Methadone is a Class A
Drug in the UK which carries, if convicted for supply, a lifetime prison
sentence.
What is Methadone
Methadone is a
painkiller. It depresses the nervous system. Users normally have
feelings of warmth, detachment and relaxation and
methadone also helps to alleviate feelings of anxiety
which is much the same as heroine. The effects normally
last several hours. It is a long acting synthetic painkiller which mimics the
same effects as Heroin but being less addictive. Methadone is used as a substitute
for patients who are attempting to combat the addiction of heroin. The
difference between the feelings of heroin and methadone
is, it does not give the same level of high or buzz. Methadone comes in the
form of a green liquid, It produces the feelings of euphoria and
sedation similar to heroin but to a much lesser degree. It is mainly
given to heroin addicts, supervised by trained healthcare professionals
or pharmacists.
.
Methadone Uses
Methadone
is use to wean heroin addicts off heroine. The down side is, it is
addictive too.
A
prescription is firstly issued by doctors stating the amount and the
times it can be administered. The amount collected is restricted.
At
the beginning, the amount of methadone is slowing increased so as to
increase the tolerance of the drug to the body, After which it is slowly
decreased until the patients does not need the drug anymore, and is free
from the addiction. There
are some patients who are kept on a steady dose of methadone to avoid
them returning to Heroin once the dosage
stops.
Methadone is used mainly
in hospitals to relieve the pain of patients who are recovering from an
operation or who are recovering from serious injuries. Methadone is an extremely
affective painkiller. It comes in a tablet form, a liquid form which is
swallowed or can be injected. It
is also used to relieve the pain of terminal illnesses.
.
Risks of Methadone
If methadone is taken in
large amounts, it will produce some side effects similar to heroin.
These side effects include confusion, drowsiness, nausea, apathy,
vomiting, constricted pupils and suppression of breathing reflexes. If
taken to excess, it can lead to coma and death. 421 people died in 1997
from using methadone. The good news is, deaths are much reduced nowadays
due to the implementation of supervised consumption of methadone, especially
in the early stages of treatment of heroin addiction. In 2005 there were
1500 drug related deaths in the UK which is much more than those due to
a methadone overdose.
Some heroin addicts
become reliant on methadone while other heroin addicts have created a
vast black by selling on there doses for as little as £1.00 for 10ml.
It has street names of Meth, Linctus and Mixture.
