Methadone Uses: Methadone Facts

Question: Methadone use?

(Posted by: Roze on 2007-09-10 18:07:35)

My father had been perscribed methadone for the past 15 yrs. He died two weeks ago his autopsy showed a high dose of methadone and cirrosis. Is it normal for methadone to be perscribed is high doses for such a long period of time he was using it to rehabilite from drug use

Posted by: peridot0283 on 2007-09-10, 18:20:38

Yes... it's completely normal to use high doses for heroin abuse. The cirrosis probably was a chronic condition and has very little to do with the methadone usage, but it would strain your liver over a period of time. My question to you is if your father was on such a "high dose ", why didn't his doctor do routine bloodwork to make sure it wasn't above the theraputic level for his system? That's what i'd be asking, not what was in the autopsy.

Posted by: Elle on 2007-09-10, 18:25:52

I am unsure if there is a correlation between methadone use and the cirrosis.. What I do know is that many (from what I witnessed, most) methadone users are thrust into a cycle that is continuous. They stay on the drug for sometimes their entire lives because it is an addiction, just like the drugs it weaned them from. The clinics authorize very high dosages, especially to long term patients who are "clean ", which means free from illegal substances. Although this is a government regulated industry, it is not by any means safe or w/ o consequence. It is simply a regulated form of drug use. The clinics are money makers, you should see the amount of people there each day. I am not going to say that there are not benefits for some, I am sure lives have been saved by the methadone, but they are very lenient about who gets on the drug and as long as they "behave " they are dosed daily w/ o anyone to say it is time to wean down or quit. The clinics call this 'Maintenence'. The withdrawal from this drug is some of the ugliest I have ever witnessed, even the doctors who became involved w/ the case I witnessed were adamant in their opinion that methadone is a horrible choice for most users. There is simply too much propaganda and misleading info for those who are looking for a way out of addiction.