Methadone is a medication that is used in the treatment of opiate addiction. Methadone is a long-acting opiate that is designed to stay in the system for 24-48 hours, making it possible for addicts to only take the medication once a day, as opposed to a short-acting opiate like heroin, which many addicts use every few hours in order to avoid symptoms of withdrawal. Methadone works very similar to other painkillers such as Vicodin and Oxycontin, and can be prescribed as part of an ongoing pain management regimen, and researchers have found that it’s a very effective form of treatment when used to treat opiate addiction.

When a person is prescribed methadone to treat addiction, the person comes to a methadone clinic once a day to get a dose of methadone that is taken in front of a nurse. Methadone is usually dispensed as a liquid, although also comes in pill and wafer form. Addicts are closely monitored by a doctor to make sure they are not taking too much methadone and that there is no interaction with other medications. Addicts also provide random urine specimens on a regular basis in order to be monitored for illicit drug use. As part of treatment, addicts are also expected to attend individual and group therapy in order to address some of the issues that may have led to initial drug use.

Benefits of Methodone

There are several benefits to using methadone as a way to treat opiate addiction:

• When a person is on the correct dose of methadone, the medication allows them to feel normal, and not “high.” Methadone allows the addict to avoid symptoms of withdrawal while performing activities of daily living such as raising a family and going to work.
• Methadone only has to be taken once a day, as opposed to other opiates that need to be taken several times a day to avoid withdrawal. Addicts do not have to worry about trying to get their next “fix” and, therefore, the amount of crime and illegal activity associated with active drug use drops dramatically.
• Methadone is often times much cheaper for the addict to take, as addicts often times spend hundreds of dollars a day on street drugs.
• Methadone is regulated by the FDA and is, therefore, much safer for the addict to take than street drugs, which can be laced or cut with chemicals or poisons.
• The incidence of contracting or spreading diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV is also reduced, as addicts do not use or share needles to take methadone.
• Finally, methadone that is taken by pregnant women helps to reduce the chance of miscarriage and risky behavior while pregnant, and the fetus will not be going into withdrawal. Women also have a greater chance of seeking out healthcare and seeing an OB regularly if they are able to be on a stable dose of methadone.

Many people that subscribe to an abstinence based model of treatment believe that because methadone is still a drug, people taking methadone are not really clean and sober. When viewed from a risk-reduction model of treatment, methadone can be seen as a medication that helps opiate dependent individuals lead healthier, productive lives.

Jessica Parks is a certified alcohol and drug counselor in the state of Illinois and has her M.A. in art therapy counseling.

Through Methadone, Inpatient Treatment, Heroin Detox Can Be Lifelong

Detoxing from alcohol or any drug is indeed a long and difficult process. With heroin detox, the process is particularly important because of the highly addictive properties of the drug itself.

Heroin is a semi-synthetic opiod drug derived from morphine with about 90% of the drug being manufactured or coming from Afghanistan. Heroin is used as a pain killer much like morphine, and because of its availability both on the street and in doctors’ offices, the drug has become highly addictive over the last half century. In fact, the United Nations estimates that over 50 million people are addicted to heroin, cocaine, and other synthetic drugs.

Because of its addictive properties, heroin is a Schedule 1 drug in the U.S. and other countries, making it illegal for anyone to have it without a prescription or license to produce it. Heavy fines, jail time, and mandated heroin treatment are usually the sentence for those in the U.S. convicted of possession, trafficking, or use.

Highly Addictive Properties of Heroin Require Heroin Detox; Consult SoberRecovery.com for Heroin Detox Centers Near You

That heroin is so available is one of the key reasons that heroin detox is required for addicts to wean themselves off the drug once they become addicted. Usually, heroin detox involves an inpatient treatment and methadone prescriptions to reduce the physical and psychological dependence an addict has to the drug.

Through resources at SoberRecovery.com, heroin addicts can stop snorting or chasing the dragon, which is slang for rolling the drug up with tobacco and smoking it, or by heating it under foil and smoking the discharge through a tube or straw.

Heroin detox information is available for abusers and their families and loved ones at SoberRecovery.com. For nearly a decade, SoberRecovery.com has helped heroin addicts find resources to detox from the drug and live free from the grip of heroin.

Heroin Detox Can Save Your Life

Whether it is smoked, sniffed or injected, heroin is a highly addictive opiate. Though once primarily used by adults in lower-income or poverty-stricken areas, heroin use has spread to the young and to more affluent regions.

When heroin enters the body, it is converted back to morphine and quickly binds to opiate receptors in the brain, producing a rush. Once the rush has passed, the user will be drowsy for several hours as brain functions and heart functions slow severely. Breathing can also slow, sometimes to the point of death.

Overdose is another potentially fatal effect, since users build up tolerance very quickly, resulting in taking larger and larger doses to get the same effect. Since it is difficult to know how pure the drug is, there’s no way of knowing how big a dose to take. HIV and AIDS are also common, as a result of sharing needles.

Withdrawal symptoms begin six to eight hours after the last dose, peak between 48 and 72 hours, and can last from about a week to several months. Stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, chills, tremors, and panic attacks are among the many symptoms.

Options for Heroin Detox

There are two approaches to heroin detox. Some clinics use methadone, a synthetic opioid that blocks the receptors in the brain from getting the rush of heroin. Methadone has similar effects, but less intensely. One issue with methadone treatment for heroin detox is that the user can become addicted to the less harmful drug. Gradual reduction of the dose can allow the user to wean himself from the methadone without serious withdrawal symptoms.

Other detox facilities believe that the use of methadone is counterproductive and only delays the inevitable need for complete detoxification. At these centers, withdrawal is medically supervised, and medications can be administered that relieve some symptoms but are not addictive.

Heroin detoxification is a manner of treatment provided to decrease the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms when a heroin addict quits using heroin. A heroin detox is should done with medical supervision.

Heroin detoxification should take anywhere from three to five days. The addict undergoing the heroin detox should be provided with medication to ease the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms usually associated with quitting heroin. The withdrawal symptoms or side effects from heroin include but are not limited to: dilated pupils, chills or goose bumps, runny nose, loss of appetite, panic, muscle cramps, insomnia, irritability, shaking, jitteriness, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and watery eyes, etc.

Seek medical attention for Heroin Detox

Heroin withdrawal symptoms and side effects can be some of the most uncomfortable and unbearable an addict may experience compared to the withdrawal symptoms and side effects from other drugs. Heroin Detox is necessary for one who has become physically and psychologically dependent on heroin that may experience heroin withdrawal symptoms and side effects while quitting all at once, or even while slowly decrease their daily intake of heroin. Heroin withdrawal symptoms and side effects begin six to eight hours after the last dose is taken. Major heroin withdrawal symptoms and side effects will spike somewhere between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose of heroin was taken and will ease after about seven days. Heroin withdrawal symptoms and side effects are similar to a very bad case of the flu.

Heroin detoxification should be done under the care of trained professional medical personnel. Detoxification under the care of trained medical personnel in a controlled environment will ensure the safety and well being of the individual who has decided to stop using heroin.

Rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol start with a very important first step: detoxification. Detoxing your system is one of the reasons so many people enter alcohol and drug rehab centers. Their addiction source is cut off and they have no access to it. It’s a forced way to jump start recovery when the person has no access to the drug they want to get away from. Most addicts have low self-esteem and no will power, so removing them from their dangerous environment and putting them into an alcohol and drug rehab is the best option to get better.

Depending on the drug, some people need a good amount of medical attention as they detox, and that is why a rehab center is ideal. If someone is addicted to serious pain relievers like Oxycontin or street drugs like heroin, they need the supervision of a medical expert. There are withdrawal symptoms that can be difficult to overcome for the first part of treatment. These can be significant behavioral changes and even flu-like symptoms. Someone suffering from withdrawal can even have seizures.

Alcohol and Drug Rehab Can Help

When someone enters a treatment facility, they will begin a process of recovery that is planned out by the help of medical experts. Not everyone needs the exact same type of recovery plan, and a good rehab clinic will know the best path for you to take. It’s a serious commitment to beat your addiction, and alcohol and drug rehab can help.