Methadone is a prescription medication that is used to treat severe pain. It also helps those addicted to heroin to cease their use of the drug without experiencing horrendous withdrawal symptoms. Since heroin causes an excess of dopamine to be released into the brain, addicts feel a constant need for the drug to maintain this high. Methadone satisfies this need for an opiate without the euphoria associated with heroin. While users of methadone are ultimately transferring their dependence from one drug to another, they become more stable and no longer experience urgent impulses to take heroin. Once the desire to take heroin is completely diminished, patients are then weaned off of the methadone, although this process can sometimes take several years to complete.
Effects of Methadone Methadone side effects can vary greatly and should be closely monitored. Symptoms that are typical of methadone users include upset stomach, headache, drowsiness, constipation, dry mouth, insomnia, decreased sex drive and excessive sweating. Severe side effects should be reported to your doctor. These methadone side effects include lightheadedness, swelling of extremities, rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing and chest pain.
A methadone overdose can be very serious. Should someone you know exhibit the symptoms, call 911 or poison control immediately. Warning signs of a methadone overdose include loss of consciousness, coma, difficulty breathing, extremely small pupils, clammy skin and loss of muscle tone.
It should also be noted that methadone has a high interaction ratio with other drugs. For instance, Elavil is the brand name for amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant. Taking both Elavil and methadone can be potentially hazardous. A methadone interaction with Elavil could cause a dangerously high dose of methadone to be released into your system, causing an overdose. Should an overdose not occur, it is still highly likely that once the Elavil exits your system, withdrawal symptoms will be experienced for the high levels of methadone that were previously experienced.
Symptoms of methadone withdrawal include dilated pupils, irritability, stomach pain, fever, sweating, runny nose and eyes and nausea.
Signs of Methadone Addiction As with any addiction, someone with a methadone addiction will do whatever it takes to continue taking the drug. Some may make their doctors believe they require a higher dosage of methadone, while others may ?double up? on their dosages. Still others may continue to take heroin and use methadone as a ?topper? of sorts. Methadone is addictive, and most who begin taking methadone as a means of ceasing an addiction to heroin or another opiate become addicted to the new drug. Tolerance and dependence develops, creating the need for a methadone detox program, which can take much longer to complete than many other rehabilitation programs.
How To Test For Methadone Abuse Methadone drug testing is an invaluable resource for many individuals, including employers, parents and government agencies. While methadone does have its legitimate purposes, extremely high doses of the substance can create dangerous side effects and should be monitored. Methadone drug tests come in a variety of forms including urine drug tests, saliva drug tests and hair drug tests. Each of these methods works very well in detecting methadone in an individual's system. For a longer testing window, hair follicle methadone drug testing is the way to go. Results are achieved in a laboratory setting and can detect methadone use for up to the past 90 days.
Employers benefit from methadone drug tests, as they prevent potential drug-related liability claims, accidents and other misfortunes from occurring. Investing in a drug testing program helps to increase employee productivity and maintain the positive image you want for your company.
While methadone is a prescription substance, it can be obtained on the street illegally. Parents who are concerned about their children or teenager's behavior can benefit from methadone drug testing tremendously. Drug test kits put your mind at rest and allow you to either put the question of whether or not drug use is occurring in your house behind you or take the next step in getting your teen drug rehabilitation.
Everybody deals with stress and anxiety, however some people sometimes take it out on others through abuse or take their fears out on themselves through addiction. Both of these alternatives are wrong. There is a better way to deal with your stress and anxieties. Here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their stress, anxieties, and fears.
First and foremost, seek help and treatment from a professional. Getting help from a counselor or other professional is very important and can provide you much help and insights in dealing with your current problem. Getting help from a professional should be the first thing you do in getting better. Remember to follow through on the suggestions that these counselors offer to you and be patient with the process of getting better.
Try to learn what is the real source of your fears and anxieties. Knowing what the source of your problem is can go a long way in finding the solution. Think about it and try to figure out what is the source of your fears and stress. If you do not know, then ask a professional or a counselor. As a Layman, I learned that finding the source of your fears will put you that much closer in getting better.
Sometimes, we get stressed when everything happens all at once. Instead of taking it out on someone else a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get your mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. This mental timeout can help you refocus on your current situation.
A good way to manage your worry is to challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make your fearful or anxious, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense.
When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, the first thing you can do is to break the task into a series of smaller steps. Completing these smaller tasks one at a time will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.
As a Layman and not as a professional, I realize it is not easy to deal with all of our fears and other problems, however there are all kinds of help available. Remember to take advantage of the help that is around you. The key is to be patient and not to give up. In time, you will be able to find those resources that will help you with your problems.
Both Lazarstalin & Stanley Popovich are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Lazarstalin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Addictions, Education Toys and Addictions. A longer version of this article is located http://drugtestingkits.testcountry.com/hair-drug-testing.htm http://www.addictiontomethadone.com. Lazarstalin's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
Stanley Popovich has sinced written about articles on various topics from Recreation and Sports, Anxiety and Mens Health. Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear" an easy to read book that presents a overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to:. Stanley Popovich's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.