Title: 
Methadone: A Powerful Drug For Treatment of Pain and Drug Dependency

Word Count:
458

Summary:
This article provides information about a highly effective and powerful drug 	called Methadone. Aside from it use as a pain reliever, it is said that it is highly effective in treating narcotic withdrawal and dependence. This article 	also tackles the drug's purpose, effects and risks.


Keywords:
pain relief, methadone pain relief


Article Body:
Methadone is known as a highly effective and powerful drug. It is a narcotic that belongs to the same family of opioids like heroin. Methadone is a long acting medication for pain relief. It is an effective opiod analgesic for severe pain. Because of its low cost and apparent efficacy in complex pain syndromes, it is increasingly being used as a first-line opioid. It is such a good pain medication for chronic pain sufferers and for helping narcotic dependents get through life without having to spend their existance trying to keep a steady supply of heroin around or nearby, just to physically get through a day. 
Methadone is said to be well-tested medication that is safe and effective for the treatment of narcotic withdrawal and dependence. For more than 30 years, this synthetic narcotic has been used to treat opioid addiction. Heroin releases an excess of dopamine in the body and causes users to need an opiate that would continuously occupy the opioid receptor in the brain. Methadone occupies this receptor and is the stabilizing factor that permits heroin addicts to quit their addiction.  
Methadone should only be prescribed for patients with moderate to severe pain when their pain is not improved with other non-narcotic pain relievers. Pain relief from a dose of methadone lasts about 4 to 8 hours. However, methadone stays in the body much longer. It can last from 8 to 59 hours after it is taken. As a result, patients may feel the need for more pain relief before methadone is gone from the body. Methadone may build up in the body to a toxic level if it is taken too often, if the amount taken is too high, or if it is taken with certain other medicines or supplements.  
Normal results after the administration of methadone to treat chronic pain include the alleviation of the patient's pain, at least to the point where the pain is bearable. On the other hand, results of methadone treatment to control heroin addiction, is that the patient reduces heroin intake almost immediately upon starting methadone treatments. This is usually followed by complete abstinence, usually within two weeks after starting treatment.
Like any controlled substance, there is a risk of abuse. When used as prescribed and under a physician's care, research and clinical studies suggest that long-term use of Metahdone is medically safe. When methadone is taken under medical supervision, long-term maintenance causes no adverse effects to the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, bones, blood, brain, or other vital body organs. Methadone for pain relief produces no serious side effects, although some patients experience minor symptoms such as constipation, water retention, drowsiness, skin rash, excessive sweating, and changes in libido. Once methadone dosage is adjusted and stabilized or tolerance increases, these symptoms usually subside.


