Usage and effects of methadone

Methadone serves as an effective treatment for addiction to narcotics like heroin, morphine, and other such opioids. According to the statistics released by American Methadone Treatment Association in 1999, around 20 percent of the heroin addicts in the United States receive methadone treatment. This treatment is called as Methadone Maintenance Treatment or MMT. MMT is also found to have the required potential to reduce the transmission of diseases like HIV and hepatitis, which are mostly associated with sharing the injection needles used for heroin abuse.

Methadone initially used as an analgesic even since the World War II. Methadone is generic and cheaper painkiller compared to other long-lasting painkillers like OxyContin. This made many doctors to prescribe this drug to their patients as an efficient analgesic.

Though Methadone is used for treating drug abuse, it has its own side effects and risks like in case of any other drugs. Methadone used under efficient medical supervision and guidelines and has no severe side affects, other than minor symptoms like constipation, water retention, drowsiness, skin rash, excessive sweating, etc. Even these minor symptoms subside gradually with increase intolerance to the drug.

However, the recent abuse of the methadone by thrill seekers and its misuse by the patients prescribed to this drug has resulted in methadone becoming the cause for fastest growing narcotics deaths. According to the federal statisticians, methadone caused to deaths of around 4,462 people between 1999 and 2005.

The above information provides some facts on methadone, its usage and effects on health. Methadone is an effective drug for treating addiction to opioids and relieving from pain. Methadone is a useful medicine only when used under proper medical supervision. Misuse of this drug results in many health ailments including death.