Risks of Methadone Treatment

These are the positive aspects and the risks of the use of methadone when treating addictions.

Methadone is a synthetic opiate developed in 1937, widely used to assist people who have been in a heroin detoxification process for half a century.

The positive results offered by the use of this substance as a substitutive therapy in people who wish to overcome a strong addiction such as opioid addiction have led to methadone treatment being one of the most used in the clinical field in this type of cases.

Now, part of the medical intervention program is based on taking into account the risks of using this substitute drug and minimizing the chances of problems arising due to its misuse. Therefore, in this article we will talk about the risks and benefits of methadone substitution treatment .

Risks of Methadone Treatment

Over the last decades, the use of methadone has been popularized together with psychological therapy to care for people with addiction to various opiates, especially heroin, and its effects have also been studied by health professionals .

There are many beneficial effects of the use of methadone as a substitute therapy for drug addictions, but there are also a series of risks that must be taken into account during the process. We summarize them below.

1. Slow breathing

Respiratory depression, which is the technical name for the slowed-breathing effect sometimes caused by the use of methadone as a heroin detoxification treatment, can be life-threatening when it occurs.

These respiratory problems may appear by chance during the first 24 to 72 hours of treatment , especially if the dose of consumption is increased indiscriminately and without medical supervision.

In addition, the risk of slow breathing can mainly affect people with previous breathing problems or illnesses, as well as cases of asthma.

2. Nausea and vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are some of the classic side effects of opiate use , something that affects both physically and psychologically in the person who is immersed in the process of methadone treatment.

Likewise, lack of appetite, weakness, difficulty swallowing and dizziness at any time of the day are also common symptoms.

3. Restlessness

Restlessness is also one of the side effects that puts the mental health of the person who uses methadone as a mechanism of substitution therapy at risk.

This restlessness is manifested in symptoms such as pupil dilation, tachycardia, physical and psychological nervousness and also insomnia or difficulty sleeping properly at night.

4. Sexual dysfunctions

Sexual dysfunctions are also one of the risks to which a person is exposed when treating a case of heroin addiction with methadone.

Some of the most common are erectile dysfunction or the inability to maintain an erection and lack of sexual desire in both men and women.

5. Itching or rashes

Itching, skin rashes or hives are common symptoms in some people, something that always depends on their physical characteristics or the type of skin they have.

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These itches do not affect everyone in the same way, but what is common is their effect of a certain wear and tear on mental health and their contribution to greater discomfort and greater restlessness in general.

6. Addictive potential

Although methadone is one of the best treatments to overcome addiction to heroin or other drugs, this opiate is also addictive and can end up generating a powerful addiction, so medical supervision must be constant .

In addition, treatment for methadone detoxification is usually harder and more arduous due to the high level of addiction that is generated to said drug.

• Maybe you’re interested: “The 4 most common addictions that are treated in detoxification centers”

Benefits of Methadone Treatment

Methadone treatment as a substitution therapy mechanism also offers a series of benefits that continue to represent an important resource for health professionals and their patients with addictions. Let’s see the most important.

1. Reduces the urge to use opiates

Methadone treatment greatly reduces the need to consume other opiates, especially those that generate greater addiction , such as heroin.

This is why many regular heroin users, especially those with a higher level of addiction, end up turning to methadone substitution treatment.

2. Avoid the negative effects of drug withdrawal

The withdrawal of the consumption of many opiates is usually very problematic, especially due to the physical and psychological effects of discomfort that it exerts on the person’s body.

But the gradual withdrawal of the use of opiates with methadone helps alleviate the adverse effects of stopping drug use and offers very high chances of success during the process, by making the person enter into the dynamics of treatment without having to fully cope with the withdrawal syndrome from the beginning.

3. Reduction of the probability of suffering from infectious diseases

Methadone treatment makes it possible to reduce the risk of suffering from infectious diseases associated with the use of heroin or other opiates due to the inappropriate use of syringes previously used by third parties (or living in places with poor hygiene in a context of marginality).

This is possible thanks to the controlled consumption by a health professional of a less harmful substance such as methadone, although it is equally addictive.

4. Reduced criminal activity

In cases in which the addict carries out delinquent or criminal activities, the substitution of heroin for methadone favors the reduction of this type of criminal activity motivated by the illicit use of the drug .

Having a daily substitution substance helps addicted people to focus on their recovery and integrate into society progressively.

5. Generates a structure in the person’s day-to-day

Lastly, methadone treatment also facilitates a greater structure and routine in the life of the addicted person , since he or she must take responsibility daily for going to the corresponding center where he or she acquires his or her dose, something that makes him or her become involved in the progress of the treatment.

Since methadone is consumed in a single dose, this allows the person to organize the rest of their day to overcome their addiction and do everything possible to rehabilitate themselves and reintegrate into society.