Methadone - Overview
Overview
Naturally occurring opiates are derived from the sticky sap of the opium poppy. Opium products have been used for many thousands of years, both for their pain-controlling properties and for the feelings of intense happiness and well-being they provide. From the ancient Egyptians to the celebrated British poets of the nineteenth century, opiate users have known of the plant's effects—and of its drawbacks. The latter includes addiction, toleranceA condition in which higher and higher doses of a drug are needed to produce the original effect or high experienced., and death by overdose. In his book Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use and Abuse, Paul M. Gahlinger noted that the famous ancient Roman general Hannibal kept a fatal dose of opium in a ring on his finger and actually used it to kill himself in 183 BCE.
Beginning in the nineteenth century, scientists worked with opium products, trying to isolate the painkilling qualities from the habit-forming qualities. They met with little success. In fact, all natural and synthetic opiate and opioidA substance created in a laboratory to mimic the effects of naturally occurring opiates such as heroin and morphine. products on the market in the twenty-first century are still known to be addictive. Methadone is no exception. Users develop a dependence, or a physical need for the drug in order to ward off withdrawal symptoms. And they suffer withdrawal symptoms if they do not follow a careful program of specific directions for use.
Usage Grows in the 1940s and 1950s
Methadone was developed in Nazi Germany in 1939 because of wartime shortages of morphine. The German scientists called it Amidon and used it as a painkiller. At the end of World War II (1939–1945), the American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly began clinical trials of the substance. Lilly called it "methadone." The drug has also been marketed as Dolophine, leading to nicknames such as "dolls" and "dollies." Methadone was found to be an effective, long-lasting painkiller and cough suppressant.
According to a report issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in 1950 researchers began using methadone to treat the many symptoms of withdrawal associated with heroin dependence. Heroin addicts typically need two to three 'fixesA slang term referring to a dose of a drug that the user highly craves or desires.' of the drug each day to ward off the wide range of symptoms that occur when the brain craves opiates. The desperate search to buy the illegal drug leads some addicts into criminal behavior, ranging from theft and burglary to prostitution and drug-dealing. People with opiate addictions feel trapped by their dependency. The desperation is sometimes described as a "monkey on the back."
Treating Addictions with Methadone
In 1964 a group of researchers discovered that heroin addicts could avoid the drug and live more normal lives if they received a daily dose of methadone. The methadone eased withdrawal symptoms and lessened cravings for heroin. Better yet, people taking methadone could not get high on heroin because methadone binds to the same brain receptors that heroin does.
Some problems remained. Methadone is itself an opioid, so it causes dependency too. Its side effects are identical to the natural opiates and include constipation, nausea, drowsiness, dry mouth, and the possibility of breathing problems. Researchers concluded that some people trying to wean themselves off heroin or other opiates by following a methadone treatment plan might have to take methadone for a very long time. The treatment was not foolproof, either. Many addicts returned to drug abuse, sometimes turning to cocaine to get high. Because methadone and cocaine work differently in the brain, methadone treatment does not help cocaine addicts stop using cocaine, nor does it block the effects of cocaine. (An entry on cocaine is available in this encyclopedia.)
Despite these drawbacks, methadone has remained the drug of choice for treatment of opiate dependency since the 1960s. It is not a "perfect cure," but it does provide a way for motivated people to straighten out their lives, hold jobs, and otherwise live more normally. The SAMHSA report stated: "Methadone is a medication valued for its effectiveness in reducing the mortality associated with opioid addiction as well as the various medical and behavioral morbidities associated with addictive disorders." In other words, even the U.S. government believes that methadone, when used properly, saves lives and cuts down on crime.
Methadone Clinics Open
In the late 1960s, the U.S. government began sponsoring methadone clinics in many parts of the country, especially the nation's largest cities. At methadone clinics, people line up to take their daily dose of the drug under the watchful eye of a nurse or other health care worker, and then leave. After a period of months, a patient who has followed the treatment program carefully might be allowed to carry one or two doses home. These doses are called "carriesDoses of methadone given to users to take home for another day.." Most patients use their "carries" as carefully as the doses given to them at the clinics, but some turn the "carries" over to illegal use. In addition, the drug is being prescribed more by doctors. Some patients sell their medications to others. In these ways, some of the drug makes its way on to the street illegally.
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