Monday, February 10, 2014

Methadone Chicago - Dispelling The Myths

By Jerri Perry


Methadone Chicago is a synthetic opioid. Unlike drugs that are derived from the opium poppy, such as morphine, codeine and heroin, which are collectively called opiates, methadone is synthetic, or made in the laboratory. It is designed to interact with opiate receptors. Medically, the drug, also known as Symaron, Heptadon, Methadose or Amidone, is used to treat intractable pain associated with cancer. It is also more commonly used to help people recover from opiate addiction.

Amidone was first synthesized in Germany in 1937. It was required as a secure source of opiates. Amidone was brought into the United States in 1947. It is available in tablets of 5 mg, 10 mg or 40 mg and also as a liquid to be taken orally. While it is approved in many countries both as a cancer analgesic and in opiate withdrawal, it is not used to treat non-opiate addictions like alcohol or speed.

There are many myths surrounding the drug, both on the part of the general public and among opiate addicts themselves. Here, we take a closer look at these myths and reveal the truths surrounding them. Methadone is just one of the treatment options available for medical professionals who work with drug addicts. It can be used to positive effect and it can also be abused, with disastrous results. For many people, it has been a lifeline that has helped them recover normal lives.

Myth No 1: The first common mythical belief held by Joe Public is that people who are treated in Methadose clinics are junkies getting a buzz at the taxpayers' expense. The truth is, like any drug, Methadose has a therapeutic level, when patients feel normal, that is, like they did before they became addicted. At doses below that required to maintain the therapeutic level, patients feel withdrawal; if the dose is too high, they experience toxic effects. It is this toxicity that produces the "high." Therapeutic levels of Methadose do not create this high.

Myth No 2: The second common misconception is that heroin is worse than alcohol. The truth is, alcohol can be every bit as devastating to the addict and everyone around them. Alcohol is at the heart of an overwhelming amount of domestic violence, child abuse and it creates chronic health problems in the abuser. The main difference between alcohol and heroin is that alcohol addicts are not breaking the law.

Myth No 3: Methadose eats your bones. No, it does not. According to the New York Drug Policy Alliance 2006, Methadose does not compromise the skeletal system in any way. If someone on a maintenance dose feels like their bones are "rotting, " then their dose may be too low. Bone pain is also a normal feature of opiate withdrawal.

Myth No 4: Methadose will make you gain weight. While it is true that the drug slows the metabolic rate, weight gain is not an inevitable consequence. Bearing in mind that opiate addicts do not eat regularly when they are using, Methadose clients can be trained to eat healthily.

There are many, many more myths surrounding methadone Chicago. We are not trying to "sell" methadone treatment. The truth is it blocks the high that is sought by opiate users and reduces the chance of relapse as the drug is withdrawn.




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