Methadone is a synthetic opioid; it means that it is all made in a laboratory. Methadone is not produced from the opium poppy. There are also some semi-synthetic opioids, heroin is one of them. It is morphine that has been chemically processed.

Methadone has been a controversial substitute medication. The fact that it is a substitute does not solve the addiction or the underlying issues that leads someone to drug dependency.

History

Methadone was first created in Germany at the beginning of the 1940s and at that time it was used to provide pain relief. Methadone was not widely used during World War II because they were giving large dosages and it created heavy side effects and overdoses etc. The name methadone came from amidon not Adolph (Hitler) like a lot of popular beliefs are.

Methadone side effects

Always seek emergency help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction:

• Hives

• Difficulty breathing

• Swelling of your face, tongue, lips, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• Shallow breathing;

• Hallucinations or confusion; or

• Chest pain, dizziness, fainting, fast or pounding heartbeat; or

• Trouble breathing, feeling light-headed, or fainting.

Less serious methadone side effects may include:

• Feeling nervous, anxious, or restless;

• Insomnia

• Feeling weak or drowsy;

• Dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite

• Decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.

The above is not a complete list of side effects. There can be other side effects that will occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

Way of administration

Methadone is usually taken orally in liquid form or as a tablet.

Methadone overdose statistic

In the state of Florida, methadone-related deaths increased from 209 in 2000 to 357 in 2001 to 254 in just the first six months of 2002. This is an alarming situation.

"Out of no where, came methadone," said James McDonough, who is the director of the Florida Office of Drug Control. "It now is the fastest rising killer drug."

Now in the state of North Carolina, deaths caused by methadone was 7 in 1997 and it increased to 58 in 2001 it was 8 times more within 4 years, said Catherine Sanford, a state epidemiologist. In the state of Maine, methadone was the substance found most frequently in individuals who died from overdoses from the year of 1997 to 2002. It was found in almost 25% of the deaths. Dr. John H. Burton, medical director for Maine Emergency Medical Services, said hospital emergency rooms were seeing "a tidal wave" of methadone-related cases.

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^{References
http://www.camh.net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/Drug_and_Addiction_Information/methadone_dyk.html
http://www.indro-online.de/historymethadone.htm
http://www.opioids.com/methadone/scarestory.html}