Isn methadone for drug abusers?
Methadone is a long-acting opioid medication that is the same strength as morphine. Because it does not cause a “high” and because it is long acting, it is used in drug clinics to keep former users off of heroin. In our pain practice, it is a very useful medication because it works well for pain, lasts a long time, comes as a liquid (for those who can not take pills), and has special properties as a pain medicine that other opioids do not. It often has fewer side effects for those patients who have had problems with other medications. Lastly, we often use methadone to help prevent withdrawal symptoms in patients who are discontinuing opioid medications after taking them for a long time.
