The Side Effects of Methadone

On top of being produced as a highly effective pain reliever, Methadone is also suggested as a substitute for heroin.  Actually, Methadone is sometimes called man-made or synthetic heroin, and its implementation as something to substitute for heroin in Methadone maintenance programs was intended to cut down on the illegal drug trade of actual heroin and the negative impact on society.
In spite of the fact that the initial intentions of Methadone maintenance programs were good, the reality for addicts enrolled in them means a life of non-stop addiction with one drug taking the place of the other drug.  After going into a Methadone maintenance program, there is little if any work to get heroin users clean by way of a methadone detox program in spite of the truth that the mental and physical side effects of Methadone can be very harmful, while not mentioning the emotional impact of the drug.
A common characteristic of Methadone users (or addicts) is “unfeeling”.  Methadone is a very strong narcotic, and its numbing effects stick around much longer than heroin.  While this allows for scheduled dosing in Methadone maintenance programs to be spaced apart to days rather than hours, the result is that the Methadone user is not a fully functioning participant of society.  To get there, the addict has to undertake methadone detox and other addiction treatment and get out of the addictive cycle associated with a methadone maintenance program.
As Methadone attacks the bone marrow where red blood cells are made in a person’s body, extended Methadone use can be harmful to the Methadone user’s body resulting in calcium deficiencies and loss of other needed minerals to keep up a body’s health and well being.  During the time the Methadone user is ingesting Methadone, the pain and damage caused by the drug’s physical effects are not felt because Methadone was originally produced as a pain killer.  In Methadone detox, however, the pain relieving effect of Methadone is removed.   As a result the side effects of Methadone use become painfully apparent during Methadone detox.
Methadone detox is meant to be safely removing an addict off of Methadone, and therefore heroin, and getting them on the path of a clean and sober lifestyle.  As a result of Methadone withdrawals are usually 4 times the length of heroin withdrawals and more complicated than a heroin withdrawal, a structured Methadone detox program is almost always required for the addict to get clean and sober.
While in Methadone detox the treatment provider treats the mental aspects of the dependency as well as the physical aspects of the drug dependency.  The harmful physical side effects during Methadone detox are one of the main reasons most people on Methadone never get clean and sober.  Without the support of a structured Methadone detox program, the addict will just go back to using to avoid the pain of withdrawing.
Methadone detox programs always provide counseling to deal with the mental aspects of the Methadone dependency as well as other treatments to deal with the physical side effects of withdrawals.  Even though Methadone detox is thought to be one of the most harsh types of detoxes, Methadone detox will be achieved with the support of the correct Methadone detox program where over the counter pain relievers, therapeutic treatments, and mild sedatives are applied to safely cause a successful Methadone detox in a safe environment.