Methadone Addiction: Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Health Risks, and Treatment

Methadone addiction is the uncontrolled intake of methadone without prescription and monitoring. Methadone is used to treat OUD and has the potential for dependence. People with methadone addiction suffer from psychological and physical dependence on the drug.

 The 8 common signs and symptoms of methadone addiction are drowsiness, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal issues, doctor shopping, isolation, continuous cravings, unsuccessful attempts to quit the drug, and mental health disorders.

 The 5 causes of methadone addiction include prolonged use, misuse of the drug, genetic factors, psychological factors, and environmental influences.

 The 5 health risks of methadone addiction include liver damage, overdose risk, heart issues, hormonal imbalance, and co-occurring mental health disorders.

The 5 treatment options for methadone addiction include medical detoxification, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), counseling and therapies, support groups, and rehabilitation programs.

What is Methadone?

Methadone is an opiate medicine used for the treatment of chronic pain and opioid use disorder (OUD). Methadone was developed in the 1930s when there was a limited supply of morphine. Methadone acts on the opioid receptors in the brain. A regular dose of methadone brings down opioid cravings and helps with the withdrawal symptoms. It creates euphoric effects within the brain similar to other opioids. The usage of this medicine unmonitored or without prescription results in addiction. The medicine has the potential for dependency which is harmful and leads to addiction. The addiction is diagnosed and treated based on the severity of the condition.

What is Methadone Addiction?

Methadone addiction is defined as the compulsive intake of methadone without prescription despite its negative effects. Methadone has the potential to be addictive but it is not illegal like other opioids, as per a study titled “Clinical Guidelines for Withdrawal Management and Treatment of Drug Dependence in Closed Settings” by WHO.

 In the DSM-5, methadone addiction is a type of opioid use disorder that is characterized by the presence of at least 2 addiction symptoms for over a year. Methadone is prescribed as a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for pain and withdrawal relief conditions. The development of its tolerance leads to addiction. The level of addiction varies based on the tolerance and intake levels.

What is Methadone Overdose?

Methadone addiction overdose is a state in which a person takes excessive amounts of methadone beyond prescription. The excessive intake is accidental or on purpose. Methadone addiction makes people have the urge for extra usage, leading to a risk of overdose.

How Common is Methadone Addiction?

Methadone addiction in the US is widespread as 3.2 million people in America aged 12 and above are addicted to the use of methadone, as per the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) in 2017. In the year 2017, there were 3000 deaths reported in the USA due to methadone overdose, as per the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Methadone Addiction?

The 8 common signs and symptoms of methadone addiction are drowsiness, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal issues, doctor shopping, isolation, continuous cravings, unsuccessful attempts to quit the drug, and mental health disorders.

The signs and symptoms of methadone addiction are listed below:

• Drowsiness: Methadone addiction creates a sensation of extreme fatigue leading to drowsiness. Methadone affects the brain chemistry resulting in irregular sleep patterns and feelings of drowsiness. Opioid withdrawal from the usage of methadone also creates insomnia effects.

• Respiratory Problems: The excessive intake of methadone leads to slow breathing creating respiratory problems. Low blood pressure, slow breathing, and respiratory issues are initial indicators of methadone addiction.

• Gastrointestinal Issues: Methadone addiction leads to gastrointestinal issues like constipation, nausea, and bloating, as per a study titled “The Narcotic Bowel Syndrome: Clinical Features, Pathophysiology and Management”, by Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. Opioid intake is known to affect the gastrointestinal tract. Individuals addicted to methadone have reported issues related to severe constipation and nausea.

• Doctor Shopping: Doctor shopping occurs when the person is unable to obtain the medicine without a prescription. They make visits to different medical experts to gain more prescriptions and use them for methadone usage.

• Isolation: Social withdrawal is a common indicator of methadone addiction. People addicted to methadone tend to stay away from social interactions. They lose interest in activities they once enjoyed and stop meeting with friends and family.

• Continuous Cravings: Methadone leaves the urge for constant cravings and withdrawal symptoms during the opioid treatment. A person using methadone to treat OUD is left with continuous and strong opioid cravings, as per a study titled “Craving despite extremely high methadone dosage”, by Jan W. de Vos.

• Unsuccessful Attempts to Quit the Drug: A common symptom of methadone addiction is when a person tries to limit methadone intake but fails at it. The unsuccessful attempts to quit methadone means that the addiction is becoming strong.

• Mental Health Disorders: People with methadone addiction are known to struggle with mental health disorders like depressive disorder, borderline personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder, as per research titled “The Correlation between Methadone Dosage and Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders in Patients on Methadone Maintenance Treatment”, by Nooshin Parvaresh.

What are the causes of Methadone Addiction?

The 5 causes of methadone addiction include prolonged use, misuse of the drug, genetic factors, psychological factors, and environmental influences.

• Prolonged Use: Methadone is prescribed for pain relief and to treat OUD with a monitored prescription. Usage beyond the prescribed limit leads to the risk of addiction. The use of methadone has the potential to be addictive. The drug is always prescribed in a limited amount by a medical expert. Regular usage of methadone increases its tolerance and reduces its effect on the brain. The high tolerance is harmful and leaves the person in need of more dosage, as per a study titled  “Use of methadone” by Ilene B Anderson.

• Misuse of the Drug: Methadone gives a euphoric effect and has the potential to be abused. The usage of the drug beyond medical benefits leads to methadone addiction, as per a study on Methadone by Mehnoor Durrani. The misuse of methadone results in other health problems like heart, liver, and respiratory diseases. Excessive use leads to overdose risks and increases the chances of death by addiction.

• Genetic Factors: Genetic factors strongly impact the addiction development pattern. People with close family members suffering from methadone addiction are known to be more at risk of developing the addiction themselves. Genetics determine the tolerance levels, methadone metabolization, and its pleasure impact on the brain. The addiction risk is highly dependent on these genetic factors.

• Psychological Factors: Psychological factors like anxiety, stress, and depressive episodes make people choose methadone as a coping mechanism. Methadone usage has a greater potential for misuse, as people become dependent on it for psychological relief. People get relief from mental distress caused by opioid usage when they take methadone. The liking of this relief makes them dependent on the drug for continuous relief. The dependence becomes addictive and leads to methadone addiction.

• Environmental Influences: Environmental factors like ease of access, social behaviors, and peer pressure lead to methadone misuse. The methadone addiction probability increases with these factors whether the medicine is prescribed or not, as per a research titled “Methadone Usage, Misuse, and Addiction Processes: An Overview” by Zia Li.

What are the Health Risks of Methadone Addiction?

The 5 health risks of methadone addiction include liver damage, overdose risk, heart issues, hormonal imbalance, and co-occurring Mental Health Disorders.

• Liver Damage: The liver is responsible for drug metabolism and its clearance from the body. The long-term and excessive presence of methadone in the liver leads to liver problems and diseases. The prolonged usage of methadone leads to a high load on the liver and makes it function harder. The higher loads result in inflammation or liver failure.

• Overdose Risk: The excessive use of methadone has the potential for overdose leading to death. The overdose is either intentional or accidental, according to a study titled “Keeping Patients Safe From Methadone Overdoses” by Matthew Grissinger. The compulsive usage leads to a continuous need for more methadone intake. Excessive intake beyond tolerance levels is intoxicating and results in overdose.

• Heart Issues: The misuse of methadone leads to the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Methadone intake weakens the heart creating serious heart issues that are fatal. Methadone addiction is associated with prolonged QT intervals which is an irregular heart rhythm. The condition leads to fainting, seizures, and even sudden death.

• Hormonal Imbalance: Methadone acts on the hypothalamic pituitary thyroid axis which leads to adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency is the disorder where adrenal glands do not release enough hormones, as per a study titled “Methadone Induced Adrenal Insufficiency” by M. Saeed.

• Co-occurring Mental Health Disorders: Methadone addiction leads to the risk of mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and borderline personality disorder. The addiction is known to cause cognitive impairment. People suffering from anxiety-related disorders use methadone as self-medication for relief. The uncontrollable usage results in methadone addiction.

What are the Effects of Methadone Addiction on Life?

Methadone addiction affects a person’s mental, physical, social, financial, and emotional well-being. The addiction creates serious health problems like cognitive impairment, heart issues, and respiratory problems. Prolonged usage makes it difficult for the body to recover from illness, Cognitive impairment causes a loss of focus and productivity, which leads to poor performance at work. Methadone addiction also leads to social withdrawal and regular conflicts with people that poorly affect personal relationships. Job loss leads to further financial and mental strain leading to further health complications. Financial strain makes it difficult to obtain further methadone dosage which complicates withdrawal and treatment.

What are the treatment options for Methadone addiction?

The 5 treatment options for methadone addiction include medical detoxification, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), counseling and therapies, support groups, and rehabilitation programs.

The treatment options for methadone addiction are listed below:

• Medical Detoxification: Medical detoxification of methadone is the removal of the toxins present in the body. The detoxification process is sensitive and must be conducted under a medical expert’s supervision. Detoxification is considered an initial treatment step to help with methadone addiction. The process takes from a few weeks to months for treatment depending on the addiction level, as per a study titled: “Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment” by SAMHSA.

• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): Medication-assisted treatment refers to the prescription of medicines along with therapy and counseling to treat addiction. Buprenorphine, Naltrexone, and clonidine are the medicines that are prescribed for methadone treatment. The medicines help reduce the withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Medicinal treatment takes up to 4 to 5 weeks before results start showing. A combination of treatment with medicine is always advised. However, the medicines are always prescription-based.

• Counseling and Therapies: Counseling and therapy is a psychological treatment that helps to address the root cause of methadone addiction. A therapist or counseling expert schedules regular sessions with the patients. During the sessions, the therapist takes medical, physical, emotional, and social factors into consideration and helps the patient towards a stable state. Therapies and counseling are given with medication and it takes up to 3 to 4 months to affect the condition.

• Support Groups: Support groups are a gathering-based treatment where people suffering from similar conditions talk about it under an expert’s supervision.  Support groups help people understand that they are not alone and their condition is treatable. Support groups are not a direct treatment. However, it helps to strengthen the recovery process. Support groups along with therapy or medication help to treat methadone addiction in 1 to 2 months.

• Rehabilitation programs: Rehabilitation programs are built to help people using mental, emotional, and physical activities. Rehabilitation programs are either in-house or at a specialized rehabilitation center. The duration of the program depends on the person’s addiction state. The program lasts up to 4 weeks to 2 months. Rehabilitation programs are paired up with other treatment strategies like medication and detoxification.

What are the Withdrawal Symptoms of Methadone Addiction?

The withdrawal symptoms of methadone addiction include fatigue, cravings, anxiety, sleep disturbance, sweating, shaky hands, and nausea. Methadone withdrawal is the disturbed state that results after a person addicted to its usage suddenly reduces or diminishes the intake. Methadone stays in the body for a longer time. The prolonged stay makes the symptoms appear properly within a week. The withdrawal symptoms are difficult to tackle. A medical expert needs to be included to treat the symptoms for a healthy addiction treatment.

How to Prevent Methadone Addiction Relapse?

Methadone addiction relapse happens when a person goes back to methadone usage after recovering from the addiction. The risk of relapse after recovery is high and has to be monitored to keep in check. There are several ways to help the prevention of relapse including meditation, hobbies, self-care, trigger identification, continuing support groups, creating an emergency contact list, and getting help from an expert. A combination of these methods is helpful to successfully ensure relapse prevention.

How is Methadone Addiction Different From Other Opioid Addictions?

Methadone addiction differs from other opioid addictions based on its usage as it is used for medicinal purposes primarily. However, many other opioid addictions like heroin and fentanyl addiction are a result of recreational drug intake. Methadone is addictive like other opioids but its intake is rather safe in contrast to other illegal opioids. Methadone intake under a medical expert’s supervision is considered safer.

Can methadone and Suboxone lead to dependence if not used properly?

Yes, methadone and suboxone lead to dependence if not used properly. Methadone is a medicinal drug used to treat opioid use disorder by activating opioid receptors and bringing down withdrawal and cravings. Suboxone is a medicine used to treat opioid addiction, made with a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Methadone fully activates the receptors. However, suboxone partially activates receptors and partially brings the effect of opioids if injected.

Are heroin and methadone classified as opioids?

Yes, heroin and methadone are classified as opioids. Methadone is a medicinal drug used to treat chronic pain and opioid addiction. Heroin is a recreational drug that creates euphoric effects and has no medical benefits but has a high risk of severe heroin addiction. Both of these drugs are considered a form of opioid drug. However, methadone is used for medicinal purposes and heroin is used for euphoria.

Do methadone and codeine have the potential for physical dependence?

Yes, methadone and codeine have the potential for physical dependence. Codeine is a low-potency opioid drug used to treat mild pain and cough issues. Methadone is a medicinal drug used for the treatment of chronic pain and opioid usage. Methadone and codeine are used for medical purposes but their potency varies. Both methadone and codeine addiction lead to physical dependency.