[hannah]

a good friend of mine has started dating an ex-addict who's currently on methadone. I don't know anything about ex-addicts or methadone so I'm a little concerned about my friend. has anyone had any experience with this kind of thing? what can you tell me about the effects of methadone and the length of recovery? any info would be appreciated. cheers!

[pathfinder]

It is a synthetic drug use to treat addiction to morphine and other opiates, but methadone itself is a narcotic.Crazy ,heh?

[ellie]

Methadone is a rigorously well-tested medication that is safe and effective for the treatment of narcotic withdrawal and dependence. For more than 30 years this synthetic narcotic has been used to treat opioid addiction. Heroin releases an excess of dopamine in the body and causes users to need an opiate continuously occupying the opioid receptor in the brain. Methadone occupies this receptor and is the stabilizing factor that permits addicts on methadone to change their behavior and to discontinue heroin use.Taken orally once a day, methadone suppresses narcotic withdrawal for between 24 and 36 hours. Because methadone is effective in eliminating withdrawal symptoms, it is used in detoxifying opiate addicts. It is, however, only effective in cases of addiction to heroin, morphine, and other opioid drugs, and it is not an effective treatment for other drugs of abuse. Methadone reduces the cravings associated with heroin use and blocks the high from heroin, but it does not provide the euphoric rush. Consequently, methadone patients do not experience the extreme highs and lows that result from the waxing and waning of heroin in blood levels. Ultimately, the patient remains physically dependent on the opioid, but is freed from the uncontrolled, compulsive, and disruptive behavior seen in heroin addictsWithdrawal from methadone is much slower than that from heroin. As a result, it is possible to maintain an addict on methadone without harsh side effects. Many MMT patients require continuous treatment, sometimes over a period of years.

[tBAgmonster]

methadone is an opiate like heroin or morphine it is used to ween heroin or morphine addicts because it does not induce the same"high"your friend should make sure he/she has had a all the tests HIV Hep etc as these are rife among addicts who have shared needles hope that answered your question

[susan s]

I would fear for your friend. Methadone for addicts is just giving them another addiction. Imho.

[kelly W]

methadone is a long time thing it can take years to get off it an it can b successful but if he's hangin around the wrong sort of people chances r he's using hoped i helped a bit an ur friend does ok

[tileboy17]

can't tell you much about methadone , but I know that recovery for any addict is a lifelong condition.....once an addict always an addict,that does not mean that they all fall back into drug use thats just a fact of life and why AA has the motto"One day at a time"

[Libra]

methadone weans addicts off heroin.It is a green liquid and is taken in dosages in accordance with the level of addiction. It doesn't taste very nice but gives the body the chemicals it craves in heroin.Methadone in itself is addictive and it must be taken in the doses as prescribed. it can rot teeth and the side effects are phsysical sickness.the problem with methadone, like any replacement chemical for addictions is that it does not give the exact feeling of heroin - the craving still exists and therefore your friend will need support in his/ her period of methadone, it is so easy to return to heroin. he/ she needs motivation and encouragement and i assume, as a good friend it is your role to provide this support.i have never been on heroin or methadone but I have client's who have been on both and have told me their experiences.