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Methadone Treatment Basics
by j.l.jahrig
Preface~
Methadone is a drug utilized in Canada as both a pain management medication as well as an opioid addiction harm reduction tool.
Harmreduction consists of doing what is required to elevate the quality of both physical and mental health of an individual. In this case the primary health concern is of course injection drug abuse; a tertiary health concern being psycho-social disintegration.
Methadone works as a harmreduction tool by blocking the craving and withdrawal symptoms associated with opioid abuse. This decreases the likelyhood of injection drug abuse or the perceived need for other opioids substantially. The benefit of being able to focus on life skills as opposed to drug seeking behavior allows for significant progress against social disintegration.
Please refer to the links on the right with regards to specific questions you may have regarding Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT).
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Methadone Maintenance Treatment
Your ultimate goal may be abstinence... this is good. However, you need a guide to get there. Trust me, here's the rough breakdown:
- 30% MMT clients achieve long clean time (no drugs or alcohol).
- 40% MMT clients struggle with relapse however maintain a relatively normal lifestyle.
- 30% MMT clients are chronic users and need constant support from a clinic.
- You are choosing the hard road... if you go to a detox center and follow up with counselling and treatment you will be off of opioids and on your way to a new life inside three months!
- However, MMT is a year + commitment (stabilization and withdrawal inclusive). One client I know has been on and stable for over 30+ years!
First: You need to be following all the rules above in section #01.
Second: Know the rules and expectations of the Doctor or clinic prescribing for you.
Third:Integrate those rules into your lifestyle, because much like diabetes, you now have a daily responsibility to your personal self-care.
Fourth: Know that people do not die from detoxing from opioids. (unless, in rare cases extenuating health problems exist. ie: heart condition)
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Fifth:Cocaine and Speed both change how effective Methadone is when absorbed in your body... so if you stop using cocaine you will most likely be over sedated and will need to request a decrease in Methadone.
Sixth: Successfully tapering off Methadone is not the same for everyone. Take these popular reduction regimes as an example:
- Those on 40mg daily dose: decrease 2mg a week (slowed down to 01mg week @ the 10mg daily point) should minimize withdrawal. Please propose this to your physician rather than making any hasty decisions.
- Those on 150mg daily dose: decrease 5mg a week for four weeks and then hold at that dose (130mg daily) for two weeks, then repeat this cycle, tapering all the way down to 20mg daily and slow down the taper as desired. Please propose this to your physician rather than making any hasty decisions.
- 48hrs or less minimal withdrawal
- 2 - 4 days moderate to severe withdrawal (like a whopper flu! yee-ha!)
- 5 days - 3 months gradual subsiding of variable aches and upset digestion as everything begins to settle and normalize.
External influences on dose absorption include:
- Physical activity: (work or play)
- Perception: (withdrawal will be worse if you are too focused on it!)
- Height/Weight
- Metabolism
More to come...
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