Are you or a loved one about to do into drug treatment for an addiction to opiates or prescription painkillers? If you are, you need to beware of the use of methadone during the detoxification process. According to information taken from a recent study done in England, the use of methadone increases the risk of death in those who are seeking treatment for opiate drugs in comparison to other treatments such as buprenorphine.
Behind the Numbers
Recently, researchers from the University of Bristol in London, England published a study in which they reviewed the records over over 32,000 patients who had entered drug treatment for opiate addiction between 2001 and 2010. In this sampling of treatment clients, researchers studied the course of treatment between those patients who started treatment with methadone and those who used buprenorphine.
Researchers found those who used methadone in the first four weeks of treatment were five times more likely to die when compared to those who used alternative medications such as buprenorphine. However, after the four week mark of treatment, there was little or no difference seen regarding the risk of death between the two medications.
Why Is Methadone Dangerous in Recovery?
If we look at the results of this study at face value and see that methadone increases the risk of death in early recovery, the obvious follow-up question that is in the forefront of our minds is ‘why is this medication dangerous?”. For decades, methadone was the main medication administered to addicts to help wean them off of opiate drugs such as heroin.
In recent years, however, alternative medications such as suboxone and buprenorphine have gained favor in the treatment community. This is due to the fact that while methadone is an effective medication, this effectiveness can come with consequences for those seeking treatment.
Methadone itself is a powerful opiate drug. While it doesn’t produce the euphoria that opiates like heroin do, it is similar in the way is affects the body. The danger lies in the fact that methadone stays in your body for up to 36 hours–and this timeframe is even longer in those that have underlying kidney and liver problems. If a person who is addicted to opiates relapses while on methadone the risk of overdose and death dramatically increases.
Additionally, methadone is a drug that has what is called a narrow therapeutic range. This means that it is difficult to get the correct dose that will provide benefit without someone overdosing. Therefore, if too much methadone is administered during the detoxification phase of treatment, addicts can experience an overdose.
A Dilemma Emerges…
While methadone increases the risk of death in those seeking treatment, treatment centers do face somewhat of a dilemma. Researchers of this recent study note that while medications such as buprenorphine are safer, people who take those medications have higher treatment dropout rates. As a result, drug treatment professionals must find ways to reduce patient risk while increasing the chances that addicts complete treatment.
The researchers of this current study have suggested a “stepped” approach to detoxification where patients would be administered buprenorphine in the first critical weeks of the treatment process then switch to methadone if needed. Another critical component that can’t be overlooked is the necessity of performing a comprehensive medical evaluation during during the detox process to screen for any underlying conditions that could make certain medication interventions more risky.
For more information on methadone, buprenorphine and other medications that are used in the drug treatment process, be sure to visit Sober Nation. As the world’s premier internet addiction and recovery resource, we provide you with the insightful and informative blogs and articles that will help you become better informed.
This artical confused me witht the methadone vs the alternative meds that are currently being used. I would prefer not to use methadone for the simple fact that is an opiate. Im am a herion addict. Im kinda not sure what to do now! Comments Tim?
I’m two years sober thanks to methadone. When I entered the clinic I told then I didn’t want methadone because I heard it is bad for your bones, teeth, etc.. I tried suboxine and subutex but the amount if h in my system made me instantly withdraw. So the fifth day (street getting sub I would go use after because I was so sick) they asked me to try methadone. My first dose was 25 ml. That WAS perfect, in the next three months I went up 5 ml. Around six months I was up at 40 and that is where I stayed for almost a year. Last August I found out I was pregnant and wanted to get off but they urged me not to with it being my first child, stress, sleepless nights, emotional breakdowns, etc. I had a perfectly healthy little girl who had mild/moderate withdrawals. We stayed in the hospital for six nights to make sure she didn’t need treatment. Let me add I hated myself for putting an innocent child through that so please “just don’t” with the negative contents about it. Six months into my pregnant the clinic had me go up 5ml even no I said I really didn’t want to and I felt fine.. I felt fine because I only gained 3lbs so my body mass didn’t change much. I found out one year and one day after finding out about baby #1 that baby #2 is on the way. I spoke with the doctor, I am in the process of a “blind taper” and will be off methadone before my third trimester. Safe and slow we go.
To me methadone is a savior but yes it is a crutch. Though my dose wasn’t even high enough to meet the blocking dose criteria (80ml) I think people lie that they are detoxing still in order to up their dose. I had a more than 50 bag a day habit when I started methadone. I know everyone has a body that is affected differently but most people at the clinic where I go that get methadone get around 200ml. In my mind… Ridiculous
The headline “Methadone increases death risk in first four weeks of treatment for opioid dependence” is extremely misleading and has now been changed by the university of Bristol website .
The research is a comparison of two medications and finds one superior to the other. There is no comparison with non-intervention and the implication that methadone is the cause of increased risk of death is not, as far as I can see, supported by the research.
Please consider replacing the senstationalist, dangerous headline wtih something based on the actual findings of the research.
The University of Bristol is in Bristol, not London. A very biased account. Methadone remains the gold standard for treatment of opiate addiction.
By repeating this months after the original publication and by not including a link to the paper you are effectively making it impossible for anyone to check the source. This is shoddy and dangerous – you’re not enabling informed choice, you are peddling your own opinion as if it were supported by science.
I am in a methadone trmt, i udy say I truly believe without the help of my MAT tharapy I would be in the same place I use to be .( misery). This has been very beneficial for me. Although when I see these kind of articles it scares me.