Methadone Addiction: Understanding the Risks of Methadone Abuse

What sets Methadone apart from other painkillers is that it has no “ceiling effect.” This means it doesn’t lose its effect when it reached a certain dose. Thus, this drug is popularly used as a maintenance drug for people recovering from addiction to heroin or other drugs. The effects of Methadone are long-lasting, usually taking 24 to 36 hours to wear off. But this also means that the drug stays for a long time inside the body. This longevity greatly increases the risk of accidental overdose and the potential for chronic methadone abuse among those seeking a continuous high.

If someone uses the drug outside of the prescribed dosage, he or she must be stopped right away. An expert should carefully supervise treatments that use Methadone. The rise in methadone addiction is considered a significant part of the opioid abuse pandemic in the United States. With one in three painkiller deaths involving the misuse of this substance, professional intervention is more critical than ever.

Methadone comes in either tablet or even wafer form. There’s also liquid Methadone. Some addicts, however, like to turn the drug into powder and snort it to get high quickly and more intensely. The worst kinds of addicts inject the drug into their system. If you have reason to believe that someone is snorting or injecting the medication, it is a strong indicator that they are already struggling with a methadone addiction. Patients who abuse the drug will show tolerance to it, leading them to try to get an advanced prescription for the drug. If their doctors refuse to provide prescriptions, then they would go “doctor shopping,” and look for physicians willing to write them a prescription.

You may also see physical signs from a person suffering from Methadone abuse. These signs include constipation, drowsiness, mood swings, skin rashes, and fatigue. New users of the drug may also experience nausea, headache, and weakness.

If someone who is already dependent on Methadone fails to have a dose for more than 30 hours, he or she will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms. These include restlessness, sleepiness, anxiety, flu-like symptoms, and excessive yawning. Since this drug’s effects are long-lasting, its withdrawal symptoms tend to last for a long time. Patients who have engaged in long-term methadone abuse may experience more intense withdrawal symptoms, making a supervised medical detox even more necessary for safety and comfort. Apart from the symptoms mentioned above, long-time methadone users may also experience body aches, chills, stomach cramps, goosebumps, irritability, agitation, and even depression.

Methadone withdrawal symptoms usually last for two weeks for mild cases and up to 21 days for more acute cases. But as with the abuse of other types of opioids, a post-acute withdrawal syndrome or PAWS may occur for those who have developed a severe methadone addiction. This condition can involve prolonged symptoms that require professional monitoring

Patients who are addicted to Methadone should not go cold turkey because this could lead to dangerous consequences. Developing a professional strategy for overcoming methadone addiction is essential, though it can be complex since the medication is often the same one used to treat other forms of opioid dependency. What professionals recommend is to taper the dosage of the drug each day. This method makes the withdrawal symptoms less severe and more tolerable. This also makes the patients crave less for the drug.

The use of clonidine, a drug usually prescribed for patients with high blood pressure, to replace Methadone is also common. This drug can reduce some withdrawal synonyms and can also lessen the time needed for physical detoxification. Other drugs may be used to control other withdrawal symptoms. Sometimes an opioid antagonizer, naltrexone, is also given to the patients to block the euphoric effects of Methadone and reduce the drug craving. After physical detoxification, the patient will still need to undergo psychological therapy.

Methadone is used as a replacement drug to treat addiction to opioids. But it also has the potential for abuse and can cause drug addiction; therefore, addressing the root causes of methadone abuse is critical for long-term recovery. Treating methadone addiction can be tricky due to the drug’s long-lasting nature. However, with the right evidence-based care at a specialized center like Elevate Recovery, individuals can find the support they need to achieve a high chance of lasting recovery.