It’s a big decision to seek addiction treatment. It takes courage to admit that there’s a problem and even more courage to call or visit a treatment center. If you’ve done that, we applaud you. If you’re considering seeking treatment, we encourage you. It will be one of the best decisions of your life.
For those considering methadone treatment, we hope this information will answer some of your questions about what to expect when entering our program.
What is Methadone?
Methadone is a Schedule II medication that doctors prescribe to relieve pain and arrest the symptoms of withdrawal from opioids. It comes in several forms.
To be prescribed methadone for opioid addiction, you must seek treatment from a center that offers that medication option.
How Methadone Treatment Works
At the time you enter treatment, you have virtually no naturally occurring endorphins and a significantly decreased number of opioid receptors. Endorphins are the body’s natural “feel good” hormone. Opioid receptors are responsible for receiving opioids so they can do the job of pain relief.
When taking drugs like heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, OxyContin, Percocet, Lortab, Roxicodone, Fentanyl, or others, amplify feelings of being high, euphoric, or just plain feeling good. However, the longer and more frequently you use the drug, the fewer natural endorphins and opioid receptors your body produces.
That’s why you have to take increasingly higher doses of the drug to feel anything. It’s also why you stopped experiencing a natural sense of well-being or enjoyment from everyday activities like exercise or positive life experiences. The damage from addiction makes it necessary to rely on opioids just to feel normal and even more to achieve a high.
Methadone attaches to the remaining opioid receptors in your body. Once it binds, it helps stop the withdrawal symptoms you experience.
Most opioids that are abused have the characteristic of being fast-acting. These drugs typically cause a rapid, intense high that lasts for a short time before leading to a crash.
Methadone is a stabilizing medication. It is not fast-acting and does not have the associated euphoric high or devastating crash. When correctly prescribed in an outpatient setting, patients will gradually reach a dose of medication that will pacify the opioid receptors in their brains.
The medication does so without making them feel high while also protecting them from cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Over time, this allows the brain to heal and some patients to begin tapering down off methadone while under the supervision of a doctor.
The Benefits and Risks of Methadone Treatment
The main benefit of an outpatient methadone program is that it works. Here are some specific benefits of this type of treatment and medication:
- You will spend less than you would with other forms of treatment, such as inpatient treatment.
- You will feel stable. On methadone, you will be able to drive a car, handle your responsibilities, and pursue your education or career.
- You will be taking a legal treatment medication that is prescribed by a physician and carefully monitored.
- Because a treatment clinic will provide methadone, you will also have ongoing counseling and support.
- With stable daily dosing, your medication does not produce a drug high or interfere with daily functioning.
- You will have easy access to medical and social services that are important for rebuilding your health and quality of life.
- Your medication eliminates withdrawal symptoms and drug-seeking behavior.
- Your slow-acting medication provides long-lasting relief (24-36 hours).
- Your medication causes no harm to tissues or organs and is medically safe when taken responsibly.
Potential Risks:
The use of any medications has associated risks. Here are some potential risks you should consider:
- Other medications can have harmful interactions with methadone. Therefore, you must report all medications to our provider and staff.
- You should not consume alcohol or mix methadone with illicit drugs. If you are taking benzodiazepines, be sure to discuss this thoroughly with your doctor. This is due to the increased risk of medication interaction and potential overdose.
- Your treatment will likely take a year or more for you to experience all the benefits of recovery.
- You must keep methadone in a secure location away from children. Crossroads requires that all medicine is kept safe in a lock box. Accidental ingestion could result in a medical emergency or death.
Your Personal Dosage Amount
No two people are the same. People have different heights, weights and tolerances to medications. They don’t all become addicted to the same substances at the same rate, nor do they abuse the drug for the same amount of time. While on methadone treatment, you should not experience a high or be tired or sick. Typically, patients will feel relief for 24-36 hours before the symptoms of withdrawal begin to sneak up again. This is why it’s critical to take the medication at the same time each day to receive the full benefit.
Your dose may be adjusted each time you meet with the provider based on the provider’s assessment of your condition. How long you remain at your stable dose will depend on many factors throughout your time at Crossroads.
Guidelines for Partnering with Crossroads for Your Recovery
If you become a patient, Crossroads becomes a partner in recovery. We want you to reach your recovery goals! The program works when a person commits to it fully. Crossroads has helped more than 300,000 patients, and we can help you, too!
- You commit to daily dosing — take-home medications are earned over time.
- You commit to your recovery program and speak with a counselor as directed.
- You agree to drug testing.
- You stay dedicated to your recovery goals — allowing us to support and guide you throughout the process.
When you talk with the provider and your counselor, they will explain how you can take methadone treatment medication home. This way, you won’t need to visit the center daily for your dose. The requirements may vary from center to center or person to person. But all centers require a lock box to store your take-home medication.
Your recovery goals are our priority. If you have further questions about our program, we invite you to call or text our 24/7/365 Patient Access Center at 855.694.8288, and we’ll set up an appointment that works for your schedule.