{"id":1507,"date":"2021-09-15T09:40:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-15T13:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/?page_id=1507"},"modified":"2022-05-04T22:08:45","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T02:08:45","slug":"methadone","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/treatment-program\/addiction-medications\/methadone\/","title":{"rendered":"Methadone"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Methadone is a synthetic opioid that prevents withdrawal symptoms and cravings in individuals with opioid addiction. Learn more about methadone treatment for addiction.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Methadone was first synthesized in Germany in the 1930s in an effort to find better alternatives to morphine<\/a>. By the 1960s, methadone treatment<\/a> was popularized for its efficacy at treating heroin addiction<\/a>. While individuals can become addicted to methadone<\/a>, its use as an addiction treatment medication is still warranted today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Methadone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Methadone is a synthetically produced pain medication that predominantly activates the mu subtype of opioid receptors<\/a> in the brain. Opioids<\/a> are a drug class that includes heroin, fentanyl, codeine, hydrocodone and oxycodone, among many others. Opioid receptors can be activated<\/a> by various means. Natural chemicals like endorphins can stimulate the release of neurotransmitters that activate these receptors and opioids from external sources can either activate or deactivate these receptors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many years, Methadone has been prescribed for two primary medical reasons: pain management or for relief from opioid dependency.For people who are actively using heroin or other narcotic pain medicines and looking to stop, Methadone treatment will follow one of two courses: opioid detoxification or Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prescribing of Methadone for treating a substance use disorder is different than that chosen for somebody seeking help with pain management because the analgesic (anti-pain) effect of Methadone lasts roughly six hours while the opioid-blocking effect typically lasts for twenty-four or more hours. This means that, for those seeking pain management, four doses per day of Methadone is the average while for individuals in a recovery program, once-daily dosing is the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In either case, Methadone treatment is considered safe and effective when taken as prescribed, more so when it is used as part of an MMT plan of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background and History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Methadone has a long history<\/a> beginning in the 21st century. It was first developed in the 1930s by a team of German scientists who sought to find an alternative to morphine that would have similar pain-relieving properties, but not lead to addiction. By World War II, morphine and other pain medications were in short supply. Thus, Germany began synthesizing methadone again to fill this pharmacological void.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was not until the 1960s heroin addiction resurgence in New York City that methadone\u2019s practical utility for treating narcotic addictions was fully realized. By 1964<\/a>, methadone maintenance treatment was developed to decrease or eliminate heroin use. The overall goal of such maintenance treatments was to \u201cmaintain\u201d or prevent withdrawal side effects<\/a> in people who were addicted to heroin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1970s, the United States government created regulations for the use of methadone in heroin addiction treatment. In recent years, the government has modified these regulations to increase the efficacy of methadone treatment for opioid addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Methadone for Opioid Addiction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While methadone has historically been used for heroin addiction over other opioids, this has changed in recent years. Methadone has several advantages in the treatment of opioid addiction. Some of these include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n