposed to suppress an opiate addict's craving and withdrawal symptoms for 24 hours, and is administered once daily to keep these cravings and symptoms at bay. However, individuals soon become just as physically dependent to methadone as they were to heroin or other opiates. For instance, in blind trials when individuals were given both drugs, those tested were unable to distinguish between the effects of heroin and methadone.

If an individual stops using methadone or their dose is significantly lowered, they very quickly begin to experience the onset of methadone withdrawal. As compared to other opiates, such as heroin withdrawal which can last a week to 10 days, heavy methadone users can expect to endure withdrawal for up to 5 or 6 weeks. Many former heroin users describe the horrors of heroin addiction withdrawal as being far less painful and difficult than methadone withdrawal.

It is unfortunate that individuals go from being addicted to heroin to being addicted to methadone and continue with this "treatment" for many years, dreading the methadone withdrawal symptoms that will occur when they stop. There are currently an estimated 120,000 people taking methadone to control their heroin addiction. Approximately 20% of individuals on these so-called "methadone maintenance programs" continue their methadone treatment for more than 10 years.

Methadone is one of the most difficult drugs to detox from, as its effects are long-lasting and the drug is readily stored in the body's tissues. Typical methadone withdrawal symptoms are:

• abdominal cramps
• body aches
• dilated pupils
• excessive perspiration
• fever
• irritability
• nausea
• runny nose
• sneezing
• tearing of eyes
• tremors
• yawning

Many experts agree that trading opiate addiction for methadone addiction is a step in the wrong direction. If you need help through methadone withdrawal, your best bet is gradual cessation of use. After several days of decreasing methadone dosage as part of a thorough methadone detox, the individual can get help with withdrawal symptoms at an in-patient drug treatment facility. This should be followed by a drug rehab program which focuses on the goal of long-term sobriety, free of any kind of drug.