Methadone abuse can include: taking the drug against medical advice or after the prescription for maintenance treatment runs out; and taking it in conjunction with other substances to increase the potency.The amount of methadone that’s illegally diverted in this country has a profound effect on the number of cases of addiction and overdose reported each year. Methadone is a long-lasting synthetic opiate medication intended to treat chronic pain and as a substitute in the treatment of opiate addiction. It too has the potential to lead to addiction. Methadone maintenance is used to ease drug cravings that kick in during withdrawal from the drug of choice. Repeated use of methadone, even when used as prescribed, can lead to the development of a tolerance. Once this happens, more of the drug is needed to feel the desired effect. An addiction to methadone can cause a second addiction and the need for safe, responsible and opiate-free detox treatment. Many cases of methadone addiction stem from patients who are legitimately prescribed the drug to curb cravings for opiates including heroin, OxyContin , Percocet and Percodan.
Examples, Signs and Warnings of Methadone Abuse
Signs of methadone abuse and addiction include a mental preoccupation with obtaining and consuming the drug. Others may attempt to purchase the drug through illicit means on the black market. Repeated, chronic use despite potential negative consequences can also constitute methadone abuse. The drug can be diverted from the methadone maintenance centers where it is administered or from prescriptions written for pain relief.
Combining methadone with other substances including alcohol, heroin or cocaine can be deadly. Emergency rooms across the country have been reporting increases in the number of methadone-related overdoses. Other serious health complications that could arise if methadone is abused include coma, respiratory depression, liver failure, chronic constipation that could lead to a blockage, other bowel problems, heavy perspiration, alternating between wakeful and sleepy states (nodding off) and sedation.
Methadone Addiction Can Be Eradicated Without Opiate Replacements
For many, the use of methadone is essentially swapping one drug addiction for another. For some, this kind of treatment could go on for years, keeping patients addicted and afraid to face withdrawal again. The symptoms of methadone withdrawal are said to be worse and longer lasting than those produced by heroin. Fortunately, there is a treatment option that rids patients of opiates in a matter of hours without using dangerous opiate replacements. The Waismann Method of rapid detox offers world-class rapid detox of opiates through a pioneering procedure performed in an accredited hospital. Here, patients are admitted for a few days where they first undergo thorough testing to check possible internal damage of organs or the gastrointestinal system. The rapid detox procedure uses medications to cleanse methadone from patients’ opiate receptors. During this, the patient sleeps lightly under sedation and awakes without the awareness of the accelerated withdrawal that occurred. The procedure takes an hour and a half or less and patients remain in the hospital for two to four days for around-the-clock monitoring.
