What are the pros and cons of treatment with Methadone?
• More than 30 years of experience in treating opioid addiction • Daily visits give more structure to patients who need it • Cost is usually less and may be calculated on a sliding scale based on income • The opportunity to meet many people who share the same addiction • Group counseling is often provided • It is an opioid so it is able to stop the withdrawal symptoms • It lasts for at least 24 hours • There is no legal limit to how many patients a methadone clinic can treat • Without a ceiling effect doses can be increased as the patient becomes tolerantCons: • It is possible to continue to use illicit opioids while on methadone • Methadone treatment follows a strict protocol which makes some patients feel that they have no control over their own treatment • Shows up in urine testing for employment • Daily visits to the methadone clinic may be difficult for some patients who have jobs, especially when traveling distance is great. • Daily visits make overnight travel difficult for both
