The Truth About Methadone Treatment: Myths Dispelled
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According to Emmett Velten, Ph. D., rumors thrive under two conditions: high emotion, and a lack of education. "The rumors and mythology surrounding methadone treatment may differ from normal rumors, because the emotionality surrounding methadone largely causes the lack of information about it. What causes the emotionality? Prejudice!" For some reason, methadone, a medication used to get addicts away from heroin (thus getting them away from using and/or sharing contaminated needles, contracting Hepatitis C or HIV and engaging in other high-risk behaviors) is connected to the same negative stigma as heroin abuse itself. Due to this misinformation, there are a large number of myths about methadone that simply are not true.
MYTH: Methadone is just trading one addiction for another.
Methadone patients are DEPENDENT on their medication the same way a diabetic is DEPENDENT on his insulin--they are not ADDICTED. When either patient does not take their medication on time as prescribed, they become sick. But according to the DSM-IV, methadone does not meet the require for an addictive drug. An addictive drug leads to significant impairment in functioning, causes the addict to continue to use despite related problems, and results in an increase in tolerance, meaning that over time more and more of the drug is needed to achieve the same effect. Opiate addiction is a brain disorder that causes permanent brain damage when used long-term. Methadone stabilizes the brain chemistry that heroin first deranged.
MYTH: Methadone is just as bad as heroin/is synthetic heroin.
Heroin is an illegal narcotic sold on the street by gun-wielding strangers. It may be cut with any number of additives, so that when ingested the user has no idea what he is putting into his body. Addiction at its worst may cause the user to beg, lie or even steal to acquire the large amount of money needed to fund a heroin addiction. IV drug users often develop dangerous abscesses and infections on their arms and legs. Life as a heroin addict is chaotic and clandestine, and the user quickly finds himself in a downward spiral. Methadone, on the other hand, is prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by nurses in a medical facility. Methadone, by eliminating withdrawal symptoms, stabilizes the client, thus allowing him to get his life back on track, secure a job, go back to school, properly care for his children, etc.
MYTH: Methadone was named after Adolf Hitler.
The liquid suspension that is presently dispensed by nearly all clinics is called methadone (the generic name) or methadose (brand name). Although it was indeed invented in Germany, the methadone wafer that synthesized for use in the United States went by the brand name Dolophine named after Vincent Dole (one of the New York physicians who marketed the drug.) The "-phine" comes from the term morphine, named after Morpheus the Greek god of dreams. It is mistakenly assumed that the "dolph" found in the word Dolophine actually comes from the "dolf" in Adolf Hitler.
MYTH: Methadone rots your teeth.
Although there is no scientific evidence which fully explains why, heroin addicts have a never-ending craving for sugar that causes them to consume massive amounts of sweets--gum, candy, and especially chocolate. When someone plunges into the deep abyss of addiction, personal hygiene tends to fall by the wayside. Dentist and doctor appointments are no longer a priority, and showering gets fit in to the schedule when it can. The same goes for brushing one's teeth. Everything that used to matter is overshadowed by the great monster of drug addiction, which trumps all, not to mention that heroin is the ultimate pain reliever, masking toothaches and any other oral sensitivities. Because of this, when a person finally begins to take a step in the right direction and starts taking methadone, their dental hygiene is way below average. One of the side-effects of methadone is that it may give you dry mouth, the same as many other medications. This may cause your teeth to produce more plaque, therefore leading to tooth decay and gum disease.
MYTH: Methadone is a legal way for addicts to get high.
Stabilized methadone patients who are on an adequate dose of methadone (not too high and not too low, and taken every day as prescribed) are indistinguishable from the rest of society. They hold down jobs, own homes and raise families. Many people consider methadone to be a life saver, and as long as the dose is not too high and causing the patient to feel drowsy, taking it causes clients to feel normal rather than euphoric, messed up, tranquilized or high.
MYTH: It's harder to get off methadone than it is to get off heroin.
Because methadone has a longer half-life than heroin, withdrawal from it is slower and longer if one was to stop taking it suddenly. Medically supervised withdrawal, on the other hand, where the client is gradually decreased over time under a doctor‘s supervision, can be relatively free of pain and discomfort.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an addition to heroin, OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, morphine or any other opiate, methadone is one of several treatment options worth looking into. For more information, visit methadone.org. To find a methadone clinic treatment center near you, check out SAMHSA's Facility Locator or turntohelp.com.
LINKS
- methadonetreatment.net
- SAMHSA Facility Locator
- nida.nih.gov
National Institute on Drug Abuse - addictionsearch.com
Latest addiction information - atforum.com
Addiction Treatment forums & FAQ - atwatchdog.org
Medication options for opiate addiction - AT Watchdog Forums & Message Board
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Comments
i don't believe this post! i've seen what mehadone does firts hand! you get addicted to one drug then the government allows you to get addicted to another drug that you are paying for and they know it! methadone clinic's are a joke you are supposed to take an even worse drug to get off another??? Methadone is almost impossible to come off of! i would never reccomend it! Methadone clinics keep upping and upping your dose of methadone to where you'll never come off it and you keep coming and they make money off your addiction! if you have too many mg's in your body you can overdose!! I am completely against Methadone!! who ever wrote this articel has obvisley never seen what the drug methadone can do. they are oblivious to the fact it can kill patients!
Kayla -- I am the author of this article, and I have been on methadone for four years. I can tell you in full confidence that it saved my life. If you were on methadone at some point, I'm truly sorry for the negative experience you obviously had. Not all clinics are reputable. I was fortunate enough to find a clinic with competent nurses, a caring doctor, and a staff of counselors who were committed to slowly weening their patients off of methadone AFTER the client had stabilized at an adequate dose, pulled his life together, had a good stretch of time clean, and felt ready to detox.
I started methadone at 120mgs and with the encouragement of my family and my counselor, I am now down to 35mg. I don't know if you've ever been addicted to heroin or painkillers, but methadone, although it doesn't work for everyone, is a Godsend for many addicts. I'm not going to debate each one of your points, because you epitomize the EXACT type of mindset that perpetuates the myths this article seeks to dispel. Take a look at the DSM-IV and you will see that methadone does not meet the criteria for an ADDICTIVE drug. I'm sorry that you've had such horrible experiences with it but I wanted to let you know that it is not like that for everybody. For many people, methadone was the one thing that was able to rescue them from a life of running and scamming and lying, of needles and abscesses and hepatitis, of getting arrested and losing your house and going to jail and selling your belongings along with your body.
I have seen close friends of mine have their lives DESTROYED by heroin addiction, and it is the ones who completed a methadone or Suboxone program who have survived and prospered where others have failed.
my identical twin and i have been on methadone for over 7 yrs and it saved our lives,made it so we could become functioning members of society and raise a 13 yr old daughter of 1 twin whos mom abandoned her . ill be the first to say it has to be controlled to a degree and i dont want to be on it forever we are on 30mgs from 120 and lots of dope before that. i just wish poeple could try to see all sides to it good and bad some people ,it saves while others it kills safety must be first but education is right there beside it dave
i too am on methadone, have been for five years. i started at 86mgs. and am now down to 29 mgs. It took me a year to get clean of all drugs including cocaine and alcohol. had it not been for the caring staff of the clinic i go to in massachusetts i may not be here today. my husband is also on methadone and is now clean also. I'm now a college student at 40yrs old after quitting school when i was 16 due to alcohol and drugs. i have the love of my family and friends and respect from the people i know. i don't meet people and say hi my name is lisa i'm on methadone and antidepressants. i am just Lisa, a college student who works hard at getting a degree. Methadone is a medicine i take when i wake up. I go to group counseling and see a therapist out side of the clinic as well. Detox is slow because it took 30yrs to end up where i did, it's not gonna solve itself in 4 months! If you work the program right and don't use illicit drugs, your life gets better, plain and simple. People say terrible things about methadone but ask my family, ask my friends who they like better. the lisa on drugs or the lisa on methadone. They will most surley say the latter. I can't change everyone's mind but i do know the one's closest to me have seen me change and grow into a functioning human being and you can't put a price on that. I am very grateful to the methadone clinic and the people there that gave a crap about me when no one else did. It has changed my whole life.
from canton need to know what dose i will be on i hane been on oc all of it for 12years
This is complete dangerous BS! Methadone patients are DEPENDENT on their medication the same way a diabetic is DEPENDENT on his insulin--they are not ADDICTED. THAT IS NOT TRUE!!!
Methadone DOES lead to a hugely significant impairment in functioning; I have witnessed it FIRST hand more than once!!! It is also harder to get off of than ANY other drug and it is VERY VERY dangerous.
If you are going to write articls about this serious a topic - you better get your facts right or you just may aid in KILLIUNG some people!
I would like to say that I have been on Methadone for three months now. I am on 80 mgs. This program has saved my life. Saved my family, and saved me a lot of money. I was hooked on Vicodin, Fentanyl, and morphine for about 10 years. On days when I did vicodin I would pop anywhere from 20-30 10mg pills a day. If it was a fentanyl day I would chew 3-4 2.5mg patches a day. This habit was costing me anywhere from 150-250 dollars every day or two. It was also killing me physically and mentally. I am truly grateful to have found the clinic that I go to. It save my life. In my opinion if methadone is messing you and your life up when you take it, then you probably didnt need it in the first place. It is a strong drug; especially if you dont have a high tolerance. But in my case, I needed it, it does not get me high, I function normally, when before I could not even hold a job or take care of my children. Methadone may not be for everyone, but for those of us who truly need it; it is a godsend.
Its the devils juice
Its the devils juice
I am curentaly on Methadone, along with my wife, I am very Gratefull to my Counsoler, and the clinic, it is allowing us to be Normal, we are raising our children, going to ZOOS, and Museames, playing with our kids, and working, we are both graduated from Collage but made some bad decisions. Any person who says things about the Program in hopes of discrediting it, or keeping people from going, are infact hurting the people they might feel they are trying to help. the person privateye2500 is obviously one of those sad individuals who instead of trying to become educated on a subject just bashes it because of fear. Uneducated fear.. if you are a Addict, and you want your life back, Methadone will help give it to you. No it is not easy, there is Counseling, and Group sessions, and going to the Clinic every day. but you get to live. and you get a chance to be proud of yourself again, and like my wife and I You can make people proud of you. to the Author of this Article, you are doing a good thing by giving back to a program that has saved so many of us THANK YOU.
I have been on Methadone for a number of years. I was on heroin for less than a year, but I am definitely grateful for being put on Methadone when I was. I do not like being dependant on ANY substance but it's a heck of a lot better than the lifestyle I had when I was on heroin.
I made a bad decision and I got help for it, which allowed me to lead a normal life. I only wish there wasn't so much ignorance about this drug. Yes it can be dangerous if taken when not prescribed (i.e bought off the street) but then so can many many drugs. If you stick to what you are prescribed, and reduce at a pace with which YOU feel comfortable, then it's fine. Some misinformed people are always gonna be ignorant and see methadone users as "drug addicts" which we are NOT. I have been clean now for many years.
I agree with becauseilive 100%. Good luck to other people on Methadone.
My 18 year daughter told me three weeks ago she had been using herion. She got herself on a methadone program for 4 mths before telling me anything about it. As she lived on her own i had no idea (250 miles apart). Three weeks living at home she is now getting her life back on track. She is down from 70 mg to 50mg and doing great she no longer has junting out bones in her face. I am proud that she had the strength to ask for my help. No one could be more passionate about helping her get better as im her mom. She so badly wants everything that 18 year olds have in there life and i will be standing beside her holding her hand as she leaves her old life behind.
The people saying methedone is evil and that people get high and uncontrolable while on it, are sometimes partly true. Its the people who are just getting started on methedone and trying to get their dose adjusted accordingly that may become prone to sleepieness, drowsiness,or impairment. Once dose is corrected, all that does away not to high nor to low.
Its the people that are abuseing it and continue to get increases even though they dont need to, that are trying to get high off off it and are not in serious recovery that gves it a bad name. I can almsot bet that all of the people that are putting it down are or were never addicted before.
KUDOS to all who have surrendered to and prevailed this disease,how ever and whatever it took to do so. :)
Methadone absolutely saved my life and what I regret is ever getting on the heroin hell train, NOT the method I used to get off the train before it went off the rails. I knew when I got on the methadone I'd be on it likely for the rest of my life; I was not bothered by this. Why all the fuss about medicines and drugs? Why is a drug evil and a medicine good, and where does one end, the other begin? The only negative thing about methadone? Because of drug phobia and over-paranoid regulation, going to the clinic is a bit of an inconvenience. But had I not done so, and threw my lot in with things I'd tried and failed with before, including 2 stints at inpatient 12 step based rehabs (I think it's not exactly that helpful to spend day after day after day inventorying one's faults, especially while in the most depressed or suicidal time of one's life! 12-stepping was invented for alcoholics and appropriated for drug dependents later on; I think perhaps it's not appropriate for most drug users, who'd benefit from learning more about their strengths and how to use them, not merely becoming even more aware they've got shortcomings...the result of doing that was always wanting to hide from all that gab in the drugs. But I digress...)
Anyone who thinks methadone is just sanctioned heroin should look up the initial studies done by methadone pioneers Dole and Nyswander, who observed patients on morphine and patients on methadone in a hospital setting. The morphine addicts lay around in pajamas watching TV silently waiting for the day's meds. The methadone patients, once stabilized, began making inquiries such as "Can I please find something to read? Are any art supplies available? Any way for me to go to school?" They wanted to DO things.
And that's how it is for most patients. A certain percentage of patients at any clinic are living in poverty, and/or are mentally, physically or emotionally bankrupt from non-drug related issues simultaneously. The hopelessness engendered by these circumstances can lead to them misusing other drugs and alcohol, failing to eat right, and not getting medical care or even housing. Those are the ones who look like hell. It's not the methadone doing it. If they were off it, believe me, they'd be far worse. I know what I speak of, having been on the clinic for almost 17 years now, and seeing a great many persons on and off, and making the comparison. ALL of them were far better and clearer-spoken on methadone.
What seems to louse them up most often is crack and alcohol, especially if used at the same time. Patients will end up falling into that hole after losing housing, say, after a divorce, and ending up in a transient hotel, surrounded by people using crack and drinking. Friendless and depressed they soon join their ranks. But it's not the methadone. Clinics could stand to get better counselors to deal with the issues that do wreck their patients.
Interesting..the clinic pictured on this is bi valley in sacramento, CA. I was sexually assulted there 4 years ago by a reg sex offender they hired by failing to do background check. I recently found out that another girl accused the same man(my counselor) of sexual assult and they still didnt do anything. I had to see that man every day....finally, a fellow employee found my counselor on megans law and he was fired by the dept of health and human services. 1 dose of methadone cost less than a dollar...these clinics charge 30$ a dose. I am 3 weeks off of methadone from a taper of 160-0. Im suffering from worse withdrawl now than i did during the taper. It does rot your teeth, and it does get into your bone marrow which holds a great supply of red blood cells, thus producing the bone aches and joint pain commonly associated with methadone withdrawl. These clinics have a success rate of about 2%. 98% percent of the addicts on methadone are poly-drug users and still continue high risk behaviors(needles etc.) despite methadone. Im the only person at this clinic pictured above to successfully taper in 8 years. and when i wanted to get off methadone,I recived NO support. The doctors at bi-valley med clinic NEVER even mentioned that you could get off methadone. I did it. IM not stupid, I was on this shit for 4 years. Since 26yrs old. I have been clean for a couple years and I attribute none of that to methadone. In fact, mY using got soooo much worse on methadone where clinics are great places to hook up with other users and dealers. There is a gathering on the corner of 21st and capitol where bi-valley is every day of people openly selling heroin, klonipin, rock....and everything else...including the methadone they just got from the clinic. These places are legal drug dealers...literally. If anyone wants to defend this that fine. you wont change my mind. check the statistics...check out methadone web sites not owned by methadone companies..like this one is. They want your business..they literally need people to stay on methadone to thrive. Its sick money making business.
Methadone is the greatest decision I've ever made. The negative stigma is directly related to pure ignorance. Oh and those who are now off methadone, and miserable, and are NOW saying it's terrible. Just because you suffered withdrawal, means nothing, you're clean aren't you? It's SO typical for someone tapering, to turn their back on Methadone, of course while they were stable, they'd say "Oh this medication is wonderful and saved my life" Now that they are experiencing some W/D's from it, they hate it. Bottom Line if you taper at a very slow rate withdrawals are minimal. Maybe those who are saying that they hate methadone (now that they are off) shouldn't have ever gotten off? It sounds like they are miserable. Success is NOT measured by when one gets off of methadone, but when one is living a life of recovery on Methadone. The ignorant people out there, sound incredibly uneducated, and it's quite laughable, to hear some of the ideas, and myths that come out of their mouth. Seriously Ludicrous lol. That goes for HARMD too, they are just angry bitter moms, who lost their children and want to make others lose theirs Evil Bitches...
The article above is right on the money. The stigma attached to methadone is the government's fault. Because of too much lawmaking, people on methadone are forced to go to a clinic specifically designed to do nothing but dispense methadone. If family doctor's were allowed to dispense methadone, nobody would know the difference between a person on methadone and not. I believe methadone is addictive, despite what the author of the article states. However, it is a hell of a lot better than being addicted to heroin. I speak from experience. I was on methadone for many years following an addiction to heroin. I started at 80 mgs. and weaned down to 20 mgs. Because I am about to move to an area where there are no clinics close by, I have switched to suboxone, which can be perscribed by a doctor licensed to do so. I am certain that if not for methadone, I would either have contracted AIDS from dirty needles, be in jail, or be dead. If you take methadone at a reasonable dose, there is no drowsiness or euphoria, just normality. The myths surrounding methadone are out of control and just not true.
My boyfriend has been on Methadone for 10 years...it saved his life and now he is ready to quit He has been detoxing at home now for months, VERY SLOWLY...I mean it has taken months. He was on 400mg a day and is now (after direction under a doctor) takine 2.5mg.
My question is can 2.5 mg still make you look so messed up, he sweats prefusly, still falls asleep standing up, I would have figured that after sucha high tolerance to it, taking it down that low would make a huge difference. Such as not being able to sleep, etc.
People on methadone Please listen to this. I took methadone for 1 1/2 years. Before that I was on painkillers for 2 years. I started methadone at 30 mg's, eventually went up to 120mg's. Slowly over the year i went down about 10 mg's a month on average. I got down to 10mg then could no longer deal with waking up every day to get drugs so I stooped, I have to say I got the same effect if it was 10mg or 120 when you go down slowly your body gets use to it.
I have been detoxing from 10mg of methadone a day! since aug.5th its now october 15th. I cant sleep for crap. I feel like im in a fog all day. I gained weight on methadone and I am not as healthy as I was before I took methadone. The 1st month detox was very bad. Im now on my 3rd month and all I can tell you people thinking about methadone is DETOX OFF THE PAINPILLS that is only a month at the most. I have no idea if I will ever feel normal again its been over 70 days. I dont care what anyone says methadone causes your damage to your brain.
i started using pain pills very young and eventually started shooting heroin. when i was on heroin i was homeless sleeping in hallways, prostituting, begging people for money on the street. Some of the worst things you could ever think of and i'm only 21 years old. I started the methadone clinic about 3 months ago and in just 3 months i'm living back home talking to my family again, about to start working, everything a normal person does. i never ever thought i would b able to stay off drugs. I used to think i'm not going to live till 30. I can't even put into words how the clinic has saved my life. Yes there is withdrawal symptoms. If you eventually decide you want to come off the clinic you can slowly come off, even 1mg a month if u want and won't feel a thing. But if u don't want to follow the rules and get KICKED OFF for some reason and go threw horrible withdrawal that is your own fault not the clinic's. And no people aren't falling asleep and not functional, whoever you seen like that is taking benzos, clonidine, finagen, or some type of other medication to make them like that so don't go by what you see. unless you been on it yourself you wouldnt say it makes you like that because it doesn't at all. My uncle used for 37 years. He has been clean for about 9 ys thanks to the methadone clinic. If there is any1 hat had no hope it was him and if the methadone clinic helped him it can help any1. We have a disease just like cancer or anything else and we also need medication to feel normal. And methadone and suboxone are the 2 medications that help addicts be a normal funtional person. We need help too, you wouldn't look down on the meds for somebody that had anuther disease that was helping them so why would you be against a medication that is helping so many people live a much happier life.
UH I've been on methadone for 6 years! Ive been clean for six years! I was a hard core IV user now I'm graduating college and i've been SLOWLY detoxing. I was on 90mg now im on 8 mg. I just did a research paper on methadone. Did u know that methadone was developed by the nazi's. The creators are named Dr Dole And Dr. nysander. U guys dont know what your talking about. I think I've been on methadone long enough and I'm educated enough to make a comment. before making assumptions you should research and the people that comment that have never been on methadone should keep there mouth shut. They don't know they just read it in a book.
Okay first off I would like to say painkillers destroyed my everything. I lost 2 houses, 2 cars, my self respect, I've lost my teeth due to malnutrition from being addicted to oxycontin's so I have false teeth, I also weight about 100 lbs. down from 130. I started out as normal as everyone here...Straight A student in high school, got married had 2 little girls that I stayed home and raised and my husband was prescribed oxies, after 4 years of him being on them I took them occasionally for toothaches. After years of taking them I realized we were addicted, after losing everything...I never stole from anybody or lied. It pissed me off so bad as strong a person as I was I was sicker than a dog without my pills, until I found out about a methadone clinic. I've been on methadone for about 2 months, I started at 30 mg and am now down to 10 mg and feel fine. Methadone is not a quick cure or a drug to keep you high legally. If used correctly it can be a miracle drug, but it takes motivation and will power to get clean and stay clean like anything else. I see my counselor almost every day, they helped me get back on my feet as far as finding a job, a place to live...they bought my children x-mas presents at my clinic even. I should say I was against methadone more so than anybody as my painkiller dose was extremely low that the methadone I always believed was stronger, however each person's dose and story is different. It's just like doctors, sure there are the crooked ones and good ones, clinics there are good ones that don't even let you talk to the other patients (dose and go) and others that the clinic nurses actually sell the methadone to druggies, but this is our world we live in. I was fortunate enough that my clinic is real and cares about people and when I want to drop a few mgs. I can drop a few mgs. when I'm comfortable. I now am working full time, taking care of my beautiful toddler daughters, working things out with my husband, I've gained 20 pounds back on Methadone because it has given me my appetite back (something you lose along with your sex drive from opiates) and no more toothaches because I've started caring about my hygiene again and got them all pulled with no pain meds. I might add. So please don't judge us, I've had friends that died from methadone too from not taking it the right way...anyone can die from any street drug, but usually the reason people resort to drugs or pills is...and anyone will tell u this that uses....depression overcomes them and using masks that pain and suffering into happiness and feeling good, but methadone like previously was said can and will be a miracle medication if used properly and not abused in conjunction with counseling, family support and willingness to move on with your life clean. Thank you everyone for your opinions, remember everyone is entitled to have an opinion but don't knock on this drug until you have ever been in someone elses shoes. God Bless Everyone and Thank God For Methadone or I may not be here today either for my little girls, if I hadn't been given the choice of methadone I may still be using and slowly losing more weight and killing myself and meanwhile all in front of my little girls, they are my world and best friends and methadone has allowed me to be able to be a better mother and provider, I am no longer sick and can work to make money to buy them everything they want in life and need. Everyone have a safe and wonderful Christmas and remember please don't judge people due to what medications they're on...I'm not going to judge the incompetence of these people posting negatively about my medication because obviously they've only heard the bad things about it and ignored the good.
The withdrawals are HELL. Whether you taper or not, HELL. As I am finding out right now.
I hear many of you speak of methadone killing people and of it's addiction. Yes it has killed people, just as any other drug on the market that was not used correctly. the deaths you hear of are from people who were not prescribed the drug or who took it incorrectly. It can cause a high too, but because of incorrect use. Just because you or someone in your family has had a bad experiece with a drug does not mean it is horrible. Plavix almost killed my grandmother but that does not mean it has not helped others. Methadone saved my marriage and my husband. He was completely addicted to heroin and his insurance would not pay for rehab and no rehab would take him. The state run methadone clinic was the only place willing to help him. Look into the information more before you start hating people get off the streets.
I have been on methadone since May 2, 2008. It is now January 28, 2009 I started out broke with nothing living with my granny. I now have everything I ever wanted. I went to the methadone clinic, started at 30mg and am now on 60 and stable. I have got 4 jobs, I work 7 days a week, and now I'm taking care of my grandma instead of her taking care of me. I know some people think that "methadone is the devil" but to me it's a Godsend, t saved my life and without God that made man knowledgeable enough to use methadone as a maintenece program for people like me who got addicted to percribed drugs I would not be here today testifying it! Methadone is not always a bad thing if you use it as precribed by your doctor and do everything your counselor tells you to do. I have lost 50 lbs but i was morbidly obese, now I am healthier than i hae ever been went from 280 lbs to 230 and I feel great. so for all of you who think that methadone is so bad im sorry if you had bad experiences with methadone but it does work for some and i am living proof!!!!!!
Withdrawls do not half to be hell. under medical supervision and with assistance
of clonidine and hydroxyzine and some times an Antidepressant(temporary). Other
options are Suboxone, some studies offer testimonials of people who had little to
NO withdrawls on Suboxone. The issue that is a constant topic of debate is weather
or not one should taper off methadone or quit cold turkey. Some studies say
that quiting cold turkey leads to a shock in the chemistry of the brain causing the
withdrawls to last longer and seem much more intense. Other studies say that
a drop from 5mgs or 60mgs shows no difference in symtoms.
I can say from experience that a drop from 100 mgs to nothing is a hell of a lot more painful then from a lower dose of 25mgs. This really all comes down to the person and their mental state and the support they have around them. My personal oppinion is to taper. I do not believe a shock to the human body is ever good. I have come down to 10mgs from 100 over the period of a year.
I can say from experience that this was not easy but it was easier than trying to
kick a full antagonist habbit.(oxy.hydro.codone) I would not advocate mehtadone for the addict that is addicted to a few lortabs per day. This is
nothing compared to what you have to go through to get off methadone.
If youre like me and you were risking your liberty and trafficing hundreds of
pills per day and driving all over the state to take your dealer to doctors or
housing homless addicts so you could get their script mailed to your house
and get a discount. Then Methadone is a viable option. Look at it this way.
If you have made a lifestyle out of finding and supporting your habbit, as I did,
and had I mean ABSOLUTLY HAD to have a line of Oxycodone(80mgs) just to
get started everyday then mehtadone could be a viable option. Look at the possitives. If your engaging in criminal activity just to pay for your habbit and
stay feeling normal and not high then the 70 to 100 bucks a week for methadone could keep you out of jail and feeling normal and stable enough to
get cleaned up and find a legitamate job.
On the other hand if your taking a few lortabs per day and can go a few days without pills and function at a legitamate job while feeling a little sick. Stick out the sickness and in two weeks you will feel almost normal again. I see a whole lot of people who came to the methadone clinic that were in this catagory and have no earhly idea what they signed themselves up for. If you have not taken
but a few lortabs a day and you go to the clinic to get dosed at 30mgs. Your going to be higher than you have ever been on lortabs. You will get sucked in
and continue to raise your dose when the high goes away.
For those that really need it. This program makes you feel normal again.
And if your serious about your recovery you will try to stay on as low of a dose
possible to keep fuctioning.
i cant stand negative people toward methadone!!! i have been an extreme heroin/oxycontin opiate&benzo addict and after a heroin o.d 2 years ago i joined a indiana methaone program ad i havent used either drug or had the teptation since ,y 120mg a day dose!! methadone is a lifesaver for me!!my mom and little sisiter notice my change as well.i started to study for my ged,getting more daily work,try to help my other friends to get methadone treatment who have a herion/oc etc addiction and the ones who have took my advice thank me and are more happy&healthy than i evr reneber them so anyone with negative cooments has no eduction about it or if they were on it, they didint have a addiction calling for that kind of tretment in the first place,it is a strong medication if you have no tolerance to a strong opiate addiction anyways!god bless methadone&the treatment programs!!! there even a new vitamin "vitadone" for methadone patients to get their health back better and help the few side effects like "sweats",suagr addiction,constipation etc. ill always defend methadone and its use for helping addicts who would go to an early grave with a straw in their pocket&needle in their arm otherwise
I have been on methadone for over a year now! I was very addicted to morphine and deladeds. I was using through I.V and i was loosing weight like water falling off of me.. Now i was happy about this because i had a few extra pounds on.. I mett my boyfriend while i was using and he exepted me for who i was and put up with me like that for almost a year . he was already on methadone so he knew what it was like to be an addict. He introduced me to the methadone and i admitted myself into a 4 week detox centre to get on it. He waited for me to straiten myself away and then when i got out it wasnt easy because we lived in a drug infested neighbourhood. We have been together almost 2 years now and when i got clean i got a job and saved money and we moved into our own appartment ina lovely quiet place..Methadone is my lifesaver and i am still on it now and i am coming down slowly it will take a year most likely and i wouldnt change anything that i did for the world because it has made me the person that i am today. And about people getting high on it..and saying that it is a badd drug u are sort of right because i have seen people getting tired and falling asleep sitting up but see methadone is very strong and u have to have a very high tollerance to drugs or else it will make you tired.. it does cause drowsyness anyway and some people abuse methadone because they want to get high..I am soo greatfull that methadone was available to me .it truly saved my life!!!!
I was an out of control heroin user for a year and a half. I've been through heroin withdrawals and they suck and last five to 8 days, but they are NOTHING compared to methadone withdrawals. Im on day 14 and still sicker than hell. The only bright side to these withdrawals is they are so violent and disgusting that when I even hear the word methadone I immediately start to gag and get nauseous. I will NEVER touch methadone again. I'd rather relapse on heroin. Wake up. Methadone is liquid handcuffs. Anyone on methadone is a robot, the problem is that you don't realize it until you are off it.
I've never been addicted to any opiates, and tried methadone, and let me tell you, I was high as fuck! It is an opiate, so it is the same thing as heroin or anything else, the author needs to stop lying to herself! It was invented by hitlers scientists when he ran out of opium so he could continue to get high!!!!!
I've never been addicted to any opiates, and tried methadone, and let me tell you, I was high as fuck! It is an opiate, so it is the same thing as heroin or anything else, the author needs to stop lying to herself! It was invented by hitlers scientists when he ran out of opium so he could continue to get high!!!!!
I am not an addict. I have never done heroin nor will I ever. I take opiates though mostly morphines and methadone. I've done oxys, vicodin, percoset(sp?), suboxan(sp?) and ecstacy. I've taken them for pain and just to get high. Am I nazi? Am I an evil person because I have a bad back and took morphine for it? Should I be looked down on from society for taking methadone? I held down my jobs, paid my bills and kept my relationship together. Just because some people take them to get fucked up doesnt mean everyone is. Methadone is clearly putting some peoples lives back together. Regardless of wether or not its a "drug" that doesnt outweigh that fact. Aaron, get over yourself. This was a very well written article, not every drug dealer carries a gun but whatever.
aaron your high on methadone?mmmmmsomeone slipped you something if you didnt get hot or someget the crawls you werent on methadone.you totally missed it anyway,if you know anything or are doing methadone theres a reason; you either need to get it together to stay out of jail or trouble...methadone has saved so many families from the heart break and doin something stupid,Methadone has its place and if your against it(You just aint seen nothin yet) and you havent done enough opiates obviously because everone knows you sound like a punk, coment about something you know about dont put down something that helps some become better THEYRE ALTERNATIVE IS WORSE.....
I'm on a methadone clinic in Columbus, Ohio. I am at 155mg. I get sick of people talking about shit they don't really know too much about. Methadone is a dangerous drug, so is insulin. I'm not diabetic and if I injected myself with insulin it would probably kill me. My girlfriend doesn't take or need methadone, if she took what I take it would probably kill her. Methadone saved my life and made my family's live's a lot easier. I'm not wasting any more time on this. Use your brain, don't be stupid.
One more thing I just have to ask anyone who reads this. Is there anyone on the clinic you belong to that believes the first drink is the strongest? Yes, the first person to be medicated for that day getting the strongest dose. It is insane I know but I know two guys that swear by it.
Ok so I understand both sides of the fence so to speak. However, as someone who is persuing the nursing career I must say that while this drug can and does help some people, it is disturbing how many people are abusing the drug. Taking the doses to get away from heroine but the dropping barbituites with the methadone is a new way for people to get messed up. It really should be a controlled substance in the stance that anyone who is perscribed this should be monitored closely. Surpirse visits, mandatory psychological evals to determine whether or not the drug is helping or hurting the mental state of the patient. I also think a great way to get rid of this craziness is only allow TEMPORARY (and I mean an exact set amout of how long an addict can use the clinical drug to be detached from heroine)use. Then a gradual detox program from the methadone. I think anyone and everyone reading this should look into the documentary calle "METHADONIA" to fully understand why some people are so biast to this drug, and also to see that there are other ideas, and new solutions should be made to wein people of the use of this drug.
If you have the disease of Addiction, being just plain clean is better. However comma, methadone treatment is not evil - functioning is better than not functioning.
im 32, from new york,and ive been on methadone for 8 years..im on 200 mg unfortunately my liver metabolizes it too quickly so i stll get sick, which i am ignoring..coz i really believe it's all in your head..until your nose starts running, non-stop yawning, sweating bullets...my feelings about methadone changes everyday..one day i love it, saved my life, helped me get my life back together..then i hate it..i lost my daughter's father from heroin, and left me with a daughter, Jade, who is now 11 yrs old..Ive been reading the past comments and some of them are true, but it helps recovering addicts, function, finally do something right..But then..now that I know I could do more, I feel like Methadone is the one that's gonna bring me down..My mother is a doctor and she wants to get me job at the hospital that she works at..and I know the're going to do a drug test..what do I do? People say, you dont have to say anything that you're on Methadone, legal or not..how will people react to that? People who are not on it do not totally understand Methadone..all they see is a heroin addict who cant stay clean..If people only really knew..
I am a diabettic and a methadome patient, If I stopped taking insulin I would die,On one hand I agree with some off this post I have been on this filth for six yrs I was a habitual offender I have been out of jail for five yrs got a flat,some education finished interferon(hep c treatment).
I don't how ever think its function is to help the addict but to decrease crime because it holds back being very deperate and strung out,I hate being on it and have tryed and tryed to get offf but failed,every other user of methadome uses heroin on top in the UK thats common knowage to the drug agencies the are just intreasted in putting people on probation based drug programs or harm reduction.
So now I have a new prison, I'm in a limbo instead of bars,Methadome works if the patiant wants to change fights the cravings(It only takes away the pain not cravings but they are some what dulled),but there is a point where u can no lomger achive things when you get to the point where you want relationships and employment but can't get of methadome the last time I tried I was strung out and sick as hell for 10 days,the emotional stuff flooding in my head was unbarable and I tried to kill myself but used heroin instead it took 3 hits of heroin before I felt OK again,I was put back on it,in my opinion they would rather give you more than help you detox,I'm trying again real soon(I use no other druigs and have not done so for ages) but if I don't try something I am just a relapse waiting to happen.
I started doing vicodin when i was 16 for about a year straight and quit that cold turkey pretty much just fine but i didn't really understand i was doing a highly addictive narcotic so that helped to get off of it. Then i was introduced to OxyContin at 18 and popped it for a year straight, then snorted it for a year straight, then, unfortunately, shot it for about 4 months, along with Fentanyl (smoking), morphine, and dilaudid's when i couldn't get oxy. My life was a total wreck and i don't know how my parents didn't know (cuz i live with them) But when i went to the methadone clinic they started me off at 30mg and i felt great. They made me feel like, "yes this is a miracle drug you will be off of it in less than a year blah blah blah. . " and i will admit, it ended up saving me alot of money and alot of w/d's. But then i realized how money hungry those clincs are. Don't forget they are privately owned and a business just like any other. THEY WANT YOUR MONEY. If you are even a dollar short they won't give you your dose, and they want you to get your dose up as high as they can so you get hooked on it, CUZ YES IT IS VERY VERY ADDICTIVE. I was taking un-prescribed benzo's when i was at 145mg a day and they said they'd have to cut me down 10mg each day til i get to 60 which was a good thing, but then they start handing me all these numbers for all these docs that will give me xanax easy as hell. That was so they could get me back up to 145 so i would stay hooked and keep giving them money. So then i went to a doctor to try suboxone and that didn't work out for me, because i didn't really give it a chance i guess, so he started prescribing 60mg of methadone a day for me which is way better cuz i have insurance. Now it's been about a year and a half since then and i really really want to get off methadone. I just recently got prescribed xanax and i'm hoping that will help. I'm thinking about talking to my doc about switching to suboxone again and givin it another shot. I just hate waiting the 3 days for everything to get out the system. But the point of my story is, for me anyway, The cons def. outway the pros concerning methadone. i believe if i just would've gotten prescribed oxy and it was highly supervised and they cut me down little by little, i would've been off the stuff at least a year ago if not longer. But that's life who knows. But that's my opinion on methadone, but i really think clinics should start getting real and telling the truth, not all these false promises. But to everyone on it, GOOD LUCK and GOD BLESS.
Ive been on the program for 8 months and it has helped me in an immense way to get clean. i have redused from 60mg to now 27.5. i may not be drug free, but i will be soon. without the methadone i dont know what would have helped me get my life together. Yeah i know one can become psychologically and physically addicted to it, but its a hell of alot better that using opiates intra venously with dirty needles and dirty people..... if u seriously want to get clean, methadone, or bupe can help
I have been on Methadone for almost two years now, and I completly agree that anyone who thinks that it makes you high or unable to function normally is taking TOO MUCH in the first place. Your treatment is exactly that.. TREATMENT to a far worse problem. Only you are in control of your treatment, and only you know the proper dose. To those who put it down, your problem was not true.
Britney says:
2 years ago
Methadone is AWFUL. I withdrew from it cold turkey after being on it for 3 months. it took me 3.5 weeks of intense withdrawls, no sleep, and almost no nourishment. But i did it. THere is no excuse. You choose to use, you pay the price. Everyone is looking for the easy way out. Unfortunately, using methadone, even at small doses, even at decreasing it gradually, is only avoiding the inevitable. Because of it's long half life, and the fact that it actually stores itself so deep in your body that it seeps into your bones, that no matter when, or how low of a dose you are on, you will have to FACE the withdrawls. THere is no easy way out. Period. You can delay it through clinics, or doctors RX etc. but it WILL find you eventually. I'm in medical school now and have been clean for a year. If i coudl do it, anyone can. Good luck to all.