Tag Archives: methadone maintenance

Methadone Works to Fight Opiate Addiction, Originally Used as Painkiller

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Methadone is well known these days as a narcotic medicine that is used to treat opiate addiction. A narcotic itself, the drug first came on the scene in the United States back in 1947. German scientists had developed it during World War II as a synthetic pain killer.

At first, the powerful medicine was prescribed to ease post surgical pain and that of cancer patients. Three years after American physicians first put it to use, they realized its benefits for people trying to kick heroin and morphine addictions. Methadone helps counteract what can be very severe withdrawal symptoms from the other drugs.

Methadone is a synthetic medicine which is created in laboratories. Heroin and morphine are both made from opium poppies. Their pain-killing abilities last approximately two to four hours, while methadone’s effects in the body continue for 24 hours.

Opiates are highly addictive and produce intense reactions. Humans actually make their own chemicals in the body that are similar to opiates. These are called endorphins, which many people know of as positive after effects of exercise; some people become addicted to exercise because of the endorphins created in the body.

Endorphins reside in the brain and block signals of pain as well as creating euphoria or feelings of well-being. Opiates are like endorphins in where they reside in the brain; they fit into duplicate receptors. They are much more intense than endorphins, however, and users report feeling a rush of warmth and happy, relaxed feelings followed by a kind of numbness.

For someone suffering from physical or emotional pain, it is no wonder that opiates are so alluring. The first dose is usually very intense, and many people will continue using the drug to reproduce the first high. Addicts grow tolerant to the drug and must use higher dosages to reach that state of euphoria.

Addicts also learn that the succeeding highs do not last as long as the ones experienced early on. The addict ends up needing to take the drug more often. This is one of the reasons that addiction is so crippling; soon, an addict will need to find sources for greater quantities of the drug and find them more often.

When someone addicted to an opiate misses a dose or tries to quit without help, he or she will experience withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal can be extremely harsh to the body and mind. The unpleasantness of withdrawal may include symptoms such as upset stomach and diarrhea.

Muscle and joint pain along with depression and anxiety can also accompany withdrawal. These symptoms and a host of others may start showing up within just a few hours after the addict’s last dose. Fear of withdrawal keeps many addicts from leaving their drugs behind.

Addiction is not just an emotional response of course. Physical need for the drug is real. The body has grown accustomed to it, and can no longer function in the same ways without it.

With guidance, and the aid of medicines such as methadone, the addict can leave behind the street drug and go on to a healthier life. Methadone can relieve the discomfort of withdrawal from opiates. Methadone does not provide the same high as heroin, for example, but it is working within the brain in the same way.

Methadone not only keeps opiate addicts from going into withdrawal, it also works to block the effects of other opiates. In the case of an addict who relapses while undergoing methadone treatment, he or she will not be able to feel the euphoric effects of the other drug. Methadone does not cure opiate addiction, but it can be extremely helpful.

It can keep addicts from going into withdrawal so they can stay away from dangerous street drugs such as heroin. Methadone provides the help needed so addicts can start redirecting their lives toward recovery. Methadone is addictive itself, so it needs to be taken under medical supervision.

Methadone comes in both pills and liquids. It can be administered at a drug treatment clinic or treatment center, or a physician can write a prescription so the patient can take the dose at home. Counselling is a recommended companion to medical intervention so that the addict can discover the life issues that have led to drug use.

Although methadone is a godsend for many addicts, it too has it problems. It is sometimes traded on the streets for illegal opiates so the addict can continue using the earlier drug. Another danger of methadone is the possibility of overdose especially when methadone is taken along with alcohol or other drugs.

Addicts taking methadone may be tempted to take opiates at the same time. This is extremely dangerous and can lead to seizures, coma and death. Methadone, when taken correctly, is a wonderful tool to help eradicate drug addiction.

To Suboxone From Methadone : Should You Change?

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To Suboxone From Methadone: What If You Want To Switch?

To Suboxone from Methadone

To Suboxone from Methadone

You may be a person attending a Methadone Clinic and are considering changing you medication to suboxone from methadone. Maybe you are  interested in understanding the differences between methadone and that of suboxone treatment when used for narcotic addiction treatment. Methadone has been around for decades. Suboxone has only recently been used to treat opioid addiction.

There are several things to consider before making a change to Suboxone from Methadone. First, the switch can be complicated by severe opioid withdrawal. Methadone can be increased to a high doses to stop any cravings or discomfort. Suboxone does not work the same way. Many drug users benefit from the resources that are available at a Methadone Treatment Center that are not available with Suboxone treatment.

To Suboxone From Methadone: Medication Problems

During a change from to suboxone from methadone, one may have severe issues with opioid withdrawal. To switch to suboxone from methadone, your physician will have to first remove the methadone and this will cause opioid withdrawal. The way suboxone works, it can only be started once a person is in a certain degree of opioid withdrawal. This is referred to as Suboxone Induction. If a person on Methadone just starts Suboxone without getting off the Methadone, the Suboxone can cause opiate withdrawal on the spot.

Also, if the Induction phase of the change goes as planned, it could be several weeks before one feel comfortable on the new medication. You should be aware that some individuals may never show improvement on the Suboxone. They may just quit it and relapse. They sometimes will opt to go back to using Methadone. You need to weigh these considerations. Are you really willing to go through the chance of these issues occurring?

To Suboxone From Methadone : Methadone Is Stronger

Full mu opioid agonist such as methadone can be more dangerous than Suboxone. It can cause respiratory depression during overdose. However, one benefit of Methadone is a higher dose produces more of an effect for drug users. They usually can obtain relief at some level of Methadone. In fact, under the care of a physician, the level of Methadone can be pushed very high.

For those patients who may not want or need high amounts of Methadone in order to stop cravings or addictive behavior (seeking more medication, continued illegal opioid use, theft, etc.), the change to suboxone from methadone may be a good idea.  Changing to suboxone from methadone usually requires a person being able to reduce their Methadone use to 40mg per day or less. If they cannot get down to this level, they may not be a good candidate for Suboxone.

To Suboxone From Methadone : Other Issues

Although having to go to a Methadone Treatment Center daily is a major issue for many, it has its positive points. Patients having a lot of contact with Methadone Treatment staff are likely to get more of their problems addressed. Other psychiatric concerns such as major depression, schizophrenia, and manic depression will be treated at the center. Individual counseling is usually available for those in need. Even job training assistance may be present.

For those patients who are currently employed or have less severe family and social problems, switching to suboxone from methadone may be worth a try. Contact with a physician is usually once every four weeks when stable on Suboxone. Typically, if a client is needing counseling, they will need a referral to an outside therapist by their physician. Job training is not available in the doctor’s office. However, being on Suboxone has other positives. Not having frequent appointments with a doctor or clinic is a welcome relief for many. Patients feel they have more privacy being seen by their own physician. They don’t want to be seen attending a Methadone Clinic.

To Suboxone From Methadone : Summary

Switching to suboxone from methadone has helped the lives of many individuals who have an dependency to opiates. Suboxone treatment less complicated, appears to carry less embarrassment for patients, and it requires less total time. Not every individual will do well with Suboxone treatment and would be better served with Methadone. Those who don’t have adequate housing, have a high opioid dependency, and have other psychiatric illnesses may do better. Before making a switch to suboxone from methadone, be sure to discuss these issues with your physician.

Suboxone Treatment Directory And Methadone Treatment Directory

Dr. Rich is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with licenses in Texas and Hawaii. He specializes in the treatment of opioid addiction with buprenorphine and runs a FREE locator service to find Methadone Treatment.

Welcome To The Methadone Clinic Directory

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Welcome To The Methadone Clinic and Methadone Treatment Clinics Directory

Methadone Clinicc Directory

Methadone Clinicc Directory

If you are looking for a methadone clinic or methadone treatment clinics, feel free to use our free directory to find help by your location. A methadone clinic doctor is a doctor who is trained to treat opioid addiction with the use of methadone. Methadone Treatment Clinics are highly regulated. Although methadone clinics are found in most major cities, they are not in every smaller town.

Methadone is a treatment for opioid addiction in patients that don’t want or have failed suboxone treatment. Methadone has been used in the United States for opioid addiction since the 1960’s. In comparison, suboxone treatment has only been use for this purpose over the last ten years. Methadone Treatment Clinics can help those with painkiller addiction problems, oxycontin addiciton, heroin addiction, and other types of narcotic addictions.

What Is A Methadone Clinic ?

You can find out more here about the Methadone treatment clinics. Methadone is not for everyone. Methadone treatment clinics can be inconvenient to reach since they are not in every town. A methadone clinic has many restrictions on how many times per week one must attend what is involved with the treatment. As a result, not everyone is able or not wanting to attend a methadone clinic.

The alternative of going to a methadone clinic is getting suboxone treatment. This is a newer treatment that can be done from your regular doctors office. Thousands of doctors in the United States now prescribe suboxone for opioid addiction. This has allowed many patients to no longer have to attend a methadone clinic. You would need to discuss with a suboxone doctor if you are right for this type of treatment. You can also use our suboxone doctor directory to find one near you.

Methadone Treatment Clinics : Why Should You Go To A Methadone Clinic?

There are many advantages to methadone treatment. You can find out more about the benefits of methadone treatment clinics by looking at some of the articles on this site. Methadone treatment clinics have been proven to reduce crime, improve employment, and help families heal. Methadone has also been used during pregnancy of opioid addicts. Any methadone clinic should have experience with most any situation and questions you have since they have been around for many decades.

A methadone clinic is not just used for the person who injects opioids. Methadone treatment clinics can be a place to go for those who have become addicted to oxycontin, vicodin, and other pain relievers. Many individuals being treated for chronic pain have an addiction to their medication and are unable to stop the medication when they are instructed by their doctor to do so. If suboxone treatment is not a good alternative for you, going to a methadone clinic for an evaluation may be helpful.

Methadone Treatment Center Directory and Suboxone Doctor Directory

Dr. Rich is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with licenses in Texas and Hawaii. He specializes in the treatment of opioid addiction with buprenorphine and runs a FREE locator service to find Methadone Treatment including Suboxone treatment for opioid addiction. Find a Suboxone Doctor in your area.
Dr. Rich has written more articles on the cost of oxycontin, buprenorphine (Suboxone) including frequently asked questions and a recent post : Signs of Painkiller Addiction

Methadone Clinic and Methadone Treatment Clinics Article Resources

What Is Methadone : Methadone Drug Information

What is Methadone Treatment ? Facts On This Opioid Addiction Treatment

Methadone Side Effects

Methadone Overdose : Signs, Symptoms, and What To Do

Effects of Methadone : More Than For Methadone Treatment

How to Get Methadone : What You Need To Do Legally

Opioid Addiction : 10 Questions For You

Suboxone Detox Instead of Methadone Treatment ?

Methadone : What Are People Searching For On The Web

Suboxone Treatment Methadone Alternative : What is it?

Find A Suboxone Doctor in Your State

Methadone Treatment Cost For Opioid Addiction

NIDA

SAMHSA

 

Suboxone Detox Instead of Methadone Treatment ?

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Suboxone Detox

Suboxone Detox

Suboxone Detox Instead of Methadone Detox

Detoxing from a narcotics involves slowly reducing the quantity of a drug to avoid severe or dangerous withdrawal. People usually seek detox for : Alcohol, benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin), and opioid drugs.  Physical dependence is when an individual experiences withdrawal symptoms when abruptly discontinuing a medication. Symptoms may include tremors, insomnia, anxiety, high blood pressure, seizures, and even death. When a person has taken a narcotic for a long enough period, suddenly stopping the narcotic will lead to withdrawal because of their physical dependence.  Symptoms specific to opioid withdrawal: severe cravings, goosebumps, runny nose, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and sweating.  The reason for a slow narcotic detox is to help limit these problems and  avoid relapse.


Methadone, Suboxone (buprenorphine/Naloxone) are two medications used for detox from opioid drugs. They are used if the patient has not been able to taper the drug they are taking on their own or with the supervision of their physician. One is usually switched from the current medication(Oxycontin, Vicodin, or heroin) to Methadone or Suboxone (buprenorphine) and then the dose of the drug is slowly reduced.

Who should consider Suboxone detox or Methadone Treatment Detox?

  1. If you are unable to stop using heroin in any form.
  2. If you have become addicted to pain killer medications.
  3. If you are having dangerous side effects from opioid pain medications.
  4. If you are injecting or ‘shooting up” narcotics in any form.
  5. If you are snorting opioids in any form.

Previously, it was thought  that people addicted to heroin were the main people needing detoxification. However, more recently, we have seen a lot of younger and older patients seeking treatment because of being addicted to their  pain medications. Remember, Everyone will eventually get physically dependent to opiods if they are taken long enough and at a high enough dose. However, not everyone becomes an opioid addict. The people who are physically dependent but not involved in addictive behaviors (stealing, planning use, using despite health or social consequences)  do quiet well once they are detoxed from opioids.

Suboxone Detox: Another Choice than Methadone Treatment

Suboxone detox is that it can be accomplished from your doctor’s office. Previously, one had the choice of having a opioid detox in the hospital or going to a methadone treatment center for detox. A Suboxone detox is generally more convenient the patient than methadone and can take less time. Many people prefer going to their own physician rather than a methadone clinic. If the patient and doctor decide to do a slow detox with suboxone, there are less office visits (methadone treatment requires almost daily visits) . Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) detox is considered a good for many, but not all opioid addicted individuals who don’t want to go to methadone treatment.

Opioid Detox: How Fast To Reduce

How fast the Methadone or the Suboxone is tapered depends on the what is best for each patient. The detox can be as short as a week to longer than half a year.

The more stable a patient is in their personal, work, and social life, the faster the reduction can be done. Has the patient relapsed many times in the past during or after detoxification? How long have they been using opioids? Are they on other drugs of abuse? Do they have another psychiatric illnesses like depression? How much legal problems dothey have? Theses things need to be weighed by the patient and discussed with their physician before undergoing methadone treatment detox or Suboxone detox.

Suboxone Detox: What Happens

The amount of narcotic withdrawal symptoms that people experience during Suboxone detox varies from patient to patient. Usually, the higher the dose one is starting from and the quicker one reduces the medications, the more withdrawal symptoms that will be experienced.

Despite using Suboxone or Methadone for detox, most people will experience opioid withdrawal symptoms. During opioid withdrawal, my experience is patients have the most problems with the sleeplessness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and cravings. The National Pain Foundation has a nice summary regarding the symptoms and ways to help.

There are a number of drugs that can be used to help with the withdrawal symptoms that happen during detox. They can be very helpful in getting rest while going through detox in addition to reducing the diarrhea. Using methadone or Suboxone alone during the detox with a slow taper will help reduce the cravings and cramping.

Suboxone Detox: Where Can I find One?

Most psychiatric hospitals can provide a suboxone detox. This can be done in the hospital, or by attending a partial hospitalization program. In an outpatient setting, you need to find a doctor who will prescribe suboxone. There are several Suboxone (buprenorphine) physician directories available that will help you find a center or doctor in your area.

Suboxone Detox Summary:

Methadone and Suboxone are drugs that are used for detoxification in those people wanting to get off their opioid medications or illicit narcotic drug use. The opiod withdrawal symptoms can be reduced with a number of medications. Suboxone doctors and Methadone treatment clinics are available and can be found  treatment center directories online.

Find Methadone Treatment or a Doctor in Your Area That Can Start You on Suboxone:

If you need help and are looking for a physician who prescribes Suboxone, click Suboxone Doctor Directory. If you think you may need more intensive treatment such a methadone detox, other opioid detox, or getting started on buprenorphine inpatient, click here for our state opioid treatment center registry. Dr. Senyszyn is a Maui psychiatrist.