Methadone is a prescription medication that is used to treat severe pain. It also helps those addicted to heroin to cease their use of the drug without experiencing horrendous withdrawal symptoms. Since heroin causes an excess of dopamine to be released into the brain, addicts feel a constant need for the drug to maintain this high. Methadone satisfies this need for an opiate without the euphoria associated with heroin. While users of methadone are ultimately transferring their dependence from one drug to another, they become more stable and no longer experience urgent impulses to take heroin. Once the desire to take heroin is completely diminished, patients are then weaned off of the methadone, although this process can sometimes take several years to complete.

Effects of Methadone Methadone side effects can vary greatly and should be closely monitored. Symptoms that are typical of methadone users include upset stomach, headache, drowsiness, constipation, dry mouth, insomnia, decreased sex drive and excessive sweating. Severe side effects should be reported to your doctor. These methadone side effects include lightheadedness, swelling of extremities, rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing and chest pain.

A methadone overdose can be very serious. Should someone you know exhibit the symptoms, call 911 or poison control immediately. Warning signs of a methadone overdose include loss of consciousness, coma, difficulty breathing, extremely small pupils, clammy skin and loss of muscle tone.

It should also be noted that methadone has a high interaction ratio with other drugs. For instance, Elavil is the brand name for amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant. Taking both Elavil and methadone can be potentially hazardous. A methadone interaction with Elavil could cause a dangerously high dose of methadone to be released into your system, causing an overdose. Should an overdose not occur, it is still highly likely that once the Elavil exits your system, withdrawal symptoms will be experienced for the high levels of methadone that were previously experienced.

Symptoms of methadone withdrawal include dilated pupils, irritability, stomach pain, fever, sweating, runny nose and eyes and nausea.

Signs of Methadone Addiction As with any addiction, someone with a methadone addiction will do whatever it takes to continue taking the drug. Some may make their doctors believe they require a higher dosage of methadone, while others may “double up” on their dosages. Still others may continue to take heroin and use methadone as a “topper” of sorts. Methadone is addictive, and most who begin taking methadone as a means of ceasing an addiction to heroin or another opiate become addicted to the new drug. Tolerance and dependence develops, creating the need for a methadone detox program, which can take much longer to complete than many other rehabilitation programs.

How To Test For Methadone Abuse Methadone drug testing is an invaluable resource for many individuals, including employers, parents and government agencies. While methadone does have its legitimate purposes, extremely high doses of the substance can create dangerous side effects and should be monitored. Methadone drug tests come in a variety of forms including urine drug tests, saliva drug tests and hair drug tests. Each of these methods works very well in detecting methadone in an individual’s system. For a longer testing window, hair follicle methadone drug testing is the way to go. Results are achieved in a laboratory setting and can detect methadone use for up to the past 90 days.

Employers benefit from methadone drug tests, as they prevent potential drug-related liability claims, accidents and other misfortunes from occurring. Investing in a drug testing program helps to increase employee productivity and maintain the positive image you want for your company.

While methadone is a prescription substance, it can be obtained on the street illegally. Parents who are concerned about their children or teenager’s behavior can benefit from methadone drug testing tremendously. Drug test kits put your mind at rest and allow you to either put the question of whether or not drug use is occurring in your house behind you or take the next step in getting your teen drug rehabilitation.

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Detox FAQ

Rapid Opiate Detoxification and Ultra Rapid Opiate Detoxification

Clients’ questions – medical specialist’s answers

- What does a panliness and comfortable opiate detoxification mean? - According to the questionnaire results, 92% of our patients don’t experience any withdrawal symptoms. The patients go trough an easy and comfortable transition to a drug free state of body. The other 8% be mildly indisposed and may feel insignificant symptoms of chills and cold. We don’t allow patients to suffer pain, nauseousness, vomiting and diarrhea. The patients is protected against of depression and sleeplessness as well.

- What am I going to feel during and after the detox treatment? - You will be sleeping during the 8-hours of detoxification procedure, and you won’t feel a thing while the highly trained and experienced doctors are cleaning your blood and cells from the drugs. After the procedure, you will wake up without pain and suffering, and you will be feeling relaxation in your body and sleepiness. Within only a few hours, you will be fully functional and you will be able to eat. In the evening, you will receive sleeping medicines to be able to sleep normally.

- What happens in the following days after the detox? - Although, the body will continue cleansing itself from the insignificant remains of drugs molecules, you will be receiving a prophylactic therapy and you will be feeling comfortable. In case of minimal signs of discomfort, you should inform the doctor about that, and you will receive an adequate medical assistance. Additional detoxification procedures can be preformed if necessary. Afterwards, you’ll take the drug tests, before it shows that your body is perfectly drugs free. That will be the end of your opiate detox and the beginning of a drugs free life. In case you would like to get a protection, you can have one of the Naltrexone forms.

- What does an uncomfortable detox mean and how it happens? How to avoid it? - Mild withdrawal symptoms might occur in cases when a patient says that his/her daily drugs intake is lower than it really is, and that incorrect information results in planning insufficient prophylactic therapy and detoxification procedure. Also, it happens in cases when a patient keeps to him or herself about some other substances intake (methadone, benzodiazepines, cocaine etc.). In such cases, it is necessary to modify and intensify the treatment.

- What does a safe rapid detox mean? What kind of risks are there involved and how to avoid them? - A safe opoioid detoxification is not only a comfortable treatment, but protection of the brain from stress and organs from overpressure during the rapid detoxification from opiate and opioid drugs. To avoid the risks, it is necessary to make an extremely detailed planning, preparations and performing of the whole detoxification program by a medical doctors team (therapist, psychiatrist-addictionologist, anesthesiologist). The medical team must be experienced and specialized in this area of medicine. Modern technologies and the right tactics will not allow development of some risks during the medical sleep. We protect you from hard palpitation, high blood pressure, vomiting, and respiration problems during the detoxification process.

- How can you check that the body is fully clean and ready for Naltrexone induction? Will I be feeling ill after a Naltrexone injection of a Naltrexone implant/depot insertion? - The control of the detoxification process success is being tested several times – during the detox and at the end of the treatment program. After the program is finished, the doctor is making sure that the body is 100% drugs free, and that there aren’t any reactions, to neither small nor full Naltrexone dosages. Only then it is possible to insert a Naltrexone depot pellets under the skin or to give an intramuscular Naltrexone depot injection, or to take Naltrexone orally on daily basis. The psychosomatic condition of the patient will stay good and stabile.

- What is the difference between a rapid and ultra rapid detox? - Ultra rapid opioid detoxification (UROD) is performed by a team of anesthesiologists, who put a patient under anesthesia or deep sedation for 6 to 10 hours, while administering total opiate antagonists. After the detox procedure, a patient recovers quickly, maintaining good appetite and night sleep. Still, a patient stays under the medical supervision from 1 to 3 days, till he stabilizes fully.

Rapid detoxification (ROD) is performed by physicians-addictionologists during 5 to 7 days while administrating suitable agonist-antagonist of opiate receptors (tramadol, buprenorphine, butrofanol), preventing the withdrawal symptoms and using symptomatic therapy.

- What is the difference between a detox under anesthesia and sedation? - An ultra rapid opioid detox under general anesthesia means that all sensations are off. Patients are maximally protected from all discomfort that involves withdrawal symptoms. This procedure is highly qualified, performed according the high technology standards and expensive. Close organs function monitoring and administrating. Patient wake easily up and quickly become functional – they communicate, walk normally and eat with appetite. Unfortunately, general anesthesia is not indicated for everyone. In those cases, UROD is performed under deep sedation, and anesthesiologist inducts long acting sedatives and analgesic medicines. Patients experience withdrawal symptom in sleep, under close monitoring and with doctor’s assistance. After the procedure is finishes, patients stay in their bed for many hours feeling sleepy and relaxed. On the following day, the strength restores.

- Which medicines are usually used for detox? - Ultra rapid opioid detox either under general anesthesia or sedation applies Naltrexone, Naloxon, Clonidine, Diazepam and tens of other different medicines. Enormous medical mastery defines the right dosages, combinations and the way and speed of induction. The most important is that withdrawal symptoms pass in a rapid, safe and painless way. Rapid detox is gradually performed, with one main medicine (Tramadol, Buprenorphine), and a wide range of vegetative stabilization, sedatives, soporific and symptomatic medicines.

- How does a heroin detoxification look like and how long does it take? - A comfortable cleansing from heroin and other opiates (morphine, codeine, surrogate opiates) usually lasts from 3 to 5 days and includes diagnostic and preparation for the main procedure. UROD takes from 6 to 8 hours, after which a mild extra cleansing and the test are being done.

- What is the difference between heroin and methadone detox? - Opioid detoxification lasts longer: methadone, buprenorphine, (subutex, subuxon), morphine sulfate (substitol, compensan etc.) is more demanding treatment program. It might include a few deep drugs cleansing procedures, a powerful protection from withdrawal symptoms and efficiency monitoring. The length of comfortable methadone detoxification takes not less than 7 days.

- When the implant insertion takes place? - The best thing to do is to insert a Naltrexone depot at the hospital, right after the painless detoxification and the detox results tests.

- What difficulties can I expect after the detox? - Firstly – intensification and manifestation of the latent physical and psychological disorders, which used to be “concealed” by drugs (toothache, heart and lungs condition, depression etc.) - Secondly – psychological withdrawal symptoms: sleeplessness, blues, irritability, aggressiveness, transit “mental pains”, obsessive-compulsive drugs cravings. To avoid sleeplessness, mood swings etc. in the early adaptation period, it is recommended to have an in or outpatient treatment after the detoxification.

- What does a qualified detox mean? - Meeting specific standards for an excellent result achievement: 1. Careful and detailed physical and psychological condition diagnostics. 2. Correct information about the drugs, medicines and other substances intake as well as the dosages. 3. Tailor made detoxification model taking into account all specifics of each patient individually. 4. An optimal combination of the detox methods. 5. 24h medical monitoring and timely preventive assistance to avoid withdrawal symptoms and development of latent co-occurring illnesses. By fulfilling of all the mentioned conditions above, a patient gets an easy and comfortable detoxification from opiates and opioids.

- How does a detoxification from more substances look like? - It’s a rather complex and delicate process. Heroin, methadone, valium, alcohol, cocaine etc. give specific problems, in different combinations, during the detox. It requires exact information about the daily substance intake, and prognoses of the patient’s condition taking into account all substances. Besides that, additional medical procedures and medicines will be required.

- What is the best place to have a detox done? - It is where more detoxification methods are applied – there is choice of detoxification models and combinations which are right for you. It is where highly trained and qualified doctors are. It is where psychological opiate withdrawal symptoms are avoided. It is a detox center with moderate prices.

- What is the difference between your and other detoxes? - Hospitals and detox centers usually offer “one method of rapidly detoxifying the body of opiates without the patient experiencing significant detoxification withdrawal”. We offer a few methods of totally painless detox, tailored made for each patient individually, by a team of medical doctors, specialized in different medical areas. At the lowest costs in Europe, too.

- How much does a high quality rapid opiate detox and ultra rapid opioid detoxification cost? - From 1.000 euro (including 24h medical monitoring, 3 meals a day, medications, doctors’ fees).

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