When combating addiction, detox is the first major step in the rehabilitation process. Essentially, detox is detoxification – it is the process in which the body rids itself of a drug. Detox is accompanied by symptoms of withdrawal, and during a formal detox program, those symptoms – which are extremely difficult to deal with – are managed by professionals.
In terms of long-term substance abuse or addiction, stopping abruptly and suddenly comes with major withdrawal effects. For example, people are likely to experience things like restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, vomiting, and cold flashes. Detox is a difficult and seemingly unbearable process for most, but it is the first step of saying goodbye to addiction.
What is methadone?
More than 6,000 deaths in the year 2011 were attributed to methadone overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Methadone is a time-released, synthetic, opiate narcotic pain reliever. It can stay in your system for up to 36 hours and has extreme potential for dependency and addiction.
Originally, methadone was prescribed for people as a detox drug – it was intended for opiate users to use it during their detox process to help steer them away from opiates. It was only accessible through methadone clinics, but now, more and more doctors are prescribing it as an orally-used pain reliever.
People like methadone because it is cheap, easy to get, and comes with the idea that it will help users discontinue using heroin and other painkillers. But, in reality, methadone can become a problem all on its own.
Unfortunately, methadone dependency has become a big problem – just like the drug it was intended to replace. While many people can use methadone to successfully overcome heroin and other opiate addictions, there is a real concern of becoming addicted to methadone.
Signs and symptoms of methadone use and abuse
Methadone leads users to feeling euphoria and a false sense of contentment. Since methadone is a time-release painkiller, the effects take more time to actually feel, compared to other drugs. This is especially dangerous because people may end up taking more of the drug because they haven’t felt the symptoms yet, which could lead to overdose.
Common methadone side effects are things like insomnia, fatigue, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, constipation, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, breathing problems, confusion, hallucinations, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, and even loss of consciousness.
Methadone detox
Like any drug, abruptly discontinuing methadone use can lead to severe and painful withdrawal symptoms. Many methadone users even report that withdrawal symptoms from this drug are even worse than for other opiates. Methadone is a highly addictive drug – this makes detox especially difficult. It also produces some of the most difficult withdrawal symptoms to deal with, making the entire detox procedure extremely uncomfortable. Additionally, because methadone side effects often include a lessened appetite, and therefore malnourishment, withdrawal symptoms can be more intensified and even worse. Additionally, because methadone is a long-lasting drug (the time-release property mentioned earlier), this can make withdrawal symptoms last much longer than other shorter-acting opioids.
Methadone detox symptoms include sneezing, running nose, watery eyes, fever, sweating, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, body aches, high blood pressure, tremors, irritability, delusions, paranoia, and even suicide.
The process of withdrawal from methadone can take anywhere from three to ten days. Health professionals recommend a ‘step-down’ procedure for methadone detox, which includes decreasing doses overtime instead of just suddenly stopping one day. This takes extra time, but can significantly decrease withdrawal symptoms.
Methadone detox usually occurs via traditional hospital and IV therapy, with the latter being deemed the most effective and safest by most physicians. IV therapy is the recommended method usually because it allows medical professionals to adjust medications at any time in order to best suit anyone’s position in the withdrawal process. This makes the individual more comfortable during an otherwise uncomfortable time – and studies show that the more comfortable a person is, the more likely they are to complete the detox. Studies also show that after completing a detox, the individual is more likely to continue with successful recovery and substance abstinence in the future.
Factors influencing methadone withdrawal
How long someone has been taking methadone definitely plays a role in the duration of their withdrawal symptoms. A shorter experience with methadone will likely lead to an easier and shorter withdrawal period. Longer exposure to methadone results in more serious changes in your brain and body, making it more difficult to kick the addiction. Dosage is also likely to affect methadone withdrawal. Greater withdrawal difficulty comes with higher dosages of methadone in most cases.
Beyond that, personal and individual makeup will affect how one will handle withdrawal symptoms. Everyone is different and therefore everyone has the potential to experience different withdrawal symptoms, durations of symptoms, and intensity of symptoms.
The post Detoxing: Methadone appeared first on The Solution News.