Methadone Treatment for Heroin Addiction, Methadone Effects, Methadone Withdrawal

Methadone is a well known drug among heroin addicts because it’s a drug treatment for heroin addiction. This drug has significant support for narcotic detoxification because it curtails cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing excessive dopamine dumping. So essentially, methadone has the same effects as heroin by occupying your brain’s opioid receptors without the euphoric high.

While on methadone treatment for heroin addiction you’re still physically addicted to an opiate. Yet methadone effects don’t produce many of the negative behaviors associated with heroin addiction.

Although still addicted, biochemically you’re more balanced and the task of living is more stable in the absence of dopamine ups and downs. And methadone treatment for heroin addiction can be safely taken for years because it causes no adverse health effects to your heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, bones, blood, brain or other vital organs.

Methadone also relieves pain, similar to morphine. This drug works by changing how your brain and nervous system respond to pain. Therefore, some on methadone treatment do not suffer from a heroin addiction.

Should your body becomes physically dependent on methadone, then a sudden stoppage can cause withdrawal symptoms. Methadone withdrawal symptoms may include:

Methadone withdrawal due to an abrupt stop can last a few weeks to several months, which is actually longer than heroin withdrawal. The best way to reduce the symptoms of methadone withdrawal is a slow reduction of dosage over time.

As with any drug, methadone may cause drug side effects, like:

And consuming any alcohol while on methadone can cause dangerous side effects, even death.