Methadone is a synthetic drug that was first developed by Germany scientists in the late 1930s. Like heroin, methadone
is a member of the opiate family of narcotic painkillers. Doctors prescribe it to patients who are in pain from surgeries,
bone fractures, migraines, cancer, and other conditions.
Since the mid-1960s, methadone has also been used to treat
addictions to heroin, OxyContin, and other opiate drugs. Former addicts take methadone on a daily basis, instead of their
usual drug.
Methadone will not give you the dramatic high that is associated with heroin use – but it will keep
you feeling satisfied and on an even keel.
As Richard Jones wrote in his Jan. 13 article in the New York Times,
“Methadone is not a quick or potent high. It’s more quiet, like a sedative.”
The advantages
of methadone include the following:
- Methadone takes away that “I gotta have it” impulse that takes
over your brain and your life. When you are on a methadone treatment program, you will no longer wake up every day worried
about how you can get your drugs and stay high.
- Methadone costs less than most opiates, and lasts longer (between
24 and 36 hours).
- When you take methadone, you will not experience tremors, chills, sweats, and other unpleasant
symptoms that would normally occur when you stop using your usual drug.
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Regaining control over your life
The main advantage of methadone treatment is that you get your life back. According a report from the National Institutes
of Health, methadone has no effect on mental capability or intelligence. While you are taking methadone, you will be able
to hold down a job, drive a car, go to school, and take care of your home and family.
The same report also found that
methadone had no bad long-term effects on your vital organs, and produces side effects that are mild when compared to most
other drugs. The most common effects of methadone use are constipation, water retention, skin rashes, sweating, loss of libido,
and dry mouth.
Reducing your risks
By enrolling in
a methadone treatment program, you will no longer be at risk of getting arrested or having your children taken away from you
– and you will be able to pass drug tests at work.
You will not have to worry about the purity of your methadone,
because it will come from a pharmacy. And if you have been sharing needles during your drug use, entering methadone treatment
will drastically reduce your risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis, or other blood-borne pathogens.
More than 300 scientific
studies have documented the safety and effectiveness of methadone treatment for opiate addictions. It is one of the most widely
tested medications in the world.