Methadone is a schedule II narcotic, making it useful medically as it can be legally prescribed by physicians all over the United States. Methadone is used to treat severe and chronic pain, typically associated with cancer, or to treat addiction at methadone clinics in Orlando, Florida.
Methadone is used to treat addiction to substances like heroin and painkillers, typically Vicodin and OxyContin. Although it is a narcotic deemed safe for use, the drug still carries a high risk of addiction and severe side effects.
What is Methadone
Methadone is a synthetic, narcotic analgesic, commonly known as a painkiller, that is available in oral dosage for prescription use. They are usually found in tablet, powder, or liquid form that a patient can ingest to get relief from any chronic pain. This makes methadone an incredibly potent painkiller that is commonly used to treat severe, persisting pain. However, due to its side effects and potential addiction, methadone is not prescribed for minor ailments.
However, the primary use for methadone at methadone clinics in Orlando, Florida, is to reduce withdrawal symptoms among recovering individuals. It is highly effective in helping people recover from narcotic addictions like heroin. Methadone works as an integral part of MAT (Medically Assisted Treatment) by helping recovering individuals combat their withdrawal symptoms, which significantly reduces the chances of them relapsing. By keeping the withdrawal symptoms under check, recovering patients can focus more on making a long-term recovery without the risk of being overpowered by their cravings and withdrawal.
How Does Methadone Work
Methadone is an opioid itself and it works by mimicking morphine, as it is the most commonly abused opioid. Methadone can be classified as an opioid agonist, as it binds itself to the opioid receptors in the brain and activates them, which leads to quick pain relief. However, unlike other opioids like morphine, the effects of methadone are gradual, and it works mildly. Since the drug gets absorbed into the body slowly, it offers pain relief without providing a euphoric sensation like other opioids.
However, this does not mean that methadone cannot be abused. Although methadone can reduce cravings for other opioids, it can be highly addictive, which is why all methadone clinics in Orlando, Florida, make it mandatory for patients to visit their facilities to get their dosage, which is gradually reduced to wean them off the opioid without leading to an addiction.
Read More: Are Suboxone and Methadone the Same?
Side Effects of Methadone
Methadone can be a vital key to recovery for most individuals, but it has its fair share of side effects. These can range from short-term to long-term side effects that can cause physical and psychological harm.
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Short-Term Side Effects of Methadone.
The most common short-term side effects of using methadone are hallucinations, insomnia, depression, anxiety, paranoia, delusions, suicidal tendencies, and impaired concentration. The psychological side effects can be more severe than the physical ones, which is why it is crucial that the recovering individual is slowly weaned off or switched to an alternative medication like buprenorphine.
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Long-Term Side Effects of Methadone
One of the most common long-term side effects of using methadone is the development of chemical dependency to treat chronic pain. This is the primary reason why most physicians are reluctant to prescribe methadone to ailing patients. This chemical dependency can quickly transform into a misuse problem that can create a new addiction among recovering patients. Therefore, it is essential to keep recovering individuals undergoing methadone treatment under medical supervision and watch their dosage to prevent misuse. Furthermore, long-term methadone use can lead to substantial damage to the patient’s nerves, liver, and brain. This damage can be irreversible even if the individual is weaned off the drug and can lead to impaired brain function.
Methadone can be a valuable drug that helps people overcome their addiction. However, great care must be taken to avoid an addiction and chemical dependency to methadone itself. That is why it is highly recommended for all recovering individuals to get their methadone treatment as a part of Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) from methadone clinics in Orlando, Florida, that also offer behavioral modification therapy to help further reduce the chance of a relapse. After all, a stable long-term recovery is the goal for every person struggling with an addiction.
