Methadone is a potent opiate generally prescribed for two purposes: pain relief and heroin withdrawal symptom management. The drug is widely prescribed mostly for the long time it remains effective in the body and its low cost. Ruth Winecker, the chief toxicologist at the North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office, says that the price for the drug is so cheap that insurance companies promote its use. Yet, methadone is not only used to treat medical conditions. A growing number of people are becoming addicted to it.
Tolerance, Dependence and Addiction
As with any opiates, it is very easy to develop tolerance for methadone. This leads most users to increase their dosages, leading to a higher risk of developing dependence. Most people who need the drug will need the drug for an extended period of time. The combination of time and tolerance can lead to dependence and eventually addiction.
High Mortality Rates
Methadone is among the most common types of drugs associated with overdose. This is because it often amplifies other medications such as Xanax. A common way to digest methadone is orally. Tragically, it is hard to control the amount of the substance consumed in the dosages taken, often leading to overdose. In the United States, deaths from methadone more than quadrupled between 1999 and 2004, according to the CDC.
Extreme Withdrawal
Unlike heroin, methadone has an extremely long period of withdrawal. Those going through the process should expect to still have symptoms after five or six weeks. The process of withdrawal from the drug is also much more painful than that of heroin.
Severe Side Effects
As with all opiates, the users of methadone can experience a broad range of side effects. Some of the side effects usually reported by users of the opiate include nausea, hallucinations, changes in blood pressure, arrhythmia, vomiting, headaches and changes in weight.
Long Half-life
A little known fact about methadone is that it has an extremely long half-life. Usually, about half of the dosage is still left in the body 22 hours after consumption. Also, 10mg, or a single tablet, can take about five days to completely leave the system. Often, people don't realize this and consume too much of the drug.
References
- Ruth Winecker; Chief Toxicologist at the North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office; Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Methadone
- Charleston Gazette: The Killer Cure
- Drug-rehab.org: Methadone Addiction
