Risks And Benefits Of Methadone Replacement Therapy
Methadone is a synthetic opiate developed in 1937, widely used to assist people who have been in a heroin detoxification process for half a century.
The positive results offered by the use of this substance as a replacement therapy in people who want to overcome a strong addiction such as opioid addiction have led to methadone treatment being one of the most used in the clinical setting in this type of cases.
Now, part of the medical intervention program is based on taking into account the risks of using this substitute drug and minimizing the likelihood of problems arising due to its misuse. Therefore, in this article We will talk about the risks and benefits of methadone replacement therapy
Over the last decades, the use of methadone has become popular in conjunction with psychological therapy to treat people with addiction to various opiates, especially heroin, and its effects have also been studied by health professionals. .
There are many beneficial effects of using methadone as a substitution therapy for drug addiction, but there are also a series of risks that must be taken into account during the process, we summarize them below.
Respiratory depression, which is the technical name for the slow breathing effect sometimes caused by the use of methadone as a heroin detox treatment, can be life-threatening when it occurs.
These respiratory problems may appear incidentally during the first 24 to 72 hours of treatment especially if the consumption dose is increased indiscriminately and without medical supervision.
In addition, the risk of slow breathing can mainly affect people with previous breathing problems or illnesses, as well as cases of asthma.
2. Nausea and vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are some of the classic side effects of opioid use something that affects both the physical and psychological levels of the person who is immersed in the methadone treatment process.
Likewise, lack of appetite, weakness, difficulty swallowing and dizziness at any time of the day are also common symptoms.
3. Restlessness
Restlessness is also one of the side effects that put the mental health of the person who uses methadone as a replacement therapy mechanism at risk.
This concern manifests itself in symptoms such as pupil dilation, tachycardia, physical and psychological nervousness and also insomnia or difficulty resting properly at night.
4. Sexual dysfunctions
Sexual dysfunctions are also one of the risks to which a person is exposed when treating a case of heroin addiction with methadone.
Some of the most common are erectile dysfunction or the inability to maintain an erection and lack of sexual desire Both men and women.
5. Itching or skin rashes
Itching, skin rashes or hives are common symptoms in some people, something that always depends on their physical characteristics or the type of skin they have.
These itches do not affect everyone in the same way, but what they do Its effect of certain wear and tear on mental health is common and its contribution to greater discomfort and greater concern in general.
6. Addictive potential
Although methadone is one of the best treatments to overcome addiction to heroin or other drugs, this opiate is also addictive and can end up generating a powerful addiction, so medical supervision must be constant
In addition, treatment for methadone cessation is usually harder and more arduous due to the high level of addiction generated by said drug.
Benefits of methadone treatment
Methadone treatment as a substitution therapy mechanism also offers a series of benefits that continue to be an important resource for health professionals and their patients with addictions. Let’s look at the most important ones.
1. Reduces the need to consume opiates
Methadone treatment very significantly reduces the need to consume other opiates, especially those that generate greater addiction such as heroin.
This is the reason why many regular heroin users, especially those with a higher level of addiction, end up resorting to methadone replacement treatment.
2. Avoid the negative effects of drug withdrawal
Withdrawing the consumption of many opiates is usually very problematic, especially due to the physical and psychological effects of discomfort that it exerts on the person’s body.
But the progressive withdrawal of opiate consumption with methadone helps to alleviate the adverse effects of stopping drug use and offers very high possibilities of success during the process, by making the person enter into the dynamics of the treatment without having to fully face the withdrawal syndrome from the start.
3. Reduction in the probability of suffering from infectious diseases
Methadone treatment reduces the risk of suffering from infectious diseases associated with the consumption of heroin or other opiates due to the inappropriate use of syringes previously used by third parties (or for living in places with poor hygiene in a context of marginality).
This is possible thanks to the controlled consumption by a health professional of a less harmful substance such as methadone, although equally addictive.
4. Reduction of criminal activity
In cases where the addict carries out criminal or criminal activities, replacing heroin with methadone favors the reduction of this type of criminal activities motivated by illicit drug consumption
Having a daily replacement substance helps addicted people focus on their recovery and integrate into society progressively.
5. Generates a structure in the person’s daily life
Finally, methadone treatment also facilitates greater structure and routine in the life of the addicted person since they must be responsible daily for going to the corresponding center where they can acquire their dose, something that makes them involved in the progress of the treatment.
Since methadone is taken in a single dose, this allows the person to organize the rest of their day to overcome their addiction and do everything possible to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.
