How Does Medication-Assisted Treatment With Methadone Help Patients?
Methadone is part of a comprehensive program, called medication-assisted treatment (MAT), for treating opioid addiction. Methadone treatment has been used successfully for more than 45 years. It has helped millions of people regain control of their lives and regain their ties with family and friends. Methadone treatment offers many benefits: • A maintenance dose of methadone will not make you feel either “high” or drowsy. You can visit friends and family, work or go to school, and carry on a normal life. • The right individualized dose of methadone will eliminate opioid withdrawal and craving. • Daily drug seeking to “feed a habit” is no longer necessary. Methadone blocks the “high” from other opioids, and takes away the craving. • Reaching a stable dose does not mean developing tolerance to methadone’s effects. You will not need to take higher doses of methadone to continue to eliminate drug craving. • Methadone has a favorable safety profile. When given in the proper dose, under medi
