Talking About Diagnostic Tests For Medical Care
About Me
Talking About Diagnostic Tests For Medical Care

Hello, my name is Gregory. When I was a young lad, I had to enter the health care world in an unexpected way. I developed a serious disease out of the blue that took doctors by surprise. I went through so many different testing procedures before my doctors could diagnose the rare disease. Everyone around me reeled as they tried to understand the purpose and process of the diagnostic tests. I hope to help others understand these important tests better through this website. Please come by often to learn all you need to know about medical diagnostics and working closely with health care professionals.

Talking About Diagnostic Tests For Medical Care

Curing Heroin Addiction With Methadone

Nanja Bongers

Heroin is a very serious, highly-addictive substance that has ruined lives all over the world. Despite its widely known dangers, it's estimated that 5.1 million people used heroin in 2015. Unfortunately, many people can't stop using heroin once they start. They will hurt themselves and their family to satisfy their cravings, despite the consequences. Since death is a very realistic result, people will take drastic measures to overcome this dreadful addiction. That's where methadone comes in: methadone is an alternative that helps ween users off of heroin and limit the effects of the withdrawal. Of course, methadone is not a magical drug. If you or a loved one is considering using methadone to get off of heroin, you'll want to know the benefits and risks.

What is Methadone?

Methadone is a synthetic opiate and has two popular brands: Dolophine and Methadose. Methadone can be injected, ingested as a capsule, or ingested as a drink. This drug is used to hinder the effects of opiate use (especially heroin) by blocking the responsive parts of the brain and spinal cord. It also helps reduce the negative effects of withdrawal. While not quite as strong as other opiates, it last significantly longer (8 - 59 hours). 

Benefits

People in methadone treatment will experience a better quality of life. They won't have such strong cravings that make them steal or commit other crimes. They also won't be putting themselves at risk of disease by sharing needles. They have a much better chance of getting off of heroin with methadone than trying to go cold turkey. 

Warnings

Methadone is a strong drug, and many people may not be able to handle it. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions: 

  • asthma or other respiratory problems
  • gastrointestinal problems
  • heart conditions

It's also very important to note that methadone is addictive. It should be used to help someone get off of drugs. If used improperly, some people end up addicted to the methadone instead. 25% of people in methadone treatment will completely stop using methadone. Another 25% will continue using it as long as possible. 50% will stop using methadone but use it again in subsequent treatments. You also don't want to take methadone if you may be pregnant. 

Side Effects

Methadone has a long list of side effects. Some of the short-term side effects include but are not limited to:

  • constipation
  • itchiness
  • nausea
  • restlessness
  • sweating
  • sexual inability

Long term side effects include:

  • chest pain
  • hallucinations
  • lightheadedness
  • rashes
  • respiratory trouble
  • swollen tongue

Contact companies like the Brightside Clinic for more information on heroin addiction treatment.


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