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Four Tips for Tapering off Methadone

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Recovery from addiction to heroin can be difficult to achieve on your own. There are many people who turn to methadone to help with their withdrawal from the toxic drug. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that methadone isn’t a drug designed to be taken forever. You have to wean yourself from the drug over time in order to be as safe as possible.

When it’s time to stop using methadone, you have to slowly taper down use. This means that steps have to be taken to get your body off of the drug, without causing withdrawal symptoms to occur. The following guide walks you through four things you have to know about tampering down methadone use.

Methadone Dosages Must be Evaluated

Methadone is a medication that needs to be taken on a daily basis in order to be effective. It helps to minimize the withdrawal symptoms you experience when you stop using heroin. Before you can start tapering down your methadone use, the amount that you are taking each day needs to be evaluated. When working with a professional treatment facility, the amount of methadone you are given is closely monitored.

After you have been on methadone for a few weeks, medical professionals will be able to determine if you are ready to start lowering the doses that you take. Stopping methadone use cold turkey isn’t a good idea. It can be dangerous to stop using because you could go through withdrawal symptoms that could lead to a relapse.

The amount of methadone you take each day needs to be gradually decreased. Typically, the amount is decreased by 20% or less every few weeks. This allows your body to have time to adjust to the new doses, without having to deal with nausea, headaches or the other many withdrawal symptoms that occur.

Medication Supplementation is Needed

Once medical professionals feel that you have been able to safely lower the amount of methadone you take daily to safe levels, you will need to start taking a long-acting opioid. The opioid is given in place of the methadone but serves the same purpose the methadone did.

Opioids need to be taken as prescribed. Taking the opioids more frequently or in higher doses can lead to a new addiction. Once you suffer from addiction, you always suffer from it. Nearly 40% of all people who have recovered from addiction end up relapsing. This is due to the temptation to use again. At a professional treatment facility, you don’t self-medicate. You are given the medications that you need to be given when you need to take them. This decreases the likelihood of a new addiction developing and ensures that you are able to stop using methadone as quickly as possible.

Health Monitoring Needs to Take Place

Many side effects can come with methadone use that can be dangerous. Loss of appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting are common. You need to be monitored to make sure that your body doesn’t get depleted of the nutrients it needs to thrive.

Medical professionals at a treatment center keep a vigilant watch on your health at all times. Your temperature, weight and blood pressure will be regularly monitored to ensure that you are always in the best health that you can be. A facility also ensures that you’re able to have access to nourishing foods that can make recovery easier for you. When you are battling an addiction, you often have lethargy that can make it difficult for you to be able to have the drive to do anything for yourself. This means that you may have less drive to cook for yourself or even drink water regularly. Having the help of professionals ensures you stay safe throughout your recovery.

Psychological Care Is Crucial When Tapering Down Methadone Use

Hallucinations, paranoia and depression are also common during methadone use. At a treatment facility, you are able to get help for the mental hurdles that occur with addiction. You’ll be able to talk to a professional about the things that you experience during your recovery and things that happened in your past. Talking about any guilt or hurt you have can help you to get a better grip on your emotions, which can make tapering down your methadone use easier. People often do things out of character when they are high. Once they get sober, the guilt can be crushing because they feel that they will never be able to regain the trust they once had.

Since depression is common with people who are in recovery, psychological care can be crucial. If you have thoughts of suicide, talking to someone who can help could actually save your life. The counselor can also help you to determine what your triggers might be to use again when you get out. They can help you determine why you started using in the first place to decrease the chances of you using again.

Mastering Tapering from Methadone Takes Time

After a few weeks of being on the opioids, the medical staff can help you lower the doses that you take. Eventually, you get to the point where you no longer physically need to take anything to battle your addiction. That doesn’t mean the work is done though.

It’s important to know that once you have an addiction you will always be susceptible to it. Many facilities have outpatient programs available for their clients. They allow you to go to regular group meetings with others who are going through the same struggles as you. You can get advice from others and even bounce ideas off of one another about how to stay clean.

Surrounding yourself with people who love you; Avoiding those who still use drugs is the best way to stay clean. Once you have gone through the struggles of recovering from your addiction, the last thing you want to do is relapse. Keeping yourself out of situations that could lead to relapse is the best way to do it. It will not always be easy, but through hard work and dedication, sobriety is possible.

detox symptoms

Be Prepared: Opiate Detox Symptoms and How to Minimize Them

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The United States is facing an opioid crisis–nearly 115 people die every day due to opioid misuse. Opiates are just a subcategory of opioids, and they significantly contribute to the opioid epidemic. If you’re currently battling an opiate addiction, you probably know how detox symptoms feel. And it’s important to start cutting this dangerous habit out of your life as soon as you can.

You might feel trapped when you have an opiate addiction, but there are plenty of ways that can help you quit. As you probably already know, the withdrawal symptoms aren’t pleasant.

Fortunately, your withdrawal symptoms can be reduced with certain treatments and medications. Let’s take a look at the opiate withdrawal process and how you can manage your detox symptoms.

What are Opiates?

Opiates are narcotics made from the poppy flower. They’re typically used as pain-relievers, but they can quickly become addictive. The following list of opiates can result in addiction and dependency:

  • Codeine
  • Darvocet
  • Demerol
  • Dilaudid
  • Heroin
  • Hydrocodone
  • Lortab
  • Methadone
  • Morphine
  • Oxycontin
  • Percocet
  • Suboxone
  • Subutex
  • Vicodin

Causes of Opiate Addiction and Dependence

When you take an opiate, the drug enters the bloodstream. Soon, the opiate’s effects will reach your brain. Opiates are highly addictive due to the fact that they attach to the brain’s opioid receptors.

When the opiate attaches itself to these receptors, it not only relieves your pain, but it also releases dopamine. Dopamine is associated with a sensation of pleasure–this is what makes it so hard to stop taking opiates. The release of dopamine also blocks noradrenaline, making you feel more drowsy.

If you take opiates for long enough, your brain will become used to high dopamine levels and low amounts of noradrenaline. Your brain will soon only be able to function correctly when you take opiates, and you will become physically dependent on the medication.

Over time, your brain will stop responding to the dopamine from opiates. This means that you’ll feel the need to take higher amounts of opiates so you can feel “normal” again. This is a sign that your body has become tolerant of opiates.

Why Does Opiate Withdrawal Occur?

Opiate withdrawal happens when you become physiologically dependent on opiates. In other words, your body won’t feel right if you’re not taking opiates. Withdrawal symptoms usually appear if you stop taking the drug, or if you lower the dosage.

All opiates are processed through your body at varying speeds. This is why it’s hard to predict when your withdrawal symptoms might start–it all depends on what drug you’re taking.

For example, heroin’s half-life can be a few hours or a few minutes. On the other hand, Vicodin and Oxycontin can stay in your body for 4 to 6 hours, while methadone has a long half-life of about 30 hours.

Detox Symptoms

It’s difficult to answer the question: “How long do withdrawal symptoms last?” Your symptoms and length of opiate withdrawal can vary greatly.

The severity of your withdrawal process is related to how dependent you are on opiate drugs, how long you’ve been taking it, how much you’re taking, what opiate you’re taking, and if you have any mental or physical health conditions. Your withdrawal process might look like the following example, but it can change depending on several factors.

Initial Withdrawal Symptoms

You’ll start to feel withdrawal symptoms in about 6-12 hours if you’re taking opiates with a short half-life. Withdrawal symptoms for opiates with a longer half-life begin 30 hours or later. These are some of the symptoms you might experience initially:

  • Anxiety
  • A runny nose
  • Achy muscles
  • Watery eyes
  • Insomnia
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Fever
  • Hypertension
  • Sweating
  • Yawning

Last Withdrawal Symptoms

Your worst symptoms typically happen within three days. These symptoms could last a week or more.

  • Depression
  • Diarrhea
  • Opiate craving
  • Stomach pain
  • Goosebumps
  • Vomiting

It’s common for opiate cravings and depression to last longer than a week. In this case, it’s important to seek out mental health care from a substance abuse program.

Medical Detox Treatment

While some may prefer to stick with natural remedies to cure opiate withdrawal symptoms, others find that medical treatments work better.

It’s important to talk with your doctor first if you want to stop taking opiates so they can provide you with a treatment plan. Remember to never stop taking opiates suddenly, as some withdrawal side effects can be dangerous.

Choosing to undergo medical detox can provide you with pharmacological and psychological support as you slowly wean yourself off of opiates. You’ll stay inside a medical setting where a team of medical professionals can monitor you and provide you with medications to help your detox be as comfortable as possible.

Medical detox typically occurs for a period of 5-7 days.

Opiate Detox at Home

If you choose to undergo opiate or heroin detox in the comfort of your home, your doctor will likely prescribe you with medication to reduce your withdrawal symptoms. Here are some of the medications you can take during your detox and how they can help you:

Methadone

Methadone is a drug that alleviates the symptoms of opiate withdrawal. You can use methadone for maintenance in order to lessen opioid dependence. Methadone will be gradually reduced over time until withdrawal symptoms are completely gone.

Buprenorphine

Like Methadone, Buprenorphine can make it more comfortable to withdraw from opiates. You can take this drug for a long period of time as well.

Clonidine

During your detox, you might feel sweaty, anxious, achy, and have a runny nose. Your doctor may prescribe Clonidine to help relieve these symptoms.

Naltrexone

Doctors prescribe Naltrexone to help you avoid relapsing. You can receive this medication by mouth or through an injection. It’s not a good idea to take this drug when opiates are still in your body, as it can trigger severe withdrawal symptoms.

Learn More About Methadone

Curing an opiate addiction may be a long, difficult process, but your health will improve greatly once you’re opiate-free. Don’t let detox symptoms make you start reaching for that pill bottle again. There are plenty of treatments that can kill your craving, and make you feel like yourself again.

Methadone is a powerful drug that can help you throughout your detox. Click here to learn more about using methadone for opiate withdrawal or contact us today at (855) 976-2092.

References

[1] National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019, January). Opioid Overdose Crisis. Retrieved from DrugAbuse.Gov: https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis

[2] European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. (2007, October 15). How does the opioid system control pain, reward, and addictive behavior?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 13, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014163647.htm

Physical effects of methadone use

The Effects of Methadone on the Body

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In the US, the government is always battling with opioid overdose crisis. So, how many die from opioids each year? According to NIDA, about 130 people die every day due to this problem.

That’s serious, right?

The misuse of opioids affects the public health and economic welfare of the country. One of the opiates that people commonly misuse is methadone. This drug is available in different brands, including Methadose, Diskets, and Dolophine.

It’s used in the treatment of moderate to severe pain. Doctors can also prescribe it to treat narcotic addiction.

Sadly, some patients misuse their methadone prescription for a variety of reasons. This affects them and their health in different ways. For that reason. This post is going to cover the possible effects of methadone.

What’s Methadone?

Methadone is prescription medication use in the medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program to help patients with opiate addiction. The dose usually starts at 10 or 20 mg and adjusted in 10-mg increments.

German doctors created this medication during World War II. When it finally arrived in the US, doctors used it to treat patients with severe pain. Today, patients can use it to manage addiction to heroin and narcotic painkillers.

When taken as prescribed by your doctor, use of methadone medication is safe and effective. For patients with addiction, it works effectively if used together with comprehensive medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program, which includes social support and counseling.

How Does it Work?

Doctors say this drug works like morphine, but its effects of methadone on the body are slower. Patients can take it as a tablet, powder or liquid.

It works by changing how the brain and nervous system respond to pain. This makes you feel relief. Methadone blocks the euphoric effects of opiate drugs, such as codeine and heroin. It also lessens the withdrawal symptoms of opiate.

The pain relief from this drug lasts for about eight to 12 hours. Studies have shown that methadone is effective in higher doses, particularly for those patients with heroin addiction.

How Patients Misuse Methadone

Methadone is an effective treatment for suppressing cravings and reducing pain. That’s the factor that makes it risky. This makes it an agonist.

First, it’s has a long-term treatment period, usually a year or more. This makes it easier for patients to become dependent on it. Its highly addictive nature makes patients ignore other treatment options in favor of it.

Some people take it illegally. For example, some HIV patients can inject it into their body.

What Are the Effects of Methadone?

The effects are wide and varied as they depend on the individual’s body.

Those who are taking methadone as a prescription can experience side-effects, especially during the first phase of their methadone treatment.

  • Constipation
  • Vomiting
  • Lightheadedness
  • Irregular sweating
  • Dry mouth
  • Dependency
  • Fluctuating weight
  • Sleep problems
  • Cognitive changes
  • Harmful drug interactions
  • Fatigue

It is also important to note that these side-effects are less likely if methadone is taken as prescribed – at a therapeutic dose.

Allergic Reactions

Allergic reaction to methadone is rare. However, patients are encouraged to see a doctor if they experience symptoms of allergy such as:

  • Rash
  • Itching and swelling
  • Severe dizziness
  • Trouble breathing

If you notice any of these symptoms in your loved one, be sure to get medical attention.

Drug Interactions

You’re likely to experience certain effects of the medicine and possibly even methadone interactions with other drugs. During your medical appointment, your doctor will want to know all the drugs (prescription and non-prescription) and supplements you are currently using.

Interactions can change the action of one or both drugs. Common symptoms include drowsiness and stomach aches.

Effects of an Overdose

Some patients may take more of their medication to get quicker results or maintain the relief the medication offers. This could result in an overdose. When you overdose, the possible symptoms include:

  • Twitching muscles
  • Cyanosis (bluish fingernails and lips)
  • Coma
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Low blood pressure
  • Difficulty breathing

Methadone Addiction

If you use the drug without any medical supervision or guidance, you’re likely to develop an addiction to methadone. This is viewed as a severe psychiatric disorder, and you’re likely to experience moderate to severe symptoms.

Addiction can lead to several physical effects such as poor self-care and hygiene. Addicts will share needs when injecting methadone and other drugs, which increases the chances of contracting a blood-borne disease like hepatitis or HIV.

Those who combine methadone addiction with other illicit drugs risk suffering from organ damage and long-term health issues. These can be brain damage, cardiovascular system damage, hypertension, and liver damage.

Withdrawal Treatment

If you’re suffering from methadone addiction, you don’t need to give it to the temptations and its relief. Withdrawal and addiction treatment can help you regain control of your health and improve your lifestyle.

Treatment usually involves reducing your daily dose. If your dose is 40 mg, you can start dropping it down by 3 mg. When you get to 20, drop it by 2 mg. Continue this until you get to 5 mg a day.

These steps ensure a slow but comfortable withdrawal process without resulting in severe withdrawal symptoms. Of course, you’ll experience some symptoms after withdrawing.

Effects of Methadone – The Takeaway

Methadone is an opiate medication for people who have developed opiate use disorders. Fortunately, when methadone program requirements are followed and medication is taken as prescribed, it can be a huge help in recovering your life after addiction.

If you’re short on time and looking for help contact (855) 976-2092.

Do you have any questions or thoughts about the effects and risks of methadone addiction? Free to share them with us in the comments section below.

Sources

[1] National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019, January 22). Opioid Overdose Crisis. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis

[2] Methadone: MedlinePlus Drug Information. (2018, March 15). Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682134.html

[3] Hilke Jungen, Hilke Andresen-Streichert, Alexander Müller, Stefanie Iwersen-Bergmann; Monitoring Intravenous Abuse of Methadone or Buprenorphine in Opiate Maintenance Treatment (OMT): A Simple and Fast LC–MS-MS Method for the Detection of Disaccharides in Urine Samples, Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 41, Issue 1, 1 January 2017, Pages 22–31, https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkw099
Methadone Stories: Life After Methadone

How Methadone Changes Lives

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We’re staring down the barrel of an opioid epidemic that’s destroying an entire generation. Far too many people are struggling with the use of drugs like heroin and prescription painkillers. This doesn’t always start with the use of illicit drugs, it can start with a legitimate prescription. If you’re looking for a solution, methadone recovery stories are real.

My Story

Methadone - My StoryThis was how I was first introduced to prescription painkillers. I was working as a CNA in a hospital when I experienced a herniated disk in my lower back. The pain was unreal, and it gave way to symptoms of sciatica.

If you’ve ever experienced this type of pain, then you can understand how all-encompassing it can be. I ended up in the emergency room, and after receiving an injection of Demerol I experienced immediate relief—and a euphoria that I’d never experienced before.

I left the hospital with a prescription for Vicodin and a referral to a specialist. Being a larger guy, I had a higher dosage. They couldn’t operate due to my weight and continued to prescribe me painkillers month after month.

Every time that the doctor suggested that I wean myself off the narcotics, I’d find another excuse to keep taking them like clockwork. I knew that I was addicted on some level, but I justified it by convincing myself that I had a legitimate injury.

My doctor knew that I was addicted before I was ready to admit it and tried to cut back on my dosage. By this time, I was physically addicted and psychologically hooked. I had no desire to stop using, and I started to go from doctor to doctor in an effort to get more painkillers.

How Addiction Changed My Life

I wasn’t able to keep up with my habit, and I started to take whatever I could get my hands on. I stole pills from friends and family, asked others to get prescriptions for me, and then started buying prescription pills off the street. It seemed like it was everywhere.

It changed me. My drug use changed the way that I saw myself, and I just kept justifying it with my old injury. Long after the physical pain was gone, I still needed the drugs.

The first time I injected heroin, I was in my 30s. That’s all it took for me to be hopelessly addicted. That rush and then the afterglow that came with the introduction of the drug into my body. After developing a tolerance, I needed more and more.

Methadone: Changing Lives

I stopped using to get high and just started to keep from feeling the withdrawals. I needed help, and I got it after my family staged an intervention. With methadone recovery from my addiction became real. Now, I’ve been free from the use of illegal drugs for almost 2-years. I take methadone but have reduced the dosage to nearly nothing.

Looking for Methadone Maintenance Treatment? Call (855) 976-2092

What is Methadone Used For?

Methadone is a maintenance medication used to stop addicts from experiencing opiate withdrawals. It can help us to stop using illegal drugs and some doctors use methadone as a short-term detox drug. Methadone itself is a narcotic, but it works in a different way than many of the illicit drugs that addicts become hooked on.

It’s very important to work with a licensed clinic when obtaining any type of maintenance medication. Most states facilitate these programs and carefully monitor them. For people like us to get these types of medications, we need to commit to a rehab program and arrive at a designated destination each day for our medication.

This is just another way to get high. Many of us who become extremely addicted to opioids like heroin or prescription painkillers will keep using just to avoid the withdrawal symptoms.

Methadone stops these withdrawal symptoms and prevents further drug use from having the same euphoric effect it once did.

Methadone for Opioid WithdrawalsMaintenance medication programs are only used under very specific circumstances. You’ll need to go through a rehab program and be approved for this type of treatment. It’s important to trust your doctors and your rehab support staff. Be completely honest with them, and don’t be afraid to take that next step.

How Does It Work?

Once you’re approved for medication-assisted treatment programs, you’ll need to get in touch with a locally licensed facility. These aren’t necessarily available everywhere, and you may need to see a private psychiatrist to start your medication regimen.

For the most part, these facilities will issue you a single dose of methadone each day. This is usually enough to stave off withdrawal symptoms and to help you reduce and resist drug cravings.

People who remain on methadone for longer than two weeks have an 80 percent chance of staying with their methadone maintenance treatment for six months or longer. And those who utilize methadone maintenance on a long-term basis have favorable outcomes than those on a short-term basis. In fact, it is recommended by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to be on a methadone maintenance treatment program for a minimum of one year for best outcomes.

Methadone MaintenanceI’ve discovered that I don’t feel high when I take this medication, but it does help me to stop thinking about using drugs like heroin or prescription painkillers all the time. It allows you to be free of the all-consuming addiction that ran your life for so long.

Who Should Use Methadone?

Methadone is a medication that should only be used under very specific circumstances. Not everyone can safely use methadone without abusing it or returning to their drug of choice. Only a person who’s actively engaged in rehab and who truly wants to seek sobriety should take advantage of these programs.

For many of us, it’s very easy to fall back into our old ways. If you aren’t ready to stop using drugs, then don’t put yourself in a position to keep using things like methadone. It’s also important that you remain extremely honest with the person who’s administering the drug.

If you feel like the dose is too high and it has an adverse effect, then you need to tell them immediately. Getting this right can be the difference between a relapse and long-term sobriety.

Looking for Methadone Maintenance Treatment? Call (855) 976-2092

Understanding the Dangers of Opioid Addiction

Opioids kill more people each year than any other cause of accidental death. This is a serious number and one we need to start paying attention to. If you’ve ever experienced addiction, then you understand just how deep this rabbit hole goes. It’s very easy to fall into a habit and to continually justify it to yourself.

We all deserve a chance at a better life. It’s just a matter of whether you’re prepared to reach out and take it. So, reach out at (855) 976-2092 and talk to a professional today.

 

References

The National Institute on Drug Abuse Blog Team. (). Prescription Pain Medications (Opioids). Retrieved from https://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/prescription-pain-medications-opioids on February 13, 2019.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov

Shiller, & Mechanic. (2018, October 27). Opioid, Overdose. Retrieved from pubmed.gov: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Schiller%20EY%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=29262202

Methadone Helps More Than it Hurts

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Opiate addiction affects every single aspect of a person’s life, from their career to personal relationships and everything in between, so why can’t methadone help?. I have witnessed this firsthand, just like many other grieving friends and family who have watched drugs devastate some of the people they love the most. Having seen it firsthand has led me to believe that methadone helps a lot more than it hurts.

I have watched friends as their entire lives were derailed by their deadly habit, with drugs eventually taking over all that once mattered to them. Seeing several of my friends, all high-achievers in education and the workforce, was absolutely awful. Years of accomplishments went wasted down the drain, all in the blink of an eye, as my friends turned all their attention to drugs.

Thankfully, not all hope is lost when someone becomes addicted to drugs. I always knew how dangerous drugs could be, but I never realized or really understood how methadone can change someone’s life entirely.

Until one of my friends was addicted to opiates, and I observed how the benefits of methadone maintenance treatment worked in a major way. The methadone maintenance treatment program that has been used for many years to help recovering addicts kick their addiction to the curb.

After witnessing my friend’s remarkable recovery, I believe options such as methadone maintenance for opiate addiction is vital, especially in this day and age where drugs are killing people every single day.

How Does Methadone Maintenance Work?

My friend went through methadone maintenance where doctors use methadone, an opioid and painkiller with less addictive qualities, to wean a person off heroin or another opiate. This way, they are still receiving some form of an opioid to satisfy their craving, but they aren’t ingesting dangerous, even deadly quantities of heroin or prescription pills.

A qualified medical team will set up a treatment plan that includes the proper dosage of methadone and directions for each individual case. Every person is different and will respond to methadone maintenance differently, but it is important to give them the support they need to succeed.

Methadone should only be administered by certified medical staff, and as the treatment continues, the dosage will get smaller and smaller. My friend felt safe and secure with his medical staff, which I think helped him recover and stay off drugs.

Many doctors prefer methadone maintenance as it decreases the chances of a relapse and ups the possibility for rehabilitation with a successful recovery. Although some critics argue that using an opioid to treat addiction to another opioid is counterproductive and opens the doors for an even worse addiction, others believe it is one of the best ways to make the withdrawal process as comfortable as possible. I support this treatment method as a preventive measure to relapse, and I think the benefits far outweigh the potential negatives.

It is vital that no matter how strong you think you are, the truth is that you’re much more likely to relapse, or perhaps even death if you try to detox on your own. If possible, enter a detox and rehabilitation center to make it easier. Plus, doing so will also increase your chances of staying clean and sober in the long-term.

Looking for Methadone Maintenance Treatment? Call (855) 976-2092

The Need for Methadone in the U.S

It’s no secret that opioid addiction is are a major problem, not only in the United States but also across the world, with thousands of lives lost every year to the preventable yet powerful vices of illegal substances.

To me, some of the most heartbreaking stories are those of devastated families, grieving the loss of their children who succumbed to opioid addiction when they had such promising futures.

Sadly, the problem is growing, with overdose deaths climbing and drug smuggling fueling violence that terrifies both big cities and small towns. U.S. President Donald Trump has gone so far as to declare the opioid epidemic a “public health crisis” in a speech from October 2017. “We are currently dealing with the worst drug crisis in American history,” Trump said, according to NPR. “It’s just been so long in the making. Addressing it will require all of our efforts. We can be the generation that ends the opioid epidemic.”

In that same address, Trump also noted how drugs wreak havoc on people’s lives, causing devastation that ruins relationships and tears families apart.

Making Methadone More Prevalent

I believe greater public awareness can make a positive impact, as can outreach about prevention and treatment such as methadone maintenance. This is especially important as opioid addiction takes over more and more lives, with addictions to heroin and prescription pills.

I think, now more than ever, it is essential to have honest, open discussions about the challenges of opioid addiction.

When people feel the need to hide their addiction, their lives can quickly spiral out of control, and they won’t have access to the support and resources they need. In my personal experience, I have seen how the support of caring family and friends have ultimately pushed drug addicts on a path to recovery.

Common substances include Vicodin and Oxycontin, two readily-available prescription drugs that are often administered for a variety of pain, from routine surgeries to flare-ups and sore backs. I myself have been prescribed these opioids after surgery, and I was very careful to only take them when I really needed to.

While many patients do need help managing their pain, it is extremely easy to become hooked on the painkillers. My mom is a nurse, and she has told me stories of patients abusing their medication and trying to find anywhere to get their hands on pills. Drug addiction extends far beyond impoverished communities now.

People of all ages and backgrounds are susceptible to addiction. It can be difficult to identify a person with a drug problem, but changes in appearance such as flushed skin, scratch marks, weight gain or loss, and constricted pupils may point to opiate use.

It is also important to recognize that drug users often take steps to conceal their activity and hide their addiction. That’s what happened to one of my friends. I always knew him as a happy, outgoing person, but when he became withdrawn and secretive, I knew something was up.

Once you acknowledge an addiction, whether it’s you personally or a close friend or family member, it’s important to embrace the help of medical professionals. That’s when methadone maintenance therapy can come into play, and it could help you just as it’s changed the lives of many others before you.

Brief History of Methadone

Methadone maintenance treatment was first introduced in the 1970s, and since then, it’s been used to treat millions of patients struggling with the detox process. In 2009, there were over 100,000 recovering heroin addicts on methadone treatment plans according to Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publications.

Commonly referred to as a substitution therapy, methadone maintenance helps to control cravings and difficult withdrawal symptoms with a safer opiate. Methadone is a full opiate agonist, which eliminates the high associated with other similar substances, such as heroin, according to the UCLA Dual Diagnosis Program.

While some skeptics say it’s a double-edged sword to treat opiate addiction with another opioid, I agree that methadone is much safer than heroin or other opiates.

These characteristics make methadone a popular treatment method for many doctors who understand that the more comfortable the patient is, the less likely they are to relapse and fall back into the cycle of drug addiction.

Methadone Maintenance Therapy

If you or a loved one is suffering from opiate addiction, now is the time to seek help before it’s too late. Getting on the path to recovery is the only way to achieve a healthier, happier lifestyle, not only for yourself but for those who love you and want to see you safe and content.

It is important to seek professional help as soon as possible to ensure a successful recovery. I am so proud of my friends who have recovered from this huge hurdle and are now living happy, healthy and sober lives.

Looking for Methadone Maintenance Treatment? Call (855) 976-2092

Sources

[1] Methadone | SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2015, 28). Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/treatment/methadone

[2] FAQ About Substitution Therapy | Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.semel.ucla.edu/dual-diagnosis-program/News_and_Resources/FAQ_Substitution_Therapy_CS