Herion Addiction: Methadone & Heroin Facts

Question: Is methadone maintenance an effective option for treating herion addiction?

(Posted by: casey jo on 2009-04-28 11:33:59)

Posted by: inkblot on 2009-05-01, 23:32:21

Methadone maintenance is a harms reduction technique trying to reduce the use of heroin and all that comes with it. If you're a heroin addict then you probably know what I'm talking about, but if not heroin is a hard addiction to maintain and deadly (IV use/ overdose/ etc.). There is actually a newer medication that is being used that seems to be effective at helping opiate addicts called Suboxone. I think that you have to weigh the pros and cons of methadone maintenance. There are a lot of people, especially in 12 step groups who maintain that the only way of recovery is abstinence from all drugs, but unfortunately there are two flaws here: Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous (or any other anonymous) are not treatment modalities they are actually support groups and secondly, not every addict is created equal. If given the option of going back to my life of heroin addiction or being on methadone maintenance, I would look at maintenance because people who do get the support around being off of heroin can be successful. First though I would check out Suboxone. I know though I can't be a successful heroin addict. So, the accurate answer to your question is yes it is an effective option, but a controversial one. If you are looking at maintenance to get off of heroin also seek therapy and other support to help you. Ultimately, getting at the core of the addiction is effective treatment.

Posted by: essentiallysolo on 2009-04-28, 11:41:26

It's been used for just that for decades, so I'd have to say yes.

Posted by: OSUrules1818 on 2009-04-28, 11:42:33

Yes, it is actually effective, but also somewhat dangerous. i suggest if you are considering it, do a LOT of research about it before actually doing it.

Posted by: docbritt on 2009-04-28, 11:43:34

Well, this depends on the patient. yes, many times methadone does work for people who are weening off heroin, but there are many people who end up abusing methadone itself or relapsing. nobody is perfect, and there are often relapses no matter what strategy an addict takes in getting clean, because its such a strong and destructive drug. methadone is a hotly debated treatment, mainly because some people (usually those who are not in the medical community) dont understand how giving an addict ANOTHER addictive drug can help them in getting clean, but methadone is a lesser of the two evils (although thats a debate of its own) and its strategy consists of taking steps, whether than just going whole hog and going through the night sweats, nausea, etc of going cold turkey. many people cant handle that, and thats where methadone treatment comes in. the most important thing in this treatment is that it is very very carefully monitored and that the patient is not taking both methadone and heroin simultaneously (an overdose waiting to happen), nor is he absusing the amount of methadone he is supposed to take. giving patients a very small does at a time is essential, and being in-patient is even better, but most people cant afford that. more clinics are using methadone now, but i think in general its kind of a 1/ 2 and 1/ 2 treatment- half of what it does it great and 1/ 2 is not so great.

Posted by: Nobody and nothing on 2009-04-28, 11:44:39

No, its more addictive, worse for your teeth, and ,as its not that pleasurable, people still take drugs. you cant cure drug addiction with addictive drugs, if the medical profession want to maintain peoples addictions, why not give them synthetic heroin? the only effective treatment for heroin addiction is to stop taking it , with support from friends or agencies to deal with the social problems that lead to heroin addiction, without looking at these, nothing will really help. there is a whole industy built around addiction these days, and the medical proffesion played a huge role in this. withdrawell from methodone is much worse than withdrawel from herion.