Methadone Abuse

What Is Methadone?

Methadone is used to relieve severe pain and to prevent withdrawal in people recovering from dependence on other opioid drugs like heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers. When taken as prescribed, methadone is safe and effective and helps people get back to living healthier, meaningful lives after having suffered from opioid addiction. Methadone can usually only be taken under medical supervision at drug rehab centers where patients can be monitored closely to reduce the risk of abuse.

How Can Methadone Abuse Be Prevented?

Methadone must be used exactly as prescribed to prevent an overdose. This drug must never be shared with others or used with substances that can cause fatal heart conditions and other adverse reactions.

Other ways to prevent methadone abuse include the following:

• Never use more methadone than the amount prescribed
• Only take methadone at the times prescribed
• Do not use methadone with alcohol or sedatives
• Store methadone in a safe place away from children and others
• Dispose of unused methadone by flushing down the toilet

Methadone Abuse Statistics

• Methadone contributed to 3,295 drug overdose deaths in 2017.
• Methadone accounted for roughly 23% of all prescription opioid deaths in 2014.
• Methadone currently accounts for nearly 1 in 4 prescription opioid-related deaths.
• The rate of methadone overdose deaths increased 600% within a 7-year period from 1999 to 2006.
• The number of people who used methadone in drug rehab for opioid addiction increased by more than 54% from 2003 to 2015.
• Patients who receive methadone treatment make up roughly 25% of all drug rehab patients every year.
• Roughly 10% of all drug rehab facilities use methadone for opioid addiction treatment.

Why Is Methadone Detox Important?

Though methadone is used to help people recover from opioid addiction, this drug is still an opioid and can cause severe withdrawal when stopped abruptly. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, and anxiety are just some withdrawal symptoms that can occur when quitting methadone without professional treatment. Methadone detox helps patients gradually come off this drug so they can avoid withdrawal and reduce the risk for relapse and overdose. People who want to stop using methadone can work closely with their doctors at drug rehab to reduce their doses every week until they’re no longer using or dependent on their medication.

Why Do People Need Methadone Drug Rehab?

People who become addicted to methadone often need behavioral therapy to overcome triggers and negative thoughts and behaviors that may be driving their addiction. Inpatient residential rehab centers can help these individuals establish new daily routines and learn how to live healthier, happier, and more productive lives without relying on drugs and alcohol. Individual counseling, social support, and proven therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and dual diagnosis therapy are just some treatments used at drug rehab to help people experience a full, safe recovery from methadone addiction.