Methadone Uses

Question by metalcrazy36: how long does it take for the the effects of Methadone to hit?

Best answer:

Answer by susan
Minutes

Answer by Sparrow
Methadone is prescribed for two reason, opiate addiction, and pain managements; and comes in several forms: liquid, pill and wafer are the most common. Liquid is primarily used for MMT clinic/opiate addiction, because it’s easier to increase and decrease dosages as needed. The liquid is consumed orally; injection is not possible.,
If taken orally, the medication will begin to be absorbed in 15-0 minutes; but you won’t feel it kick in.
Methadone, when used to treat opiate addiction, and taken in the prescribed, stabilization dose, does NOT impair cognitive ability, motor function, or logic. You won’t feel it “hit you”, in other words. The very basis of why methadone has been successful in treating opiate addicts is because it works in a time released capacity- rendering it incapable of producing feelings of euphoria or, in laymen’s terms, unable to get you high.
Now- someone who has never taken methadone before, who takes a large enough dose, may experience marked drowsiness- not a high or a buzz- but that’s why Methadone Maintenance Clinics (MMT) follow strict regulations that entail starting every new patient/opiate addict off at the very low dose of 20-30mg and From there, each patient is seen by the clinic physician on a weekly basis, and given the small increase of 2 -5 mg once a week, until they are “stabilized”- meaning they’re feeling normal- not in acute physical withdrawal from the sudden lack of opiates in their system. From that point on, there is a blood test called a peak and trough, that measures the serum levels of the methadone in the patient, to ensure their dose is of a therapeutic level, and not so high as to cause drowsiness.
I’m assuming we’re all familiar, but in case not- opiate addiction, unlike other drugs, causes a physical dependence. If an addict suddenly stops using opiates, they become severely ill. Methadone is an opioid agonist- not an opiate, but a synthetic drug that works on the same receptors in the brain that opiates do, and therefor “tricks” the brain into thinking it’s getting opiates.
There is a lot of science behind it- but the long and short of it is that our bodies produce endorphins- natural pain killers- in small amounts, as needed. Opiates- drugs derived from the poppy plant- (heroin, vicodin, Darvon, oxycontin, morphine, dilaudid, etc.)- when taken, cause an influx of these endorphins. When a person takes opiates on a regular basis, the human body, which is extremely adept at conserving it’s natural resources- recognizes that the person is providing them with more than enough synthetic endorphins through opiates- and the body stops producing it’s small amounts. So when an opiate addict suddenly stops using opiates, the body goes into an endorphin-deficiency, causing the person to become very ill.

MMT CLinis treating opiate addiction requires clients to complete one on one counseling, group therapy, physicals and blood work on a routine basis, state mandated educational classes and any other therapeutic endeavors the individual’s counselor deems needed. Clients must come in to be dosed, 7 days a week, by a licensed RN; only after a long proven track record of clean drug screens and proper following of the program can they apply for take home meds, which are only given in small amounts that vary by state (usually 2-5 at a time, based on the client’s sobriety time). Meds must be taken in a lock box and the clinic has the right to call in the client at any time to request they show their remaining doses~ this ensures clients take medication properly. Any deviation from these requirements results in the client being kicked off the program.
The Harrison drug act made prescribing methadone for opiate addiction illegal for all but state run clinics. General practitioners/MD’s may prescribe it for chronic pain, and have fewer regulations to comply with. As a result, the bulk of the horror stories and propaganda surrounding supposed methadone overdoses can be traced back to irresponsible physicians who prescribed the meds for pain management, NOT MMT clinics prescribing for opiate addiction
Despite the rhetoric and propaganda, there has not been a single death resulting from proper methadone consumption. Overdose is extremely rare; the recent celebrity deaths were the result of patients who obtained the medication from private physicians for supposed pain management, who mixed the medication with other substances, like alcohol and pills. Many of these deaths were the result of miseducation- drug seeking patients unfamiliar with methadone and how it worked, who obtained the medication from physicians or on the street, and upon realizing it didn’t get them high, mixed it with other medicines to increase the high. MMT clinics require random, frequent, supervised drug screens to ensure clients aren’t abusing other substances, and clients are not permitted to take certain medications, even if prescribed, if they can interact with the methadone.
This kind of abuse and ignorance threatens the sobriety of addicts in recovery, using methadone properly. There are dozens of sites ad groups online today who seek to ban MMT clinics, and who continue to spread misinformation about methadone deaths- but a modicum of research will demonstrate the real issue is with methadone prescribed for pain management by regular physicians, who do not have to follow these regulations. If someone claims that they know of a methadone only overdose or death, don’t take my work for it- ask them for proof. A death certificate, an obituary, any form of evidence- you can also call your county records and morgue and asks for the statistical data of your individual state; you will find proper MMT dosing is not dangerous; it saves lives. Taking away the most successful treatment for opiate addiction is the dangerous action.
For further reading:

* http://www.facebook.com/erinmsantana#!/group.php?gid=106559159942&ref=ts
(This is a group on Facebook about MMT education. If you have any questions, feel free to email me; i am the admin for the group).

* http://www.methadone.org/ (NAMA_ National Alliance for Medication Assisted Recovery , is one of the leading sources of information and education on methadone for MMT)

*http://www.drugtext.org/library/books/methadone/section4.html (The Methadone Briefing is an excellent resource that breaks down the myths and stigmas regarding methadone).

*http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/methadone/index.html (ONDCP- a factsheet on methadone from the Office of National Drug Control policy

Related 20 Mg Methadone Overdose Information…