Methadone is a man-made narcotic that is similar to heroin in its effects upon the human body. This synthetic opiate may be used to treat people in severe pain, such as those who are recovering from major surgery. It also has been used to try to ween people off their heroin addictions. Since it has similar characteristics to heroin, methadone may be used in drug detox or rehab facilities as part of treatment to help addicts quit.
What Methadone Does
Because methadone is similar to heroin, it works the same way. It lowers the ability of the brain to register the pain sensation, and it may reduce or eliminate an emotional pain response. For these reasons, it is used as a severe pain analgesic. Once you stop using methadone, however, you no longer have this synthetic reality of being pain-free.
Symptoms
When you stop using methadone, you have the potential to experience a variety of withdrawal symptoms. These may include weakness, aches throughout the body, dilated pupils, diarrhea, insomnia, rapid heartbeat, cramps in the stomach, fever, shivering, sneezing, restlessness, runny nose, irritability, increase in sweat production, nervousness, yawning, vomiting, reduced appetite or nausea. Depression, high blood pressure and anxiety also may occur.
Time Frame
While heroin withdrawal symptoms may last seven to ten days, methadone withdrawal may last five to six weeks. Just like heroin, the human body becomes acclimated to methadone over time. It becomes dependent on the drug for a normal feeling, which disappears with elimination of methadone intake. Because it takes so long to be free of the withdrawal symptoms, there is an increased risk of relapsing into methadone use. Methadone addiction may require detoxification and therapy.
