Methadone

Methadone, also known as Amidon, Dolophine, Heptadon, and Phy, is a synthetic opioid. It is used as a pain reliever, especially of chronic pain from terminal illnesses and as cough suppressant, but it is also used to treat addiction to other opiates such as heroin. It has been used in this country since the late 1940s and was approved in the 1970s for methadone maintenance therapy. But, its use has continually grown as an illicit drug. Methadone can be taken orally in pill or liquid form but can also be injected. It has been used to help addicts to stop using drugs such as heroin, but methadone itself is addictive.

Signs and Symptoms of Methadone Use

Respiratory Depression
Constipation
Profuse Sweating
Fatigue
Sleeplessness
Nausea
Low Blood Pressure
Headache
Hallucinations
Vomiting
Stomach Pain
Perspiration
Flushing
Itching
Difficulty Urinating
Swelling of the Hands, Arms, Feet, or Legs
Agitation
Blurred Vision
Mood Changes
Insomnia
Skin Rash

More serious health risks are blood clot, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, impotence, seizures, and possible death.

Societal Issues Around Methadone Use
“Recent reports have highlighted the potential dangers, including death, of the improper use (or abuse) of methadone. Growing accounts of this medication's adverse effects - which likely stem from its increased use for treating pain, along with physician inexperience in prescribing it…” characterizes some of the inappropriate use of methadone.
(source: http://www.drugabuse.gov/about/welcome/Methadonemsg808.html)

But for thirty years methadone has been used successfully to help heroin addicts break their addiction.

In the United States, there are about 1,400 methadone maintenance programs serving over 254,000 patients, according to a 2006 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Symptoms of Methadone Withdrawal
Although Methadone is used to treat withdrawal symptoms from heroin and other opioids, it too has withdrawal symptoms that can be extremely uncomfortable.

Tremors
Vomiting
Abdominal Cramps
Nausea
Diarrhea
Teary eyes
Runny Nose

When an individual moves from heroin or OxyContin abuse to methadone, he or she will not obtain the same euphoric rush that these other opioids provide due to methadone’s slow onset of action and long half-life. As a result, an addict runs the risk of using dangerous quantities of methadone in an attempt to get the high.

Overdose symptoms

Coma
Decrease in Blood Pressure and Heart Rate
Respiratory Depression
Loss of consciousness
Blue Skin
Death

Withdrawal from methadone is slower than that of heroin withdrawal.

Slang Terms
Amidone, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fizzies, Juice, Meth-a-Done, Synthetic Heroin, Wafers